Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
HISTORY OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE MOD-
ERN PIANO ACTIONS, KEYS AND HAMMERS
As Illustrated by the House of Strauch Bros.
ARTICLE IH.
Piano Keys and Ivory Cutting*
Bros, have unexcelled facilities for the
purchase of a continuous supply of ivory,
so there is no reason to fear the slightest
ivory famine.
Credit is Lending.
SOME FACTS, TERSELY STATED, OF INTEREST
TO PIANO MtN.
D E R H A P S one of the most interesting of
* the supply trades is that which involves
the transformation of ivory into piano
keys. The pianist, who fingers gracefully
the exquisitely polished surface of the
ivory keys, rarely realizes the magnitude
of the risks involved in the obtaining of
the ivory or the extent of the labor per-
formed by the dexterous and skillful ivory
cutter before it becomes readv to be
"worked up" by the key makers. The
tusks, all of which come from Africa, must
be selected with great care, and only the
choicest and most perfect are taken and
Few customers who come asking to buy
The perfect, or in other words, the on credit realize that they are borrowing
artistic piano, means the highest degree of money. Nor does the merchant usually
excellence, exactness and perfection of all appreciate the fact that he is actually lend-
its parts. Hence the making of keys—an ing money when he grants the credit asked
important essential—is not the mere mat- for.
This is the great error of the credit sys-
ter of applying ivory to certain conforma-
tions of wood, but there must be a nicety tem, and is responsible for much of the
of adjustment, an absolute correctness of vexation and loss which it causes.
Should a customer call upon a tradesman
balance and a proper appreciation of the
important part which the key is destined and request the loan of money the latter
to play as a medium of tonal interpreta- would hesitate. And yet he seems to
tion in the piano'—in order to produce such think that to let him have credit for goods
satisfactory results as will give them in- is another proposition altogether. Goods
and money are the same thing. That is to
dividuality.
cut into ivory for piano keys. Some of
the finest ivory seen has found its way
within, a recent period into the manufac-
tory of Strauch Bros., who have special
departments devoted exclusively to the
production of keys and the cutting of
piano ivory.
Owing to the great value of ivory, strict
economy is necessary in cutting, and vari-
ous devices have been employed for the
purpose of utilizing every portion ot the
tusk. In the Strauch ivory department
some of the latest and most perfect ma-
chines to be found in any institution in the
world are in evidence. Those devoted to
cutting ivory for piano keys are ingenious
contrivances.
It is interesting to watch one of these
machines at work. The ivory is run
against a saw, the teeth of which just
shave the surface of the ivory prism into a
strip of the required thickness of piano
keys. A ribbon ninety feet long can be thus
cut off a block from a good sized tusk. It
is then turned over to the key maker who
fulfills his part of the work, making it a
special object to conform strictly to the
pattern, besides giving attention to other
considerations best adapted to the require-
ment of improved key making. Strauch
Bros, have recently erected large and
commodious bleach houses, built on the
latest improved plans and methods, for
the bleaching of the ivory.
And herein Strauch Bros, excel, because
they have grouped around them expert
workers, thorough in their business, and
use in the manufacture of the Strauch
keys only the best seasoned ivory and
woods.
As in other departments Strauch Bros,
have not been content with being merely
"manufacturers" of keys, but are bending
all their energies to improve the standard
of the field of keymaking. They are aim-
ing to achieve this result by the applica-
tion of inventions and machinery of the
most ingenious and original character.
The extent of their key and ivory plant
and the demand for their products within a
recent period is perhaps the most convin-
cing evidence that their efforts in the manu-
facture of keys, are being rewarded with
abundant success. Indeed their keys are
notable for a perfection of finish that will
inevitably'render the Strauch name pro-
verbial for care and accuracy. No wonder
they are receiving such hearty endorse-
ments from the piano and organ trade!
The progress of the Strauch business has
been continuous and the addition of keys,
hammers and the ivory cutting departments
has been but the logical outcome of the
different branches of the industry being
so closely allied.
There has been discussion in some quar-
ters relative to a possible shortage in the
supply of ivory. We may state that Strauch
THE STRAUCH KENS.
say, whenever credit is extended to a cus
tomer it is the actual equivalent of lend-
ing that customer so much money.
Before a merchant would lend a cus-
tomer money he would speak of security,
of a fixed time for payment and compen-
sation for the use of the money. The mer-
chant would inquire as to the ability of the
borrower to keep his contract and make his
payment as agreed. He would not accept
prosperous appearances and fair promises
as security. He would seek to know if his
borrower was really the man he seemed
to be.
Let the same individual ask for goods on
credit, and none of the safeguards demand-
ed for the loan of money are required.
The goods are handed out and charged on
account for an indefinite pay day, for the
most part. There is the expense and time
to be spent in collecting, and many calls
often required to secure payment, even on
the installment plan, as it were.
It is strange that merchants will grant
credit in many instances where they would
not lend money under any circumstances.
They go on doing this with a multitude
of people until they have booked their
capital and its legitimate earnings, and
wasted their period of labor and endeavor.
If the view here presented as to credit
could be adopted, little or nothing would
be heard of bad debts.