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THE
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
37
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In tKe Musical MercHandise Domain
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This invention relates to harmonicas or mouth-
BUSINESS QUITE BRISK
organs.
The invention has reference more especially to
In the Small Goods Field—Demand is Growing
harmonicas
or mouth-organs of that class or
in
Volume
and Manufacturers
in all
type in which a longitudinally-slidable mouth-
Branches are Optimistic.
piece is employed upon the instrument for the
purpose of facilitating the playing of the instru-
Whether the close of the Russian-Japanese
ment, as well as preventing soreness of the lips
war has had a direct and favorable bearing on
of the player by abrasive contact of the lips with
the small goods trade, certain it is business has
portions of the instrument in the act of playing
taken on a most sparkling look. Judging from
thereon. In harmonicas or mouth-organs of this
the usual reports and special data, perhaps the
particular class or type various forms of mouth-
gentlemen immersed in the affairs of musical
pieces have been hitherto devised and various
merchandise—the origin, production and sale
means have also been devised for mounting the
thereof—are only showing the joy which is sup-
mouthpiece upon the instrument in such manner
posed to permeate the world, even outside of
as to enable the same to be operated with the
political and diplomatic circles. At any rate,
greatest ease of movement or the least amount
whatever the cause, business during the past
of friction between the instrument and the mouth-
week has been on the upward grade, and im-
piece. Even with the more effective of these,
porters, stock houses and jobbers agree that the
however, it has been found by many players or
situation is decidedly pleasing, with every indi-
performers upon the instrument that there is
cation that prospects will grow brighter.
still such hardness or resistance offered by the
Most of the new fall catalogues—some of
mouthpiece to the lips of the player as also to
them greatly enlarged, improved and beautiful— result in an unpleasant tingling sensation to the
are already out or on the eve of publication. lips. Another objection to be found with many
Firms not given to elaborate issues of this kind former constructions of harmonicas or mouth-
have nevertheless made announcements in keep- organs of the class or type referred to is the im-
ing with either their modest or economical pairment of the musical tones of the instrument
notions, so that the trade may be said to have caused by the metallic sounds produced by the
the documentary evidence before them as a slidable contact of the bearing portions of the
first aid to buying, as it were. Just what the mouthpiece with adjacent bearing portions of the
various houses, known as first hands, have done instrument, which also sets up vibration of the
about quoting prices in their catalogues is metallic parts of the structure to such an extent
generally known by this time, but the fact re- as to be exceedingly unpleasant to the performer.
mains that a revision of some kind, or the
One of the principal objects of the present in-
adoption of a new or better method is desirable
for many considerations. Chief among these, of vention is to overcome the disadvantages and
course, is the protection of the dealer himself objections above pointed out and also to provide
against unscrupulous impostors, whose knowl- a harmonica or mouth-organ of the class or type
edge of trade discounts is constantly working specified which is exceedingly simple and inex-
more and more of an injury. The change is pensive to manufacture and thoroughly effective
bound to come, sooner or later, and the sooner and reliable for its purposes, besides possessing
the capacity for long and repeated service.
the better.
These are the views of several leading men
in the trade whose opinions are entitled to the
highest respect from the fact that this has
always been their reception in the past. One
of the most conservative of these gentlemen,
after giving vent to his thoughts on this subject,
then went on to speak of current business in
the following optimistic strain: "Are we still
convinced fall trade will be up to the mark—
the high notch, we mean—well, we should rather
guess; possibly even better than our most san-
guine expectations, judging from the way busi-
ness is opening up. As a matter of downright
fact, the favorable character of every substan-
tial business prospect remains almost wholly
unimpaired. Crops are great, and beyond all
danger now from inimical climatic conditions—
how is that for an expression? Sounds kind of
editorially, doesn't it? Orders are coming in,
prices are right and collections are improving.
What more could any one ask in the small goods
or any other trade? Good morning, and good
luck to The Review."
LATE PATENTS OF TRADE INTEREST.
(Special to The Review, t
Washington, D. C, Aug. 30, 1905.
ATTACHMENT FOR STRINGED INSTRUMENTS. Ces.
Mawer, Harpster, O. Patent No. 798,521.
This invention relates to stringed instruments
such as employ in connection with the neck
thereof a keyboard having a plurality of movable
keys.
The objects of the invention are to improve and
simplify the construction of such keyboards;
furthermore, to increase their efficiency in opera-
tion.
HARMONICA on MOUTH-ORGAN.
Neilson, Perth, Canada,
Henry Horatio
Patent No. 798,527.
STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.
John Brandt.
Chicago, 111., assignor to Lyon & Healy, same
place. Patent No. 798,869.
This invention relates to stringed musical in-
struments, more especially of the class to which
violins and mandolins belong.
The invention is here shown to be embodied
in an instrument which has the body of a violin
and a neck provided with frets, such as those
employed in a mandolin, and the instrument is
adapted to be strung double, after the manner of
mandolin stringing.
The object of the invention is to provide an
instrument-top which is arched or bellied with-
out the necessity of carving the wood to such an
extent as is commonly required.
SCRIBNER ON TRADE CONDITIONS.
Referring to business, Frank Scribner, Amer-
ican manager for Ch. Weiss, the well-known har-
monica manufacturer of Trossingen, Germany,
said: "With us trade has never been better—an
increase way beyond that of last year—and this
season we expect to break the record on sales."
One of the latest devices for store advertising
is a foot long harmonica, without reeds, of
course, weighing two pounds, a replica of the
celebrated "Brass Band" instrument, which Mr.
Scribner is getting ready for the trade, with
announcement to follow in due course. The fac-
simile follows the pattern and finish of the orig-
inal closely, excepting as to size, and is to be
given free to dealers handling the Weiss line.
WHEN REPUTATION IS OF VALUE.
At some period in the life of every business
there comes a time when things do not run along
smoothly and when some temporary difflculty
may threaten its very existence. It is at such a
time that a good business reputation is of especial
value, for it is then that it may be necessary to
ask favors. The good business man always re-
members that business is business. He does not
extend favors or accommodations for the sake of
personal friendship, but if a house possesses a
good business reputation he will give it all the
assistance that the facts and good business judg-
ment warrant.
The committee at Lucca which recently or-
ganized the Festival to celebrate the hundredth
anniversary of the death of Luigi Boccherini,
having learned that the tomb of the composer
at Madrid is in a state of decay, has applied to
the Spanish government to have his remains
transferred to Lucca, i. e., to the city in which
Boccherini was born. He enjoyed great fame
as a performer on the violoncello, and his cham-
ber music in former days was much played;
now he is chiefly remembered by his simple
yet pleasing minuet in the key of A.
THE STANDARD OF THE WORLD
- S. STEWART BANJO
and th« BAUER. Mandolins and Guitars
MANUFACTURED BY
THE BAUER CO
1410-13 N. 0TH ST., PHILADELPHIA, PA.
Pacific Coast Agents, SHERMAN, CLAY 6 CO., San Francisco, Cal.
Canadian He&dquarters, NORDHEIMER PIANO 6 MUSIC CO., Toronto, Ontario.
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Ui—i^teL'Trfe^W
Address c . G. COINJIM CO., E l k h a r t ,
Indiana
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