, 1875-11-14
CHEERYBlE BROTHERS.
Their Legitimate Successors OF
To-day.
The History Of an Ancient and Honor
able House.
The American Piano and Its
Modern History.
JONAS Chickering's First Effort, and Its
Enormous Consequences in 1876.


Correspondence Of The CHICAGO Tribune.
New YORK. Nov. l1.-When Jonas Chickeripg
atrode into Boston Town. with go in his pocket.
what was the American Piano but an nndevelop-
ed parcel OF wires? Benjanin Crehore put the
first native instrument together, and for reaIs
had no rival in the mixing or the selling of those
rickety creatures. And here lot me note that
the strumming OF hundred years ago VAS in
hicted upon an ancestry which to-daya Parlor
Grand might DO paIdoped for 1epudiating.
Such spindle shanked caaes Such ahaky, trem-
ulous t!pey, frames! Sucn sneaking, hesitatlng,
shrinking touest
When Crehore was in his prime, Hnndel's
harpsichord had scarcely done vibrating the 'aet
chords Of his 'iess:ah and his - MaccabEus." /"
A tinaliug, twanging tun. ti-t tuul. TIT. pinch
ed oct of 4 boxful Of thin wires ty some hun
died bits Of quill, very much ns tho modern
banio-player "picks his lunes was the parlor
music of that day. The infant piano Wa, 4
fragile toy, 4 cunning piece OF loinery.
to keep in and treat with the cautious respect
one readets to 1nueical snuf-box. Foyarty Of Tone
lack Of ower nscnsbiIty to touch, want Of sympathy
these few Of the American pianos character
istiss one hnn1red years ago.
~. s.t -. -,;.'. o1' r,- ~
vonno ,nd re.+ric,ad IN ,y1h mi ,nnra th,n
three Americans then engaged. From Mason, n.
f., he trdged Into Boston, m easaly enough 70 lad
meagre employment in the shop Of Ill EngIsaman.
All that he knew Of the instrument the result OF
experimental restoration Of rery antique piano
belonging to lady who used to gracfousiy drum 1t
- ,. ..,.a,1 - - tna h.i.ht ,onv f,;,cL.r;,r n
..,...., -, s.. Ill
-. 49,. ..S.nt a .,,. uo,.+ +bo
1.;a,. .o,,n- cn,aHa.,.,, ~. +traa ,,s ,nd thafr
,.lc,, ~ 49,, tr,;t.t.- ~. ,,,;o.a n,d fos+orAa
49,. =. - 49, .,so,,
tata rh.+ s.a.,s ~ ~ 1a..t 49, c,n.n+a1o.ta
ea,s.s <tl.s "N.s| ~ IT, 1870 ~a.s.o,to1
u-.t ,en, ~. :. IT, r. - 40 1T, ,r,, ha.3.5
,,a +i11 <o,dir ~, i'm; t,,n,a mt h;s 1r - j,etr,,
s,t 49,, r .,,;-+ go. ,ftar+r,-a ,>o,a ~ h,y iour
rsr,e vowed ,,ore a,,i,o-,,v in tha factory w,cb
,r,o, .r,., -. .o,r. .,a av,, th., ;.,ood beh;na
49, .ar,., ..,r+h ~ hi. h,.;nos. u.d'aa IN ~
c,nter 1yss md Tho c;tv ho antcra1 AZ frien,,6ss
Id ,,ou,7,a5 bj,, INV 1ost ha,af.+or aa1t.,nada
.,, ,,ora ~, ~ r,sa,a al novar earsd and attror1ed
{dpr f;ar,da,;n or 1aft dsarer reoret than Jonas
chicta,1nn IA f,nra roorr ~, s e1,atjc oenaroa;sv
~ .,s~ o.a .r,,,,z ,o- .rotc, f,;;na in b5a an.
,s,1 n ia ,,t,on,es NJ noaton critics d;scoxorea
,o,,r ,o,,,,,.,+j,r =, +bn av,n,+hr ~ this R,eton
$1,000. .vd ,b;1.ntbron,t A1fr 1on.a nb,5
. fsn.v roxv and then fnr fnstanca tn dron in At
son. concert era me necessities ot the artist were
,rn,df1,r mt ~ ,ronort,on IN tha tb;nnass RI TIM
-. +s.. aaa.a;aa, !. IT,, roa.. n ,r,,,1d 10
auolence" IN eueae oecaaaoa7 'Af* JULES "ou'o ~
brisk buHiness in consolahon-mnra than once pok-
fpg $3.50 checl through the Tre4suTers pgeon-hole'
n.fra hs d,ai ronrs t.bjcker;nv a,van,ed tn. still
~ --o y. 80 -. ~. h.,o,5
unoeseiopeu A1nelac@a t'a1o ~ Aess' ~" o1~ oeso4'
tbs competition Of European manufacturers.
Up to the hour Of his discovery, the frame OF every
n;ano In the world WIS of wood-the uncertain work
r. T., e,a, ,,s,,,,,o,, ,oo,,., - ~
u 1olle1' sA1oiAak ~ eAeA 41etA A1'eAt "eo ~ ~
wrenched and weakened by tbs tremendous tension of
the str1ues aud det1acting FROM instead Of contrib
rtfno tn tha rowar .,d .onoritv IT the instrunsnt
so..o,,..;an,a, ~ r;,,o hr ,t.n ,,a
eneAesne t''''"''oo ~ lno =, 1.e A. 80
frame-the skeleton upon which the wires afe strung
Ike nerves-of iron. He cGst It in single pece, and
n, instantly ott.ined-
~ c.....
" oden1n'
~ Volume Of sound
{a) Uniformity.
IL, Rfsonance
~ 7o.1 49, a.e4 ....,,., ,,.,o n....,s H.. o.+o,-
IL 1o'- 'ao nto' Au'oRsNn p'ano 3eaenoo 'oe as'on
islsl scrutiny OF European connoisseurs. Hitherto
nothing had been expected Of America but steam
engines, So said Zimmerman when Go:tschalk played
i; psra md a, hartavaa rb.1,,aro ,rb.r ha bro,,h+
IN esss' anu 20 pe'eseo inaoeisn "nen ns osoasus
out w1sn MIN tne tnfee cumbersome Er1rde, which
afterH1rd found snug Tarehousfn9 in Chickering'S
factory whf1e Boston ptano kent company WITH the