Music Trade Review

Issue: 1901 Vol. 32 N. 8

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
H. L. Mason's Lecture
Will Use the Knabe.
IN HARLEH.
BEFORE THE NEW CENTURY CLUB AT UTICA.
THE FAMOUS LEIPSIC PHILHARMONIC ORCHES-
TRA UNDER WINDERSTEIN WITH SLIVINSKI
AND TOSELLI, MAKE THE STRONGEST MUSI-
CAL OFFERING OF THE SEASON.
Jackson, Tenn., Feb. 19, 1901.
This city was visited last night by the
most disastrous fire in its history. The
Pythian Opera House, J. R. Lyons' Music
House, besides numerous business offices,
were burned out. The total loss will reach
about $100,000. No lives were lost, as at
first reported. The loss is fairly well
covered by insurance.
Inquiries by The Review on Tuesday,
during a visit to Harlem, as to trade con-
ditions among the piano factories in that
district, brought forth the following re-
plies:
JOHN D. EVANS, with Newby & Evans:—
"We are not experiencing a rush of busi-
ness, but there is a healthy demand for
our latest styles."
JOHN LUDWIG, of Ludwig & Co. :—"Our
list of visiting dealers this week includes
Mr. J. Jenkins, of J. W. Jenkins Sons
Music Co,, Kansas City, Mo. He left an
order for two carloads. We are develop-
ing an export trade and have made several
important foreign shipments recently.
Domestic trade is excellent."
JACOB DOLL: — "Everything is lovely
and the goose hangs high!"
LUIGI RICCA, of the Ricca Piano Co.: —
"The 'Ricca' and 'Cambridge' are both
selling well. Our traveling man, W. R.
Gillett, is securing a lot of orders. We
are kept busy on current work."
CHRIS. GARRITSON, of the Kroeger Co:—
"Business is moving along in good shape.
The 'Kroeger' is forging its way ahead,
and will continue to do so. We don't mind
competition at all—that is, decent, straight-
forward, above-board competition."
HENRY SPIES, of the Majestic Piano
Co. :—"We are just preparing a shipment
of forty 'Majesties' to fill an urgent order.
This is going to be a big year for the
'Majestic' "
PETER DUFFY, of the Schubert Piano
Co. :—"The Schubert is holding its own."
AUGUSTUS BEHNING, of the Behning
Piano Co. :—"Mr. Charles Spanier is back.
He secured a good number of orders dur-
ing his tour. The latest Behning styles
are quick sellers, and orders are freely
given."
EDWIN MILTON BOOTHE, of the Milton
Piano Co. :—"I have just returned from a
visit to numerous big cities in the West
and East. The 'Milton' has become £a
strong favorite, because it finds ready pur-
chasers. I am convinced that our products
have a great future."
JULIUS KRAKAUER, of Krakauer Bros.
"This week is the same as last. We are
always busy and have customers waiting
to purchase just as fast as we can complete
each instrument. But we believe in qual-
ity rather than quantity and prefer not to
hurry our work."
Henry Behning, Jr., of the Behning Pi-
ano Co., made a good business record, as
usual, on his recent Eastern trip.
The new factory floor and offices of Henry
and S. G. Lindeman, on 128th street, are
now being prepared for occupancy. They
will be ready in about two weeks.
The additional floors of the Staib-Abend-
schein factory have been completed. Strich
& Zeidler are now busy preparing to
occupy much needed space.
The business of the Calenberg Piano
Co., including the scales, name, good will
and all other assets have been purchased
by Jacob Bros. They will continue the
manufacture of the Calenberg piano as
well as the retail warerooms at 23 East
Fourteenth street.
The store occupied by the Calix Pi-
ano Co., at 508 Washington street, Ho-
boken, N. J., was damaged by fire last
Saturday night to the extent of $1500.
The loss was caused principally by water.
Henry L. Mason, of the Mason & Ham-
lin Co., delivered an interesting address to
a large and appreciative audience at the
afternoon session of the New Century
Club, Utica, N. Y., on Wednesday last.
His subject, "The Modern Artistic Piano,"
was clear and accurate without being too
technical. He used several models and a
Mason & Hamlin grand piano to illustrate
his paper. The following extracts from
Mr. Mason's address are interesting:
The artistic pianoforte is an evolution,
an outcome of years of scientific investi-
gation and labor, supplemented by touches
of that rare and abiding attribute, genius;
and the differences between the artistic and
the cheap piano are just as distinct and
real as those between a Stradivarius violin
and a $20 fiddle.
The one is an art
product, the other an imitation—alike in
form, but in form only. The divine spark
is in the one, but not in the other. How
few of the Rembrandt, the Franz Hals or the
Holbein subjects would interest us to-day if
we had only ordinary photographs of the
persons in place of their portraits by these
great men! The photographs would prob-
ably seem to us in no way distin-
guished or more worthy of serious atten-
tion and study than a hundred or a thou-
sand others; but because those faces—
albeit commonplace enough in themselves
—have come to us from master brushes;
because in every fibre they are imbued
with that which stands for far more than
mere likenesses of persons; because they
have in them to a rare degree the human
quality. For these and other reasons they
thrill us and impress us as being the very
essence of freshness, brightness, vigor,
pathos, dignity, grace, or what not—in a
word because they are the result of genius
they are ultimate and real, and for this
reason are they superior to and different
from an ordinary painting.
It is the same with pianos; the tones of
one instrument go to the foundations of
our natures, arousing or soothing our
deepest and best emotions, touching our
hearts and stirring our very souls; while
another instrument, in which the hand
of the artist has had no part, merely
tickles our ear, if indeed it does so much
as that.
After these introductory remarks Mr.
Mason said that he had divided his lec-
ture into five parts: First, general con-
struction; 1 secondly, the case; third, the
sounding board; fourth, the action, and
fifth, the iron plate. He had at hand for
illustration a sound board, an action
model and a finished artistic pianoforte
(Mason & Hamlin), so that his remarks
were made clear by referring to these
various parts. The differences between
the construction of the artistic and this
inartistic or "commercial" piano were
brought out and it was shown why a truly
artistic piano costs more than a poorly
made one. Many facts were told as to the
construction of the sound board (the soul
of the instrument), the various details,
etc. For instance, Mr. Mason said that
the sounding board of a finely made piano
was thoroughly seasoned by remaining in
a dry room at a temperature of 150 degrees,
Fahrenheit, for five years; that it required
six or eight months to build such a piano;
that in the average piano the tension of the
strings is constantly over 40,000 pounds.
Interesting was the part about the "pol-
ishing" of a piano. After the lecture Mr.
Mason invited any of the mernbers to ask
questions, and many of them took advan-
tage of the occasion. A rising vote of
thanks was given to Mr. Mason at the close
of the afternoon.
On Tuesday next the Leipsic Philhar-
monic Orchestra, with its founder and con-
ductor, Hans Winderstein, will arrive from
Europe to give a series of concerts in this
country. The reputation of this band has
been of rapid growth and now extends to
various European countries. It is not only
an institution in the musical life of Leipsic,
but it has travelled around in Germany,
Austria, Russia and Scandinavia. This
year it undertakes its most ambitious
journey.
Winderstein is one of the younger Ger-
man conductors. He is a graduate of the
Leipsic Conservatory, and won success as
a violinist before he decided to become an
orchestral conductor. He is considered to
be at his best in his readings of Beethoven
and Wagner.
The programme of the first concert,
which will take place at Carnegie Hall on
March 1, consists of three Wagnerian
selections—the prelude to the third act of
"Die Meistersinger," the prelude and
"Liebestod" from "Tristan and Isolde,"
and the "Tannnhauser" overture, Bee-
thoven's fifth symphony and Chopin's
concerto (E minor) for pianoforte.
At the second concert on March 3, the
orchestral numbers will include Wagner's
"Rienzi" overture, Tschaikowsky's "Ital-
ian Caprice" and "Lohengrin" Prelude.
The soloist who will come with the or-
chestra is an artist who is no stranger—
Josef von Slivinski, the Polish pianist. He
played here in 1893. He was first a pupil
of Strobl at the Warsaw Conservatory.
Afterward he studied with Leschetizky
and Rubinstein. Enrico Toselli, the clever
young Italian pianist, will also play with
the organization. Both artists will use
the Knabe grand piano exclusively. The
appearance of the Leipsic orchestra and
these pianists promises to be the event of
a very busy musical season and the Knabe
piano will be brought into prominence in a
very effective way.
A woman is to manage this musical ven-
ture. She is Mrs. Norma Knupfel, Amer-
ican-born of German parentage. Her fa-
ther was an actor of great talent who was
long associated with the German stage in
America.
Big Fire in Jackson, Tenn.
[Special to The Review.]
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
12
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
Another One of the Gang Caught.
[Special to The Review.l
Washington, D. C , Feb. 19, 1901.
The Baltimore partner of J. D. Carroll,
alias Holmes, alias Gray (whose arrest is
reported on page 19), charged with steal-
ing a piano from Knabe & Co., was cap-
tured yesterday in front of the Shoreham
Hotel by detectives who had been look-
ing for the second party every day since
the aged Carroll confessed his guilt.
This man gives his name as Howard
Creighton, and his age as twenty-one
years. His home is in Baltimore, where
he has been going under the names of
Harry Fowler, James J. Farley and James
J. Gray. He assumed the last name to
play the role of son of the aged piano thief,
who got into the toils of the law here.
The discovery here of a Fischer piano,
the property of the Baltimore agency of
Sanders & Stayman, made the local de-
tectives positive in their theory that Car-
roll had a confederate and that they made
Baltimore the basis of operations.
Creighton, alias Fowler or Gray, has been
identified as the man who purchased the
Fischer piano from Sanders & Stayman
and later admitted his guilt. He said he
had been pulled into the scheme by Car-
roll, who told him that big money could
be made by renting pianos for $5 a month
and selling them. Detective Miller, of
Baltimore, came over last night and took
Creighton to Baltimore, where he will be
held for the larceny of a piano from Messrs.
Sanders & Stayman.
Carroll Has a Record.
[Special to The Review.l
Baltimore, Feb. 17, 1901.
Holmes, alias Carroll, alias Gray, who is
under arrest in Washington charged with
the larceny of a piano, has been, identified
by Detective Todd B. Hall, of this city, as
William Kelly, alias Spencer, alias Daily,
whom Detective Hall states he arrested
seven years ago in Baltimore for prac-
tices similar to those which have brought
Holmes into the hands of the Washington
police. The identification was through a
photograph.
Patent Rights for Sale.
The daughters of the late Frank Teupe,
the well-known music and piano dealer of
713 East Gray street, Louisville, Ky., and
formerly of the firm of Webb & Teupe, are
now disposing of their father's estate, and
have offered for sale the patent rights of a
vertical grand, invented by Mr. Teupe and
patented as No. 567,668.
The Review, on Wednesday, saw a pho-
tograph of the Teupe Vertical grand. It
is an impressive-looking instrument, and
if handled in an enterprising, aggressive
way by a live manufacturer, would doubt-
less find a special and profitable field.
In the Ohio Building.
The A. B. Chase Co., of Norwalk, O.,
have arranged to place three of their pianos
in the Ohio Building at the Pan-American
Exposition. This building will be com-
pleted about April 1st.
flileage flust Be Accepted.
(Special to The Review.)
Hamilton, O., Feb. 18, 1901.
A. S. Street, of this city, a traveling
salesman for the Starr Piano Company, of
Richmond, Ind., has received word that
the Indiana Court of Appeals had given
him a judgment for $250 against the Penn-
sylvania Railroad Company in a test suit
of great interest to all commercial travelers.
Mr. Street owned one of the Central
Passenger Association's interchangeable
mileage books last spring, and one day,
when he was called to Richmond, he pre-
sented it to the local Pennsylvania ticket
office to exchange mileage coupons for a
ticket to Richmond. The agent happened
to be out of exchange tickets, and advised
Street to get on the train and explain the
circumstances to the conductor, who, he
said, would accept coupons for the fare.
Acting on this suggestion, Mr. Street
boarded the train. 'The conductor re-
fused to accept the coupons and put Mr.
Street off. He at once began his action
for damages. The company in its defense
claimed that when the ticket agent was un-
able to furnish an exchange ticket, Mr.
Street should have bought a regular ticket
and then have presented a claim for its
cost. The court did not accept this view,
and holds, in effect, that all members of
the Central Passenger Association are
bound to accept their mileage coupons
when tendered direct as fare. There is no
appeal from the Appellate Court in the
state, and traveling men will benefit great-
ly by the decision.
McClure Gets Seven Years.
Why the Straube is Popular.
That original ideas in case work are ap-
preciated, is evidenced in the big demand
for the Straube Co.'s new styles K and L
which are pictured in their advertisement
on page 22, of this issue.
The treatment of the music desks of
both instruments has won the highest en-
comiums. The effect of the Corinthian
columns and trusses, artistically and ela-
borately hand carved, give style L espe-
cially a distinctive position, and dealers
state that it catches the eye of purchasers
at once.
It is work like this that brings to notice
the progressive personalities behind the
Straube institution, men who are not con-
tent to rest on tradition, but prefer to
branch out along advanced lines.
The value embodied in these instru-
ments is not confined merely to their
unique architecture, but the tonal qualities
of the Straube pianos have pleased and are
pleasing a host of critical dealers and pur-
chasers.
As "trade makers" the Straube pianos
are wonders. The result is that the Straube
Co.'s factory at Downers Grove, 111., is be-
ing worked up to the limit of its capacity.
Jas. F. Broderick and his associates are
certainly to be congratulated on the splen-
did record which they are making. The
success which has come their way, how-
ever, is not a matter of accident, but is the
result of active, earnest work to make their
pianos individual and in every way worthy
of trade support.
Advertising the Steinertone.
McPhail Piano Co. have just closed deal,
whereby the Walter J. Bates Co. secure
the sale of the McPhail pianos at retail in
Boston and vicinity.
All the New York papers of Sunday last
contained imposing advertisements of the
Steinertone Co. in which the special fea-
tures which characterize the Steinertone
grand were exploited forcefully and at
some length. The Herald, for example,
contained an entire column devoted to em-
phasizing how the Steinertone differs great-
ly in its tonal powers from the present
grand piano. The evolution of the piano
and its mechanism from its earliest days
are traced up interestingly, and in ihis
connection the value of the Steinertone is
referred to at some length. Readers are
invited to visit the warerooms, 130 Fifth
avenue, to investigate and convince them-
selves as to the truthfulness of the state-
ments made in the advertisement. The
utilization on such a liberal scale of the
daily papers to make known to the public
the especial merits of the Steinertone
should prove effective in results. Pub-
licity pays.
fir. Bareuther Goes West.
A Busy Concern.
Joseph Bareuther, secretary and treas-
urer of the Gabler Piano Mfg. Co., left
town on Thursday for Chicago to close
negotiations with a western capitalists
who has secured the privilege of purchas-
ing a big block of stock in the new con-
cern. Several other negotiations of like
character are pending.
The New York Co-operative Piano String
Co., 312-316 East Ninety fifth street, New
York, continue to tax their manufacturing
facilities in spite of the fact that last fall
they enlarged their factory considerably,
adding more improved machinery and in-
creasing their already large force of skill-
ful artisans. At present they are working
full force and the orders continue to stream
in. This concern has always held an ex-
cellent reputation for the quality of their
goods, and they are working hard to aug-
ment this good opinion held by the trade.
Marvin A. McClure, the former piano
dealer of Rutland, Vt., who was convicted
of assisting to wreck the Merchants Na-
tional Bank of that city was sentenced this
week to seven years in the Vermont House
of Correction.
Tasker Bankrupt.
M. B. Tasker, music dealer of Westfield,
Mass., is bankrupt, with liabilities of
$1,583 and nominal assets of $418. The
only secured creditor is F. L. Husey of
Beaumont, Me., for $500.
Bates Co. Secure McPhail.
[Special to The Review.]
Boston, Mass., Feb. 21, 1901.
Captain John Betz, music dealer of St.
Louis, Mo., committed suicide on the
morning of Feb. 15th.

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