Scan 31
Musical Courier 1892-05-11: Vol 24 Iss 638, 1892
59 lines. Read by computer on 19 September 2026. Printed page 32. See the scan on archive.org.
1Too Many Questions.
2Editors Musical Courier:
3KNOWING the impartiality with which your great journal has always handled subjects pertaining to the trade, I ask space in your columns for a brief statement of a certain matter now pending trial, relative to certain organ sales, of which I am accused of being salesman and purchaser.
5About February 1, 1891, I opened a music school and a sheet music and piano and organ department in this city, and soon thereafter accepted an agency from Collins & Armstrong, of Fort Worth, Tex., and closed a contract—gave them a bond. I had but recently severed my connection with that old and renowned established music house of Thomas Goggan & Brother, of Galveston, Tex., known as the largest and most successful institution in the South and Southwest, as well for its liberality and honest dealing with their customers and their distinguished efforts to advance and promote the general good of their employees, especially with good salaries to the meritorious. Soon a shipment of instruments was received; shortly another shipment came in, and to my surprise four boxes contained four bastard organs, under the name of Collins & Armstrong. I "kicked" like a Texas steer, and being assured there would not be another occurrence I kept and sold them. One shipment after another followed, until on June 27, and in company with Packard, Palace and Chicago Cottage organs and one Sohmer piano, bob up three more Collins & Armstrong organs. Now another skirmish follows, and near a disruption, but again I accept a statement and assurance of no more such goods to be shipped to me.
7On July 6 and 24 two other shipments of 12 organs and three more Collins & Armstrong organs came again, and following shortly upon this I notified this house, who persistently forced bogus organs on me, to send their agent for a complete settlement. So I closed my contract with them and arranged to get good goods elsewhere and buy some straight out. I shipped back to Fort Worth a certain piano with a defective action and drew against B. L. for $61. Now, I had sold one W. L. Pace an organ on July 3 and gave his wife nearly three months' lessons free at my school. On July 4 I contracted with said Pace to sell organs on commission; I went his security for a $100 hack and set of harness and assisted him until I thought he could make sales. On August 14 I sold one Bull (not Buel) an organ after repeated calls by one Reiman, who claimed to be a music teacher and living with the said Bull, to take him an instrument. This organ was sold to Reiman and Bull—never had a single transaction with Bull—gave R. a number of pupils. In a few days a country merchant came to me and asked if I owed Reiman, as he (R.) tried to buy a suit of clothes on my account. I answered no, but that R. owed me. I cancelled my engagement with Mr. R. and notified him; soon I was called on by two neighbors of that community who stated R. had bought a horse from each on pretense of my owing him. They soon recovered their horses, and this is not all. On August 18 Pace insisted on buying a working interest and I sold him a small interest. I had discovered Pace was short on three sales, and making a thorough examination of sales I found where the thing lay. Pace admitted he had kept them and I took the following certificate: "This is to certify that I have at my home three organ notes belonging to J. B. Caston of the value of $20 each, which I agree to deliver at the earliest convenience. (Signed) W. L. Pace."
9In a few days Pace opens with a piano and organ in a small dressmaking room. These goods come from Collins & Armstrong. Note P.'s movements. Next follows: "My bondsmen are hounded by drafts for $275 from Collins & Armstrong, claiming I owed them. This was repeated several times. Now, I had lent C. & A. about $1,400 with collaterals and several individual notes. Now, to get even, I bought common stools at about $15 per dozen, when I bought as good goods from Lyon & Healy at $9, but anything at any price to save myself was the object, but am far from being even. Under repeated promises from Pace to deliver notes to save prosecution, Collins & Armstrong, after producing effect and reflection, as they thought, abandoned the bond business. About January 1, 1892, I visited the parties Pace had sold, and sure enough I had caught Pace in the trap. Meeting him on March 28 last he acknowledged the collections of my notes through another party and himself marking them paid. This would make him short and owing me near $250. I gave him until April 2 to settle. He also admitted taking possession of property of mine under C. & A.'s instructions. Now I left papers with a certain attorney if Pace settled by April 2 to drop the matter. On April 1, one day previous to his last day of grace, the said Pace, of course in company with Armstrong, Bull and Reiman, swears I signed his name to a certain paper, and then follows Mrs. Bull similarly.
11Now, I ask THE MUSICAL COURIER if there is not a damage suit to the said C. & A. for $10,000 for a similar proceeding for the past two years, put off repeatedly in court? And I also ask if the said Collins & Armstrong have not repeatedly offered to compromise the suit, but rejected? These matters can readily be understood. When Armstrong wrote up the article appearing in THE MUSICAL COURIER under date of 13th inst., taken from "Gazette," among other false statements he says I could not make bond—now, as a matter of fact, I could make bond to the extent of $10,000—easily. Will THE MUSICAL COURIER state where the C. & A. organ and piano factories are? These C. & A. organs have given no little trouble, new springs and repairs have been constantly reported, and being at a distance are inconvenient to reach. C. & A. refuse to pay for repairs. Will THE MUSICAL COURIER advise me to what factory they belong if C. & A. have none; also what is C. & A.'s guarantee worth?
13J. P. CASTON.
15A Prohibition Tuner.
16Editors Musical Courier:
17WHILE perusing your issue of the 13th inst. the writer was very much surprised at the contents of the letter which appeared in the Chicago items as having been recently issued to the piano tuners of that city.
19It was my impression, and I think the same is general, that the Illinois tuners had formed their association some time since, while we of the East were still floundering in the "slough of despond," surrounded on all sides by hindrances and uncertainties, in doubt even as to the possibility of being able to organize at all, the fact also being mentioned in your columns at the time that the West seemed likely to anticipate us in the movement.
21While believing that such organization should as soon as possible become national, yet since its inception it has been the desire of your correspondent that New-York should take the initiative and lead in the matter rather than be compelled to follow.
23That the "National Association" of Piano and Organ Tuners of this State is a reality, thoroughly organized, officered, and ready for business, is a fact of which we may justly feel proud.
25Also, that in this, as in the matter of pitch, the great Empire State still holds her position in the forefront, in the march of progress toward perfection in musical matters.
27Let every reputable tuner within her borders rally to the support of the association, and not only let us begin in earnest the crusade against fraud and incompetency among so-called piano tuners, for which it was inaugurated, but by every means at our command let us endeavor to raise the standard of both efficiency and morals within the society, so that our profession shall no longer be a byword on account of the presence within it of a class of "bums" who have hitherto been allowed to misrepresent us.
29For the past month this town has been trying to withstand an attack from one of this class—a so-called organ voicer and tuner, claiming to have been employed in several of our most reputable and noted organ factories.
31Of his ability as a workman we will not speak, having personally seen none of it; but, judging from appearances, his capacity for absorbing "fire water" was all that could be desired, he being generally drunk, yet always dry.
33On the first day of his arrival he called at the store of the writer, apparently sober, but this was the only occasion upon which we had the pleasure of seeing him in that condition, he being far from it at the time of his second call, when he was soliciting contributions for the purpose of further cooling his parched tongue. Drunkenness should as fully debar a man from eligibility to our association as incompetency. And the good results hoped for from it can only be accomplished by maintaining a close watch upon all applications for membership, and strictly prohibiting this class from admission.
35D. J. GREENLEAF.
36Port Jervis, N. Y., April 18, 1892.
38Woodward & Brown.
39A WAY back in 1843—almost half a century ago—when the firm of Woodward & Brown was formed, piano makers took particular pride in the cabinet work of their instruments—in fact, Mr. Isaac Woodward, the father of the concern, commenced life, as did Jonas Chickering, the Gilberts and others of the old regime, by learning the cabinet maker's trade.
41From that time up to the day upon which these words are printed one of the distinguishing features of the Woodward & Brown piano is the excellence of the case work, the choiceness of the woods used and the unusual nicety with which every detail is looked after.
43The exterior of a Woodward & Brown piano made in 1892 is as perfect in style and finish as was that of one made in 1843, when so few instruments were made that the individual attention of their manufacture was given to each particular piano.
45And it is not alone in the exterior work that the Woodward & Brown piano has excelled for all this time, outliving as it has so many more pretentious firms. Every effort has been made to keep abreast of the times in the interior mechanism, and if ever the history of the Boston trade is told by someone on the inside it will be found that among the most successful of the pianos made there at the present time are copies of Woodward & Brown's scale, or that their scales emanated from some of the talented men who were connected with this firm.
47At present the Woodward & Brown concern is in a particularly prosperous condition, and their entire output is eagerly sought for by their agencies all over the country—some of whom, by the way, have handled these goods during three generations.
49Wanted.
50A LIVE man wanted, with from $10,000 to $25,000, to take the presidency or treasurership of a piano stock company established for years; leading house of five in a Western city of 75,000 inhabitants. Ill health reason for present president's retirement. Controlling interest can be had. Close investigation invited. For further particulars address "Piano Co.," care of THE MUSICAL COURIER.
52—S. J. Dearholt, through his attorneys, Austin & Hamilton, yesterday secured from Court Commissioner Hugh Ryan an order enjoining Joseph Benedict, a dealer in musical instruments on Milwaukee street, from disposing of any of his stock. Mr. Dearholt also began an action in the Superior Court against Mr. Benedict, asking that the defendant be compelled to re-execute a mortgage to the plaintiff, the release of which, Mr. Dearholt alleges, was procured fraudulently by Mr. Benedict.—Milwaukee Sentinel, April 30.
54MALCOLM LOVE PIANOS.
55A High Grade Piano, equal to any!
56MANUFACTURED BY
57WATERLOO ORGAN CO., Waterloo, N. Y.
58We invite correspondence from Dealers in localities where we are not represented.
The computer misreads some letters and numbers. Where a name matters to you, read the scan.