Scan 25
Musical Courier 1891-11-11: Vol 23 Iss 612, 1891
117 lines. Read by computer on 23 September 2026, twice; the two readings disagreed in places. Printed page 558. See the scan on archive.org.
1THE USUAL FRAUD.
3HERE is Daniel F. Beatty's latest postal card imposition upon a long suffering people, Mr. Wanamaker should stop the distribution of this fraud through the mails:
5The Celebrated Beatty Pianos & Organs
7WHAT
8is it that you desire to purchase, please, is it
9A PIANOFORTE?
10If so, we are determined, if possible, to sell you a Piano. [?] Send us your check by return mail (in the self-addressed envelope we mailed you some time ago)
12FOR ONLY $140.00
13and we will ship you at once, all freight paid, including cover, stool and instruction book, our No. 8,000 (catalogue price $750.00) Upright Pianoforte that we offered you sometime ago for $140.00. For description and price of our sweet-sounding Pianos, see page 2 of our latest illustrated catalogue. It was mailed you recently. If you have mislaid it let us know and we will send you another catalogue.
15OR IS IT A PIPE ORGAN
16that you are looking after? If so, send us your check
18FOR ONLY $55.00
19and we will send you No. 10,000 (see page 7) with stool and book, freight paid, or the
21PARLOR ORGAN
22on page 11, Style E, at $40.00, including stool, book and freight paid.
24[?] Style A, (either case) page 18, FOR $33.00.
25[?] Remember that these unparalled offers are good only for FIFTEEN DAYS from date of this postal, and simply made you as an advertisement. Now, if you will order the instrument, it will be a big advertisement for us in your parlor. It will speak for itself and sing its own praises, which you know is far better for you than any circular or advertisement. Instruments are very sweet in tone. Send check and order by return mail so as to be within the 15 days sure, and we will positively ship instrument ordered promptly. No delay in filling orders. Business never better. We want your order. Buy now. Nearly 100,000 already in use.
27You run no risk, for if at any time within three years you are not entirely satisfied, return the instrument at our expense, and we will promptly refund you your money with interest at 6 per cent. Warranted 10 years. Satisfaction Guaranteed.
29[?] If you have already bought elsewhere, tell us the make please; or if you do not intend to buy at all kindly notify us so we can erase your name from books and not annoy you with circulars and offers. PLEASE ANSWER THIS CARD.
31Address or call DANIEL F. BEATTY, Washington, New Jersey.
33This is our old friend at his old tricks—the sly old dog! "If you have already bought elsewhere tell us the make, please." How innocent that little trick reads?
35Mr. Beatty, what is "our No. 8,000 upright pianoforte?" What is it? You know you are not making any pianos and you know you lie when you claim you do, as you claim by inference.
37Mr. Beatty, what is this pipe organ you refer to? You know what the world calls a pipe organ, you consummate old fraud; you know that a pipe organ is understood to be an organ with pipes instead of brass reeds, and yet, you old dyed-in-the-wool humbug, you offer a pipe organ for $55!
39Mr. Beatty, what is your style E parlor organ? You make no organs of any kind, and yet here you claim that "our instruments are very sweet in tone." Our instruments! Why, you have no instruments, you old humbug you!
41You keep up sending out your fraud circulars, and yet you do not manufacture any organs or any pianos, and yet you do your best to induce people to believe that you do manufacture. Keep it up a little longer, old man, and you'll get there sure.
43THE TRADE PAPERS.
45THE "American Artisan" in one of its recent issues says:
47Every trade paper does a large amount of free advertising. Many papers give away more in this manner than their total income, if the value of free notices in reading pages were estimated at their just relative value to the rates charged for advertising space. It is necessary that they should do this for the gratification of their patrons, who do not abuse the publisher's generosity.
49These patrons desire to be informed of all matters of trade interest, new manufactures, new inventions, personal gossip and so forth, and it is the duty of the trade paper to supply this varied information. For the most part it fulfils its task honestly and independently of consideration as to persons or their standing with the business department of the paper.
51It is impossible for a trade paper to be entirely independent of business considerations, regarded from an editorial point of view. Such a course would be unjust to its friends as well as ungrateful for their kindly recognition of honest efforts for the advancement of trade interests which the non-advertising and non-subscribing manufacturer overlooks and yet seeks to profit by.
53There is very much of sound sense and practical truth in this, and it would be gratifying to THE MUSICAL COURIER if some of its advertisers would consider the matter for a moment. While the amount of money spent for advertising in a trade paper does not necessarily influence its editorial opinion, the amount of money spent in advertising does of necessity influence and regulate the amount of editorial opinion that is expressed. A man who spends $500 per year has no reason to expect that as much reading space shall be devoted to him as to his competitor who spends $1,000 per year. Probably in no other line of business—for the running of a newspaper is primarily a business—probably in no other business are so many accommodations and favors asked.
55A man who would consider it a loss of dignity to ask for a pass from here to Boston because he ships goods over that line at a lower rate than he could over other lines; a man who would never think of boning a theatrical manager for tickets because he found it profitable to advertise in the program, will have no hesitancy in asking for puffs and write ups and reading notices in the columns of a newspaper which he patronizes—to the extent of space value which exceeds his patronage twice over.
57There are men who, because they find it to their business benefit to pay so and so much per year for a given amount of advertising space, think that they have conferred a favor the obligations of which can never be discharged but by columns of idle twaddle about themselves and their business and their product. These men rarely do get much in reading space, because every newspaper man knows that if they are given an inch they will want a mile.
59Then, too, there is another class of men to be dealt with, and perhaps these are the hardest of all. They explain to one weekly that they are only a small concern and of course can't be expected to spend as much as a great institution, but because they are small they need just as much space as the greater house to place them in sufficient prominence, although they don't spend a tenth of the money.
61Still another class is represented by the man who, if he sees a competitor's big display advertisement and columns of reading matter, accuses one of being one sided, of being "bought up" by his opposition. This is a delightful class to deal with. Their name and their competitor's name must not appear on the same page, nor on opposite pages, nor in the same number, if that can be avoided. No explanation will convince either side that it was not a deep laid scheme of the other side to have their respective advertisements facing each other.
63Then there is the man who is jealous of his employés and raises Cain if he sees the name of one of them in print in connection with his firm. This same party usually strictly demands of the newspaper man that his individuality shall be kept in the background, and so often does he repeat these injunctions that the newspaper man, who had never thought of putting him in at all, finds it necessary to put him in the background, but in such strong colors as to outshine everything else.
65Then there is the man who—but there are so many varieties of individuals that a newspaper man meets that they cannot be enumerated in this limit of space. The greatest thing to be wished for is that every man dealing with a trade paper would stop to think for a moment before he asks so much, that he might realize the simple business rule that he gets so much space for so much money—only that and nothing more.
67Brown & Simpson.
69THE newest catalogue that we have received is that of the Brown & Simpson Company which is dated Worcester, Mass., 1892, and contains enough fresh matter and pretty styles of cases to last a year ahead. Perhaps the best thing in the book is the "Salutatory," which in its opening paragraph tells of the struggle that every new house strives to overcome and which but few do overcome with the measure of success attained by the Brown & Simpson Company. Here it is:
71Amid all the conflicting claims and statements put forth by all the various piano manufacturers of this country as to the merits of their respective goods; with the greatest artists hailing each of a dozen different makes as the ne plus ultra of tone and mechanism; with constant newspaper accounts of the most astonishing inventions and improvements in piano making, it is not to be wondered at that not only is the intending purchaser puzzled as to what is worthy and what is not, but the manufacturer himself finds it a difficult task, surrounded as he is by so much exaggeration, misrepresentation and even at times by fraud, how to state his case fairly and yet have a chance by the side of others whose much heralded excellences are to be found in their advertisements and catalogues, but not in their instruments.
73Frederick Mathushek.
75MR. FREDERICK MATHUSHEK, who had been ill for six months, died at 1 A. M. on November 9 at his late residence, 248 West 123d street, this city. The funeral will take place to-day, Wednesday, November 11.
77Mr. Frederick Mathushek was born on June 9, 1814, in the palace at Manheim, Germany. From his earliest youth he showed an earnest desire to learn piano building, which, at a time when all Europe counted but few establishments, was not an easily acquired aim. An incident, however, paved the way for his ambition. Being curious to see the interior construction of the piano, one day he entered the drawing room of the then reigning Grand Duchess Stephany and quietly dissected her grand piano, a terrible experiment when he found his inability to replace all the parts in their proper places. So, crestfallen, he confessed to the noble lady what he had done, but she, admiring his ambition, promised to use her influence in obtaining for him the desired apprenticeship, which promise she fulfilled. Finding himself in his element he made rapid progress, and at the age of 17 embarked successfully, having discovered an improvement over his master's work which then made quite a stir in his native city.
79Being of a restless turn of mind, he acted upon a sudden impulse to inspect the progress of foreign manufacture, and traveled through all the principal cities of Germany, Austria and Russia, never failing to leave a mark of his genius everywhere. His fame reached Paris ahead of him, and upon his arrival there was called upon by a Mr. Pape, a piano maker of court note, who induced Mr. Mathushek to accept an engagement to do all the experimenting for him.
81This exactly suited Mr. Mathushek, until his desire to see the doings in London prompted him to again resign his position. We next find him with the house of Erard, London, while in its highest glory. Mr. Mathushek's talents here received such marked attention that, during his engagement with Erard, his studio became the gathering attraction not only of the professionals, but also of the highest nobility of all England. Still, even England soon again became too narrow for the flight of his inventive genius, which intuitively felt that America was ready to nobly invite progress.
83In the year 1849 he landed upon our shores. Great was his astonishment when discovering that the art of piano building was the least cultivated here. His first connection was with John B. Dunham, the then leading piano manufacturer. Here the first revolution in piano building took place in this country by the introduction of Mr. Mathushek's circular scale, upon which the glory of that house was attained, showering it with fame and wealth. Did it make the inventor rich? Like all men of genius, indifferent to pecuniary advantages, he totally disregarded such. All other makers, however, quickly grasped the opportunity to adopt his improvements, thereby enriching themselves.
85Mr. Mathushek constructed the first overstrung piano ever introduced in this country for Mr. Dunham in 1849, who hesitated to adopt it, making the remark that it was 20 years ahead of time; so Mr. Mathushek generously permitted all who chose to use it, and several of the leading piano manufacturers of the present day owe their original success to that system, and falsely claim it as their own invention. The above date will positively prove how vain their boasts are, for at that time their business had not yet existed.
87After Mr. Mathushek's connection with Mr. Dunham ceased he manufactured pianos, to his inclination, for a number of years. In 1857 he was again aroused to prominence through persuasion of Mr. Driggs. This gentleman, of highly artistic tastes, struck upon the idea to revolutionize and improve the piano, and, with this intent, having heard of Mr. Mathushek's genius, made arrangements with him to produce some of his plans, which other makers declared impossibilities. Mr. Driggs, with others, formed a company, called the Wallace Piano Company. This company thrived and produced some remarkable novelties, such as double sounding board pianos, built oval on both sides and violin shaped.
89Here also the lifting hammer rail for soft pedal purposes was first introduced. Mr. Mathushek, having become restless again, broke his connection with them and started for himself. His next surprise to the trade was a mammoth grand piano, the largest ever constructed in the world, which was afterward used at Gilmore's memorable mammoth musical festival in Boston.
91In 1862 Mr. Mathushek invented the wonderful orchestral or equalizing scale, and 1864 brought the Colibri piano to light.
93The following are some of Mr. Mathushek's most important inventions:
95Circular scale…………………1849, not patented.
96Overstrung system………………1849, not patented.
97Hammer covering machine………1850, not patented.
98Repeating action……………….1857, patented.
99Double sounding board pianos…..1858, patented.
100Lifting hammer rail……………1858, not patented.
101Harp form parlor grand……….1860, patented.
102Orchestral piano………………1862, not patented.
103Colibri piano………………….1864, not patented. one of two readings
104Colibri piano…………………1864, not patented. one of two readings
105Mammoth grand………………..1865, patented.
106Repeating action……………….1870, not patented. one of two readings
107Repeating action………………1870, not patented. one of two readings
108Upright piano with square action..1871, patented.
109Pin block arrangement in plate….1873, patented.
110Equilibre system……………….1879, patented.
112—Mathushek & Son Piano Company Catalogue.
114—William Wauder & Son, of Hartford, Conn., are enlarging their warehouses and will have five extensive floors hereafter to show goods.
116—Messrs. Wm. A. Pond & Co. are now handling in addition to the Haines Brothers the Mathushek & Sons equilibre scale uprights.
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