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40
THE
STRIKE ENTIRELY AT END.
Peace Now Reigns at Grasiitz, Bohemia, the
Valve Makers Having Settled Their Differ-
ences—Concessions on Both Sides.
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
tory at Trossingen, in Germany, but took the
opportunity to combine business with pleasure
during his stay.
VIOLINISTS OF THE FIELDS.
The strike at Grasiitz, Bohemia, is at an end, Nature Provides Some Insects With Fiddle and
Bow—Most of Them Tenors, a Deep Bass
according to advices from Europe, a compromise
Voice Being a Great Rarity—Female Is Al-
having been effected with the valve makers, the
ways Silent Leaving the Singing to Lord and
only branch which had held out after the fac-
tory men returned to work, which was on Master.
July 29.
A poet, having once occasion to speak about
We noted in last week's issue that the manu-
facturers compromised with the workmen, crickets and grasshoppers, very happily termed
changing the work day from 12 to 10 hours, and them "violinists of the fields," and although at
granted a raise in the wage scale ranging from the time he was ignorant of the fact, he stated
15 to 20 per cent. This proved satisfactory nothing more than a scientific truth which has
until the union managers insisted on the dis- recently been demonstrated by exhaustive in-
charge of non-union men. This the manufac- vestigations.
Hitherto naturalists have been devoting a little
turers refused to do, and further declared that
if the men did not accept the terms of a posted too much time to the study of actual sounds emit-
edict, a general lockout would go into effect. ted by insects rather than the methods by which
This brought the men to terms, and since then the musical notes in question were really pro-
the valve makers have accepted the manufac- duced. It is now well known that the throat of
insects has nothing to do with the production
turers' offer of compromise.
of such sounds, but that, on the contrary, they all
use a kind of "instrument" with which Mother
Nature has endowed them for the purpose.
Miscroscopic examination has revealed the fact
Now Located at 26 E. 22d Street—Has Double
that
in most cases this instrument has a striking
the Floor Space of Old Premises.
resemblance to a rudimentary violin, at least as
M. E. Schoening, manufacturers' agent and regards its principle.
importer of musical merchandise, at 369 Broad-
MANY USE THEIR WINGS.
way, who recently suffered a slight loss by water
Musical insects of the winged type may be di-
from the fire in the building which he occupied, vided into two groups, first, those which do not
is now located at 26 East 22d street, and expects use their wings and, second, those which do, for
to be thoroughly to rights in the course of a the production of sounds. Of the two, the latter
few days. Mr. Schoening has leased a loft on species is by far the more curious. A curious
the fifth floor for a term of years, and what is fact in this connection is that all insects are ten-
more important, has double the floor area which ors, deep bass voices being quite unknown; in
he previously enjoyed to display samples and for addition to this, the males are always the per-
reserve stock. Mr. Schoening is further pleased formers, female insects being dumb—contenting
to secure so desirable a location in the uptown themselves with stopping at home and looking
after the children instead of standing at the front
district.
door, singing like their lords and masters.
Many insects sing by day, such, for instance,
ERNEST KOCH RETURNS FROM EUROPE.
as the chickadee, which, however, are not of the
Ernest Koch, the American partner of the "violinist" type, as they play upon a series of
well-known harmonica house of Ands Koch, 296 hard plates attached to the abdomen, much in the
Broadway, New York, arrived home from same way as a Spanish dancer uses the cas-
Europe on the Kron Prinz Wilhelm, Tuesday tanets. Another insect of this type is the black
last, and stated in an interview that he enjoyed field cricket, which has its home in a small cave-
his two months' sojourn abroad immensely. Mr. like dwelling it prepares in the earth.
Other insects only sing by night, such, for in-
Koch spent most of his time at the firm's f'ae-
SCHOENING'S NEW QUARTERS.
stance, as the domestic and tree crickets, whose
regular modulated notes are known in every one.
HAVE APPARATUS LIKE VIOLIN.
The apparatus used by these insects exactly re-
sembles a violin, the abdomen being partially en-
dowed with small bridge-like edges or ridges
against which the wings are rubbed, thus produc-
ing the strident note characteristic of the insect,
other insects, such as locusts and their kin, have
veritable bows covered with fine ridges and at-
tached to the wings by two button-like growths.
Others have cavities covered over with a fine
membrane which serve the office of resonators.
In almost all insects of this type there is a parch-
ment-like part of the abdomen which acts as a
kind of sounding-board.
Strange to say, many of these harmonious in-
sects are deprived of hearing; crickets, however,
are an exception, as they have sharp ears and
cease their vocal efforts at the sound of approach-
ing footsteps. Some insects, although apparently
deprived of any means for the production of
sounds, are none the less capable of making a
noise in the world. A notable instance of this Is
to be found in a locust rejoicing in the euphoni-
ous name of microcentrum tetinervis, which pro-
duces a short, monotonous note like two pieces
of metal or flint rubbed together.
Alphorns are now used in Switzerland, chiefly
to gratify the curiosity of tourists and occa-
sionally for signaling purposes. In former cen-
turies they were also used in church music, as
accompaniment to choral singing, especially at
Advent and on Christmas night.
She—Just look at this dear little boy. He
always comes to the piano when I am playing.
A musical child, isn't he?
He—Oh, very. I think he wants to blow the
piano candles out.
SMITH ACADEMY
GUITARS a n d MANDOLINS
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A trial order i s a l l w e ask
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