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THE MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
DETROIT TRADE GLEANINGS.
DIPPEL TO WEBER PIANO CO.
Auditors Working on Schwankovsky Affairs—
Report Expected Soon—Grinnell Factory
May Be in London Instead of Windsor—L.
W. Essex a Benedict.
The Administrative Director of the Metropoli-
tan Opera Co. Writes a Strong Letter Prais-
ing the Artistic Qualities of the Weber Pianos
Used a t Tnis
Great Institution.
(Special to The Review.)
Detroit, Mich., March 29, 1910.
Eight auditors employed by the Security Trust
Co., trustees in bankruptcy for the defunct P. J.
Schwankovsky Co., have been working for two
weeks going over the records of the bankrupt
company and investigating the alleged shady
transactions that are said to have taken place.
The auditors are not only investigating the
affairs of the F. J. Schwankovsky Co. but the
business connection of the company with the Cin-
cinnati Discount Co., of Cincinnati. Each ac-
count of the F. J. Schwankovsky Co. was traced,
also those of I. S. Crawford, agent of the Cin-
cinnati Discount Co. The various leases still out-
standing that I. S. Crawford, as agent of the Cin-
cinnati Discount Co., is still making collections
on were checked up to ascertain who has the
title of the leases, the Cincinnati Discount Co. or
the defunct F. J. Schwankovsky Co. The audi-
tors also checked up the stock record of pianos to
discover whether or not any pianos were sent to
the Cincinnati Discount Co., at Cincinnati, with-
out authority. The auditors have completed their
work, but they have not as yet made a report of
their findings, and it i3 possible their report will
not be made public until the case against the Cin-
cinnati Discount Co. comes to trial in the United
States Court at Cincinnati.
According to a statement made by I. L. Grin-
nell, it is possible that the new factory for Grin-
nell Bros, will be located at London, Ont., instead
of in Windsor. The Canadian trade of Grinnell
Bros, has grown so rapidly that a new factory
for the manufacture of pianos is absolutely neces-
sary, and in addition to this this firm have secured
the Canadian rights to manufacture and sell
a player-piano containing the Gulbransen action.
Because the Detroit daily papers refused to
print anything about the Manufacturers Piano
Co., except their price list, A. J. King, president
of the company, of Chicago, George Doll, of New
York, one of the large stockholders, and their
attorneys, Nelson K. Todd, of Chicago, and Mr.
O'Donnell, of New York city, are in Detroit in-
vestigating the trouble between the business man-
agers of the Detroit dailies and Manager M. F.
Bruton, of the company. Manager Bruton says
Messrs. King and Doll are in favor of starting a
daily paper as suggested by him, and unless the
Detroit papers accept their advertisements this
will be done.
The wedding of L. W. Essex, auditor of the
Clough & Warren Co., and Miss Ida May Brown,
of Mt. Clemens, occurred last Thursday night.
The ceremony was performed by Rev. Dr. Man-
son, pastor of the Second Avenue Presbyterian
Church, in the presence of over 100 relatives and
friends of the young couple.
Andreas Dippel, the administrative director of
the Metropolitan Opera Co., has favored the
Weber Piano Co. with the following communi-
cation, under date of March 22, 1910, regarding
the Weber pianos, which are used each year at
the Metropolitan Opera House:
"Gentlemen:—I am in receipt of your inquiry
as to the satisfaction given by the Weber pianos
we have been using exclusively a t the Metro-
politan Opera House.
"In reply I beg to assure you that your instru-
ments have not only given the highest possible
satisfaction, but I am glad to have this oppor-
tunity of congratulating you upon the really re-
markable advances you have made in develop-
ing the resources of the pianoforte. My own
high opinion of the Weber I find is confirmed by
the individual artists of the Opera Company,
who have frequently expressed to me their pref-
erence for your magnificent instruments.
"I cannot conceive of any higher endorsement
of a piano than to be selected and used by an
organization composed of such distinguished
artists as is the Metropolitan Opera Company.
When I hear the Weber piano played, I do not
wonder that it has been the first choice of this
great company for eleven years."
This unqualified endorsement of the Weber
pianos is based upon knowledge and experience.
And few men have better means of judging the
excellence of the Weber piano than Mr. Dip-
pel. He is, apart from his administrative ca-
pacities, a musician of eminence, and this adds
greater weight to his tribute to the merits of
these instruments. Over fifty Weber pianos are
used each year at the Metropolitan Opera House
and in the apartments of the various artists,
from whom the strongest tributes have been re-
ceived collectively and individually.
DENIES ANDERSON PETITION.
Superior Court of Tacoma Denies Motion for
Accounting and Receiver for Coops Piano
Mfg. Co. at First Hearing.
(Special to The Review.)
Tacoma, Wash., March 25, 1910.
The application of 0. P. Anderson for an ac-
counting from the Coops Piano Mfg. Co., and the
appointment of a receiver for that concern was
denied by Judge Clifford in the Superior Court
when the matter came up for a preliminary hear-
ing. The attorney for the piano company denied
the various charges of fraud made by Anderson
and stated that the charges had been made sim-
ply to embarrass the company at this time. The
defendants' lawyer partially admitted that Ander-
son had bought stock in the company, but stated
that any action for breach of contract should be
taken against C. W. Coops personally and n
against the corporation.
The
Combination
Tracker-Board
The Combination Tracker-Board
is a patented device peculiar to the
Autotone, the Piano all can play by
hand or perforated music rolls.
It is the only satisfactory means
ever invented, whereby one can play
both 88 and 65-note music-rolls.
In our last advertisement we gave
you a general idea of its excellencies.
Now we wish to give you a detailed
description of it. Remember—
The Combination Tracker-Board
positively will not leak,—we guaran-
tee it.
The music tracks properly over
it,—and,—it is found only in the
AUTOTONE
The Piano all can play by hand
or perforated Music Rolls
F. G. SMITH ACTIVITY.
F. G. Smith, Jr., Returns from Southern. Busi-
ness and Pleasure T r i p — H . W . Metcalf,
Wholesale Manager, on the Road.
F. G. Smith, Jr., head of the F. G. Smith piano
factory, Brooklyn, N. Y., returned last week from
a four weeks' trip through the South during
which he combined pleasure and business in a
veiy pleasing manner. Mr. Smith spent two
weeks at a resort near Augusta, Ga., and then
worked his way north stopping at Savannah,
Charleston, S. C, Washington and Baltimore, and
visiting the F. G. Smith agents in those cities.
Mr. Smith noted a strong and growing demand
for the pianos and player pianos made by his
house, including the Bradbury, Webster and
Henning, throughout the territory covered.
H. W. Metcalf, who recently joined the F. G.
Smith forces, has taken charge of the whole-
sale department, and left on his first trip among
the dealers in his new capacity on March 21. Mr.
Metcalf will remain away for about six weeks
and will cover New England and New York State
in that time. He has wide experience in the piano
trade, and is well equipped to develop the inter-
ests of the house he so ably represents.
RECENT INCORPORATIONS.
The H. & H. Piano and Furniture Polish Co.,
Enterprise, Ore., have incorporated with a capital
stock of $150,000. The incorporators are J. T.
Harvey, Jr., Ellen Harvey, C. A. Haney and E. L.
Haney.
• » * •
The Ott Music Co., Akron, O., have incorporated
with a capital stock of $10,000. The incorporators
are John L. Ott, M. E. Ott, H. M. Long, J. H.
Adams and H. M. Sidell.
Alfred D. W. Chalker has bought out the piano
and organ business of N. G. Post, Essex, Conn.
A Combination Tracker-
Board.
B 88 holes in Tracker-
Board, operating 7% oc-
taves — t h e complete
piano keyboard.
C 65 holes in Tracker-
Board, operating 5%
octaves.
D Tracker-Board Han-
dle; pulled forward the
1% octaves (88-note)
holes are brought into
play and the 5% oc-
taves
(65-note) are
closed. By pushing back
this handle the lower
row of holes (65-note)
is brought into play and
the upper row closed.
E Pointer to indicate
which row of holes is
in playing position.
F "Transposor-Adjust-
or" Knob, the turning
of which moves Tracker-
Board to right or left,
thus transposing the
same roll into five dif-
ferent keys. Also ad-
justs the Tracker-Board
so that the perfo-
rations in the music-roll
pass directly over them,
thus securing absolutely
perfect "tracking,."
G Transposing Dial.
The pointer moves to
right or left with
Tracker-Board (A) as
knob (F) is turned,
showing the transpo-
sition.
H "Loud" Pedal Open-
ing operated by perfor-
ations in music-roll.
J "Pedal-Effects" knob
t u r n e d "on," t h e
"Loud" pedal is oper-
ated a u t o m a t ically
through
hole (H).
Turned "off," the pedal
effects are under con-
trol of the performer
by means of the pedal
button under his finger.
K l & K 2 Music Roll
Sockets.
Iv Spool on which the
music roll winds in
playing.
M Hook which engages
the loop on end of
music roll.
N Tempo dial.
O Tempo Pointer, which
moves to right and left
in front of dial and is
operated by the tempo
lever, controlled by the
performer.
P Motor Cog Wheel,
w h i c h engages cog
wheel on spool (L)
when roll is being
played; it is disengaged
by being drawn to the
right by Re-roll Lever,
which also reverses
motor when music roll
is to be rewound.
Full particulars and information
as to open territory furnished.
Hardman, Peck & Co.
(Established 1848)
138 Fifth Avenue, New York