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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
Kimballian Reflections.
Hason & Hamlin News.
W. W. Kimball or "Governor" Kimball,
as he has been affectionately entitled, is
homeward bound from his European vaca-
tion,having apparently discovered the long-
sought-for secret of perpetual youth.
A wonderful man is "Governor" Kim-
ball, and a wonderful institution is that
which bears his name. It exemplifies as
perhaps few businesses do, the great possi-
bilities in the industrial field.
The development of the Kimball busi-
ness from the modest efforts of early years
to the position it occupies to-day has been
a gigantic achievement.
So many unthinkingly complain because
they cannot attain success without tre-
mendous effort and point out that the men
who are "on top" to-day started in busi-
ness life at a time when opportunities were
abundant.
This view of things is superficial.
Did not "Governor" Kimball, when he
started in business possess those great
gifts of application, system and tireless
effort, he would have never had his name
associated with the Kimball enterprise
which to-day is known the world over.
And the strong point is, that at no time
in his career has Mr. Kimball ceased
laboring.
Success means perpetual striving. It
means keeping in close sympathy with
modern requirements and conditions. It
means keeping one's ear to the ground, so
to speak.
Mr. Kimball, with that keen insight for
which he is distinguished, surrounded
himself early in life with a coterie of men
who were splendidly fitted and properly
equipped to carry out his ideas and de-
velop ideas of their own.
The members of the Kimball Co., indi-
vidually and collectively, are in their re-
spective fields as brilliant, as capable and
as accomplished as one could come across
in any industry in this great country.
Hence the augmentation of the plans
laid down years ago continues, and whether
in the piano, reed organ, or pipe organ de-
partments, the Kimball Co. seem to be
branching out all over the nation. The
Kimball pipe organs are to-day finding
their way into the leading churches of the
country and aresuccessfully "knocking out"
in fair competition the old-time instru-
ments of the East.
This is not because they favor the Kim-
ball corporation or have a sentimental re-
gard for Chicago, but simply because they
are receiving value. And the giving of
values is the basis of success
Why longer wonder at the increase in
the Kimball factories?
In another part of The Review the an-
nouncement is made that Harold Bauer
has selected the Mason & Hamlin piano
for his use during his tournee in this coun-
try. This endorsement is in keeping with
the many recognitions accorded the artis-
tic excellence of this instrument. Mr.
Bauer, who has never been heard in this
country, ranks high among European mu-
sicians. He will find the Mason & Ham-
lin piano an able and fitting interpreter of
his talents and the combination can pro-
duce only the most delightful results, which
will be enjoyed and appreciated by thous-
ands of music lovers.
Speaking of Mason & Hamlin brings
to mind that they received recently the
following very strong testimonial from
Baynton Taylor, a well-known musical
writer of Bath, Eng.:
Mason & Hamlin Co.,
Boston, Mass.
Gentlemen:—So very highly do I think
of your organs, that I wish, unsolicited,
to bear independent testimony to their ex-
ceedingly great value as triumphs of me-
chanical construction, and as unequalled
for what I contend for as most important
of all, i. e., musical character of the very
highest excellence, with the most exquis-
ite voicing, and great variety of timbre.
Considering their magnificent quality, I
esteem them to be remarkably cheap, and
very far beyond the productions of any
other makers; indeed, I know of no other
organs that bear comparison with yours in
these all essential and vital points.
For thirty years I have made reed and
pipe organs my especial study (con amore)
—and have been consulted by some of the
most eminent English authorities, who
have strongly commended my articles (dur-
ing the last ten years) on organs in such
important magazines as The Bazaar Ex-
change and Mart (for which for forty weeks
I have written about reed organs), Musi-
cal Opinion, Musical Answer, Music, etc.
You may make any use of this letter, if
you value this little compliment from,
Yours faithfully,
Baynton Taylor.
IN TOWN.
At the Maine Musical Festival, which
takes place in Bangor and Portland next
week, the Everett concert grand will be
played by Richard Burmeister.
George W. Morgan, long associated with
the Chickering interests at Chickering Hall,
is a recent valuable acquisition to the re-
tail forces at the Knabe warerooms in this
city.
Among the members of the trade in
town this week were: F. J. Woodbury, of
the Jewett Piano Co., Leominster, Mass.:
Geo. F. Hedge, of Geo. F. Hedge, Son &
Co., Buffalo; F. F. Kramer, Allentown,
Pa. ; M. J. Riegel, of Easton, Pa., and F.
K. Smith, of the Chase & Smith Co., Syra-
cuse, N. Y.
S. Q. Lindeman Gives Up Retail.
Henry Lindeman, of Henry Lindeman
& Son, 159 East 128th street, reports a most
encouraging condition of trade. Orders
are plentiful and the large stock of mate-
rial secured and made ready during the
summer months enables the firm to fill or-
ders promptly.
S. G. Lindeman, the junior member of
the firm, in order to give his whole time
and attention to the wholesale branch, is
disposing of his interests in the retail store
on 125th street. Henry Lindeman made
a brief Eastern trip last week, secured sev-
eral good orders and made some valuable
new connections.
BlakeSare
[Special to The Review.!
Boston, Mass., Sept. 27, 1900.
Charles H. Blake and his wife Louise B.
Blake, who have been on trial for the lar-
ceny of $165 from Mrs. Ella W. Fowler,
in selling a piano under false pretenses,
were declared guilty by a jury in the Su-
perior Criminal Court to-day.
The case has been on trial for several
days, and has attracted a great deal of at-
tention, especially among the piano men
throughout the city, who consider the con-
viction of Blake and his wife an important
step in breaking up the crooked methods
that are too often employed in the decep-
tion of purchasers of musical instruments.
The government in the prosecution of the
defendants has had with it the sympathy
of the entire better class of musical in-
strument houses in Boston, as was evi-
denced by the appearance as witnesses for
the prosecution of the president of the
Music Trades Association and a represen-
tative of one of the piano firms.
The details of the case are familiar to
readers. It will be remembered that an
"ad."was inserted in a local newspaper
announcing that Mrs. Louise Chandler, of
29 Cumberland street, proposed visiting
the Paris Exposition and wished to "dis-
pose of a $500 piano at a sacrifice." The
greatest possible claims were made for the
instrument and "it would be sold for $165
or less." Mrs. Chandler, it is claimed, was
Mrs. Blake, and the $500 piano was a
cheap "box" bearing the name of Hoffman
& Co.
Mrs. Fowler testified to the facts con-
nected with the purchase and the guaran-
tees made by the Blakes as well as to the
fact that the piano turned out to be en-
tirely unsatisfactory. She went to Blake
to get her money back, but he refused to
refund it and said he would give her an-
other piano. She declined this offer and
insisted on her money. Oh refusal to give
it she had Blake and his wife arrested.
Counsel Bartlet for the defense, in his
argument to-day, did not attempt to con-
tradict the evidence in regard to the adver-
tisements, but stated, as did Blake himself
in his evidence, that it was merely a way
of doing business. Mr. Bartlet said that
the case should not be judged by the crite-
ria of strict ethics, but from the point of
view of business methods of attracting
trade. He argued that the decoy was legit-
imate, and intimated that the real motive
behind the prosecution was jealousy of the
defendant on the part of the piano men of
the city.
District Attorney Sughrue, in his sum-
mary of the case, gave a scathing arraign-
ment of the accused, stating that they
were as much guilty of theft as if they had
committed one of the other forms of rob-
bery. It was their intention, he said, to
deceive those who did not have a technical
knowledge of pianos, and everything
about their claims in regard to the instru-
ment sold to the Fowlers was false, and
directed to this end.
The jury came to a verdict after an
hour's deliberation, and sentence will be
imposed later.