Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1866-07-06
How Pianos are Manufactured.

1lr. EdttOr I'm recent visit to Baitl-
more in walking through some of the princi-
pal thoroughfares of the city, my attention
was attracted to the extensive Piano manu-
factory of the Messrs. Steiff Having heard
this firm spoken Of in very high. terms in our
beautiful Valley / determined to give them q
call, and take an inside view Of the establish
ment. On entering the building was polite-
ly received by one Of the firm, Mr. John
Steiff, who, after learning the object of my
visit, very kindly invited me to go through
the establishment and at the same time pro
posed to accompany me. ~-s
Our passage was made hurriedly, as I did
not wish to detain my kind friend too long
from bis business, which will account for this
hasty sketch Of their extensive mandatory
The main building is A feet front by 21o
feet deep, running through from street to
street. The new one, Immediately in the
rear Of the main building is sc feet front, 1876
feet deep, stories high and beth supplied
with gas and steam il every department.
The first thing that noticed was a large
lumber yard, Gin the rear Of the factory
where all kinds Of lumber are received and
where number Of men are constantly en-
gagged in cutting it up in the usual length of
a Piano, and then piled up to dry. After
laying there for several years, it is placed in
the drying room, where a constant fire is kept
for months and then worked up into the va
rious forms required In the Rosewood vineer
department thousands Of dollars worth of
stock is kept constantly on hand, Of various
shades, figures and colours to suit the tastes
of even the most fastidious. The lumber when
well seasoned is taken to the first floor, where
it is manufactured into cases Of different STYLES
and sizes, taking one man from three to six
weeks to complete pair, according to the
extra work or carving put upon them. When
finished, they are then taken 70 the Sd story,
to the sounding board maker where may be
seen sounding boards for several hundred
Pianos The preparation of the lumber
(Spruce pine) for this feature Of the work
is peculiar. It has to be sawed SO as to leave
the alternate layers Of the wood vertical
to each other The iron frame is also here
introduced into the Piano, weighing from $50
to IT'S pounds and is considered one of the
greatest improvements in the Piano manu-
facture. Sounding boards and iron frames
once in, they are then sent up 10 the varnish-
ing rooms in the 18th and 5th stories, where
hundreds Of cases Of all styles are to be seen.
The vanishing case, in the style it is done,
requires several different operations before 1t
is perfected, such as filing up the pores of
the wood, rubbing down with pumice or rot
ten stone, and then finely polished with the
hand to the smoothness and gloss of the mirror
Next in order they are sent to the second floor
where there is constantly several parties at
work doing nothing but stringing them the
wire being the best imported article The
fnishcrs then take hold of the instrument,
and under their manipulations all the mechan-
ism Of the keys, hammers and hampers are
adjusted, requiring great skill and experience
on the part Of the workmen. In order to Sc
cure the best conditions of faithfulness in that
branch, the workmen are organized into
Finishers and Regulators, the latter receiv-
ing the action work from the fnishers, and
thoroughly proving it in detail, especially in
voicing the Piano as it is called, in other
words modifying the quantity and quality of
the tone Of the Instrument, to suit the vari-
Gus tastes of purchasers. The tuner then goes
over it for the last time, and when he leaves
it the polisher fits it for the wareroom 1t
usually takes about 4 months to finish Piano,
not including the time necessary to season
the wood, as years are required for that pur-
pose.
The Steif Piano in former years was but
little known in our Valley, but has now such
hold on our people, that it is very dehicult
for any other maker to introduce any. Over
one hundred Of these instruments have been
sold in the Valley since the surrender, TWEEN
tv-fve of which in the town Of Staunton -
Their instruments rank, and are pronounced
by all professors of music in our midst to be
superior to any made. The overstrung, one
of the greatest improvements, was first intro
duced into Baltimore Pianos by the Messrs.
Shetland now copied by other makers.
At their wareroom may be found instru-
ments of all styles and prices Their grand
Piano, particularly attracted my attention Con
which they have patent) it being construct
cd differently from all others. They contain
powerful tone. produced by double sound
ing board, on which they have also a patent.
It is highly spoken Of in Baltimore, and it
will no doubt Gas it richly deserves) take
high rank in the musical world
We would advise all who are in want of a
first rate instrument, to supply themselves
from this mandatory, which can be easily
done, through their agents located al every
prominent point in the Valley. 50
| A Confederate Soldier in a Saltyetro Cav
for 275 Days.
The Chattanooga (Tenn.) Gazette at a re-
cent date, tells the following rather tough
story:
The people Of Parker's Gap, Tennessee,
were much alarmed yesterday morning, by a
rumor that there was a human being in an
old salpetre cave near the Gap-supposed to