Scan 29
Musical Courier 1892-12-14: Vol 25 Iss 667, 1892
80 lines. Read by computer on 21 September 2026. Printed page 30. See the scan on archive.org.
1ANYTHING TO BEAT STENCIL.
3THE appended letter from the Butler Music Company, of Butler, Pa., is deserving of more than passing notice, and THE MUSICAL COURIER is pleased to publish it in justice to that house and in justice to itself. On November 16 there appeared in these columns the following:
5Editors Musical Courier:
6What is your opinion of a dealer that will give up the wholesale price of a piano to his opponent's customer with a view of breaking a sale? Do you think this honorable? Would like to see your answer in print.
8Very respectfully,
9F. E. Butler.
11Such a dealer must necessarily be a fool, for he hasn't sense enough to be a rascal. He should know that he is destroying his own chances, for if he discloses the wholesale prices of his competitor's pianos he discloses his own prices. You see, he is a fool and consequently more dangerous than a rascal. Send his name in and we will put it on our fool list.
13Upon general principles THE MUSICAL COURIER does think a man a fool who displays wholesale prices; and 'so much of this has come to notice of late that only last week it advised that manufacturers should avoid giving prices in writing. But it was the giving away of prices on legitimate pianos that was referred to, and no idea was conveyed in the above letter as to the prices on stencil goods. It is legitimate, it is honorable, it is even a bounden duty, for every dealer in the land to expose the wholesale prices on stencil pianos and organs, because it is one of the quickest and surest ways to expose to an uninitiated person the worthlessness of the stuff. Swick pianos and Milton & Son pianos are offered to dealers at $105, and that is more than they are worth. This is the letter of the Butler Music Company:
15Editors Musical Courier:
16In your issue of 16th inst. we noted two letters from this place, one signed F. E. Butler and the other Georgia Tillinghast, with your comments on both.
18As Mr. Butler's letter may possibly refer to us we take pleasure in explaining our position and refer to yourselves for justification of our course. The dealers referred to in Miss Tillinghast's letter must be this same Mr. Butler and his partner, Mr. Williams, who have been doing business here until very recently under the firm name of Williams & Butler, and are the only dealers in this section who have sold Swick and Milton & Son pianos.
20We share your opinion of stencil instruments, consider them an imposition on the public, and have carried out your plan of exposing them at every opportunity, quoting prices at which they are sold and referring to your valuable journal for proof. This we consider no more than just to prospective purchasers, other dealers who handle reputable goods and ourselves. We have never sold any but legitimate, reliable instruments and, while we denounce worthless goods, are at all times ready to indorse a first-class article, no matter by whom sold, and have never exhibited wholesale prices of such.
22If we are the parties to whom Mr. Butler refers, and, understanding the case, you still consider it advisable to place us "on your fool list," we fear your comments on Miss Tillinghast's letter will compel you to join us, so we will at least be in good company.
24Which dealer is following the more honorable course, the one who inflicts stencil pianos upon the public, representing them as first class, or the one who exposes the real character and value of such goods?
26Respectfully,
27THE BUTLER MUSIC COMPANY.
29There must be hot times in Butler, Pa., just now. Since the above matter was set up, there comes a letter from Mr. Alexander Williams, denouncing the Butler Music House and teachers in general, and a Miss Georgia Tillinghast, who he says is better known as Georgia Overholt, in particular. The letter is scandalous and libelous and cannot be published in these columns. We do not know whether Mr. Williams is a very young man or an older one, but whatever be his age he has apparently never reached years of discretion, else he would not give full fling to his anger and sign such a letter as he has sent us, with a request for publication. There is a law in Pennsylvania which deals rather severely with people who write such matter, and in a perfectly friendly spirit we would advise Mr. Williams to submit such specimens of his correspondence as we possess to his attorney before he intrusts them to the mail.
31Be it understood that THE MUSICAL COURIER does not personally know either Mr. Williams or any member of the Butler Music Company, and that all this controversy arises from the charge that Mr. Williams sells stencil pianos. In his letter he says that he sells Knabe, Decker Brothers and Clough & Warren pianos, and we should advise him to stick to these and not dabble about in stencil trash such as Milton & Son pianos, which are fraudulent goods. Mr. Williams states in large letters that he "can meet the Butler Music Company at any time, either personally or in print, as they wish," and we would suggest to all parties concerned that they fight it out in their own bailiwick and not further trouble us about it.
33How about this, Mr. Steinert?
35THE United States, as everybody knows, is the place for the discovery of very ancient keyboard instruments—so ancient, indeed, that the date attributed to them has more than once been an object of suspicion. The latest example of this character is an old English spinet, made by one of the Hitchcocks (it is annoying not to be told which), and destined for the Chicago exhibition. The description given in the "Providence Journal" states that this old machine was manufactured in London in 1520. If so, all we can say is that it proves conclusively that the brothers Hitchcock lived and flourished for upward of a century and a half, thereby beating Old Parr hollow. The instrument, it seems, is now in the repairing shops of Messrs. Breitensein & Sons, of Richmond street, Providence, and it is described by its owner as "the oldest in the United States, and probably one of the oldest in existence."
37"The action," we are told, "is the old spinet arrangement, by which the strings are plucked rather than struck." If the strings had been struck instead of plucked the spinet would indeed have been an extraordinary one. We are also told that "the instrument is shaped something in the harp pattern, and stands upon three legs;" that it belongs to Mr. Alexander Berry, of Bristol, U. S., "and has been in his family over 200 years. It was brought from England by some of his ancestors, and has always been in his family. The last time it was repaired was in Boston in 1808, and Mr. Breitensein is fixing it up. It is to be sent to Chicago to be on exhibition at the World's Columbian Exposition." The principal point, however, lies in the statement that "it is a Hitchcock instrument, and was made in London in 1520."
39The brothers John and Thomas Hitchcock were contemporaries of Charles Heward, who is so frequently mentioned in Pepys' diaries. The figures 1520 are, of course, the number of the instrument and not its date. Consequently the spinet is probably one of John Hitchcock's, for he numbered while his brother generally dated his instruments. A similar though more pardonable mistake was made some years ago in connection with a John Hitchcock spinet in possession of Mr. Dale, which was said to be dated 1630, the figures again referring to the number and not the date. As the Hitchcock spinet is numbered 1520 it was probably made about 1660. It is still of course an old instrument, and a matter of 140 years probably will not greatly signify to the non-professional visitors to Chicago.—"London and Provincial Music Trades Review."
41Latest from Canton, Ohio.
43ANOTHER attempt is being made to start a piano factory at Canton, Ohio. This time it is the Birch piano, formerly the Birch & Blackwood, formerly the Birch & Dunbar, made at Westboro, Mass. Birch and Blackwood recently had a serious falling out and a receiver was asked for to wind up the firm's affairs. The progress in the new scheme is best recorded in the appended reports of the committees to the Canton Board of Trade, as published in the "Repository" of that city:
45The Board of Trade committees report the following:
47To the Canton Board of Trade Committee appointed to investigate the Birch & Co. piano, manufactured at Westboro, Mass.:
49GENTLEMEN—In compliance with your request we, the experts appointed by your committee, have given the piano a careful and critical examination, and beg leave to report as follows:
51It is a thoroughly well made instrument in all its parts.
52It has a light and elastic touch, a very even tone throughout and of deep resonance; also a very attractive and pleasing case.
53From our experience in the sale, tuning and repairing of pianos and the music business in general we are satisfied that it is an instrument which can be manufactured at such cost and sold at such price as to yield a good profit on the money invested.
55MARK THOMSON,
56EZRA GESAMAN,
57Com.
58Tuner and repairer.
60CANTON, November 16, 1892
62To W. A. Lynch, President of Canton Board of Trade:
64Sir—Your committee appointed to investigate the project of the Birch piano beg to report:
651. We have examined the piano now on exhibition at Mr. Thompson's store and have conversed with the experts and find the instrument well made and undoubtedly a salable one.
662. We find the cost of production and price at which they will sell to be such as to insure a very remunerative profit.
673. We believe Mr. Birch to be a competent and reliable man and worthy of confidence.
68We therefore recommend that the board give the matter all the encouragement possible, and such assistance as may be within its control in way of stock subscription and solicitation for the same.
70Respectfully submitted,
71C. A. DOUGHERTY,
72J. J. CLARK,
73H. S. KAUFFMAN.
75MALCOLM LOVE PIANOS.
76A High Grade Piano, equal to any!
77MANUFACTURED BY
78WATERLOO ORGAN CO., Waterloo, N. Y.
79We invite correspondence from Dealers in localities where we are not represented.
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