Music Trade Review
Issue: 1900 Vol. 30 N. 16 - Page 3
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
V O L . XXX. N o . 1 6 .
Published Every Saturday by Edward Lyman Bill at 3 East Fourteenth Street. New York, April 21,1900.
A Bandmaster's Story.
IN
WHICH CONN'S IMMENSE DOUBLE SLIDE
DOUBLE B FLAT BASS TROMBONE AND
GUS HELLEBURG, THE BASS VIR-
TUOSO, PLAY LEADING ROLES.
44
Every musician in New York knows
the genial Gus Helleburg, the greatest
bass player that 'ever blew into a tuba,' "
said a prominent bandmaster in a popular
resort the other day.
"Yes, I know Gus," chimed in a musi-
cian. " He is the Danish-American whom
Sousa is taking to Europe to paralyze the
bass players of the old country."
"That's so," answered the bandmaster,
"and he will do it with that chunk of
metal he calls the Wonder. Well, Gus is
clear gone on Conn's instruments anyhow.
As soon as he heard that Mr. Conn had re-
turned to New York with an immense dou-
ble slide BBb bass trombone that needed a
player, Gus took the elevated and went
down to Conn's Fourteenth street store."
"I am here," he called over the railing
of Mr. Conn's office, "and want to try that
new trombone."
"All right," said Mr. Conn; and Palmer,
the man who smiles for Conn, trotted
down to the store room for the bass.
"The first thing Gus did when the in-
strument, surmounted by Palmer's grin,
came in sight was to take off his overcoat.
After a preliminary blow he then removed
his undercoat and got ready for business
in his shirt sleeves.
"That's a great instrument, Mr. Conn,"
he remarked, by way of comment; "and I
am going to give it. a good trial," and he
did.
"Very soon, Sorrentino of the Banda
Rossa, Fanciulli, several other bandmas-
ters and myself gathered around him; and
the way Mr. Helleburg pushed notes out
of that big trombone made Mr. Conn's
eyes sparkle with pride. As sure as you
live, he played five Bb's on it, a thing
never done on a trombone before. Its
tone was also wonderful; and under Hel-
leburg's skillful manipulation, it was the
most wonderful instrument and perform-
ance I ever heard."
"I must take that trombone up to the
'Aschenbroedel' with me, Mr. Conn," said
Gus, after an hour of playing.
"Just as you please, Gus; the instru-
ment and the store are yours, if you want
them," replied Mr. Conn; "you have
earned them with your remarkable hand-
ling of that instrument." Off Gus started
for the club headquarters.
Just at this moment, Helleburg came
into the resort. "Let him tell the rest of
the story," said the bandmaster.
"I say, Gus," he called out, "come here
and tell us your experience at the Aschen-
broedel with Conn's big trombone."
"Let me tell you," Gus responded, "that
trombone is the greatest instrument ever
made. I had one or two hundred musi-
cians listening to it up there the other day;
and it just made their eyes look like plums
in a pumpkin. I went down to octave Bb
below the staff—that is two octaves lower
than an ordinary trombone, and then blew
octave Bb above the staff. It was a corker,
sure.
"After I had given those fellows up
there a sample of bass trombone playing, I
took the instrument to Mancinelli, director
for Grau, and he just went wild over it.
Thinks I, we might as well have it out and
over I go to Sousa's headquarters. Well, you
ought to have seen Mr. Sousa. 'That's great,
Gus,' said he, 'we must take that instrument
to Europe with us, to show what the Yan-
kees can do '; and then he called to Victor
Herbert, who happened to be in the next
building. ' Just hear this instrument, Mr.
Herbert,' said Sousa.
Well, then I played for Herbert; and
feeling that pretty nearly all the good
musicians had heard the big trombone, I
took it back to Mr. Conn. I expect to
open the ears of some of these crack play-
ers in Europe with it, too," added Helle-
burg, by way of emphasis to his story.
Freights Advanced.
THROUGH
RATES FROM
COAST CANCELLED.
$2.00 PER YEAR.
SINGLE COPIES 10 CENTS
Van Wickle's Bradbury Report.
W. P. Van Wickle, the Bradbury repre-
sentative in Washington, D. C., during his
visit to this city last week placed large
orders for Bradbury and Webster pianos.
"Our stock of these instruments is being
sadly depleted," said Mr. Van Wickle.
"We also have had quite a nice little trade
in Bradbury Baby Grands. Sold two last
week; one, a handsome mahogany, a special
design, went to the Raleigh, Washington's
handsomest hotel, filling the place of honor
in the reception parlor, where it has been
much admired. We also had the pleasure
last week of selling a very handsome Brad-
bury Baby Grand, to the Rev. T. De Witt
Talmage to adorn his Washington home;
one of the last things he probably did be-
fore sailing for Europe being to send up
his check for this instrument.
"Between our busy times in Washing-
ton and Baltimore, I being secretary of the
Kranz-Smith Co., of the latter city, I have
my time pretty well taken up. I am
pleased to report an excellent trade in
Baltimore also, our sales of Chickering,
Bradbury and Webster Pianos being all
we could ask, and trade generally good,
making it necessary for me to run over to
Baltimore once or twice each week."
One of the most attractive windows in
Washington, during Easter week, was that
of the Bradbury. Mr. Van Wickle took
advantage of the occasion, to get up quite
an artistic window display, in which he
utilized white trimmings throughout, with
white flowers and lilies, and in the back-
ground an elegant rosewood Bradbury
grand. The effect was striking.
[Special to The Review.!
San Francisco, April 15, 1900.
The through freight rates between this
coast and all points south of the Ohio and
east of the Mississippi river are to be can-
celled on April 20. All of the interested
roads, including the Southern Pacific, have
issued notices to that effect.
As a result of this action the Trans-con-
tinental rates east of the Mississippi river
will be added to the rate between here and
the river and the through rates will be ad-
vanced in the exact amount of the added
local, which ranges from thirty cents per
100 pounds to $1 and more in some in-
stances.
In discussing the matter General Freight
Agent Chambers, of the Santa Fe, said the
southeastern lines were solely responsible
for the advance, as they have refused to
pro-rate on the terms which have been ac-
cepted for some time past.
Shield For Piano Action.
The Improved Piano Action Co., is the
title of a new concern about to be incor-
porated for the purpose of manufacturing
an invention of F. C. Billings, of Macon,
Mo., which relates to an improved flange
shield for a piano action. This device
serves as a protection from injurious ef-
fects of extremes in temperature of cold,
heat and dampness. It protects the pins
and joints from binding, as well as from
getting loose and rattling. It is also
claimed that it can be adapted to pianos
already built or in use. The company
consists of R. T. Hirsch and F. C. Billings
and the place of business will be in Macon,
Mo.
Mace Gay, of Brockton, Mass., has added
to his music publishing business the sale
of "small" musical instruments.
V O L . XXX. N o . 1 6 .
Published Every Saturday by Edward Lyman Bill at 3 East Fourteenth Street. New York, April 21,1900.
A Bandmaster's Story.
IN
WHICH CONN'S IMMENSE DOUBLE SLIDE
DOUBLE B FLAT BASS TROMBONE AND
GUS HELLEBURG, THE BASS VIR-
TUOSO, PLAY LEADING ROLES.
44
Every musician in New York knows
the genial Gus Helleburg, the greatest
bass player that 'ever blew into a tuba,' "
said a prominent bandmaster in a popular
resort the other day.
"Yes, I know Gus," chimed in a musi-
cian. " He is the Danish-American whom
Sousa is taking to Europe to paralyze the
bass players of the old country."
"That's so," answered the bandmaster,
"and he will do it with that chunk of
metal he calls the Wonder. Well, Gus is
clear gone on Conn's instruments anyhow.
As soon as he heard that Mr. Conn had re-
turned to New York with an immense dou-
ble slide BBb bass trombone that needed a
player, Gus took the elevated and went
down to Conn's Fourteenth street store."
"I am here," he called over the railing
of Mr. Conn's office, "and want to try that
new trombone."
"All right," said Mr. Conn; and Palmer,
the man who smiles for Conn, trotted
down to the store room for the bass.
"The first thing Gus did when the in-
strument, surmounted by Palmer's grin,
came in sight was to take off his overcoat.
After a preliminary blow he then removed
his undercoat and got ready for business
in his shirt sleeves.
"That's a great instrument, Mr. Conn,"
he remarked, by way of comment; "and I
am going to give it. a good trial," and he
did.
"Very soon, Sorrentino of the Banda
Rossa, Fanciulli, several other bandmas-
ters and myself gathered around him; and
the way Mr. Helleburg pushed notes out
of that big trombone made Mr. Conn's
eyes sparkle with pride. As sure as you
live, he played five Bb's on it, a thing
never done on a trombone before. Its
tone was also wonderful; and under Hel-
leburg's skillful manipulation, it was the
most wonderful instrument and perform-
ance I ever heard."
"I must take that trombone up to the
'Aschenbroedel' with me, Mr. Conn," said
Gus, after an hour of playing.
"Just as you please, Gus; the instru-
ment and the store are yours, if you want
them," replied Mr. Conn; "you have
earned them with your remarkable hand-
ling of that instrument." Off Gus started
for the club headquarters.
Just at this moment, Helleburg came
into the resort. "Let him tell the rest of
the story," said the bandmaster.
"I say, Gus," he called out, "come here
and tell us your experience at the Aschen-
broedel with Conn's big trombone."
"Let me tell you," Gus responded, "that
trombone is the greatest instrument ever
made. I had one or two hundred musi-
cians listening to it up there the other day;
and it just made their eyes look like plums
in a pumpkin. I went down to octave Bb
below the staff—that is two octaves lower
than an ordinary trombone, and then blew
octave Bb above the staff. It was a corker,
sure.
"After I had given those fellows up
there a sample of bass trombone playing, I
took the instrument to Mancinelli, director
for Grau, and he just went wild over it.
Thinks I, we might as well have it out and
over I go to Sousa's headquarters. Well, you
ought to have seen Mr. Sousa. 'That's great,
Gus,' said he, 'we must take that instrument
to Europe with us, to show what the Yan-
kees can do '; and then he called to Victor
Herbert, who happened to be in the next
building. ' Just hear this instrument, Mr.
Herbert,' said Sousa.
Well, then I played for Herbert; and
feeling that pretty nearly all the good
musicians had heard the big trombone, I
took it back to Mr. Conn. I expect to
open the ears of some of these crack play-
ers in Europe with it, too," added Helle-
burg, by way of emphasis to his story.
Freights Advanced.
THROUGH
RATES FROM
COAST CANCELLED.
$2.00 PER YEAR.
SINGLE COPIES 10 CENTS
Van Wickle's Bradbury Report.
W. P. Van Wickle, the Bradbury repre-
sentative in Washington, D. C., during his
visit to this city last week placed large
orders for Bradbury and Webster pianos.
"Our stock of these instruments is being
sadly depleted," said Mr. Van Wickle.
"We also have had quite a nice little trade
in Bradbury Baby Grands. Sold two last
week; one, a handsome mahogany, a special
design, went to the Raleigh, Washington's
handsomest hotel, filling the place of honor
in the reception parlor, where it has been
much admired. We also had the pleasure
last week of selling a very handsome Brad-
bury Baby Grand, to the Rev. T. De Witt
Talmage to adorn his Washington home;
one of the last things he probably did be-
fore sailing for Europe being to send up
his check for this instrument.
"Between our busy times in Washing-
ton and Baltimore, I being secretary of the
Kranz-Smith Co., of the latter city, I have
my time pretty well taken up. I am
pleased to report an excellent trade in
Baltimore also, our sales of Chickering,
Bradbury and Webster Pianos being all
we could ask, and trade generally good,
making it necessary for me to run over to
Baltimore once or twice each week."
One of the most attractive windows in
Washington, during Easter week, was that
of the Bradbury. Mr. Van Wickle took
advantage of the occasion, to get up quite
an artistic window display, in which he
utilized white trimmings throughout, with
white flowers and lilies, and in the back-
ground an elegant rosewood Bradbury
grand. The effect was striking.
[Special to The Review.!
San Francisco, April 15, 1900.
The through freight rates between this
coast and all points south of the Ohio and
east of the Mississippi river are to be can-
celled on April 20. All of the interested
roads, including the Southern Pacific, have
issued notices to that effect.
As a result of this action the Trans-con-
tinental rates east of the Mississippi river
will be added to the rate between here and
the river and the through rates will be ad-
vanced in the exact amount of the added
local, which ranges from thirty cents per
100 pounds to $1 and more in some in-
stances.
In discussing the matter General Freight
Agent Chambers, of the Santa Fe, said the
southeastern lines were solely responsible
for the advance, as they have refused to
pro-rate on the terms which have been ac-
cepted for some time past.
Shield For Piano Action.
The Improved Piano Action Co., is the
title of a new concern about to be incor-
porated for the purpose of manufacturing
an invention of F. C. Billings, of Macon,
Mo., which relates to an improved flange
shield for a piano action. This device
serves as a protection from injurious ef-
fects of extremes in temperature of cold,
heat and dampness. It protects the pins
and joints from binding, as well as from
getting loose and rattling. It is also
claimed that it can be adapted to pianos
already built or in use. The company
consists of R. T. Hirsch and F. C. Billings
and the place of business will be in Macon,
Mo.
Mace Gay, of Brockton, Mass., has added
to his music publishing business the sale
of "small" musical instruments.
Future scanning projects are planned by the International Arcade Museum Library (IAML).