Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
THE "SMALL GOODS" TRADE
The " Bay State " Guitar.
One of the favorite " Bay State " guitars
now so much in demand is that pictured
herewith. It is made of rosewood. Top
edge celluloid bound and inlaid with hand-
some colored wood inlay. Three rings of
fancy wood inlay around sound hole. Back
edge inlaid with fancy wood inlay. Fancy
inlaid stripe down back and across end.
Orders are piling up for the different "Bay
State" instruments, and the resources of the
plant are being tested to supply the de-
mand. The output for 1899 promises to
be a tremendous one.
Where Brass Bands Flourish.
Brass bands are said to nourish tremen-
dously in the provinces of England, espe-
cially in Yorkshire and Lancashire. They
are usually organized by workmen, who
engage and pay a conductor arid attend
rehearsals regularly. The employers, glad
to encourage so harmless a form of amuse-
ment, contribute towards the cost of the
band instruments, which belong, as a rule,
to the association, and not to individual
players. The bands also go in a good deal
for prize competitions, the prizes coming
partly from the pockets of the employers
and partly from the gate money at the
open contests.
Good Enough for Dewey.
What is good enough for Dewey should
satisfy ordinary mortals. The great Ad-
miral wears a souvenir made from historic
metal. An opportunity to secure a fac-
simile of the watch which Dewey wears is
now afforded. Full particulars on page 12.
Edison Sued For Conspiracy.
FORMER AGENT OF THE INVENTOR BRINGS SUIT
IN JERSEY COURT TO RECOVER
DAMAGES.
Mahogany neck with rosewood veneered
head. Convex ebony fingerboard. Inlaid
pearl positions. Ebony bridge. Engraved
American machine. French polished.
Of this instrument Mrs. W. J. Kitchener
writes John C. Haynes & Co. as follows:
Dear Sirs: My pupils desire to thank
you through me for the unusually fine in-
struments you have supplied them with
this season. One of my clubs uses your
instruments exclusively, and unanimously
endorses the "Bay State" as being the in-
strument "par excellence."
Business at the factory of John C. Haynes
& Co. in Boston, is remarkably brisk.
Fredrick M. Prescott, formerly head of
the Edison Phonograph Agency, 44 Broad
Street, has brought suit in Chancery in
New Jersey against Thomas A. Edison,
the National Phonograph Company, Wil-
liam E. Gilmore, Charles E. Stevens, and
others, for a "conspiracy to destroy" his
business. The complaint makes the fol-
lowing allegations:
In 1894 Prescott began selling phono-
graphs for export.
His business grew
rapidly, and in the Autumn of 1897,
William E. Gilmore, general manager of
the Edison Phonograph Works at West
Orange, N. J., solicited him to purchase
phonographs of that company, and, to
quote the complaint, "offered to sell your
orator at lower prices than any other cus-
tomer, so that it was to the interest of your
orator to cease buying phonographs of the
United States Phonograph Company, and
to buy of the National Phonograph Com-
pany; that your orator was then buying
about five thousand dollar's worth of phono-
graphs monthly of the United States.
Phonograph Company, and that it was to'
the interest of the National Phonograph
Company and the Edison Phonograph
Works to secure your orator's trade; for the
reason that they would thereby increase
their trade, inasmuch as the machines sold
to your orator were by him ressold in foreign
countries, where the Edison Phonograph
Works and the National Phonograph Com-
pany could not lawfully sell phonographs."
With liberal discounts allowed to him,
Prescott says that he rapidly worked up an
extensive foreign trade, and became one of
the largest customers of the Edison Com-
pany. This success led, he says, to the
conspiracy to force him out of business so
that the profits might be diverted to the
National Phonograph Company.
According to the complaint, the first
positive step was in the Spring of 1898.
The complaint says that Charles E. Stevens,
who had previously made himself useful
in copying for the Edison Company the list
of customers of a rival, the United States
Phonograph Company of Newark, came to
him and said: '' That neither he nor Mr.
Gilmore nor Mr. Edison was satisfied with
the manner in which your orator was con-
ducting his business, and he stated that he
was about ready to resign his position with
the National Phonograph Company and to
go into the export business in phonographs
in competition with your orator; that a
large export house in the City of New
York had offered to fit up an office for the
said Stevens in New York at its expense,
to furnish him with capital to conduct the
business, to put him in charge of the said
office, and to divide the profits with him;
that the said Stevens stated that he was
ready to receive a proposition."
Prescott says that at that time he was
so dependent on the Edison Manufactur-
ing Company that he yielded to the threat
and took Stevens in as a partner. The
latter put in no money, but received a
salary of $50 a week, drew out $2,881
profits in less than four months, and took
$1,281 as his share of the assets when the
firm dissolved.
In August, Prescott went to Europe for
a three months' trip. Troubles fell thick
at once. When he landed he received a
dispatch saying Stevens demanded a dis-
solution of the partnership by Sept. 1, and
another that all discounts had been with-
drawn. Prescott hurried back, reached
New York Sept. 2, and the partnership
was dissolved immediately. While he was
Bay State
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JOHN C. HAYNES & Co.
BOSTON, MASS.