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JANUARY 14, 1922
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
ALFRED DOLGE PASSES AWAY WHILE ON EUROPEAN TRIP
Dies in Milan, Italy, Following Attack of Influenza—Was for Many Years a Controlling Factor
in the Piano Felt Business—Well Known in Literary and Economic Circles
Alfred Dolgc, one of the outstanding figures
in the piano trade for many years, who for a
long period controlled a large portion of the
piano felt business of the country and in the
course of his career founded two towns bearing
his'name, one in New York and the other in
Alfred Dolge
California, died in Milan, Italy, on Thursday,
January 5, from an attack of influenza. Mr.
Dolge, accompanied by his wife, had been abroad
for several months visiting England, Germany,
France and other countries, and from letters re-
ceived from him recently appeared to be enjoy-
ing excellent health. The news of his death,
therefore, came as a shock to his many friends.
Mr. Dolge was born in Chemnitz, Saxony, on
December 22, 1848, and when thirteen years old
became an apprentice in the shop of A. Dolge &
Co., p!ano manufacturers, of which his father
was the head. It was there he gained his intimate
knowledge of piano manufacturing methods. He
was ambitious for bigger things, however, and in
1866, when only a youth of seventeen, he came
to America, entering the employment of Fred-
erick Mathushek. After a short visit to Germany
Mr. Dolge again returned to America and began
business for himself by importing small quanti-
ties of German piano leather. To the leather
was soon added piano wire and in 1869 he de-
voted his entire attention to importing piano-
making materials from Germany.* In 1871 he
began the manufacture of felt, but worked under
distinct handicaps until two years later, when he
began to realize a measure of success.
Mr. Dolge's success in felt manufacture was
due to his ability to improve upon the then exist-
ing qualities of felt and methods of manufacture,
and he was granted several patents covering im-
proved felt-making machinery and new processes.
One of his several important inventions was a
hammer press that served in many respects to
revolutionize the work of piano hammer making.
Mr. Dolge's first felt factory was in Brooklyn,
N. Y., but in 1874 he secured a location and
moved his plant to Herkimer County, N. Y.,
where he founded the town of Dolgeville, which
grew to be one of the active industrial centers
of the State. He is said to have been one of the
first manufacturers to introduce a pension and
insurance system for his employes.
Following business reverses in Dolgeville, N.
Y., Mr. Dolge in 1903 went to the Pacific Coast,
where he established the first felt and felt shoe
factories in that section, founding a new town of
Dolgeville around his plant, seven miles from
Los Angeles. The business was established as
the Alfred Dolge Mfg. Co. and was subsequently
taken over by the Standard Felt Co., by which
concern it is operated at the present time.
THE BESTKNOWN
MUSICAL
NAME
IN THE, WORLD.
While residing in Covina, Cal., Mr. Dolge took
advantage of his intimate knowledge of the per-
sonnel of the piano trade and developments of
the industry to write several interesting volumes
of a historical and biographical nature, includ-
ing two interesting and authoritative volumes on
the subject of "Pianos and Their Makers."
After relinquishing his felt business on the
Coast Mr. Dolge became affiliated with the Had-
dorff P.ano Co., Rockford, 111., as Pacific Coast
representative, and remained with that concern
for a period of nine years, during which time he
built up a most substantial business in the Far
West for the Haddorff business. His record
with this company was one of which to be proud.
Retiring from active business a year or more
ago and disposing of his landed interests in Cali-
fornia, Mr. Dolge responded to the inclination
to visit the scenes of his boyhood and also to
spend some of his leisure time in touring various
European countries. Letters sent to his friends
here from abroad indicated that his interest in
the piano trade was still active, for he took occa-
sion to visit many piano factories in Europe and
to talk with piano manufacturers. A recent let-
ter to The Review stated that he planned to
spend several months in Rome, and it was while
en route to that city he was taken fatally ill in
Milan.
The passing of Mr. Dolge leaves a gap in the
music industry of America that cannot easily be
tilled, for he had a peculiar and extremely wide
knowledge of the industry from every angle and
enjoyed a position in the trade that has not since
been held by any one man.
Mr. Dolge was keenly interested in economic
problems, and in his prime was an active sup-
porter of the protective policy of the Republican
party. He was remarkably well read and of a
philosophical bent.
More than a quarter of a century ago he was
a strong advocate of an amalgamation of the
leading piano manufacturers. In this connection
he collected a great deal of data, which gave
him a wonderful mastery of every detail of alt
branches of the music industry. His plans in
this connection did not materialize, however.
Alfred Dolge was a man with a big breadth of
mental vision, who had the interests of the na-
tion and the industry in which he played such
a prominent part ever in mind.
Mr. Dolge is survived by a widow and three
HIGEL CO. RECEIVERS DISCHARGED
PEASE GRAND WINS QUICK APPROVAL
Property Returned to the Stockholders on
Monday of This Week—Creditors Agreed to
Settlement on a 20 Per Cent Bas.s
New Instrument Just Produced by Pease Piano
Co. Creates Enthusiasm—Dealers Sending Re-
orders—Many Write Their Commendation
On Saturday last, January 7, the consents of
all creditors attached to a petition and an order
to discharge the receivers of the Otto Higel Co.,
238th street and Bronx Boulevard, New York,
and to return the property to the stockholders
was submitted to and signed by Judge Augustus
Hand in the United States District Court of the
Southern District of New York. The order was
filed on Monday, January 9, and the property re-
turned to the stockholders on that date.
The receivership arose from an action entitled
Cornwall & Patterson Mfg Co. vs. Otto Higel
Co., Inc., instituted in the United States District
Court of the Southern District of New York
before Judge Hand, early in January, 1921, at
which time John S. Shepard and Adam C. King
were appointed receivers in equity for the Otto
Higel Co.
Subsequently, and on the written request of all
of the creditors (152 in number), Judge Hand
substituted Charles Jacob, of Jacob Bros. Co.;
Christopher B. Garritson, of the Kroeger Piano
Co., and Julius Schneller, of Henry Haas & Son,
as receivers in equity, who undertook the admin-
istration of the affairs of the company, and in
behalf of the creditors considered various plans
for reorganization submitted by the stockhold-
ers of the Otto Higel Co., Inc. Finally a plan
was submitted advocating to the creditors the
acceptance of a 20 per cent settlement. Upon
the recommendation of the receivers, acting as
a creditors' committee, all the creditors (152 in
number) agreed in writing to accept such settle-
ment.
Henry H. Harkavy acted as counsel for the
receivers.
There have been several new agencies for the
Pease pianos and player-pianos created during
the last few months and that these dealers have
been pleased with the instruments which they
have received has been manifested by the many
letters which are being received by the Pease
Piano Co., Leggett avenue and Barry street, New
York. Two of these letters refer particularly to
the new Pease grand, an instrument five feet
three inches long, in which many new features
have been incorporated, much to the enhance-
ment of its quality.
One of the new dealers is A. K. Walter, of
Ashland, Pa., who, upon the arrival of the grand,
immediately ordered another one. Kochmann &
Fergusen, of San Jose, Cal., is another concern
which has taken on the line recently and mani-
fests great appreciation of the quality of the
new instrument. Another dealer who has re-
cently received a shipment of Pease pianos is
R. B. Kaylor, of Hagerstown, Md., who, becom-
ing enthusiastic upon their arrival, wrote the
following to the company: "I am very much
pleased with both players and pianos and must
commend you for the way you had the pianos
boxed."
Chauncey D. Pease, treasurer of the company,
stated to a Review representative this week that
they had had a very successful year, taking
everything into consideration, and that the out-
look is very promising.
"The new grand," he said, "has made a dis-
tinct hit and we are having a splendid demand
for it. Most every dealer who has ordered it
is very enthusiastic and all of them are planning
active campaigns regarding it."
W. H. ALFRING J)FF ON LONG TRIP
CHILDREN'S HOUR WITH AMPICO
W. H. Alfring, manager of the wholesale de-
partment of the Aeolian Co., left on Monday for
an extended transcontinental business trip, going
as far South as New Orleans and making all the
large cities along the Pacific Coast before re-
turning. It is expected he will be away from
New York for about two months.
Novel Entertainment for Little Ones at Ampico
Studios on January 28
Alterations at the H. C. Bay piano factory,
Bluffton, Ind., have been completed and the
plant is in full operation.
At the Ampico Studios of Wm. Knabe & Co.
there will be held on Saturday, January 28, a
Children's Hour with music under the auspices
of Sally Hamlin, a well-known interpreter of
children's work with music and associated with
the New York City Board of Education. The
Ampico will be used to reproduce appropriate
music for the benefit of the little ones.
THE BEST PROFIT
PRODUCER FOR THE
DEALER IN THE TRADE