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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
BOSTON'S SMALL GOODS TRADE.
A. MEISEL RETURNS
SOME APPRAISERS' DECISIONS.
From a Three Months' Buying Trip to Europe.
Boston, Mass., July 8, 1904.
After an absence of three months in Europe
"Yes, the vacation season has begun in ear-
nest with us," said Mr. Bobzin, of the Oliver on his first trip, A. Meisel, son of C. Meisel,
Ditson Co., this week, as he showed a long list reached New York on Tuesday, via the steam-
of the salesmen and hustlers in his department. ship Princess Alice, of the North German Lloyd
"Trade has dropped a> little this week, but I do Line, sailing from Cherbourg, France. He has
not anticipate much during the hot weather, been away three months, and while combining
business with pleasure, called on the leading
anyway."
President John C. Haynes, of the Oliver Ditson small goods houses on the continent. Heretofore
Co., with his family, left Boston on Wednesday the senior Meisel has gone on these buying jour-
evening of this week for Seal Harbor, Me., where neys, last year registering his thirteenth voyage
they will spend the early part of the summer. across the ocean.
Mr. Haynes will come to Boston once every two
weeks.
JAPANESE MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.
Messrs. Peterson and Effinger, of the musical
Japanese girls of upper and middle classes
instrument department at the Oliver Ditson Co.,
learn to play the "koto," while those of the
are now on their vacations.
"The first six months of this year were the lower orders usually learn the "samisen." The
"koto" is a narrow, horizontal instrument about
best that we have ever had," said Mr. Howe, of
the Blias Howe Music Co., this week. "We are five feet long with a sounding board upon which
having an especially good business in our repair- are stretched strings supported by ivory bridges.
material department. We are always on the It is played by means of ivory finger tips. The
lookout for old woods for use in repairing vio- player sits before the instrument on the floor
lins, etc., and recently secured the wood from a in the ordinary posture, and when she touches
little church in Germany which is over 300 years the strings she often sings a soft accompani-
old and is about to be demolished. There is an ment.
The "samisen" is a kind of banjo and is
old bridge in Germany which will soon be torn
down and we expect to secure the wood from often played during theatrical performances and
that also. It is nearly 300 years old. These old recitations. It gives forth dull and monotonous
tones.
woods are invaluable for our business."
The teaching of these two popular musi-
At the office of the A. C. Fairbanks Co., mak-
ers of the "Whyte Ladye" banjo, business was cal instruments is said to be largely in the hands
said to be "pretty fair"—about the usual summer of blind men and women. The Japanese scale
trade. The Fairbanks Co. have just issued a fine has thirteen notes, and some writers think that
set of half-tone engravings, giving portraits of Japan borrowed the Western method of tuning;
many of the celebrated artists using their "Whyte but any attempt to play their native composi-
Ladye" banjo. All the plates used so extensively tions, even when they have been adapted to
last year were destroyed by the recent fire and European instruments, will prove how far this
these are from new and much better ones. An belief is from the truth. Moreover, a "koto"
excellent run of orders is reported from South was used by a Japanese musician called Yatsu-
Africa, where the Fairbanks instruments stand hashi 120 years before Sebastian Bach composed
his celebrated fugues.
ace high.
(Special to The Review.)
Hohncr Reasonings
In a decision rendered last month by the
United States Board of General Appraisers,
eight-keyed accordeons which had been classified
by the Newport News (Va.) collector as musical
instruments under paragraph 453, and dutiable
at 45 per cent, ad valorem, were properly
scheduled as toys, under paragraph 418, and at a
lower rate.
A protest on strings against the Philadelphia
collector was disposed of by Mr. Sharretts on
June 18, who held:
"That certain finished catgut strings were prop-
erly classified as strings for musical instruments
under paragraph 453, tariff act of 1897, and were
not dutiable as manufactures of gut under para-
graph 448, or free of duty under paragraph 517 as
gut manufactured. The merchandise differs from
that covered by G. A. 5132 (T. D. 23699), which
consisted of catgut in coils designed for use in
the manufacture of tennis rackets or of fishing
tackle."
Several protests relating to the classification
and entry of gut strings which were disallowed by
the Board of General Appraisers are now on ap-
peal to the United States Circuit Court.
DOLMETSCH CONCERTS AGAIN.
Arnod Dolmetsch, assisted by Mrs. Dolmetsch
and Miss Kathleen Salmon, will again come to
this country next November, to give concerts on
the archaic musical instruments of which they
have a specialty. These are the harpsichord,
lute, clavichord, the viols, and others of the same
classes. Upon these music of the sixteenth,
seventeenth and eighteenth centuries will be
played.
The R. S. Howard Co., 402-410 West 14th street,
are having a steady call for each of their current
styles. The Howard specialty of painted land-
scape panels is greatly appreciated.
HoKner Harmonicas
Like the Rock of Gibraltar, which
on stormy days is threatened as if it
were to be devoured by the angry
waves, but when the storm is ended
Have stood the test of time ar\d have seen
the rise and fall of many competitors
and the waves recede it stands again
defying all the world, so are goods of
standard reputation. They are men-
aced repeatedly by competitors who
attempt to overthrow them with
cheap and worthless articles, but the
good worth of the former wins out in
Hohner
-Accordeons
the end, and when the latter fails,
the standard article again towers
above all others.
Therefore, Mr.
are made to comply with
the HOHNER Standard
Dealer, always sell goods with a rep-
utation, as they have been tested by
time, which is the most severe trial
to undergo.
Ash Your
Jobber
M. HOHNER