Music Trade Review

60
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
March 5th, 1881.
THE MUSICAL CRITIC AND TRADE REVIEW.
iron frame of to-day, but it is nevertheless a complete iron frame with a cast-
WHAT THEY THINK OF MASTER WEBER ABROAD.
T TNDER the heading of " American Bounce," the following appears in the iron brace. The specification (not a very clear one), with drawings, is pub-
KJ last issue of the London and Provincial Music Trades Review: lished, and it may readily be consulted. The patent therein described as:
"A cast-iron frame with two dovetailed grooves formed in it, "and "into
" Master Albert Weber seems recently to have indulged in more than one
display of ' bounce.' In our last issue we alluded to the paper war between these dovetailed grooves dovetailed bars of wood are to be tightly driven
Messrs. Steinway and Master Weber in Baltimore. We stated that a card and secured by means of glue or other proper cement and then veneered."
was published in the papers from Mrs. Julia Rive-King praising the Weber The description proceeds: "The use of the said wooden bars is to receive
grand. Stein way's agent at once replied, stating the Rive-King letter was into them the ordinary wrest-pins, which are to be tightly driven into the
four years old, and publishing a letter only a few days old from the same holes formed to receive them in the usual manner, but which pins, owing to
celebrated pianist, stating that she preferred the Steinway. Master Weber the confining of the wood in the said grooves, will be much more firmly held
has, it seems, since letained a prudent silence. The MUSICAL CRITIC, in in their holes, and be much less liable to slip or move than heretofore, and
somewhat colloquial language, states that ' the conflict commenced as if consequently the pianofortes to which they may be applied will be kept
business was meant on both sides, but soon developed into a game of bluff up more properly in tuae." And the inventor " claims the application of
on Weber's part, which looked well enough, but when Sutro ' called ' with the said cast-iron frame with either one, two, or three grooves formed in it
his famous 'blanket letter,' Albert could not respond, and had to allow the to every description of pianoforte." There is also another groove " to re-
pot to be taken. From the confident way in which Sutro played it looked ceive the bridge into it," and there is " a certain brace for the purpose of
as though some one had given away young Albert's hand, and had told Sutro affording additional strength to resist the pull of the strings." Other por-
that the'little joker ' was not in it.' Since then, according to the same tions of the patent comprise "a recess or rebate formed in the face of the
authority, Messrs. Haines have been obliged to correct a rash assertion of iron frame to receive iron pins driven into holes made in the rebate, and to
Master Weber in the following vigorous style." (Then follows Messrs. which pins the opposite ends of the wire strings are hung. The other
Haines Brothers' " Challenge "): " The question remains whether it is quite bridge is affixed upon the sound-board, and this sound-board is secured to
worth Master Weber's while to continue assertions which are so clearly open the iron frame and the external case of the pianofortes." The sound-board
to contradiction. On this side of the Atlantic the method would hardly be " is fitted partially into the iron frame on each side, and is secured by means
considered conducive to business." [" Master"! Weber is very good. Ed. of two beads, which are affixed to the inside of the case, and it is further
supported behind by the cross brace and by two other beads," also fixed in
MUSICAL CRITIC AND TRADE REVIEW].
the case in the manner shown in the drawings. The remaining items of the
specification relate to veneering the bars into which the wrest-pins are
driven, and to oval or other shaped holes in the iron frame to lighten it.
ANOTHER EXHIBITION MUDDLE.
The two inventions are thus before the trade, who can judge for them-
T will be seen by the communication which we publish in another column
that the Melbourne Exhibition is not likely to terminate without selves. The contest between England and America as to which country first
unpleasantness. Three of the jurors were stoutly objected to; the first introduced the full iron frame is an honorable one, and neither is interested
because his wife was employed by Messrs. Brinsmead and Messrs. Challen save in the elucidation of the truth. At present the situation seems to stand
to play on their pianos at the Exhibition, the second because he was thus: The full iron frame appears to have been conceived almost simulta-
employed as a tuner by Messrs. Erard's agent, and the third because he was neously in both countries with the slight advantage to England that Allen
associated with one of the French organ exhibitors. With equal reason the patented his iron frame in London a few months before the late Mr. Conrad
Belgian juror might have been objected to on account of his former connec- Meyer exhibited his ircn-framed piano at Philadelphia.—London and Pro-
tion with Steinway of Brunswick, while yet another juror is a local dealer, vincial Music Trades Review.
and is hardly likely to be unbiased. If these five gentlemen had been asked
CONBAD MEYER AND SONS* LETTER.
to retire the rest of the jury would have been found to consist of an archi-
tect, a composer, a tenor vocalist, a teacher of singing, and a retired teacher.
SIR: Will you kindly let us know the address of Mr. Hipkins, whose
What, it may fairly be asked, can possibly be expected of this hetero-
you have reviewed? We wish to write him in reference to the iron
geneous assemblage of gentlemen called to pass an T opinion upon the respec- work
frame. The Babcock patent of 1825 was only an iron ring, held in place by
tive merits of the various musical instruments ? W hat excuse can be offered iron
staples driven into the framework of the piano, and proved entirely
for the appointment as a juror of Mr. Blasey, who may very possibly have to worthless.
Our invention was the full, flat, cast iron plate, precisely as used
tune the very Erard piano he is afterwards called upon to judge? How, by all manufacturers
now, and was so totally different from the Babcock
with the best feelings in the world, can these gentlemen approach the con- patent, that our iron frame
piano was exhibited side by side with Babcock's
sideration of the subject without bias? And yet if the professional men piano in the Exhibition of 1833,
at the Franklin Institute. There had never
are taken away the remnant of the jury can hardly be trusted to express an been attempted before this the casting
in one piece (flat) of iron; and the
opinion as to the relative merits of pianofortes and organs.
patent of Chickering, in 1840, was simply the use of our invention by the
The Sydney muddle has, it seems by our correspondent's letter, reached addition of casting an iron bridge and damper socket-rail. The Babcock
a new phase. The Commissioners have, it is said, reconsidered the matter, ring was in shape somewhat elliptical, while our plate was flat, running over
and have agreed to issue a special report, giving Messrs. Steinway, Chicker- the wrest-plank, with the tuning-pin holes bored through into the wooden
ing, Erard, Beckstein, and Bliithner equal honors with Messrs. Brinsmead, wrest-plank, and the hitch-pins were also driven into the iron frame.
who, of course, carried off the highest award, id est, " a first prize with
Yours, &c,
CONRAD MEYER & SONS.
special commendation." What value this special report will possess, after
Philadelphia, Dec. 28th, 1880.
the official prize list has been issued by the Commissioners, we cannot imag-
[The matter is alluded to above.]
ine. Its only utility will, in the eyes of the trade here, be to further prove
the crass incapacity of the Sydney jury.—London and Provincial Music
Trades Review.
JAMES NUGENT & 00. LOOKING FOR A GOOD YEAR.
NE of our reporters called at .the factory of Mr. James Nugent, at No.
THE ORIGIN OF THE IRONFRA ME.
145 East Forty-second street, this city, one day last week, and had a
LETTER will be found in our " Trade Correspondence " from Messrs. conversation with him about his business, during which he stated that he
Conrad Meyer, of Philadelphia, in which they take exception to Mr. thought trade generally was quiet, but, as for his part, he had no trouble in
Hipkins' account of the origin of the iron frame. They seem to be laboring selling all the pianos he could make, and was disposing of most of them at
under the impression that Mr. Hipkins confounded the inventions respec- retail; his facilities and capital were not large enough to admit of his com-
tively of Meyer & Babcock, which it is needless to say he did not. The peting to any great extent for the general trade of the country in pianos,
Babcock invention (derived partly from the Thorn and Allen patent of 1820) and perhaps that fact made his business safer and more free from anxiety
was, as Messrs. Conrad Meyer state, merely an iron ring, held in its place by than that of some larger firms.
iron staples driven into the framewoi'k of the piano. It is true that Mr.
Mr. Nugent stated that he had been a long time in business in this city;
Hipkins describes it as " a cast-iron frame for a square piano, the object of was well known to a large number of buyers here, and a great many of his
which, like that of Thom and Allen's first patent, was compensation " ; and, sales were made to his personal friends; at any rate, he was satisfied with
although it would have been better if he had stated that the cast-iron frame the condition of his business, and, if nothing occurred to disturb the general
of Babcock was a mere iron ring, it is apparent by the reference to the Thom prosperity of the country, he had no doubt that the piano makers would have
and Allen patent that the Babcock invention was likewise but a framing of a good year during 1881.
hollow tubes. Messrs. Conrad Meyer challenge the assertion of Mr. Hipkins
that " Babcock's single castings laid the foundation of a system of construction
which has been largely and successfully developed in America, "and they seem
to have grounds for their objection. Mr. Hipkins correctly describes the
Chickering patent as a continuation of the invention of Meyer when he states
CHICAGO MUSIC CO., Chicago, 111.
that Mr. Chickering "improved the single casting by including in it the
pin-bridge and the damper socket rail." Indeed, while it is obvious that
J.
MAURICE HUBBARD : "What a Maiden Said to Me." Song and
the complete iron-flat frame was invented by neither Babcock nor Chicker- Quartette. 35 cents. A quaint little composition of light character; very
ing, it is equally clear that both Allen and Conrad Meyer obtained their plain,
but unpretentious.
idea of a single casting from the many experiments in hollow tube frames
and in mixtures of iron and wood made by various manufacturers about this
OTIS H. CARTER. '•'Mother's Birthplace." Song. 40 cents. The com-
period.
poser, who is also the author of the words, probably thought he did a big
Indeed, the sole question seems to be whether Allen or Meyer may be thing when he wrote the song, which he dedicated to " his Sisters." It is
credited with the introduction of the iron frame. The Conrad Meyer inven- quite a family affair, and we have no wish to intrude.
tion is thus described by Mr. Hipkins:
EDWARD HOLST. "Mio Amor." Romanza. 50 cents. This song, ded-
"Besides Allen and Babcock, who in those days of imperfect communi- icated to Signor Campanini, is very effective, although the same effects have
cation are hardly likely to have known of each other's attempts, Conrad been used many times before by Abt and Kuecken ; nevertheless, the com-
Meyer, of Philadelphia, claims to have invented the metal frame in a single position will make friends, for people now-a-days do not object to plagia-
casting in 18-J2. Whether Meyer was aware of the previous efforts of Allen rism.
and Babcock or not, he has the merit of having made a good square piano on
JOHN F. RUTLEDGE. "Sweet Little Letter from Over the Sea." Song
this plan of construction in 1833."
and Chorus. 35 cents. We are afraid the contents of the sweet little letter
And Mr. Hipkins goes on to repeat the familiar story of its exhibition were
not of an inquiring nature, or the composer's descriptive powers are
at the Franklin Institute in 1833, its sale there, its repurchase by Messrs. very limited.
If there were such a thing as a dead-letter office for musical
Meyer in 1867, and its appearance at Philadelphia and Paris. It is, then, works, this song
would have a claim on that department.
clear that the iron frame with a single casting was in use by Messrs. Meyer
in 1833.
D. M. LINDSAY. "Lay Her Down Beneath the Daisies." Song. 35
The English, however, claim that the patent of William Allen is dated cents. Yes, lay her down, and with her the song, and ask the daisies to
during the previous year, viz., on July 20th, 1832. It certainly is not the cover it kindly, so that it never can reach the surface again.
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