Music Trade Review

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW.
CHICAGO CORRESPONDENCE
AN OLD CASE SETTLED.
MBS.
FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.
Look Box 492.
TRADERS' BUILDING, CHICAGO, I
March 15, 1887.
f
March has been much better in the retail business
than Jan. or Feb. The wholesale has been good
right along. The Estey & Camp new store is fitted
up in fine style. Their display of the renowned Deck-
er Bros, pianos is worthy of these celebrated instru-
ments.
The W. W. Kimball Co. move into their new quar-
ters, cor. State and Adams streets, April 1.
Reed & Sons are pushing the Knabe piano lately
more than ever. They have received a largo stock
of these well known pianos during the past month.
B. Shoninger & Co. are very busy. Their pianos
are getting more popular as they are becoming known.
Mr. Anguera, who has charge of their retail busi
ness, says the steady increase in the retail sales has
been far ahead of his most sanguine expectations.
Agents are ordering their new styles, 10, 11 and 13 so
lively that orders are away ahead of the supply.
Mr. E. V. Church, (Root Music Co.) has returned
from a trip in the West, where he has been visiting
his agents.
Mr. Henry Drummond, the well known salesman,
for many years with Lyon & Healy, has accepted the
position as head salesman with the Weber branch
here. Mr. Geo. Blumner, who has been the Weber
salesman here since Mr. Mayer left, has gone back
to the New York house.
Mr. V. H. Daniels will represent the W. W. Kim-
ball Co. through the East in the wholesale line.
Messrs. L. Wulsin, of Cincinnati, C. Wulsin, Indi-
anapolis, and Mr. Van Buren, representing D. H.
Baldwin house, have been here tor some days look-
ing over the city, &c.
Mr. J. B. Woodford, Secretary of the Loring &
Blake Organ Co..Worcester, Mass., was here one day
last week ; will visit Milwaukee and ether points be-
fore he returns; reports their trade to be in a thriv-
ing condition.
John Summers and M. Moran have formed a part-
nership, and will open a music store at Joliet, 111.
They have secured the agency for the Steck, Brad-
bury, Boardman & Gray and the New England pianos.
Geo. C. Cook, President of the Hallet & Davis Co.,
has been in town for some days. Mr. Cook and his
wife have been on a visit to California, and are now
on their way back home much improved in health.
The National League of Musicians, representing
many of the musical organizations of the country,
held its first session in tins city March 9. C. M. Cur-
rier was re-elected President for the ensuing year.
He is a member of the Cincinnati Association, but
has recently come to Chicago to assume the loader
ship or the 1st Regiment band, in place of Mr. Fred.
Austin.
Col. Fuller and Mr. Camp visited their St. Louis
house last week, and express themselves as more
than pleased with the way business svas running.
C A. Smith & Co., manufacturers here, have got
out a new scale piano. They are selling all they can
make.
Mr. Chas. Clough, formerly with Chickerlng &
Sons, was here a few days. He goes to Minneapolis,
Minn., to take charge of a branch store opened there
by Peterson & Blaikie, of St. Paul.
Mr. J. M. Eppstein. of Le Mars, la., has given a
mortgage for $500. This is the second one inside of
a month.
Hoffman & Andrus is the name of a new firm just
opened at Kansas City, Mo. They will sell the Chick-
ering, Hardman, Sterling and Starr pianos. Carl
Hoffman, the head of the firm, is the well known
dealer at Loavenworth, Kan. Vin. Andrus, the
other partner, was formerly from Bloomington, 111.,
where his father made organs. He then went to Kan-
sas City, where he was salesman for Geo. W. Strope.
Mr. Dyer, (Dyer & Howard,) St. Paul, Minn., was
.n the city yesterday. Ho goes East to select his
8 tock and make new contracts.
The following dealers were in town last week: H. H.
Bagg, Aurora, 111.; Mr. Dennison, Elgin, 111.; N. D.
Coon, Eau Claire, Wis.; Geo. A. Fry, Defiance, la.;
F. Benedict, Pontiac, Mich.
Yours &c,
OWEN.
METZBBOTT'S BILL AGAINST Mil. DliOOI'
DISMISSED.
T
HE case of Henrietta C. Metzerott vs. Edward
P. Droop was decided in equity Court by
Justice Merrick on Tuesday, March 8th, in
favor of Mr. Droop. The Court dismissed Mrs. Met-
zerott's bill with costs.
It appears that in November, 1884, Mr. Droop, the
surviving partner of the old firm of W. G. Metzer-
ott & Co., sold to Mrs. Metzerott all his interest in
the stock in trade contained in the store and in cer-
tain specified assets of the firm, reserving certain
things to himself, including the right to continue
businessat the old stand of the late firm. The whole
matter was settled by a written agreement, in which
neither the "good-will" nor the right to use the old
name of the firm was assigned to Mrs. Metzerott.
Mr. Droop denied that it was ever contemplated or
intended to be assigned. Mrs. Metzerott, however,
started business at Ninth street and Pennsylvania
avenue, advertising the old firm name and advertis-
ing io various ways that the old establishment was
continued at the new place. She demanded that Mr.
Droop should discontinue the use of the firm name
in every way, and upon his refusal filed her bill in
equity to enjoin him from using the same and to
oompel him to account for any profits which he might
have made as agent for Steinway & Sons and other
manufacturers, claiming that she was entitled to
them all. The Court held that Mrs. Metzerott did
not purchase the "good-will " of the old firm or the
right to use the old firm name ; that, on the contrary,
Mr. Droop had expressly reserved the right to con-
tinue business at the old stand of the late firm, and
that it was inconceivable that under the circum-
stances the good-will could have been transferred.
He also held that the manner in which Mr. Droop
used the old firm name in connection with his own
was perfectly free from assault; that no imposition
upon third parties could flow from it, and that he
sets himself up to be what the truth is, a member of
the late firm of W. G. Metzerott & Co. That as to the
agencies represented by Mr. Droop; that he was select-
ed by the persons he represents ; that the canvassing
for them was done fairly and above board, and
that a court of equity could not interfere with a com-
pact of that nature. In conclusion he said : " I think
that in any aspect of this case there is no reason for
this party to complain, and I may suggest in aid of
that conclusion that the very counsel who made the
arrangements, and drew the papers, and supervised
what was done between them, comes as a witness and
says that none of these things now made grounds of
complaint ever entered into the contemplation of the
parties.—Washington, D, C. Critic.
THE ANNUAL ATTEMPT.
E are pleased to see that the annual attempt
made by some member of Congress to nulli-
fy or irreparably injure our patent law sys-
tem has been laid to rest for this year, at least; the
bill introduced to render suit forinfringement impos
siblo where damages do not exceed $200, or, where
the purchaser of an infringing device bought it in
bona fides, has been defeated.
This is proper. There are many among the vast
number of patents recorded at Washington, that
cover, apparently, worthless devices, or such as are
at least of insignificant value. Yet careful investi-
gation and a knowledge of what has been accomplish-
ed in the mechanical world will show that nearly all
have found employment, in some form or other, in
some valuable invention that more than counter-
balances in its widespread utility the insignificance
of many of the members or parts of which it is com-
posed.
Inventors are entitled not alone to protection, but
respect; for while it is true thatsome " cranks " may
be found among them, and though many of the patent
devices are crude and impracticable, yet each one
represents an original idea, which, combined with
the original ideas represented in other devices, have
made our people the foremost on the earth. It is
not one inventor to whose genius is due the perfect
machine of to-day, but it may be that the ideas of a
thousand have been combined to produce that result,
many of whom are dead, nearly all of whom are for-
gotten, and their names unknown, save as they are
written upon the musty records of the Patent Office.
W
Without the encouragement to inrentive genius the
protection afforded by the patent laws provides,
would any of the trades that are to-day in a prosper-
ous and advanced condition have attained their stand-
ing ? Some of the mightiest interests in the world
would certainly have been far behind their present
condition.
Unaided by the genius of humble, and sometimes
cranky, inventors, the world with its billions of cap-
ital and its millions of strong and willing arms would
have made but poor progress in bringing railroading
up to its present state of perfection. The modern
housewife is spared half her drudgery by the ingenu-
ity of the inventor we dub a crank, and the workman
finds his labors lightened and his wages increased by
the tools and machines and many manufactured ar-
ticles this same inventor has brought into practical
shape.
We need not go outside ot the plumbing trade in
order to find evidence of what the inventor has ac
complished for the good of the community. How
many of the best appliances we use are protected by
patents, while the materials we employ in all our
work are cheapened directly or indirectly by improv-
ed and usually patented methods of production !
Under these circumstances we have a right to hon-
or the inventor, and give him such protection for the
smallest of his devices as will encourage him to im-
prove on them and extend his efforts on behalf of so-
ciety, already so deeply in his debt; and every effort,
open or disguised, to impair the efficiency of our pa
tent laws should meet with unflinching opposition
from all interested in our mercantile and industrial
progress.—Sanitary Plumber.
THE LAKE PIANO COMPANY.
APIDLY coming to tha front, in the rank of
piano manufacturers, is the Lake Piano Co., of
Boston. This concern, composed of men long
and favorably known in the trade, is showing re-
markable push and energy in placing their goods on
the market. They make what is always in demand
in all parts of the country : a large, thoroughly well
made piano at a medium price. Some of the largest
dealers have already taken the agency for these pi-
anos, and find in them an instrument containing ex-
cellent qualities, and a most profitable one to sell.
Mr. F. W. Bailey, the manager, is one of the best
known men in the trade, having a personal acquaint
ance with almost all the prominent dealers In the
country, and known to be a most active worker ami
a reliable business man. With the facilities and tho
energy which this company possess, their success
must be sure and swift.
R
GREAT ORGANS.
HE Albert Hall organ, Lonrlon, has 7,500 pipee.
We give a partial list of the great organs
which have more than or about 1.000 pipes.
They are: St. Paul's Cathedral organ, London, 4,004 ;
Alexandria Palace, London, 5,820; Crystal Palaco,
4,570; N. J. Holmes' Manor House, London, ">,'209;
St. Georges' Hall, Liverpool, 7,000 ; Town Hall, Leeds,
6,500 ; Albert Hall, Sheffield, 4,004 ; old organ of York
Minster, 8,000; screen organ of York Minster, 5,410;
Victoria Rooms, Bristol, 4,000; Town Hall, Mel-
bourne, 4,373; Boston Cathedral, 5,226; Temple
Etnanuel, New York, 1,224; Ulm Cathedral, 5,564;
Weingarten Monastery, 6,<',66 ; Merseberg Cathedral,
5,68f>; Breslau Cathedral, 4,700; St. Jacobi, Madge-
burg, 5,784; Great Church, Halberstadt, 4,250; Oliva
Abbey, Dantzig, 6,000; new organ in same church,
5,112; St. Bevan's Cathedral, Haarlem, 4,008; St.
Lawrence Cathedral, Rotterdam, 5,700; First Church,
Utrecht, 4,200; St. Denis, Paris, 4,506; St. Sulspice,
Paris, 6,706; Freiburg Cathedral, 4,165; Seville Ca-
thedral, 5,300. The organ proposed in 1376 for St.
Peter's Cathedral Rome, was to be built by Cavailk-
Coll, and was to have 8,316 pipes. The organ in
Cologne Cathedral has nearly 7,000 pipes.—Musical
T
Record.
A NEWBY & EVANS AFLOAT.
HE passengers on the steamship Aguan, a pio-
neer vessel of a new Central American line,
will help pass the tedium of the voyage by lis-
tening to the vibrating chords of a Newby & Evans
mahogany piano, which is included in the fittings of
the saloon.
T