Music Trade Review

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VOL. XLIII. No. 2 0 . Published Every Saturday by Edward LymanBffl at I Madison Avc, New York, November 17, 1906. SING H!.OO°PIUPYEAR ENTS -
alternating currents which vibrated (or alter-
nated, as the electrician would say) at a certain
Invention of Dr. Thaddeus Cahill Tested at a
rate. Each dynamo produced vibrations repre-
Meeting of the Local Company—Rag Time
senting a tingle pure musical tone, or a single
and Grand Opera Made to Flow from Trans-
one of Helmholtz's tuning forks.
mitters—Directors of Company Give Two
Other dynamos or alternators were used to
Novel Demonstrations of Dynamophone.
represent other pure tones, until in the present
machine Dr. Cahill has not fewer than 145 such
Officers of a company which plan to furnish alternators. They are placed upon great steel
music on tap to any person in New York and shafts, and operated by power machinery. Each
vicinity, who has a telephone handy had a din- alternator is connected by wires with the play-
ner and demonstration Friday night at the Cafe ing keyboard in another room. When one key is
Martin.
pressed one alternator gives off its vibrations;
Many famous electricians were there and they when two are pressed, two alternators come into
all pronounce the now ma ( -line a tremendous play.
success, and the musicians on hand declared
Let it be supposed now, that the player wishes
that the miui" was absolutely the most perfect to produce the peculiar sweet note of an A string
which has ever been made. That is not in- (open) upon the violin. The ground tone of the
tended as a joke, by any means, and the import A string has 435 vibrations a second. One key
of it can be grasped when it is explained that controlling one alternator will produce this
for every octave on a piano the new machine ground tone, but it will sound more like a flute
has forty-eight complete and distinct tones.
note than a violin note.
The plant of the company which proposes to
Harmonics must be added—exactly as Helm-
hand out this music to every one by a telephone holtz built up a tone with his tuning forks.
system is situated in the basement :ind on the Stops are drawn producing the first harmonic,
first floor of the h'lilding on the northeast corner 870 vibrations, the second harmonic, 1,305 vibra-
of Broadway and 39th street. There are many tions and so on, until the approximate note of
dynamos and electric switches and miles and the violin is reached. In other words, the player,
miles of wire, but that is all. Nothing that by using the proper keys and stops, can con-
looks like any sort of a musical instrument is in struct the tones of any instrument he wishes.
sight, yet when a man or two men or a dozen He can have the clear note of the flute, the heavy
play silently on a lot of little keys, which are burr of the 'cello or the squeal of the fife.
in reality switches, the dynamos are set in mo-
The qualities of all instruments—the vivacity
tion and turn out the perfect music which can of the piano, the emotion of the violin, the purity
be sent over the wires to Kansas City or any- of the clarinet, are thus within instant reach of
where else.
the player upon a machine of this type.
Dr. Cahill, who is not a musician, but a scien-
Marvellous, isn't it?
tist who has made sound waves a study for many
years, figured out just how many vibrations of
EXPECT BIG BUSINESS.
the air would have to be made in order to pro-
duce musical notes.
W. A. Milligan, of F. W . Baumer Music House,
Then his plant was built, and now skilled mu-
Wheeling, W . Va., Makes Encouraging Re-
sicians in a quiet rojm, where they are away
port of outlook.
from the noise of the music-making plant, play
on the switches, and the waves of sound are
W. A. Milligan, general manager of the F. W.
transmitted over the wires just like a telegram. Baumer Co., Wheeling, W. Va., has returned from
At the other end is a receiver, the same as an a business trip to New York, during which he or-
ordinary .telephone receiver, to which is at- dered for immediate shipment a number of hand-
tached a megaphone. That is all. From this some pianos and other musical instruments for
simple contrivance comes the real and abso- the holiday trade. He states that the line will
lutely perfect tones that resemble, after a be the finest ever shown in this city. Speaking
fashion, a magnificent church organ, yet much generally of the holiday trade in musical goods,
softer and sweeter.
Mr. Milligan said:
It is believed that Dr. Cahill's invention and
"If I were to judge by the recent increase in
his plant, in which has already been invested business, I would say that our holiday trade is
nearly a million dollars, will completely revo- already on. We expect to do a bigger business
lutionize music. There is no doubt about its between this time and January 1 than ever be-
being a wonderful and awe-inspiring affair, and fore in the history of the Baumer music house.
yet it is all very simple both to musicians and We will have a finer line of pianos, organs and
scientists.
musical merchandise than we have ever before
Electricity, like sound, travels in waves or vi- offered."
brations, electricity in the ether, and sound in
the air. Why should there not be a way, argued
H. TRACY BALCOM CO. INCORPORATED.
Dr. Cahill. for producing the various vibrations
corresponding to the pitch of a musical note by
The H. Tracy Balcom Co., of Buffalo, was in-
electricity and then changing them into sound- corporated with the Secretary of the State at
vibrations? This was the problem he studied; Albany this week with a capital of $10,000. They
and he finally hit upon the use of electric dyna- will handle pianos and musical specialties. Di-
mos.
rectors: James E. Cook, L. B. Hallett, L. E. R.
Each dynamo was so built that it gave out French, of Buffalo.
MUSIC ON TAPJ)VER 'PHONE.
SAVING IN FREIGHT RATES
On Pipe Organs Amounting to 15 Per Cent.
Secured by Lyon & Healy for the Music
Trade—Work Accomplished Unaided.
(Special to The Review.)
Chicago, 111., Nov. 11, 1906.
Lyon & Healy have been officially notified by
C. E. Gill, chairman of the Official Classification
Committee of New York, that their application
for the reduction in the classification of pipe
organs had been favorably considered, Mr. Gill
writing as follows:
"Subject: Application for reduction in classifi-
cation of pipe organs."
"Gentlemen—Referring to the correspondence
that has passed between us touching on the
subject above named, you are advised that this
matter was considered by t he Classification
Committee at a recent meeting, with result the
committee recommended the establishment of a
carload rating on basis of minimum weight
10,000 pounds (subject to Rule 27), second class,
to apply upon the organs in question, and same
if approved by lines in interest, will become
effective in Official Classification No. 29, Jan. 1,
1907. The committee also recommended that the
classification be revised to the extent of accept-
ing shipments of these organs when crated at
same classification as when boxed."
This reduction will apply to all points cov-
ered by the Official Classification, and all ship-
pers of pipe organs will be equally benefited in
securing a carload rating on this commodity,
which has heretofore never existed.
Lyon & Healy's efforts should be appreciated
by all, as the reduction was obtained by them un-
aided.
VISITING DEALERS MUST PAY LICENSE.
Owing to the harm suffered by local dealers
through the influx of agents from piano houses
in neighboring cities who captured a large part
of the business the license inspector of Lexing-
ton, Ky.. has announced that hereafter every
agent must pay an annual license fee of $20. So
persistent were some of the agents that they
stood outside the stores of legitimate dealers and
followed the customers in an effort to introduce
their own pianos.
MOLLER ORGANS DEDICATED.
The inaugural recital of the new Moller pipe
organ by Prof. Crozier, assisted by Mrs. Wilbur
Harris, soprano, at Zion Reformed Church,
Chambersburg, Pa., on October 30, was largely
attended. Prof. Crozier's programme was a
most interesting one, and displayed the musical
qualities of the instrument to splendid advan-
tage. Several organs built by M. P. Moller, of
HagerBtown, Md., were recently dedicated, and
in each Instance they were highly praised for
their many excellent qualities.
The Miller Music Co., Springfield, O., will
shortly remove to larger quarters, necessitated
by the steady growth of their business. The
house has been established twelve years.