The New York herald., 1876-07-16


through not having sought or obtained The acquant
ance oi the judges or from some other cause fail TO
obtain prizes.
THE PrANoFoRrE AWARDS
Although there ale murmurinss among exhibitors in
the sewing machine furniture and leather departments
and discomfort among manufacturers OF agricultural
implements and textile fabrics, the most pronounced
rumors are atoat about the man@uvring tor the
much time to verify all o. thoso stories. but
II only onc-haf Of what 10 charged suscep
tble Of prooi-and my own Investigations satisfy
of the truth OF some Of hcmihree ut least oil the
judges OF group 20 ought TO be dlsgracciuly removed
and consigned to the obioquy which attaches TO those
who abuse public trusts imposed Ia them and who
seek pecunary profit at the expense OF honor
After the judges were appointed they were divided
sccIops when by so doing the work OF examina-
ton could be faciiitaedl Group 25, including in
srumenis OF precision reseatch &c., Is composed OF
SIX Americans and live foreigners, with sir William
Thomson, oil Great Britain, as chairman. -Four mem-
bers were authorized to examine and report upon
musical instruments viz General III. X Oliver, OF
Boston; George +. Bristow, OF New York, and Julius
schleGmayer and p. +. Kupka, of Germany.
THE RULING SPIRIT
OF this group Of judges who to decide upon the
pianos entered for competition, julius Schiedmaycr
OF stuttgart, Germany. He was member OF the jury
AT PARIS and Vienna and account OF certain raDsac
tons at both exhibitions is declared 10 be- by reputa
bic gentlemen IN the piano trade, an utterly unit per-
10 serve IN such capacity He Is, IN the rs place.
piano maker himself. whose pianos the Exhibition,
not Tor competition OF course that being against the
rules, but 10 receive, as they doubtless WILL comp
menlary medal. schledmayer's pianos are said to 90
copied alter the Sienways. They are declared to be
made after scale furnished by the Seinways and
like them IN many respects, only, IL Is alleged not
nearly good instruments In the second place,
schicdmayer's business relations with the Stehways
declared TO be OF peculiarly close nature as to
unit him to be "A member OF the jury, however honest
his motives may be He is SAID To be their private
agent In Europe and is openly spoken OF as ''the
stciuways man" on the jury. AS the an-
nouncement was made that Mr.. Schicdmayer was TO
act dissatisfaction was prevalent among many piano
org uiaciurers because was believed that
he rcjudced, to no stronger word In iavor
G the Instruments OF the American nrm that he could
not and would not be just toward the Others These
instruments were exhibition ut Paris and at Vienna,
and both places he the jury which awarded
them prizes II is believed by many that his appoint
at Philadelphia procured manly Tor the pur-
pose o taking advantage OF his preferences and to ren
der more certain favorable report ior the same
pianos.
Mr.. IL. W. Gray, President of the Schumacher Piano
forte Company, OF tins city, we'll convinced OF
the imposs.bny OF obtaining lar judgment upon
his pianos that he entered protest about weeks
ago ana asked of the Executive Committee of the
tonnal Commission permission to withdra. his instru-
ments from competition, mentioning no names and
charging one individually, but merely stating that
Information had come TO HIM OF reasons why OF
the judges might not be impartial The Executive
Committee refused permission to withdraw the schu-
machcr pianos and have never summoned Ar. Gray
before them to permit HIM to establish the truth OF
what he charges, and moro too, as he Is ready and
anxious to do at any time
Nor is this solitary other pianO0re makers
complain OF the improper formation Ot this group OF
judges, and me OF them ike the Esey Cottage Organ
Company, have refused to allow their Instruments to
be entered AT ALL despairing of far judgment Tie
Chickering's make an exhibit, but they are disgusled
with the character OF the judges, their agent this
city tells A long story might be written concern
ing The OF the Chickering'S at Vienna with
ScL,cdmuyer and others The curious in this matter are
referred a pamphlet the Chickering'S have recently
published, emitted "A Plain Statement OF Facts, &c
TRIAL OF THE PIANoPoRrEs
The testing OF the pianoiortes exhibition took
place about a month ago, anu since thcn reports have
been rlc to tho unbeconing conduct OF three OF the
four judges in this group ALL in ac except General
Onver, a good natured old gentleman from Boston,
Mass
The instruments numbering about ninety, and from
factories of forty different makers placed in
the Judges Hall to be tested All who should kGow
agreed that fine display OF pmnos together was
never before While the four judges, with closed
doors, practising upon and examining the nstru
ments, a congress OF piano makers was assembled
outside They nervous aud uneasy too anxious
TO Indulge in Jokes and curious miss sound
from within Tho trial lasted week, and the piano
makers continued their daily conclaves until the end
They by every means to gam ntmations as 10
the opinions OF the judges, but the injunction OF
secrecy which went hand IN hand with the tests
apparently at that time observed, and no
wiser. When the nation tho pianos
were back TO their pavilons in the Main Building
and those who were interested awaited the result
Up to this time no serious objection was made to the
frequent
RIpEs AND DINNERS,
which three OF the judges and many piano
makers partoii acd; but when the trial over aud
these meetings became more frequent those makers
who not permitted TO ENJOY the confidence and
the delightful society OF the judges commenced In
plain They were fearful lest the judges would tell
what their reports be- and shrewd
as to suggest that perhaps some OF them In wow OF
certain pccuniary considerations, might be more favor
able than the merits OF The instruments would justify
Mr. kupka then in Tor his share oil blame. and
those VINO had watched ms movements closest said
that they would sooner tru Mr. Schedmaycr than
him. THIS feeling OF doubt rendered all the
stronger when 1t was reported that Mr. Kupka had
been charged with the grosscst corruption in
ton with the sewing nachinoawards at Vienna
did not escape the general smirching and whether he
deserved 1t or not he was openly proclaimed as acting
in the sole interest OF one New York maker, whose
he prepared 10 advance ut any hazard
The published advertisements OF this New York piano
maker in which representation OF hts showrooms
gwen, actually contain iuli length portrait OF Mr.
Brslow 1.-The judge, leaning IN picturesque attitude
against piano placed conspicuousy IN the ore.round
SOMETHING INTERESTING ABOUT THE REPORTS.
The reports were finished and handed into the iull
group OF judges TWO weeks ago, who, placing implicit
confidence the work OF tho lour members who made
the tests, passed upon and confirmed them they
writtcs Tho reports wcrc then sent to General
Walker chief ot the Bureau oi AWARDS, and viii be by
HIM turned over to the Executive Committee of the
Commission who will adjudgc the medals or refuse
them, they may think best. II - in the power OF
the Executive COMMITTEE to revise the reports OF the
judges to throw them out altogether, whenever they
may become convinced that they not based upon
merit These reports are supposed To be inviolabie;
but owing to the leaky character OF some oil the
judges, IL is common enough 10 hear exhibitors and
Others say that they know exactly who will receive
medals aud who will not. One OF the judges is said
to have handed c the widow OF the Secretarvs
ollce IN Judges Hail to a New York piano maker the
repor, upon his pianos This person alleged
made alterations IN the document to suit him.
sell anu to have returned 1t 10 the Office where II
placed again on file with the orgeries N 1t.
IL Is asserted tIat Mr. Brstow bavng cen charged
with making public some OF the reports humbly
pleaded guilty before the whole group OF which he is a
member ana ackuoI lodged that he had done wrong.
But Mr.. Schiodmsyer aud Mr.. kupka have yet
been officially called account for their indscrctons
Ii boldly charged that three OF the judges have acted
the beginning in the interests OF certain makers
would have gwen the awards TO them exclusively
had they feared hat their acton would not bear
investigation. In order TO save themselves and lore
stai any inquiry they have written, IL is alleged
number OF reports hoping by numerous awards to
appease the dissatisfaction that prevails only two
three the reports together with the accompanying
medals, will Lc OF any value Tor these specify the
highest excellence aud the remainder are cki,d with
the praise OF medocrity Some OF the best makers
the country placed low down in the scale and II
significant OF the best, who IL also among the
lowest, stated before the reports were made that his
instruments were entered their merits anu that he
had money pay tor all award IL might be well
to inquire what price, II any, has iccn paid but prob
ably the judges would hesitate about giving the nor-
NATION.