Music Trade Review

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V O L . XXXII. N o . 2 6 . Published Every Saturday bj Edward Ljman Bill at 3 East Fourteenth Street, New York, June 29,1901.
DULL POLISH VS. BRIGHT POLISH.
Henry B. Fisher's Views on the Subject—A Num-
ber of Fisher Pianos Now Being Made in Dull
Finish for Test Purposes—His Plea for the Dull
Finish—Henry Behr Says Dealers Can Do Much
to Help the Good Cause.
Interest in the question of "Dull Polish vs.
Bright Polish" continues unabated among
manufacturers of high-grade pianos.
Henry B. Fischer, of J. & C. Fischer,
when asked by The Review on Tuesday for
his opinion, said: "We think so favorably
of the idea that a number of our instruments
are now being made in dull finish as an
experiment. They will be distributed among
our dealers when completed, and thus an op-
portunity will be afforded for a fair test.
"When passing through Michigan in Jan-
uary, I visited the annual exhibit of the
furniture makers of the United States at
Grand Rapids, and noted that they had on
view numerous expensive suites, costing $800
or more, made in dull finish. If you will
observe the exhibits in our local high-grade
furniture makers and dealers to-day, you
will see a quantity of the choicest furniture
products in dull finish.
"It does not mean, of course, that dull
finish will cheapen the selling price. The
expense of preparing dull-finish cases prop-
erly will not admit of any reduction in the
manufacturers' figures. It will take time to
bring about this desirable change, but it is
bound to come, if dealers will point out the
manifest advantages. If a few manufac-
turers were to send out some dull-finish
cases to their representatives, the attitude
of purchasers could readily be obtained and
something like a reliable view of the sit-
uation made available.
"It may seem odd to suggest sending
out a few 'as an experiment,' but that is
precisely what was done when the upright
piano was first placed on the market.
Dealers at that time were not at all sure
how the upright would be received. They
took a few on trial as an experiment. Grad-
ually the square piano had to make room
for it.
"There is no doubt in my mind as to the
utilit^of the dull finish, and I believe that,
in due course of time, it will be accepted as
the most desirable and certainly the most
sensible."
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HENRY BEHR'S VIEWS ON THE SUBJECT.
Henry Behr, head of the firm of Behr
Bros., when asked for his opinion, said:
"The many advantages of the dull finish
$2.00 PER YEAR.
SINGLE COPIES, 10 CENTS.
ought to make the transition from the pres-
FOR A GREATER VOSE.
ent prevailing method of polishing easy, but
An Immense New Factory to be Erected in Bos-
it can only be brought about by degrees.
ton which will be Double the Capacity of
"Dealers—the men who know from ex-
the Present Plant—Work to Commence Au-
perience the trouble and annoyance now
gust 1st.
caused from changes of climate, tempera-
[Special to The Review.]
ture, etc.—can do much in the direction of
Boston, Mass., June 26, 1901.
bringing the dull finish into general use. I
The purchase of the tract of vacant land
believe it would be greatly to their benefit
to take hold of the matter seriously and situated on the corner of Massachusetts av-
enue and Magazine street, Roxbury, of some
bring it to a successful issue."
95,000 square feet, by the Vose & Sons Piano
THE PRESIDENT PARDONS MUSSEY. Co., is one of the most important transac-
[Special to The Review.]
tions in real estate that this section of the
Washington, June 25, 1901.
city has witnessed for a long time. While
The President to-day pardoned Charles the price paid is not made public, it was
W. Mussey, formerly cashier of the National about 60 cents per square foot.
Bank, of Rutland, Vt., who was convicted
This purchase has considerable signifi-
last year of the misapplication of $100,000' cance from the fact that it means the con-
of the funds of the bank, and sentenced struction of one of the most perfectly ap-
to seven years' imprisonment. Mussey is pointed factory buildings in the United
not expected to live longer than a few weeks. States for the manufacture of pianos, it be-
In 1893, Marvin A. McClure, piano deal- ing the intention of the Vose Co. to erect
er, and a personal friend of Mussey, and then on the site a large six-story factory building
a man of good standing, applied to the bank to be as near fireproof as money and brains
for a loan of $3,000. The Finance Com- can make it, to cost about $200,000.
mittee declined to make the loan, whereupon
The property, which was owned by Charles
McClure, by personal appeal, prevailed upon F. Curtis and John B. Fallon, is one of the
Mussey to let him have the money with a finest adapted for this use of any in the city,
solemn promise that it would be promptly and the Curtis parcel on the corner of Massa-
paid when due, and with the understanding chusetts avenue and Magazine street, has
that the loan should be kept from the knowl- been in the Curtis family since 1759, the
edge of the directors.
sale -to the Vose Co. being the first since
Subsequent events proved that McClure that date, it having been purchased then
was a rascal. He got Mussey in his power by the late Mr. Curtis as salt marsh.
by this first loan and held him there until
The plans for the new building are by
the bank was practically ruined by loans H. H. Atwood, the architect, and show a
made to McClure.
mammoth structure, which will be built
Mussey never profited a dollar by the not for show, but for use. It will measure on
transactions and what little he had saved Massachusetts avenue about 360 feet, having
from his annual salary of $1,500 was prompt- a depth of 60 feet on Magazine street.
ly turned over to the receiver.
It will give double the capacity of the
present
factory of the company on the corner
DRUM AND HORN ORGANS MUST GO.
of Washington and Waltham streets, which
Explosive hand organs will be driven from will have to be vacated, the firm's lease hav-
the streets of New York as common and ing expired. They have been located on this
uncommon nuisances, if the campaign which site for over twenty years.
is being carried on by one of the local daily
Work on building the foundation of the
papers is successful.
new structure will be begun about Aug. 1st,
By explosive hand organs is meant the and it is expected to have the building ready
new-fangled, ear-splitting, soul-torturing, for occupancy in the fall. There will also
unmusical arrangements on wheels that are be a power house in the rear some 60 x 50
rigged with noisy snare drums, loud bass feet.
drums and screeching trumpets, all of which
The new building will be constructed of
depend for their infernal activity on the
brick and iron, interlaid with the very best
same crank that grinds out the alleged music
of fireproof material,
they accompany.
It is claimed that the playing of these
George Ilsen, of Cincinnati, O., left last
dynamitic, unmusical instruments violates week for Cologne-on-the-Rhine, where he
will be the guest of his brother.
the law.