Music Trade Review

Issue: 1901 Vol. 32 N. 11

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
riore Hackley Gifts.
Chas. H. Hackley, president of the
Chase-Hackley Piano Co., Muskegon,
Mich., continues to augment his public
benefactions. Last week he gave $25,000
for the enlargement of the Hackley Public
Library, which he presented to Muskegon
in 1888. To this library alone he has
given $200,000, and endowed it with the
sum of $75,000.
What Concerns Are These?
[Special to The Review.]
[Special to The Review.]
Philadelphia, Pa., March 15, 1901. f
The head of a well-known Western piano
manufacturing establishment, accompanied
by his traveler, has been here for a couple
of days. It would not be surprising if
John Wanamaker should take on another
Western piano in place of the Krell. It
may be that he will include a trio of
pianos.
Slivinski's Success.
The preliminary arrangements for re-
ception and entertainment of guests at the
forthcoming annual convention of the Na-
tional Piano Manufacturers' Association,
to be held on May 15, 16 and 17 in this
city, are now being completed under the
supervision of the competent committees
chosen at the recent meeting held for or-
ganization purposes.
These committees, according to the lat-
est revised lists, are as follows:
Banquet Committee—Charles H. Par-
sons, chairman; Messrs. George P. Bent,
George F. Blake, E. S. Conway, William
D. Dutton, A. H. Fischer, Robert C. Kam-
merer, J. R. Mason, H. Paul Mehlin, Rob-
ert F. Proddow, William E. Wheelock.
Speakers and Reception Committee—A.
H. Fischer, chairman; Messrs. Dutton, J.
R. Mason, Parsons, Proddow.
Dinner and Invitation Committee—Rob-
ert C. Kammerer, chairman; Messrs. Bent,
Blake, H. Paul Mehlin.
Press Committee—William D. Dutton,
chairman; Messrs. Conway, Wheelock.
The plan to devote May 15 to business,
the day following to the annual banquet
and the third day of the convention to an
excursion in specially chartered steamer
to West Point, is subject to change. Pro-
vision is being made to carry about nine
hundred on the trip.
To Tax Business Corporations.
A SUBSTITUTE BILL TO BE REPORTED FAVOR-
ABLY TO THE ASSEMBLY TO-DAY.
CHAS. H, HACKLEY.
L. n. French's Invention.
L. M. French, of Chicago, was this week
granted a patent by the authorities at
Washington on his invention, which bears
on the modification of the tone of a piano
so as to produce various effects, such as
imitating other instruments, etc. Relating
to this invention, Mr. French says: "In
carrying out my invention I made a num-
ber of curved shoes of wood or equivalent
material, one for each hammer, and so
apply them that they may be moved to-
ward and from the strings, and thereby
interrupt the contact of the hammers with
the strings, whereby I obtain different
effects by simply varying the amount of
this movement."
One of the official claims made by Mr.
French is as follows: "In a piano, the
movable hammer-rest rail, a rail pivotally
connected thereto and adapted to rest and
slide upon the action-bolts, a series of
movable rigid shoes connected to said rail
and adapted by its motion to present differ-
ent points for contact with the strings, in
combination with the hammers and ac-
tion-bolts. "
It Hay Be.
Dubuque, la., March 14, 1901.
It is said on the street that two large
New York piano manufacturers have closed
arrangements for the holding of a special
factory sale of pianos here between the
20th and 25th of this month for probably
thirty days. The names of the factories
in the deal were not stated, but from
the names mentioned they are well known
in the trade. Our home dealers will prob-
ably not relish the news.
In defiance of the prognostications of the
local critics, Slivinski and the Leipsic Phil-
harmonic Orchestra seem to be prospering
"on the road." Wherever they have been
heard, in all the smaller cities throughout
New England especially, they have been
successful, while in Boston the critics have
been most sympathetic, if not enthusiastic,
in their critiques. The Transcript, speak-
ing of Von Slivinski, the pianist, says:
"He is an exceedingly tall, dark Polish
musician, who is almost entirely free from
the mannerisms affected by so many of the
pianists whom Boston concert-goers have
heard in the last year or two. He was en-
thusiastically recalled again and again after
the Tschaikowsky Concerto, and finally re-
sponded with a short encore, much to the
delight of the audience."
The piano used by Slivinski was the new
Knabe grand.
Mr. Hackley's gifts to Muskegon now
amount to over $600,000. The objects for
which he has appropriated this money have
been in every case well chosen, all tending
to the education and mental and physical
development of the youthful generation of
his city.
The piano industry is honored in count-
ing among its members Chas. H. Hackley.
The Chase-Hackley Piano Co. and the city
of Muskegon can be proud of this worthy
citizen of our Republic.
U
Albany, March 14, 1900.—The Senate
and Assembly Taxation Committees have
agreed upon a new bill to carry out Gov.
Odell's purpose to secure a larger annual
revenue from business corporations. This
substitute bill will be reported favor-
ably to-morrow by the Assembly Taxa-
tion Committee. It provides that a
foreign manufacturing company which
does not employ within the State 50 per
cent, of its capital stock shall pay an origi-
nal license tax of one-eighth of 1 per cent,
on the capital employed within this State.
It is further provided that all domestic or
foreign laundry, manufacturing and min-
ing corporations, not employing at least 50
per cent, of their capital in this State shall
pay a dividend tax of a quarter of a mill
for each 1 per cent, of dividend declared
based upon the capital employed in this
State. This tax, of course, would not hit
many domestic manufacturing corpora-
tions, as they have nearly all of their prop-
erty in this State.
The theory upon which this bill was
drafted is that if a foreign manufacturing
corporation employs a large portion of its
capital in this State the benefits to the
State through local taxation, labor employ
ments and otherwise, are thought to justify
the exemption. The amount of revenue
which this tax would raise has not been
computed.
Nahum Stetson will probably return to-
day from Florida where he has been so-
journing with his family for some weeks
past.
Association News.
Go With Cable.
George S. Beech wood, of Utica, N. Y.,
has decided to close out his music business,
and has accepted a position with the Cable
Co., of Chicago, for whom he will travel.
Prospecting in Boonton.
A representative of a New York piano
firm has been in Boonton, N. J., the last
week looking for a building suitable for
making use of it as a piano manufactory.
Schwander Popularity.
August Palle, the Schwander action
representative of this city, reports a very
satisfactory condition of trade since the
opening of the year. February was better
than January and the business for March
so far indicates that it will eclipse the
previous months. Mr. Palle, who is wide-
ly esteemed by those who know him, de-
serves all the good things that are coming
his way.
Behr Bros, report trade conditions this
week as encouraging. Horace F. Brown
has returned from a lengthy and successful
trip.
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
n
Wilcox & White have just received a
cable from their London agency announc-
ing the sale of an Angelus to the King of
Portugal.
Edward Behr, of Behr Bros. & Co., is
strongly of the opinion that American pi-
ano manufacturers can secure much busi-
ness to foreign countries provided the
the matter is properly handled.
There is some talk thatKaufmann Bros.,
proprietors of a department store in
Pittsburg, will soon inaugurate a piano
department, handling some well-known
makes of pianos.
H. L. Goodrow, the enterprising music
dealer of Grand Rapids, la., has leased
much larger quarters than at present oc-
cupied by him in the new Jim Block, in
that city, to which he will remove at an
early date.
The Story & Clark and Newman Bros,
pianos, and Newman Bros, organs, are
carried by the Burnes Music Co., of
Aberdeen, S. D., who have recently taken
over the business of the Aberdeen Imple-
ment and Transfer Co.
Van R. Livingston, the A. B. Chase am-
bassador, reports a splendid business out-
look for his firm in the West. Spring
trade has opened up in good shape, and
every indication points to an unusually
active demand for the famous A. B. Chase.
Trade conditions at the Kroeger factory
are very satisfactory, all facilities being
brought into play for the carrying out of
current work. Thos. La M. Couch is still
traveling in the West. J. C. Amie started
East on Tuesday.
While retail trade in Providence, R. I.,
has not been up to the usual standard, yet
Joseph M. Mann, the modern dealer, is
having an exceedingly brisk spring trade.
That this go-ahead piano man is highly
esteemed in musical circles is evident from
the appreciation shown his wares and the
support vouchsafed him.
Charles Kiedel, manager of the Knabe
interests in Washington, D. C., was one of
the distinguished party who accompanied
the Hon. Grover Cleveland on his recent
duck-shooting expedition.
C. H. Wood, who for the past fifteen
years has been superintendent of the piano
and organ keyboard department of Pratt,
Read & Co., Deep River, Conn., has ten-
dered his resignation.
Edward H. Droop of Washington, D. C,
was in town this week. He will probably
take a short sea voyage to Cuba for the
benefit of his health.
W. O. Crippen has been re-engaged as
manager of the Krell Piano Co.'s retail
store on Fourth street, Cincinnati, O.
The premises occupied by H. Stratton,
at 409 Decatur street, New Orleans, was
damaged by fire last week.
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
The Lester Piano Co., whose enlarge-
ment of factory plant at Lester, Pa., was
announced in last week's Review, will also
increase their working force of 150 to 200.
This speaks eloquently of Lester pros-
perity.
The Bailey Piano Co., with factory at
15 7-159 East 128th street, have been organ-
ized to manufacture a serviceable and at-
tractive instrument. The first shipment
will probably be made early in April.
The Teachers' Club of San Francisco,
Cal., have selected a Hallet & Davis grand
for their quarters in that city through the
Heine Piano Co., the local agents.
In Town.
Rufus W. Blake, of the Sterling Co.,
Derby, Conn. ; E. W. Karn, Fort Wayne,
Ind. ; Chandler W. Smith, Boston; Braton
S. Chase, Muskegon, Mich. ; Geo. Bolt-
wood, Chicago; Louis F. Geissler, San
Francisco, Cal. ; E. H. Droop, Washing-
ton, D. C. ; Mr. Jones, of the Baldwin re-
tail forces, Cincinnati; P. J. Healy, Chi-
cago; Geo. W. Thompson, of the Montelius
Piano Co., Pueblo, Col.; J. Harry Estey,
Brattleboro, Vt. ; Albert Krell, Cincinnati,
O. ; M. P. Conway, Holyoke, Mass. ; John
Anderson, Superintendent of the Everett
Piano Co.
Callers at the Weber warerooms this
M. de Zouche, formerly with the Knabe week included Harry Leiter, of Leiter
house in New York and Washington, will Bros., Syracuse; G. Wright-Nichols, presi-
be hereafter connected with the Baltimore dent of the firm of Sanders & Stayman;
establishment.
Perry Foster, manager of the Sanders
There is a great demand for Knabe and & Stayman Washington branch, and S. A.
Fischer pianos on the Pacific Coast. Koh- Ward, of Newark, N. J.
ler & Chase report an especially active
Some Queer Fiddles.
business just now.
There are quite a number of people who
Louis F. Geissler, of Sherman, Clay &
collect
musical instruments. Men have
Co., San Francisco, is in town and will
been
known
to pay tremendous prices for
shortly leave on his regular European
violins
of
rare
make, merely to place these
trip for purchases abroad.
instruments in collections they were mak-
Ludden & Bates, who for some years ing of such things.
have controlled the sales of the Mathushek
One of the greatest fiddles that ever
(New Haven) pianos, at 137 Fifth avenue,
were
known was to be seen at the
will, it is said, give up their New York
French
court in the time of Charles
warerooms on May 1.
IX. This was a viol so large that
The wholesale traveling forces of the several boys could be placed inside of
Vose & Sons Piano Co., Chicago, have it. These boys used to sit inside this queer
been reinforced by the addition of D. D. instrument and sing the airs that the man
Luxton, a well-known man in the trade.
who handled the bow was playing on the
The new firm of Baker & Chase, Buffalo, viol outside. The effect, is said to have
N. Y., expect to have their new self-player been very beautiful, though it would seem
as if the presence of the lads in its interior
on the market around the first of April.
A permanent agency for the Smith & would seriously interfere with the tone of
Barnes pianos has been established in Lis. the "Great Fiddle," as it was called.
Many years after, another huge instru-
bon, O.
ment of this kind was used at concerts in
The Holler Organs.
Boston. It was so large that to play it the
M. P. Moller, the celebrated organ manu- fiddler had to stand on a table to use his
facturer of Hagerstown, Md., is now en- bow at the proper point on the strings.
gaged in building an organ for the South This instrument was called "The Grand-
Carolina Interstate Exposition to be held father of Fiddles."
at Charlestown. Among the large number
flathushek Progress.
of pipe organs which Mr. Moller has al-
ready built are the large three-manual
This season has been an excellent one
instruments which were exhibited at for the Mathushek & Son products. The
the Trans-Mississippi Exposition held in current styles in grands and uprights are
Omaha, Neb., in 1898, and afterwards exactly suited to the demand. Agents for
sold to the University of Nebraska in the Mathushek & Son pianos in every sec-
Lincoln, Neb., and the National Export tion of the country find a ready sale for
Exposition held in Philadelphia, Pa., in each style.
1899, and sold to Beacon Presbyterian
Hoffman Officers.
Church, Philadelphia, both of which were
awarded the highest honors.
The officers of the Carl Hoffman Music
Mr. Moller last year built forty-nine Co., of Kansas City, whose reorganization
pipe organs, and has on hand at this time was recently referred to in The Review,
orders for twenty-eight two-manual and are: President, Carl Hoffman; vice-presi-
three-manual instruments, the last two re- dent, John W. Northrop; secretary and
ceived being a fine $3,000 tubular pneu- treasurer, John W. Hoffman. The direc-
matic organ for the Chester Hill M. E. tors are: Carl Hoffman, John W. Hoffman,
Church, Mt. Vernon, N. Y., and a $3,500 Ida W. Hoffman, John W. Northrop, of
tubular pneumatic organ for the Fourth the Emerson Piano Co., E. S. Payson, J.
Reformed Church, Philadelphia, both of R. Mason, of the Sterling Co., and Charles
which orders were received the same day. H. Eddy, of the Chickering & Sons.
This is sufficient proof of the popularity
Adam Schaaf, the well-known manufac-
of the Moller pipe organs and the satisfac- turer of Chicago, is, according to latest re-
tion they are giving.
ports, very ill,

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