Scan 22
Musical Courier 1892-01-27: Vol 24 Iss 623, 1892
229 lines. Read by computer on 19 September 2026. Printed page 23. See the scan on archive.org.
1Quick Work—See Dates.
2Notice of Dissolution of Partnership.
4December 22, 1891.
6The partnership heretofore existing between the undersigned, under the firm name and style of D. H. Spencer & Co., is this day dissolved by mutual consent. The business will be continued by J. B. Payne, who has purchased all the assets and assumed all liabilities.
8D. H. SPENCER.
9J. B. PAYNE.
11Referring to the above, I desire to express my warm appreciation of the very liberal patronage heretofore extended to the firm and to earnestly solicit a continuance of the same to my successor.
13D. H. SPENCER.
14—Waco "Day," December 23, 1891.
16A Bill of Sale.
18J. B. PAYNE FILES AN INSTRUMENT COVERING ENTIRE STOCK.
20J. B. Payne, dealer in pianos and organs, yesterday gave a bill of sale of his entire stock of pianos, organs, fixtures, &c., to the Waco State Bank. The consideration named in the instrument was $7,500. He also executed two deeds of trust on the real estate to D. A. Kelly, trustee, one in the sum of $5,000 to secure the Waco State Bank, and the other in the sum of $1,950 to secure J. D. Brown for $1,000; J. P. Anderson for $500, and Richard Halsted for $450.—Waco "Day," January 14, 1892.
22Monochord.
24Cincinnati, January 8, 1892.
26Musical Courier:
28Dear Sirs—In "Pole's Philosophy of Music" occurs the following:
30"The principles of stretched strings may be well and easily studied practically by means of a very useful instrument called a monochord. It is simply an arrangement for stretching a wire so that its elements of length, tension, &c., can be easily adjusted at pleasure and their effect on the note sounded thereby demonstrated."
32Wm. Pole, F. R. S.
34In your next issue please give the name of some firm from whom such an instrument can be obtained; it is not possible to get one in this city.
36Very respectfully,
37J. B. DELANY.
39George Gemünder, Jr., 27 Union square, New York city, can make a correct monochord.—EDS. M. C.
41Tonk & Co.'s Catalogue.
43Some time ago reference was made in these columns to the latest catalogue issued by Wm. Tonk & Co., and as an additional reminder that it would be well for everyone interested in musical merchandise, stools, covers, &c., to have one of the books the appended circular letter issued by them is here published:
45Dear Sirs—Our revised 112 page catalogue has just been completed. It may safely be said to be the finest and most complete work of its kind yet published.
47No expense or trouble has been spared in its compilation to make it not only a fine book, but also a true exponent of the goods we offer.
49Aside from numerous new cuts, we have introduced eight pages of photographic groups, embracing 28 views of our factory, offices, warerooms, &c., representing, however, only the minor portion of our establishment. To illustrate all fully would itself require a good sized book.
51Not only this catalogue has had our attention, but also the goods represented therein have received the most serious and thorough consideration. As a result of these efforts we are in a position to offer for the coming season an almost entirely new line of all the goods manufactured by us—piano stools, piano scarfs and covers, piano lamps, music cabinets, &c.
53All of the new designs are the inventions of our own draughtsman. We leave it to the trade to decide as to their desirability.
55It will be noticed that most of our styles of stools are design patented or copyrighted, or both. This has been done to prevent others from copying or imitating our goods.
57Our styles of stools having always been the most "taking" with the trade, these piratical methods have been practiced to a great extent by those of our competitors who have not the ability to originate a good selling article themselves.
59It is our intention to put this catalogue into the hands of every legitimate music dealer (and no others) in the United States. Those who receive this and are not in receipt of a copy will please apply for one.
61Respectfully,
62Tonk & Co.,
6396 Warren street, New York.
65Musical Instruments.
67A pronounced feature of the year's business in musical instruments was the vigorous steps taken by leading firms to increase the manufacture of pianos, which has heretofore been on a moderate scale compared with the number of such instruments sold. Chicago jobbers were almost entirely dependent on Eastern makers for goods of which they sold more than any other city on the continent. But the large factories either completed or in course of construction will soon enable jobbers to meet a large share of the demand from the products of their own factories, and as the latter will be equipped with the latest and most improved machinery, and have all the advantages that their Eastern competitors enjoy in the way of concentrating materials, and will save largely in the way of cost of transportation of the finished instrument from Eastern factories to this city, it does not require more than an ordinary discernment to see that the local factories will ere long take the lead in supplying the vast and steadily enlarging area of country tributary here. It is in fact safe to assume that this will soon hold the same position as a manufacturing centre for pianos that it has for years occupied for organs, namely, the world. Hence, instead of buying from the older Eastern Atlantic cities, as our jobbers have heretofore done, and in fact still do, they will soon compete with them in their own market.
69Despite that the annual producing capacity of the Chicago organ factories was estimated at 30,000 to 33,000 at the close of 1890, a further material enlargement has been made by additions to old factories and the erection of a number of new structures of enormous size. These have also been equipped with the most improved and expensive plants, and although the output of the year under review was larger than that of any preceding one, the coming 12 months are expected to see a material increase in the number of instruments made and sold.
71The manufacture and sale of miscellaneous musical instruments and collateral lines of articles handled by the music trade were on an increased scale. The demand for superior goods being a marked feature, and while many articles were sold on very close margins, the general result of the 12 months' trade is regarded with a fair degree of satisfaction by establishments that keep their business well in hand.—Chicago "Inter-Ocean."
73Remenyi and a Bit of Violin History.
75The celebrated violinist, Edouard Remenyi, is now visiting this country on a concert tour and was cordially received by his numerous enthusiastic admirers in Boston.
77He seems to have lost none of his former vigor, and really looks no older than he did 10 years ago. He is very temperate in his habits—eats no meat, drinks no wine or any other stimulants, and never tires of playing or talking of his favorite instrument.
79A somewhat amusing little incident occurred while he was dining with Mr. Calvin Baker, violin maker, at his residence in Maplewood, with whom he was stopping for a day. Mr. Baker has a very fine white English setter dog, of which he is very fond, named "Stradivarius," and calls him "Strad" for short. "Strad" took his place as usual on the floor by his master at the dinner table. Remenyi seemed greatly pleased with the dog and, while feeding him from the table, inquired his name.
81Upon being informed that he was named after the great violin maker, Stradivarius, he exclaimed, "Well, I never before had the honor of dining with the great Stradivarius," and then related some very interesting history concerning this great master that perhaps is not generally known, that Stradivarius made his first violin when 16 years old, and his last one when he was 93.
83This fact, he says, he has from good authority. That he also had 40 to 50 men at work for him; and that he worked himself constantly from the first day of January to the thirty-first day of December, and accumulated a fortune in the business of violin making. So rich was he that it was a common saying, "As rich as Stradivarius." So, as a matter of course, he must have put out a vast number of instruments during his 77 years of constant work; and would it be strange that there should be thousands of them in existence at the present time, and that good, well preserved specimens are really not so rare as dealers would have us believe.
85It is a notorious fact that no sooner does any person outside of the profession become the possessor of a "Strad," or any other make of Cremona violin, than disreputable dealers set up the mad dog cry of "spurious;" and there becomes a common doubt of the genuineness of almost anything in the shape of an old violin; and any well authenticated specimen of the great master's work is held at fabulous prices, beyond the reach of most musicians.—The "Leader."
87Ah, There!
89Two men, giving the name of Haines, registered at Davern's Hotel, at Peru, a small village 9 miles from Plattsburgh, on Monday. They made special rates with the hotel keeper for a stay of a few weeks, during which they were to canvass the country towns, selling pianos. The same afternoon they called on Peter Lapham, a farmer, and told him that they would make him a present of a $500 piano if he would be the means of selling four other pianos for them. Lapham agreed to do the best he could, but they wanted a contract and finally persuaded him to sign one. When the farmer started in to get his spectacles to read the contract one of the strangers told him not to bother and proceeded to read it for him. The other tore off the duplicate and handed it to Lapham's wife who read it and put it away for safe keeping, while Haines retained the original. Lapham and Haines worked all Monday afternoon canvassing in the neighborhood. Yesterday morning the strangers did not appear, but Lapham suspected nothing wrong until he learned from the hotel keeper that they had paid their bills and left. Upon further inquiry he ascertained that instead of signing a contract to help sell pianos he had signed a note for $500, which the men lost no time in having discounted in a nearby bank.—"Recorder."
91Tables of Importance.
93(Compiled by The Musical Courier.)
95Imports of Musical Instruments.
97<table>
98 <tr>
99 <th></th>
100 <th colspan="2">Organ</th>
101 <th colspan="2">Pianos</th>
102 <th colspan="2">All Others and Parts Thereof</th>
103 <th>Totals</th>
104 </tr>
105 <tr>
106 <th></th>
107 <th>No.</th>
108 <th>Value.</th>
109 <th>No.</th>
110 <th>Value.</th>
111 <th>No.</th>
112 <th>Value.</th>
113 <th></th>
114 </tr>
115 <tr>
116 <td>Month ending November 30, 1890</td>
117 <td>1,873</td>
118 <td>$141,882</td>
119 <td>57</td>
120 <td>$20,568</td>
121 <td>13,346</td>
122 <td>$175,696</td>
123 <td></td>
124 </tr>
125 <tr>
126 <td>Month ending November 30, 1891</td>
127 <td>1,414</td>
128 <td>86,383</td>
129 <td>91</td>
130 <td>24,705</td>
131 <td>15,237</td>
132 <td>126,325</td>
133 <td></td>
134 </tr>
135 <tr>
136 <td>Eleven months ending November 30, 1890</td>
137 <td>12,182</td>
138 <td>799,841</td>
139 <td>594</td>
140 <td>193,942</td>
141 <td>135,847</td>
142 <td>1,138,980</td>
143 <td></td>
144 </tr>
145 <tr>
146 <td>Eleven months ending November 30, 1891</td>
147 <td>11,974</td>
148 <td>766,582</td>
149 <td>704</td>
150 <td>305,738</td>
151 <td>127,890</td>
152 <td>1,101,310</td>
153 <td></td>
154 </tr>
155</table>
157Exports of Musical Instruments.
159<table>
160 <tr>
161 <th></th>
162 <th colspan="2">Organ</th>
163 <th colspan="2">Pianos</th>
164 <th colspan="2">All Others and Parts Thereof</th>
165 <th>Totals</th>
166 </tr>
167 <tr>
168 <th></th>
169 <th>No.</th>
170 <th>Value.</th>
171 <th>No.</th>
172 <th>Value.</th>
173 <th>No.</th>
174 <th>Value.</th>
175 <th></th>
176 </tr>
177 <tr>
178 <td>Month ending November 30, 1890</td>
179 <td>1,873</td>
180 <td>$141,882</td>
181 <td>57</td>
182 <td>$20,568</td>
183 <td>13,346</td>
184 <td>$175,696</td>
185 <td></td>
186 </tr>
187 <tr>
188 <td>Month ending November 30, 1891</td>
189 <td>1,414</td>
190 <td>86,383</td>
191 <td>91</td>
192 <td>24,705</td>
193 <td>15,237</td>
194 <td>126,325</td>
195 <td></td>
196 </tr>
197 <tr>
198 <td>Eleven months ending November 30, 1890</td>
199 <td>12,182</td>
200 <td>799,841</td>
201 <td>594</td>
202 <td>193,942</td>
203 <td>135,847</td>
204 <td>1,138,980</td>
205 <td></td>
206 </tr>
207 <tr>
208 <td>Eleven months ending November 30, 1891</td>
209 <td>11,974</td>
210 <td>766,582</td>
211 <td>704</td>
212 <td>305,738</td>
213 <td>127,890</td>
214 <td>1,101,310</td>
215 <td></td>
216 </tr>
217</table>
219Don't Think Much of Either.
221Newark, Ohio, January 18, 1892.
223Editors Musical Courier:
225What do you think of the Swick piano and a teacher that would recommend it? An answer to this in your Musical Courier will greatly oblige, yours very respectfully,
226A. L. RAWLINGS, Box 924, Newark, Ohio.
228—Mr. Adonijah White, who died recently in Boston, was a very worthy man. He was for 17 years belly board maker for the late Jonas Chickering, and worked for Hallett & Cumston and other piano manufacturers in Boston. The last 11 years he worked for Daniel Morris at belly board making, until his death, the result of pneumonia. He was 77 years old.
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