Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1868-01-20
n@ AMERICAN PIANOS AT PARIS EX-
US POSITION

ZION DWights musical journal, Dec. 81, 1SG.l
We have not meddled much in the great contro-
versy. In common, doubtless. with nearly all our
readers, nndins the newspapers full of 1t ad nav
with most musical persons hereasouts we have come
TO our oxn opinions In our own way, hearing and
age Of ickerins pisnos TO any steinway that we
eve, heard, in spite OF French Juries, Mons Fe,is
nee dsd any such enforcement Merit makes ii it,
own way with or without medals. Indeed, this
element by so many Questionable means, raj ses
such ssnseless clamor, such dust, that calm,
How can one get a clear impression in such q tur-
bulent arensy Anywhere else, in the concert
house, can one Judge better than in stances
so exceptional, We wish the Emperor, should his
Exposition, would have it absolutely without me
cas or awards; the comparison of products would
he equally instructive, and the conclusions far
But here has been a question of fact Which
we once ventnred, having got hold OF a document
not then published in THIS country the" Liste or
snce from it, which now appears to BE- tns right
Of N. adding 81 Au Translated
1t will be seen from the above that the Dseora
irons are olassed as the highest grade Of honor
Sax; and third in gr ide in the Grand Medal The
piano, making house Of Erard placed itself ont of
members NJ Sehaef r wa. on the "J Ju TS but on
this gentleman, as well as on Mr. Chicksiins, was
bestowned the Cross of the Legion Of Honor; why,
head of ali the makers of Pianos The French
have long regarded the Erard as rhs Grand Piano
Of all the world, beyond compe ition by this act
now they welcome the Chickering to an equal o. ace
bsas i tS, osit of their pride
one 10 now definitely settled by the following
LETTER FROM NIB. G. F. CHIOKERING.
PARIS. November 10, 1857
paragraphs and extracts in American journals,
stsipg that the decoration of the Legion of Honor
last, the representative of the firm of Chickerins
q sons, as an award from the Exposition Univer
bought that had nothing 70 With
the ,axPGsitiSn; that :. the order had be, n
and wh
The same, from, the French Government that
the Win sSs sd without
the Exposition that did not receive it until
remarks Of the same s ns.n9e ana many other
knowing full weil the source from which these
proofs had al eady been publ had up to this
time considered i unnecessary to make any denial
are still and
feel i duty to myself and to the inter- Of the
S Arm Of gh'ch am member to axe positive
written and published for the sole purpose of giving
opinion OF the American public; and in making
this denial beg leave to call attention to the fol-
never, in any way either directly or indirectly.
sonal or otherwise to obtain this high distraction
June 30, 1851, and received by me on the lat of
July. Its connection with the Off CT al awards of
the Exposition can be understood from the follow
ing extract from the official organ of the French
Empire, lie Moniteur, of July 2, 1871, which in the
list OF awards, under the head Of ''Chevsliers of
that of Monsieur Chfckering Factor de Piano,
Exposant," aid its relative value can be seen from
the following extract of the report of Mons Rou.
her French Minister of State, aid Vice President
of the Im perial Comm ission, read before the EN-
peror and the public at the distribution of awards
on the lst Of July
Thanks to an activity which has surmounted
all obstacles, the decisions demanded for the Jury
for the first of July all rendered, and the re-
suit can be proclaimed to-day before your Males
ty. The Jury has distributed to the exhibitors g.
grand prizes, sS3 gold medals, 1888 silver medals
80. bronze medals 8 Sol honorable mentions.
The present solemnity is rowned by the proc
lamatioD of still higher awards
Your Majesty has designed to award to the
most eminent Of the exhibitors of tins pacific str r.
The Imperial Cross of the Legion of Honor ~
IL may be that the friends and CORRESPONDENTS
W Wi te in the interests of other exhibitors who
OLD not receive this award know more of the vaiue
OF the different recompenses than do those who &C
cupy high positions in the management and gov
eminent of the Exposition. bat while have the
power to base my claims upon facts and proofs 50
well founded as the going extracts shall CON
tlnue TO claim and announce. as have already
done that the Cross of the Legion of Honor is the
highest Award awarded by the Exposition
Universelle." and that Chickering Sons are the
only Competing Exhibitors of Pianos who have re-
ceived the double ecompense of the Gross of the
Legion Of Honor" and First Gold Medal
N ID