Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW.
The New Strich & Zeidler Grand
A German Grand.
A BERLIN DEALERS BLUNDER MAKES THE EX-
SECRETARY A PERJURER.
G
EORGE MAXWELL ROBESON, of
New Jersey, Secretary of the Navy
under President Grant, found himself in a
peculiar predicament Friday of last week,
when the records at the Custom-House made
the ex-Secretary a perjurer.
This came about through a piano dealer's
mistake. Mr. Robeson and his family have
spent several years abroad. During a por-
tion of their sojourn on the Continent they
lived in Berlin. While there Mr. Robeson
bought a grand piano, for which he paid
1,400 marks. Not long ago the ex-Secre-
tary returned to America and went to
Washington. There he met Secretary of
the Treasury Carlisle.
T
HIS handsome parlor grand piano, which is now on exhibition in the New York
State Building at the Atlanta Exposition, is the latest example of the enterprise of
Messrs. Strich & Zeidler, 134th street and Brook avenue. We referred at length to this
instrument in our issue of November 9th, and our anticipations in respect to it have
been fully realized. Southern musicians and others who have inspected and tested this
premier Strich & Zeidler grand are unanimous in their expressions of praise, both as to
its tonal quality and evenness in all registers—the logical result of a well-balanced scale.
Messrs. Strich & Zeidler are naturally jubilant at the success of their efforts as manu-
facturers of grand pianos; just the same, they are working on several more in a variety
of woods, which will further demonstrate how untiring are these workers in their efforts
to improve and make more perfect the piano, both grand and upright.
The Grunewald Mandolin.
SOMETHING OF ITS MANUKAL'TURK.
U
NDER the caption of "An Object
Lesson," the Jewish Times of recent
date contains a lengthy notice of the beauti-
ful display of mandolins in the show win-
dows of Grunewald's Music Store, 715
Canal street, New Orleans. In this con-
nection it has the following to say: "With-
out effort to artistic display, there are ex-
hibited specimen boards of mahogany,
ebony, Spanish cedar, walnut, bird's eye
maple, rosewood and spruce, identical with
that utilized by the Steinway & Sons Piano
Factory for sounding boards; all cut to a
mathematical exactness, and these in turn
are succeeded by the strips of the same
material in every conceivable stage to the
curved pieces that go to constitute the body
proper of the mandolin.
bellished necks inlaid with mother-of-pearl
of princely value.
"Every conceivable part and parcel of
the unconstructed mandolin is here seen,
and topping the climax are the mandolins
pronounced
by competent professional
people, the press and those well informed,
as the best and sweetest toned instruments
that are manufactured.
"The Grunewald Mandolin Factory en-
joys special facilities for the manufacture
of mandolins. Obtaining the material in
the crude form from Mexico, South Amer-
ica and the Carib Islands, it is prepared for
the massive and wonderful mechanisms of
the factor}', and in due course of time are
utilized in mandolin construction.
"While enjoying a prestige that is flatter-
ing and deserved, the thoughtfulness of Mr.
Rene Grunewald in arranging a public ex-
hibition which is instructive as well as en-
tertaining, deserves the words of praise
heard on every hand, and to-day the public
who appreciate the object lesson and availed
"Necks in the rough, which Mr. Grune-
themselves of the opportunity, recognize
wald supplies to the principal factories in the indomitable energy of the Grunewald
the United States, are seen in various Mandolin Factory in creating for New
stages, even to the highly ornate and em- Orleans such an admirable industry."
"Look here, Carlisle," he said; "how
about this Wilson .law? Does it permit a
man to bring in free of duty a grand piano
which has been in use abroad in his family
for several years?"
" Certainly," said the Secretary; " if it
has been in use for one year. " You must,
however, got a bill of sale from the dealer
giving the date of the purchase."
It happened that Mr. Robeson had
stored his piano in the warerooms of the
dealer from whom he had purchased it,
so he instructed the latter to send on the
piano with the bill required. Then Mr.
Robeson made oath before the Collector
that the piano had been in his household
for four years.
The grand piano arrived. With it came
an invoice sworn to by the dealer before
the American Consul in Berlin. This in-
voice declared that the piano had been pur-
chased from him six months ago.
The discrepancy between the oath of the
ex-Secretary and the oath of the dealer
caused great embarrassment at the Custom-
House.
Mr. Robeson was notified. He
came and explained that there was a great
mistake. The dealer had evidently meant
to certify that the piano had been stored
with him for six months.
The matter cleared itself up later. The
dealer had discovered his blunder, and sent
a communication correcting the mistake,
and Mr. Robeson's piano was released.
C. IT. AIMMSON, music trade dealer, has
moved from Winston, N. C , to Danville,
Va. ; by this move he escapes the $250 tax
and is able to cater to the same trade.
CHAS. PRICE is now connected with the
Chattanooga branch of the Freyer & Brad-
ley Co. Mr. Price is a brother of E. D.
Price of the Conover Co., Chicago.
J. W. CHAMBERLAIN, traveling represen-
tative for the Waterloo Organ Co., is visit-
ing the trade in the West.
CHICAGO made a fine showing at the At-
lanta Exposition on "Chicago Day." Will
New York do as well on Monday, "Man-
hattan Day?" We hope so.