Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
AUGUST 23, 1919
LOOKING TO U. S. FOR MERCHANDISE
HIGH SCHOOL VIOLIN MAKERS
BANJO INVENTED BY IRISHMAN
Conditions in Europe No Better Than Here—
Prices Will Not Be Lower Because of Grow-
ing Cost of Labor and Raw Materials
Vocational School in Syracuse, N. Y., will In-
stitute Course in Violin Making
Not Original With Southern Negroes, Who
Learned to Play This Instrument During the
Early Years of the Civil War
"It is to America that the whole world is
looking for merchandise of every description,"
said Henry Stadlmair, president of C. Bruno &
Sons, wholesalers of musical merchandise.
"While the cost of production is high in this
country and the labor situation is uncertain the
conditions existing in the European countries
are no better.
"Take, for instance, the field of musical mer-
chandise. There is practically little or no goods
being received from Europe, while on the other
hand American firms are receiving large num-
bers of foreign inquiries regarding their musi-
cal merchandise. I rather imagine it is a com-
mon belief of dealers and wholesalers outside
of this country that conditions are far bet-
ter in the United States than they actually are.
This has been evidenced by not one, but several
letters that I have received from foreign houses
calling our attention to the fact that the United
Slates is at peace once more, that our soldiers
have returned, have been demobilized and are
once more at their peace-time pursuits, and
therefore suggesting that there ought to be a
reduction of the price list. This is, of course,
from a foreign viewpoint. Those familiar with
actual conditions in this country are cognizant
of the fact that the cost of production at the
present time greatly exceeds the cost of produc-
tion during the war period. The cost of raw
material is much greater, and labor, although
a little more plentiful than during the course
of the war, is demanding and receiving wages
much higher than during the war period. The
public, however, realizes that the cost of musi-
cal merchandise naturally must increase, as has
every other commodity in this country, and the
demand for musical instruments has not abated.
"The orders and reorders we are receiving
indicate that the merchandise in the dealers'
warerooms is moving rapidly and the increas-
ing number of dealers handling musical mer-
chandise evidences the strong commercial pos-
sibilities of that line."
NEW INCORPORATION
The American Ocarina & Toy Co., 69 Bruen
street, Newark, N. J., has been incorporated to
manufacture musical instruments and toys, with
a capital of $100,000.
The manual training department of the Voca-
tional High School of Syracuse, N. Y., has taken
up the art of violin making and the pupils of
this school, under Director G. W. Bliss, will
soon be turning out some excellent instruments.
About five years ago G. W. Bliss began making
violins and one of the students in the depart-
ment became interested and asked permission to
try his hand. This pupil, E. C. Gerber, made a
violin in his spare time after school, following
as a model an instrument made by Nicholai
Amati, one of the famous Italian violin makers.
According to present plans a regular course
will be opened in this school in the fall, for a
number of pupils have shown a decided interest
in this work. The making of a violin is a long,
painstaking process, but with proper care and
tenacity it may be possible to have some very
creditable instruments on exhibition at the end
of the coming school year.
FRETTING DEVICE PATENTED
New Device Intended For Use With Hawaiian
Guitars
. WASHINGTON, D. C , August 18.—Elmer S. Tan-
quary, L,awrenceville, 111., was last week granted
Patent No. 1,302,451. for a fretting device for
musical instruments. This invention relates to
string instruments of the type in which the
player picks or strikes the strings by the finger
or a picking device held in the hand.
The present invention has relation especially
to the playing of Hawaiian music on the guitar,
during which process the player holds in the left
hand a steel and in the right hand holds a picker
which is moved across the strings in connec-
tion with the movement of the steel along the
neck of the guitar to produce the various chords
or notes. Obviously this system of playing the
guitar is imperfect, for the reason that the player
cannot properly fret the strings of the instru-
ment to produce true chords, and the present
invention has for its object the production of
true chords by the player of the instrument in
playing Hawaiian music.
Consult the universal Want Directory of
The Review. In it advertisements are inserted
free of charge for men who desire positions.
Those who look upon the banjo as being
an instrument of distinctly negro origin would
be interested in the words of Alfred A. Farland,
of Plainfield, N. J., who has a nation-wide repu-
tation as a banjo player. I t was at the con-
vention of the American Guild of Banjoists,
Mandolinists and Guitarists in Philadelphia that
he expressed his views on the origin of the
banjo, and he said:
"I often deplore the fact that the banjo was
introduced to the general public by minstrel
performers. Banjo players were in the army
during the Civil War and among them A. Bauer,
of Brookfield, Pa., who tried in vain to find
negro banjo players in Virginia.
"There seems to be no doubt that the banjo
originated in Virginia, but the first banjo ever
heard was made by an Irishman named
Sweeney, who lived at Appomattox. Mandolins
and wire string guitars, with which the negro
players produce a noise not unlike the buzzing
of a bluebottle fly in a tin can, are quite com-
mon among Southern negroes. But banjos are
comparatively rare."
COAST UKULELE FACTORY ENLARGES
The Robinson & Norton Ukulele Co., Berke-
ley, Cal., is making plans for the expansion of
its factory and the enlarging of its output of the
popular Hawaiian instrument. A new location
has been obtained at Center and Grove streets,
and as soon as new machinery has been in-
stalled the factory will be moved from its pres-
ent quarters at 2123 Stuart street.
DURRO
AND
STEWART
Largest Wholesale
Musical Merchandise
House in America
Buegeleisen & Jacob son
113 University Place
NEW YORK
A. BURDWISE
WHOLESALE MUSICAL MERCHANDISE
BALTIMORE, MD.
JOHNFRIEDRICH&BRO
3
OLIVER DITSON CO.
BOSTON. MASS.
RUNQ
T H E OLDEST AND
LARGEST MUSICAL
MERCHANDISE HOUSE
IN AMERICA
Exclusively Wholesale
ESTABLISHED
Vic tor Distributors
Manufacturer*
Importer* and Jobber* el
MUSICAL
MERCHANDISE
Attractive Specialties
Modern Service
K8TABLISHED ISM
Black Diamond
Strings
THE WORLD'S BEST
National Musical String Co.
Nev/ Brunswick, N. J.
WEYMAHN 5=?3
I WILL BUY
Superior Quality MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
Sheet Music and Small Goods
Victor Distributors
1108 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, Pa.
Established over half • century
FOR
CASH
Peate's Music House
Utica, N. Y.