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THE
MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
SMALL ADVANCE FOR RAILROADS.
Interstate Commerce Commission Gives Five
Per Cent. Advance Only in What Is Known
as the Central Freight Association Territory
Covering Points Between the Alleghanies and
the Mississippi—Eastern Rates Not Raised.
(Special to The Review.)
Another View of the Baldwin Exhibit
at the Anglo-American Exposition.
the patronage of the Mayor of Hammership and
the proceeds flowed into the funds of the metro-
politan hospitals. The affair was artistically and
socially a great success.
Americans who recently returned from Europe
have spoken with no small degree of pleasure and
pride of the splendid representation made'by the
Baldwin Piano Co.
SOUNDS LIKE A SUMMER TALE!
tier gave him the watch and the dollar and the
young man started out for a jeweler's. But the
climax is not yet.
But as a Matter of Fact Israel Fortier, a Fall
River Dealer, Did " F a l l " for the Blandish-
ments of a Smooth Tongued Would-Be Pur-
chaser of a Player-Piano—'Tis a Sad Tale.
Learns Whereabouts of Wallet.
WASHINGTON, I). C, August 3.—The long-looked-
for decision of the Interstate Commerce Commis-
sion in the 5 per cent, advance rate case was made
public Saturday. The commission is not unani-
mous in its judgment, Commissioners McChord
and Daniels dissenting from the majority, each on
separate grounds of opinion. The majority repre-
sented in the decision is composed of Commission-
ers Harlan, Clements, Clark, Meyer and Hall.
The decision grants only a fraction of what the
carriers asked. The railroads, 112 in number, em-
braced in thirty-live systems, in what is known as
official classification territory, extending from the
Mississippi River on the west to the Atlantic on the
east, and north of the Ohio and Potomac rivers,
asked a so-called flat increase of 5 per cent, in
rates. The commission has granted the 5 per cent,
increase only in what is known as Central Freight
Association territory, which embraces the States of
Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and that part of
Pennsylvania and New York lying west of the Al-
leghanies.
No showing has been made, in the opinion of the
commission, in favor of a general increase in trunk
line rates, rail-and-lake rates, or in rates on traffic
moving between the different rate territories. A
large part of the commission's report is taken up in
pointing out to the railroads how they can save
money on freight and passenger business by econ-
omies and cutting off free services.
It is not an easy matter to state just how much
the increase allowed will amount to. This is so
because the reports of the roads in the territory
affected do not separate operating revenue in pas-
senger traffic from operating revenue in freight
traffic. Members of the Interstate Commerce Com-
mission and expert traffic lawyers connected with
the commission and others who have practiced for
years before the commission were very shy to-day
in venturing to say just what bulk of revenue the
decision might add to the twenty-eight railroads in
the central freight territory where the advance is
allowed.
True, he pocketed the dollar, but left the watch
at the jeweler's and told Fortier a jewel in the
watch was broken and that he would have to pay
$1.50 when he went to get it. Fortier, however,
(Special to The Review.)
FALL RIVER, MASS.., August 1.—Israel Fortier,
suspected nothing and went back to his work. He
teacher of the violin and proprietor of a music hung his coat in a closet, and thereon, likewise,
store at 111 Borden street, was in pensive mood hangs the tale. For in the coat pocket there was
yesterday, for he had been the victim of misplaced a wallet and in the wallet there were $1
confidence to the tune of $184. And what made
when he gave the young man the dollar to repair
the hurt worse was the fact that the malefactor
the watch the young man saw where Fortier kept
was himself a lover of music, so fond of it, in fact, the wallet and that it contained a roll of bills.
that he spent all day Friday and up to noon Sat-
A little later Fortier looked up from his work
urday playing one of Fortier's most expensive
and the young man came out of the closet whis-
styles of player-pianos.
tling. He strolled to the door, and Fortier joined
It was early Friday morning when a well-dressed
him there, all unsuspicious, and they chatted a
youth of nineteen or twenty strolled into Fortier's while. Once more, Fortier turned to his work, and
shop and let fall a word about prayer-pianos. For- when he turned to speak to the young man a very
tier, with an eye to business, immediately asked short time afterward the young man wasn't there.
him if he was in the market. The youth replied He hasn't been seen since and neither has the $184.
that he was.
Fortier's suspicions were at last aroused and he
"I live in New Bedford," he explained, "but I'm dove for the closet and straightway to the police
The Chickering grand was featured by the Win-
spending the summer in my cottage at Newpo,rt. station. When the young man left he didn't bother nipeg Co. in its handsome exhibit at the fair 'held
I want a player-piano and thought I'd sort of look about his cap, hut the cap doesn't fit Fortier.
recently in that city.
around to see what I can get. They didn't have
anything in Newport I wanted, and 1 couldn't wait
for them to send away for one. Somebody told
me you had about what I wanted."
Played Every Roll in Stock.
Fortier said he certainly had some good player-
pianos, and explained the merits of those he had
in stock, concluding with the invitation to have a
try at them. The young man accepted the invita-
tion, and became so enthusiastic over one of them
that he played the entire morning, and returning
after lunch, resumed his inspection until closing
time at night, by which time he had gone through
Fortier's stock of rolls several times. Once, For-
tier reminded him that he. would be wearing the
piano out before he bought it, but the youth re-
Tuners and repairers of pianos who desire thoughtful consideration
plied that he really ought to give the' piano a good
given their requirements for piano hammers, for repairing and replacing
trial as he had been stuck on two others he had
old sets, should communicate at once with us. We have a special repair
purchased.
Fortier closed shop Friday night without having
department devoted to this kind of work.
made the sale, but the young man promised to
come back Saturday and conclude the deal. His
father was wealthy, he said, and he had a bank
account of his own. It would be a cash transaction.
Sure enough, he showed up bright and early Sat-
urday morning, but was not quite ready to con-
Makers of Piano Hammers of
clude the bargain. He wanted to try the piano a
bit more before he decided definitely to buy. So he
started playing again. Toward noon he wanted to
know what time it was, and Fortier, drawing out
his watch, found it had stopped. The young man
was much concerned. He volunteered that the
mainspring was broken and that he knew where
he could get a new one put in for a dollar. For-
"ONLY THE BEST"
Hammer Repairing
STRAUCH BROS., 20-30 Tenth Ave., New York
QUALITY AND MERIT