Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1876-11-25
Centennial Awards.


The newspapers have been lately teeming
with ingeniously worded advertisements re.
garding the awards. These publications have
been ekillfully prepared, no az to convey the
impression that this or that exh bitor has real
ly received the highest and best award. Thus,
instead OF informing the public as to the true
state Of affairs, they have simply confused the
reader Visitors at the Centennial lind them
selves bewildered by tho adverse elaine to
distinction which they find placsrded on every
hand. snd they do not know which way to turn
to discover the truth. In no department. has
this system Of msrepresenl alton been carried
to so great an extent as that devoted to piano
fOrtes. There has bsen "a war" between
piano exhibitors since the Exhibition opened,
and a regular skirmish line of pacards since
the awards were officially announced. They
have We'd with each other in the use of OK
trsvsgant language to prove he,r respective
claims to distinction. The most ingenious
methods have been devised; disinterested
correspondents, whose sole object was to in
struct the Ignorant public, have volunteered
their services (for consideration); ex-judges
OF awards, in the interest OF cortsin pisno
manufacturers have made pretended revela-
tions Of the secrets of the jnIy room, sfor the
sake OF supporting the claims OF their particu-
ier favnrites, and 'i"hsn'ng c+lcuators have
Deeu appealed to and have found convenient
Mathematical rules by which to establish
absolutely the supremacy Of their clients. Oh
the pretense OF the 80 much abused maxim
that figures cannot lie. All these efforts,
while ridiculous to those acquainted with the
subject, have been attempted to influence the
uninitiated. In fact, the piaro men have left
nothing undone to mislead the public, and by
their efforts have caused everything relating
to pianos to be looked upon With distrust, and
have made themselves the laughing stock of
the public. BY these means injustice Ia not
only done to the public, but to those who are
not only entitled to the leading position, but
who were awarded it by the judges. Your
correspondent has taken the trouble to submit
all the various reports. which are the basis Of
the awards, to careful scrutiny and compari-
son, and the result is that the pianos Of VIM.
knabe Co. are found to head the list
This house, from the commencement of the
Exhibition, relied solely upon the merits OF
their instruments to secure them just award;
and since the official announcement, although
they we're decreed tho highest honors in the
Piano department, they have modestIy re-
maiued in the background. 1t is fortunate
that the judges, in preparing the Knabe re-
port, 30 framed it as to leave no doubt about
their pre-eminence. They especially com.
mended all their four styles of pianos (concert
grand, psrlor grand, square and uprigLts),
and acc"roed them the praise Of unequaled
excellence in all the details of perfect insiru-
ments. The report is plain, straightforward
and comprehensive, specifying all the ele-
ments of merit which it is possible for the
best pianoforte to possess--power richness
and singing quality OF tone ease and elasticity
OF touch effectiveness Of action solidity and
originality Of construction, and excellence of
workmanship. By comparing it with the other
reports in the same department. even the
most skeptical will acknowledge that no
stronger language could have been used to
express the unanimous approval Of the judges. |
PHILADELPHIA, Nov. II, 1876.