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THE
OCTOBER 26, 1918
MUSIC
TRADE
51
REVIEW
THE REAL AMERICAN INSTRUMENT
SOME HOLIDAY SPECIALTIES
DEATH OF MICHAEL E. SCHOENING
The Banjo Was Invented in America, and Has
Always Been Associated With American
Music—How Its Popularity Has Developed
C. Bruno & Son, Inc., Featuring Toy Pianos
and Music Boxes for Holiday Trade
Pioneer Musical Merchandise Importer Passes
Away After a Brief Illness
It has long been the custom of musicians (the
high-brows) to look askance at the mandolin,
the banjo, the guitar and all kindred instru-
ments, but this great war in which we are en-
gaged has brought to light the fact that the
instruments that really appeal to the boys who
need amusement are not flutes, piccolos, clari-
nets or saxophones, almost all of which would
be easier to carry about, but are the fretted in-
struments.
These instruments have, of course, been the
favorites of college boys for years, but recent
years have seen a remarkable development both
in the manufacture and in general standard of
the music and playing of the instruments.
The only real American instrument is the
banjo—the instrument that was first made pop-
ular by negro minstrels and was for a long time
supposed to be the negro's instrument. This
instrument is said to have been invented by one
Sweeney, a Southerner, in the days before the
Civil War.
Whether this be true or not its development
has at least been due to Americans. There
have been many excellent players, but the one
name that stands out above them all as an artist
is that of Alfred A. Farland. He it was who
proved, by his marvelous technic, his musical
insight and his untiring devotion to the best in
music (which is still unabated) that the banjo
was not merely an instrument suited to jigs
and breakdowns, but was really capable of tak-
ing its place in the sun as a musical instrument.
He was the first to adapt and really play such
masterpieces as the Mendelssohn violin con-
certo, Beethoven sonatas, the Liszt arrangement
of Paganini's "Campanella," and dozens of sim-
ilar works. That the banjo is loved by thou-
sands of people from all corners of the land is
shown by the enormous sale of phonograph
records made on the instrument.
PERFECTS SNARE DRUM MECHANISM
WASHINGTON*, 1). C, October 21.—John E.
Winne, Troy, N. Y., was last week granted Pat-
ent Xo. 1,279,627 for a snare-drum, one-half of
which he has assigned to Frederick C. Claessens,
same place. The principal object of the inven-
tion is to facilitate adjusting the snare-mecha-
nism and rendering the same operative or in-
operative at will.
I WILL BUY
FOR CASH
Sheet Music and Small Goods
Peate's Music House,
Utica, N. Y.
RUNQ
THE OLDEST AND
LARGEST MUSICAL
MERCHANDISE HOUSE
INAMERICA
Exclusively Wholesale
ESTABLISHED 1634
Michael E. Schoening, head of the firm of M. H.
During the past few weeks C. P.runo & Son,
Inc., 351 Fourth avenue, New York, musical Schoening, 26 East Twenty-second street, New
York, musical merchandise importer and whole-
saler, died at his home, 568 West 112th street,
New York, last Thursday after a short illness.
Mr. Schoening, who was sixty-three years of age
at the time of his death, was one of the pioneers
of the musical merchandise industry in New
York and numbered among his personal friends
music dealers and jobbers from coast to coast.
A solemn requiem mass was celebrated at the
Church of St. Ignatius Loyola, New York, on
Monday morning, which was attended by a large
number of friends of the deceased.
Attractive Bruno & Son Music Box
merchandise wholesalers, have received large
H. L. HUNT GETS HUN HELMET
orders from their dealers for toy pianos and
musical boxes. The dealers, realizing the tre-
H. Iy. Hunt, manager of the musical merchan-
mendous shortage of musical merchandise,
placed their orders well in advance of require- dise department of C. II. Ditson & Co., is the
proud possessor of a genuine Hun helmet fresh
from the battlefields. The helmet is inscribed
"To H. L. Hunt from Sergt. R. Hinckley," and
was captured at one of the recent offensives in
which the Yanks played a considerable part.
Sergt. Hinckley is a member of one of the mili-
tary bands and plays a double B helicon. The
trophy was sent in appreciation of the many
courtesies that C. II. Ditson & Co. have ex-
tended to the boys.
DAMPING DEVICE FOR SNARE DRUMS
WASHINGTON, I). C, October 21.—Harold A.
Van Yalkenburg, of Oakland, Cal., has just been
granted Patent No. 1,281,107 on a damping de-
vice for snare drums. This invention relates to
Toy Piano Featured by Bruno & Son
means for preventing any vibrations when the
ments in order to receive merchandise in time drum is not in use, the principal object being
for the fall and holiday season.
to provide a vacuum bellows for damping the
In order to take care of the demands of its snares whereby rapid changes in the vacuum
trade it was necessary for the House of Bruno supply wilF not affect the position of the damp-
to scour the market for toy pianos and mu- ing device. Another object of the invention is
sical boxes, but fair-sized shipments were re- to flexibly mount the damping pad whereby the
ceived last week, and deliveries are now being same may be always in uniform contact through-
made to the dealers. There is always an active out the length of the snares.
holiday trade for this class of merchandise, as
these instruments always please the children.
No quarter for the foe, but many quarters for
Thrift Stamps. Buy some to-day.
JOHNFRIEDRfCH&BRO.
SEND FOR
OUR
CATALOGUES
OLIVER DITSON GO.
Largest Wholesale
Musical Merchandise
House in America
BOSTON, MASS.
Buegeleisen & Jacobson
M anutacturera
Importers and Jobber* of
MUSICAL
MERCHANDISE
Attractive Specialties
M o d e r n Service
ESTABLISHED ISM
WEWANN
Sprier Quality MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
Victor Distributer*
Victor Distributors
DURRO
AND
STEWART
Chestnut Stre.t, Philadelphia, Pa.
Established over half a century
113 University Place
NEW
YORK
Black Diamond
Strings
THE WORLD'S BEST
National Musical String Co.
N e v Brunswick, N. J.