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THE
MUSIC TRADE
pieces. Oh, no! We shall continue along a good solid business
path. People will eat, drink, wear clothes, be merry and buy pianos.
Old Mother Earth is rich in her gifts and all mankind will profit
thereby. To hence with the man who is always talking dull trade
and pessimism. Conservatism, of course, even in the best of times.
A man is unwise to conduct his business along wide-open lines, but
there is no reason why he should draw in to such an extent that
his business future will suffer materially. The best way to draw
in is to take away credit from the undeserving. If this plan is
followed the best interests of the country will always be on a sound
foundation. Men in this industry who have injured the fair name
of piano manufacturing and piano selling are the ones to whom
liberal credits have been granted when their character did not. en-
title them to such consideration at the hands of creditors.
I
T was twenty-eight years ago this month when the first Review
was brought forth, and since that July in 1879 it has been
published continuously, and it ranks as the oldest music trade pub-
lication in America, but age in business counts for nothing unless
it be coupled with enterprise. We do not believe in indulging in
any flamboyant statements as to what we have accomplished, for a
paper, like an individual, finds its true position in life's battle, and
that position is won, not because of the boasts of the party inter-
ested, but because placed there by public opinion. Without ventur-
ing dangerously near egotistical lines, we may say that The Review
has stood for decency and has always held undeviatingly to cleanly
principles, endeavoring to steadfastly live up to the policy laid down
in the first Review : "that its energy should be used in the develop-
ment of industry."
We have never adopted sensational journalism. We believe
that a trade newspaper should be a helpful adjunct to the industry
which it is supposed to represent, and that it should not only con-
tain news, but such well balanced departments covering every divi-
sion of trade so that it appeals to every variety of men .interested
therein. We have never hesitated to denounce shams and frauds,
whether in journalism or out of it, and we have always asserted
that the best way to fight blackmailing journalism was to give a
decent support to clean journalism.
I
N this newspaper is presented weekly a vast amount of technical
matter, and we are at all times prepared to answer, not only
every query relating to trade matters, but every question relating
to piano building, repairing and tuning. This trade newspaper in-
stitution has also produced technical works which have become
recognized authorities in Europe and America and are sought for
by those who desire higher information along purely technical lines.
In other words, we have endeavored to be an educational as well as
a helpful force through all the long years.
The constant growth of this business has necessitated addi-
tional office facilities and the first of the month we enlarged
our quarters so that now we have a suite of six offices in the Metro-
politan Building running the entire front of the structure, nearly
one hundred feet, on Madison avenue and thirty feet on 23d street.
We also maintain offices in London, England, and Chicago. We
have representatives in over fifty of the principal cities throughout
the country. Such a trade newspaper organization is necessarily
a complicated as well as expensive piece of machinery, and requires
no small monetary outlay to keep it running up to its present point
of efficiency.
Our business patronage is showing healthy growth because
the manufacturers have learned that they get a fair equivalent for
their investment with us. They know that the advertising value is
enhanced to them by reason of the reliability and standing of the
paper which has been gained on the square deal basis.
DEALER asks. "Would you suggest a wide range of prices
in advertising pianos or a limited range, say from $200 tp
$400?" The answer which we would make to this question would
be—the larger assortment wiiich you can show in pianos, or any-
thing else, and the greater range of prices the more confidence
you will inspire in the public mind. If a man desires to sell pianos
and offers them from $200 to $400, presumably he would sell but
few at his top figure, as the trade for finer instruments will not visit
his warerooms to examine his line, but if he offers a few in the
higher grades, say from $600 to $900, then his $400 instruments
become his medium grade and he will sell many more of them.
A
REVIEW
NOT ON THE FREE LIST.—"I gave you a dime, and you went
immediately into a saloon," remarked the benevolent old gentleman.
"Don't you kr.ow it is very wasteful to spend your money for liquor?"
"I've often thought of that, sir," replied the weary wayfarer, "but I've
never yet found a place where I could get it for nothing."
"Do you think that music is of any practical benefit?"
"Well," replied the cynic, "judging from the photographs of eminent
violinists, it must keep the hair from falling out."
MISLED.—Citizens of prohibition Kansas had presented a silver
service to a battleship.
"But how do you reconcile yourself to the punch bowl?" was asked of
one of the delegation. '*••*•
"Punch I owl!" ejaculated the Kansan. "Goodness! We thought that
big thing was for oatmeal mush."
,
y the way, Jinks, can you pay that'
hundred I lent you last week? I just
lost all my ready money at bridge."
"Look here, Binks. I hope you don't
think I'm going to pay your gambling
debts."
Convict 777 —What are you going to
do with that ixiem you wrote. Hill?
Convict 909—I'm going to submit it
to the prison editor. I'm hoping he'll
tlirow me out.
Not That Kind of Pants.
After King Edward had had a number of Mark Twain's crop of lemon
jokes unloaded upon him and he had endured the agony for about two
hours the American humorist sprung the wrong font pants joke.
"A tramp rang Dr. Smith's bell and a woman
came to the door.
" 'Madame,' said the tramp, 'will you please ask
the doctor to give me a pair of old pants?'
"She smiled and said: 'I don't think they will
answer.'
" 'Why not?' whined the tramp.
" 'Because 1 am the doctor,' said she."
There was a loud crash. When assistance arrived
the Kirg was down and out, murmuring to himself:
"Suffragettes! Suffragettes!
Suffragettes!
Suffering Suffragettes!
Why don't, these American humorists stay at home?"—New York World.
The staff of London Punch dined Mark Twain recently in their an-
cient banqueting hall. The room, during the evening, became enriched
by several aided antiques of a verbal sort, graciously donated by the
guest of honor. The first shot was fired when filet d'agneau with Sara-
toga chips was served. This reminded Mark.
"Speaking of Saratoga," he began, dexterously pursuing an elusive
chip to cover under a projecting ledge of meat, "a lady was going through
Sing Sing Prison once and saw a convict whose face alt raited her.
She asked: what his crime had been.
"'Robbery at a Saratoga hotel,' was the man's reply.
'• 'Ahi" exclaimed she, 'were you the proprietor or only the head
waiter?" " "
'
'•/. A hot tumultuous hush followed Mark's anecdote, broken by a sub-
editor's polite query: "Well, which of the two had he been?"
Seeing* he had fired above his hearers' heads, Mark promptly altered
the trajectory as follows:
"Helen Hunt, the famous American author, once found a purse full
of money on the steps of a church. She told the clergyman of her find
and asked him to announce the fact. So, just before the sermon, the
minister observed:
" 'Brethren, if any of you has lost, a well-filled purse, you can go to
Helen Hunt for it.' "
A polite murmur of interest ensued, and a rare vase of the early
Egyptian period turned pale with envy at thus being out-antiquated, 'the.
silence was fractured by the chief cartoonist, who remarked optimistically:
"I trust the loser was grateful to Miss Hunt?"