Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
51
THE NECESSITY OF PROPERLY OPERATING A DRY KILN
Important Responsibility Rests on the Man Who Has Charge of the Dry Kiln in a Piano Fac-
tory, and He Should Familiarize Himself With the Latest Developments Concerning It
I wonder if the average dry kiln operator ap-
preciates the possibilities and responsibilities
of his job, asks Ira A. Minnick in the Spokes-
man. I wonder if he realizes his vast oppor-
tunity to inform himself, and incidentally to
improve the finished product of his employer's
factory by improving the initial operation per-
formed on the lumber when it is received. I
know that there are a great many who are doing
this, but I am wondering if they are sufficiently
numerous to enable us to say that it is true in
the average case.
There is an old saying, which is pretty gen-
erally accepted as gospel, to wit: "Where ig-
norance is bliss, 'tis folly to be wise." I take
exception to that, for I am fully persuaded that
to rest content in blissful ignorance is a very
risky proposition. I have in mind several men,
some of whom were employers and others em-
ployes, who have adopted certain rules and
methods of doing things, who have proceeded
according to these rules and methods in blissful
ignorance of improved ways of doing things,
which are constantly being developed, until they
have discovered to their surprise that they are
hopelessly out of the running in their chosen
pursuits in life. Everyone else seems to have
been running forward, while they have been
standing still.
It very often happens that, when an owner is
considering the purchase of a dry kiln, he will
call in his operator and ask him for certain
information. He relies on this man for certain
technical information regarding dry kilns, just
as he relies on his engineer for information re-
garding the relative value of various types of
power machinery, or his shop foreman for in-
formation regarding various types of wood-
working machinery.
He expects—with good reason—that his oper-
ator will be well informed on this subject. He
feels that, if he were the operator, he would
take sufficient time to investigate the subject
of dry kilns very thoroughly. Indeed, even
with the multiplied duties which fall upon him
as master and director of what is often a large
and diversified business, he does investigate
quite a lot himself. But his opportunities are
limited, or rather his time is limited, which can
be given to any one branch of the business. He
has his mind on so many things that he is bound
to have someone in each branch or phase of his
business on whom he can depend to look into
these matters further than he is able to do.
Therefore, there rests a responsibility on the
shoulders of the operator. If he is an employe
worthy of his job, he will feel it. It is at once
a responsibility and an opportunity to repay in
good measure the confidence of his employer.
Common labor is the cheapest thing in the
industrial world. A man is worth a given mini-
mum wage from his shoulders down. His head
makes him worth any amount of money.
Don't think that because you are getting along
fairly well with your kiln you know the subject
inside out and backwards. While you sleep
to-night, someone may be bringing forth some
new idea of minor or major importance. Don't
be content unless you know about Smith's kiln
and Jones' kiln and Brown's kiln, etc.—what
they are and what they are .doing. Any really
first-class dry kiln manufacturer welcomes such
fill 1
The Ohio Veneer Co.
CINCINNATI, O.
Importers and Manufacturers of Figured
Mahogany and Foreign Woods for high-
grade piano cases and cabinets.
m
N*w York Office and Sample Room
Grand Central Palace Bldg.
Lexington Ave. and 46th St.
C. H. VAUGHAN. Eastern Representative
investigation, If he has a good apparatus, its
good points are only emphasized by such com-
parisons. The more thorough you make your
investigations and the more extensive your
knowledge of the subject the more confident the
salesman will feel that, when your employer
says to the office boy: "Tell John to come in
here a little while," your verdict will favor him
and carry to the owner conviction born of a
knowledge of what you are talking about.
Now, wisdom on a subject of this kind is only
attained by constant investigation and study.
Nature can, endow us with a good mind, first-
class judgment, and a keen appreciation of
things, but wisdom regarding any technical sub-
ject is bound to be attained and not inherent.
There is another old saying, perhaps not in
these exact words, but to the effect that "a little
knowledge is a dangerous thing." This con-
tains many elements of truth, depending on just
what interpretation you put upon it.
"A little knowledge" concerning some sub-
jects may be classed as worse than ignorance,
because he who has found and grasped some
one way of doing a particular thing is often of
the opinion that he is all wise on the subject.
He may have a harder time to see the advan-
tages of improved methods than another who
does not know as much as he. This is the class
of knowledge which constitutes the "ignorance
which is bliss," and this is the class of man who
would consider it a "folly to be wise."
A man who gives a considerable part of the
service for which he is paid with his hand and
feet is very often apt to put too little value on
the part that he gives with his mind. As a mat-
ter of fact, anything he can do with his brain is
worth many times all he can do with his body.
The dry kiln operator has a particularly good
opportunity to exercise his intelligence. He can
not only give his employer value received, but
he can do so much more than this that he will
make himself felt in the organization of which
he forms a part. He can make his employer re-
spect him because of the thoroughness with
which he knows his business.
That's the thing! Know how to do a thing,
and know why you do it. Know how others
are doing it and why the}' are doing it differ-
ently from you.
PATENTS NEW KEYBOARD
Recent Invention Facilitates Playing of Scales
in Relatively the Same Position
WASHINGTON, D. C, November 6.—Erik Tlior-
steinson Nordbo, Bo, Norway, was last week-
granted Patent No. 1,202,882 for a keyboard for
pianos, organs and the like.
The object of the present invention is to pro-
vide an improved keyboard for pianos, organs
and the like.
The keyboard is characterized chiefly by the
use, for each tone, of two separate and inde-
pendent keys capable of separately actuating
the.hammer or the like in the same manner.
The actuating faces of said keys lie in the same
longitudinal direction. The keys are arranged
stepwise in four rows so that the third row
reiterates the first and the fourth reiterates the
second. The object of this arrangement of the
keys is to enable the playing of all major and
minor scales with the same finger positions re-
spectively, the distance from one key to the
nearest one in the next row being invariably
equal to one-half tone interval so that to play
different scales with the same finger position
it is only necessary to begin on the proper row
of keys.
I
HOOK BROS^CO. ENLARGES
U
B
H
The Hook Bros. Piano Co., of Madison, Wis.,
has doubled its floor space, the entire second
floor of the building which it occupies being-
used for the display of pianos and players.
And when you're satisfied
that we've the best punch-
ings on the market, cut
clean and accurately from
the best of material in cellu-
loid, cloth, felt, fibre,
leather, paper, rubber or
whatever you want, give
us credit and send your
orders to
C.E GOEPEL*CO
137 E A S T I3 T -* ST.
NEW YORK
THE POWER OF ILLUSTRATION
Superintendent of the American Steel & Wire
Co. Plant Furnishes Lesson to Advertisers
Regarding the Value of Pictures
NEVVRUKC;, ()., November 6.—The American Steel &
Wire Co., which has its plant located here, some
years ago established a rule in its foundry which
provided that the workmen wear goggles while
chipping castings. This rule was posted through-
out the factory in all the languages spoken by
the many employes, but despite this fact it
sometimes became necessary to discharge men
because of their violation of this rule. Bertram
D. Quarrie, superintendent of the plant, in seek-
ing to impress upon the men the necessity of
wearing goggles for their own welfare, and
finding that the workmen did not obey the rule
all of the time, had some posters printed con-
taining pictures of men getting steel in their
eyes by not using goggles, together with a pho-
tograph of a blind man, and these posters were
hung on bulletin boards throughout the factory
as were also pairs of goggles. Since this pic-
torial illustration of the way in which accidents
might happen to men who were chipping, not a
single violation of the rule has been discovered.
This is a striking illustration of the value of
pictures, and contains a moral for advertisers
which should not be overlooked. Illustrations,
pictures that tell their story at a glance, are
oftimes more effective than paragraphs of
printed text, and the instance quoted above is
worthy of serious consideration by all those
who are seeking to impress the value of their
product upon the public at large.
BRANCH OFFICES:
«T"£3
• V
**
The S u e r i o r
P
Points of
Invisible
Hinges
are Apparent
Sonic of the sizes shown indicate the
variety of " SOSS" Hinges which » e
manufacture for use on pianos, player-
pianos, talking machines and music
cabinets.
There is a particular "SOSS" Hinife
best suited for your requirements.
Our illustrated cataloff " S " g™es
complete and interesting information
Write for a copy and for quotations un
your particular requirements.
Sots Manufacturing Company,
435-443 Atlantic Are., Brooklyn, N. Y.
aliiiiiiiiiiiiiuiuiiiiiuioiiiiiiuuuipin
Chicago
160 No. Fifth Are.
San Francisco
164 Haniford Bldf.
Let Angeles
224 Central Bldf.
Minneapolis
3416 Second A T C . S O
Detroit
922 D.rid Whitney
Boildiai