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THE
fnJJICT^ADE
VOL. XL. No. 6.
Published Every Saturday by Edward Lyman Bill at 1 Madison Ave., New York, Feb. 11, 1905.
SOME PIANO SECRETS UNEARTHED
By a Reporter for the Press, Who Comes Across
a Music Trade Trinity, Who Gives Him
Many "Pointers" for a "Story."
One of the writers on the New York Press de-
voted some space the other day to the piano, its
defects and improvement. He prefaced the
"meaty" part of his "story" as follows: "Give
me a thousand pianos that have been five years
in a thousand steam-heated flats in New York
and I will show you a thousand bursted sound-
ing-boards," said a professional tuner graduated
from one of the leading factories. "The life of
the finest instrument in an artificially heated
apartment is five years. The temperature must
not be over 66 degrees if you would have your
piano to last." "But 66 degrees is too cold for
comfort," I protested. "We demand at least 75 in
New York." "Yes; and more. Most folk want 85.
No piano can stand such a temperature. It would
last longer if thrown out of doors and left to the
tender mercies of the weather."
Minus the extravagance of language, there is
much to commend in any criticism of the ten-
dency to roast and freeze pianos in the modern
flat.
Flushed with success the "piano tuner" evo-
lutes into a piano maker—during the conversa-
tion, doubtless—and proceeds to descant on the
sounding-board in this wise:
" 'If you will invent a metal sounding-board
that will not produce a metallic effect I will give
you a million dollars for it/ said a piano maker.
'Enormous sums have been expended in experi-
ments, and we still use wood. The grain of the
wood carries the sound, as a wire carries the
electric current. It is a thousand pities that
sounding-boards crack so soon. There is a grand
piano in New York's biggest hotel that cost
$3,000. It is less than five years old, yet there
are cracks in the sounding-board through which
I could pitch silver dollars (sic). What is to be
done in such a case? Buy a new piano.' "
After allowing this piano maker to pitch silver
dollars into the cracks in the sounding-board
just to prove his ability as an "expert," the enter-
taining friend of the newspaper man transforms
himself into a dealer and with visions of "mil-
lions in it" proceeds to lay bare the "secrets" of
the craft by asking: "Have the piano makers
tried papiermache for sounding-boards? Paper is
simply another form of wood, and you cannot
crack it when pressed into desired shapes. 'We
are gradually metallizing our instruments,' said
a dealer. 'Many parts of the action which
hitherto were constructed of wood are mado of
brass or steel. The steel frame on which the
strings are strung must withstand a tension of
thirty tons. The average inventor never thinks
of improving the piano because he does not un-
derstand the mechanism. There is a fortune in
new and useful appliances. One firm gave
$10,000 for a patent spring washer to counteract
the effect of a loose screw. Another wasted
$100,000 on a similar device which didn't happen
to work.' "
Just think of it! Wasted $100,000 on a spring
washer to counteract the effect of a loose screw.
'Tis to laugh. But seriously, the conglomeration
of nonsense regarding pianos which creeps, occa-
sionally, into the daily press is positively amus-
ing where it is not damaging to the business.
PRAISE DUSINBERRE PIANOS.
SINGLE COPIES, 10 CENTS.
$2.00 PER YEAR.
TO REPEAL BANKRUPTCY LAW.
Surprising Action Taken by a Majority
House Judiciary Committee.
of
( Special to The Review.)
Washington, Feb. 6, 1905.
Astonishing action with respect to the Bank-
ruptcy law was taken by the House Committee
on the Judiciary, Friday. It ordered a favorable
The fourth Dusinberre piano ordered for the report on the bill introduced by Representative
Moody Non-Sectarian Preparatory School at Clayton, of Alabama, repealing the bankruptcy
Mount Hermon, Mass., a famous educational in- statute. The bill contains a proviso that nothing
stitution for boys, originally founded by Moody, in it shall be construed as affecting bankruptcy
the evangelist at Northfield, Mass., was shipped proceedings instituted before the repealing act is
early in the week. The Mount Hermon school to take effect.
stands in grounds covering one thousand acres,
The approval of the committee amazed mem-
purchased by Moody for the purpose. Nearly 400 bers of the House who took part in the fight for
boys are housed and educated there.
the enactment of bankruptcy legislation, because
The following letter, recently received from R. there has been no discussion of the Clayton meas-
L. Watson, principal at Mount Hermon, is one ure. The committee never held a hearing on the
of the strongest ever received by a piano manu- subject, and none of the proponents of the Clay-
facturer. It is all the more noteworthy because ton measure even intimated that they would
the competition for the Mount Hermon order in press it upon the committee.
the first place was among several of the best
The approval of the committee was procured
known houses in the industry.
by Representatives Palmer, of Pennsylvania, and
After mentioning that a check is sent in pay- Warner, of Illinois, both Republicans, acting with
ment, Mr. Watson says: "I wish to say that we the six Democratic members. They were op-
have given the piano a very careful examination posed by Chairman Jenkins, Representatives Gil-
and trial and are in every way perfectly satis- lette of California, Littlefield of Maine, Powers of
fied. Construction, finish of case and tone are Massachusetts and Parker of New Jersey. Mr.
of the most desirable quality and we believe Powers will file a minority report.
there is no better upright piano in the market
The five Republican members who voted in the
than the Dusinberre. A very careful compari- negative endeavored to have action postponed,
son has been made with all styles and makes of but Mr. Clayton and those acting with him pro-
pianos and we take a great deal of pleasure in tested that, as the financial conditions which
thanking you for prevailing on us to try the caused the enactment of the legislation have
Dusinberre. Sincerely yours, (signed) R. L. passed, the law ought to be repealed, thus per-
Watson."
mitting each State to exercise control as before
the enactment.
Letter From the Principal of the Moody Non-
Sectarian School Which Speaks for Itself.
A VISITOR FROM ST. PAUL.
D. M. Dyer Speaks Optimistically About the
Trade Outlook in His Territory.
D. M. Dyer, of W. J. Dyer & Bro., St. Paul,
Minn., was in New York last week and spoke in
a very encouraging way about business in the
territory which his house controls. He spoke in
enthusiastic terms of the increased trade in
pianolas, and to meet the growing demand for
these instruments as well as the Pianola piano,
they have had to give more floor space to this
department. According to Mr. Dyer, the North-
west is in splendid condition, financially, and
the prospects are for a large volume of trade this
year in the Northwest.
USING THE HUME CONCERT GRAND.
At the recital given by Arthur Bassett, the
well-known pianist, in Worcester, Mass., recently
a handsome Hume concert grand piano was used
to decided advantage. Felix Fox, the prominent
pianist, of Boston, is also using the Hume con-
cert grand in his recitals. He will be heard with
the Washington Symphony Orchestra, in Wash-
ington, D. C, on February 12th.
The Chase & Baker Co., of Buffalo, N. Y., have
cut the price of piano player music ranging from
75 cents to $3, to 50 cents to $1.50,
A PIANO OF GREAT ANTIQUITY.
Owned by Mrs. Walter Bodley, of Glens Falls
—Estimates It as Over 150 Years Old.
Mrs. Walter Bodley, of Glens Falls, N. Y., pur-
chased a piano which reminds one of ancient
times. It is without doubt 150 years old and was
made, probably in England, by J. Munson. It
has a five and one-half octave keyboard and re-
sembles to a great extent the old melodeon. The
instrument is about half the size of a modern
square piano, is made of mahogany inlaid with
rosewood and is brass trimmed. On each side of
the keyboard, inlaid in bronze, are two rows of
notes. On each side of the piano Is a drawer,
presumably to hold music. There is but one
pedal, and this is shaped like the human foot.
Owing to its age the instrument is very much
out of tune. The ivory on the keys is in good
condition, there being only one key cracked. The
instrument is very valuable as a relic. Mrs. Bod-
ley is much enthused over the instrument and
says she will know its complete history in time.
Mrs. Bodley said that the instrument was made
long before a piano was seen in this country.
The tax assessor of Hartford county, Conn., re-
ports that there are pianos and other musical in-
struments with a taxable value of $38,375 in,
Manchester, Conn.