Music Trade Review

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Maiden Lane, their chief agents on your side of
the ocean. After a casual look through the
stock, I parted from Mr. Davis and proceeded
elsewhere.
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At Novello, Ewer & Co. 's, where I went to
elicit some facts about the international copy-
right test case, which is soon to come off on
your side, there was a curious amount of
" hedging " indulged in when I presented my
card. Did I come about an advertisement ?
What was the exact nature of my business ?
What questions did I want to ask ? etc., were
put to me in a half-frightened manner by the
good looking and responsible gentleman to
whom I addressed myself. Alas ! thought I,
certain popular and able representatives of the
Chicago music trade press have been recently
trying to " hustle " through the dignified and
sedate repose of that splendidly appointed music
house, and orders have been issued not to admit
future visitors of the same profession and na-
tionality, without knowing their exact business.
I assured my examiner that I wasn 't an adver-
tising man, that I harbored no such desperate
design on the firm as the solicitation of an
advertisement, and, in short, that my purpose
was purely respectable and peaceful. He
thought his way slowly. Then he smiled and
asked me to call again (mentioning a time),
when I could obtain an interview with the chief
representative of the firm. I ascertained, how-
ever, that the New York branch had been giving
great satisfaction during the past year.
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The piano show-rooms of Alexander Rams-
den, on New Bond street, are the most taste-
fully decorated and handsomely furnished in
London. The walls are covered with valuable
oil paintings, representing the bright and cheer-
ful things of nature, and the ' • art divine '' is
of course given due prominence, in keeping
with the character of .the business carried on.
To the visitor the whole would immediately
indicate the intelligence and excellent artistic
taste of the presiding genius, Mr. Alexander
Ramsden. I dropped in there on Wednesday
to inquire about the " vocalian " organ, for
which he has accepted the agency, and was
much impressed with the refined and dignified,
without being stiff, atmosphere of the place. Mr.
Ramsden was most genial to your representa-
tive. He puts a very high estimate upon these
splendid instruments, and believes that they
can be pushed to considerable advantage in the
United Kingdom. An elaborate example of the
skill of Mason & Risch is to be seen in the prin-
cipal show-room, and it could scarcely be exhi-
bited to better exterior advantage. Musically,
it is an instrument that is creating considerable
attention in professional circles, as I remarked
in my last letter.
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The clavi-harp, invented by M. Christian
Dietz, of Brussels, has not been well received
in Rngland after all. People are very slow to
purchase instruments of that class, particularly
when they cost as much as the key-board harp re-
ferred to, which I inspected with much curiosity
last summer in Mr. Ramsden's show-rooms.
On inquiry I learned that the rights of the clavi-
harp had been taken up by a Brussels manufac-
turing firm some time ago. Though the
instrument has, so far, fallen flat in this country,
I believe it could be made and sold in the
United States with excellent financial results.
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Robert Cocks & Co., of 6 New Burlington
street, have formally announced that they have
become wholesale agents for the Newman organs
in the United Kingdom. Mr. Jack Haynes did
an effective stroke when he succeeded in mak-
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW.
ing that important connection. Cocks & Co.
are an old and responsible firm, whose name
lends a dignity and status to any musical arti-
cle they represent, and I need not say that they
never add any instrument to their stock without
first assuring themselves that it is up to the
mark. Newman Bros, can therefore be compli-
mented on the consummation of such an im-
portant move, which they will find of no little
benefit also in the United States.
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Though there is a decided tendency on the
part of the average of the London piano manu-
facturers to complain about the stagnant condi-
tion of trade, Brimsmead & Sons do not seem
to feel like their competitors. About the mid-
dle of next month they will commence removing
their warerooms in Wigmore street, upon the
site of which they will erect a new and improved
structure. They occupy temporary quarters at
present at 104 New Bond street.
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"When I went into the music publishing
business, years ago,'' remarked Mr. Stanley
Lucas to your correspondent on Tuesday, dur-
ing a short conversation at his place in New
Bond street, '' the custom of paying vocalists to
sing a song was unknown. On the contrary,
singers were only too anxious to find a good
song to include in their repertoire." The fact,
however, remains, that to bring a vocal work
under the favorable notice of the public, a pub-
lisher must pay a good singer to introduce it.
It must not, meanwhile, be forgotten that good
s ongs were comparatively scarce thirty years
ago, and therefore vocalists had to hunt around
for original works. At present the market is
glutted with songs and ballads of merit. Stan-
ley Lucas & Co. are informally represented in
New York by Schirmer. I further ascertained
that they are the agents here for the publica-
tions of the Rofhlings, of Milwaukee.
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For the benefit of a class of the readers of THE
MUSIC TRADE REYIEW, I took some pains to
find out what new ballads of more than ordinary
merit are out. Boosey & Co.—to give a few
particulars here—have achieved something of a
hit with '' The Carnival,'' by the popular Irish
composer, Molloy, whose position among modern
song writers of the high-class is already fami-
liar to the American musical public. "Come
Dance the Romaika " is equally successful.
Boosey & Co. are also satisfied with Hope Tem-
ple's latest song, " Rory Darlin', " which the
American contralto, Belle Cole, is singing with
good results. The most recent thing from the
clever pen of Frank Moir, composer of '' Best of
All, " is " Bonny Machree, " of which Boosey &
Co. are also the publishers. Kellie's song,
"The City of Night," and Mascheroni's new-
est, " Thou Art My Life, " published by Cocks
&Co., are equally well received in musical cir-
cles. Mascheroni made a great hit last year
with " For All Eternity," and his name conse-
quently draws. Kellie has also won a place
among English composers of that order, and I
think he deserves it.
DANIEIV SPILLANE.
LONDON,
Sept. 3d, 1892.
MR. JOS. BOHMAN, of 306 State street, Chica-
go, 111., manufacturer of pianos, has caused the
arrest of one of his employees, Paul Ferdman,
who left last February with $1,500 worth of
samples of musical instruments belonging to his
employer. Mr. Bohman located Ferdman in
Portland, Oregon, last week and caused his
arrest.
MR. E. E. MAGEE, piano dealer, Bridgeport,
Conn., has been attached.
B.
J r N any industrial exhibit of New Haven B.
*-' Shoninger Company should occupy a very
prominent place, it being one of the largest con-
cerns in its line of production in the United
States, as being one of the oldest of New Haven's
industrial enterprises. Few, if any, concerns
have done more to call attention to this city as
an advantageous site for the prosecution of in-
dustrial endeavors, and as the products of this
Company are shipped to all parts of the country
as well as abroad, it is continually calling atten-
tion to New Haven.
The foundation of this extensive business was
laid in 1850, when Mr. B. Shoninger began in a
small way the manufacture of melodeons in a
store on Chapel street. Year by year the demand
increased for his instruments, induced by their
peculiar excellence, until, in 1863, a larger fac-
tory was erected. The business soon outgrew
the facilities, and in 1865 it was removed to the
present plant, which, however, has been con-
stantly added to, until at present mammoth
dimensions have been reached. The buildings
cover a large area on both Chapel and Chestnut
streets, are chiefly six stories in height, and are
substantially built of brick, presenting a hand-
some architectural appearance, and are an orna-
ment to the city, indeed. One of the features of
their large establishment is the office, which is
the finest in the city, being finished in cherry,
mahogany, walmtt and maple, relieved with
delicate tracery and inlaid wood and rich hand
carvings.
The mechanical equipment is of the most com-
plete and modern character, and represents an
investment of many thousands of dollars, and
employment is furnished in their many depart-
ments to over three hundred skilled workmen.
The weekty disbursements of this company are
very large, showing the part taken by them in
promoting the general thrift of this community.
From the start, this company have always made
a feature of making superior instruments, in-
stead of making a large number. In 1876 they
began the manufacture of pianos, producing
about one hundred pianos the first year. The
pianos having given general satisfaction, their
business increased yearly until at the present
time they produce over two thousand annually.
This company is noted for using the finest and
best materials that money can purchase, their
lumber being well seasoned for years before be-
ing kiln-dried, and when finished the wood is
done so thoroughly that no changes of weather
or climate have any effect on it whatever. The
sounding-boards of all their products are made of
three kinds of wood, glued together crosswise,
which prevents all cracking, shrinking or swell-
ing, and they are the only manufacturers in the
world using this system. Everything is made
right on the premises, and every piece of work
is under rigid supervision from first to last.
Nothing but the supreme excellence satisfies
these critics, and as a result the company guar-
antees every instrument they send out. No
pianos have ever been returned to them on ac-
count of inferior workmanship or materials.
Their instruments have received many kind en-
dorsements from bona-fide purchasers, which
may be regarded as really more valuable than
many of the high-sounding endorsements of
" a r t i s t s " whose "opinions" are frequently
sold to the highest bidder. This company have
deservedly prospered, because they have always
made a first-class article, treated their custo-
mers fairly, and sold at reasonable prices and
liberal terms. The company also have hand-
some offices and warehouses in New York city
and Chicago, and export a large number of in-
struments to Europe, South America and other
countries.— Palladium, New Haven, Conn.