The Red Cloud chief., 1877-10-18
Of efforts grew complacent as they

hundreds Of efforts grew complacent as they
contemplated each fresh accession TO the a.
ready swollen ranks, and waited patiently for
the death which almost inevitably followed
CLOSE Upon THE BIRTH.
And when the Mathushek piano came forward
modestly presenting its claims, it made hut
little stir. Tn re were sOme peculiarities
about IL that attracted a little attention, but
the very Improvements upon which its Ell
do sers most relied were condemned as eX-
periments, and the self-sstisied manufactur-
ers Of standard instruments waved the new
come away with many 8 Podsnappian flush,
and put il behind them as g thing unworthy 4
moments thought. But Observation-Disclosures
ed only a. they saw improvements in the
methods OF manufacture-looked upon the
Nathushek with curious eyes, and the more
thoughtful among them thought they saw in
the peculiarly OF arrangement the POSSIBLE
ties of a plan which, when perfected. would
materially change the whole system. and they
unanimously demanded q fair trial. II Wa ap-
parent that by crossing the strings, instead Of
running them all parallel great relief OF ten
sion was afforded the plate, and i IL was mani
fest that in the use OF the linear rather.thsn
the curved bridge the inventor had touched
the keynote OF ~piano-making. The only ques-
ton that arose was, will IL no d its tone and
volume.
In the construction Of a piano for the mar
ket, il is not difficult TO secure the tone and
volume sufficient 20 stand the superficial test
ordinarily applied by the purchaser, but the
| question Of stay is one that can only be de-
termined by hard use and time. By its oppo-
nents il was claimed that the Mathushek lack
ed this essential element Of "stay." They were |
forced 70 accept
THE JUDGMENT OF CRITICS
and admit that it presented every evidence OF
strength, and al the same time a purity Of tone |
TO which but few of it's competitors had at |
tanned, but they could safely say that il would
not last, and there could be no answer, for |
time enough had not elapsed since its debut TO |
show OF what things il was capable. But there
was one thing that looked fair, and that was |
the facility afforded by the manufacturer and
agents OF the instrument for q full inspection |
and their disposition 10 evoke criticism.
Among those who were called upon TO ex-
anime the piano was Mr.. Charles II. Davie.
DOW Of the Pullman Palace Car Compapy. and
a prominent and influential citizen OF Chicago. |
AT that time Mr.. Davie was largely Interested /
in organs, and was well known among must
clans for his excellence in musical mechanics. |
VI. DAVE does not give a very fiattering a.
count OF his early experience with the piano.
Il was invited" he SAYS, with Mr.. Ores
void, the organiSt, and others. 70 visit the
warerooms OF the company here in Chicago,
and carefully inspect the new departure and
give my opinion OF it. / think that was along
in 80, f6 or %. don't distinctly remember
the date, but / do remember that
WAS NOT FAvoRABLY IMPRESSED
with the Mathushek piano. tried one said
To have been III use for some little time, and |
found It 'tln-panny,' so 70 speak. There was all
absence OF volume and q want Of tone. and |
felt that 1t was not such an instrument as !
would care 10 have for use in nv own family. |
II looked strong enough, but IL was not round
and rich, as like d piano TO be, and | eX-
pressed fears az the time that unless great i'm
provement were made in the manufacture il
would never rise to the standard its owners
wanted 10 claim for it.
From this time on Mr. Davie lost sight of
the piano, and utterly forgot its existence. He
had tested il, was dissatisfied with it, and ma
turally dismissed ii from his mind. 1t was al
that his attention was again called TO il. He
was then in Davenport, Iowa, and was asked
by his agent there, Mr.. Wilkins, to step
around and look at the instrument, which he.
the agent, not knowing of Mr.. Davies former
experience, assured him was the finest vet put
upon the market.
You know ! don't want YOU to purchase"
said the agent, ''but / want your candid opin-
ion expressed 10 me privately. ! think il the
best piano ever saw, and l want your
views
If there were any prejudice at all in the
mind OF Mr.. Davie, il was against the instru-
ment. AS he remembered it, il amounted to
but little, still he concluded TO try it TO please
his friend.
~ was as delighted as ] was surprised"
says Mr.. Davie, relating the incident. '.In-
stead of the ancient tin pan ] had seen some
years before, | found a piano OF
EXQUISITE PURITY
of tone and rare volume. / PLAYED i, with
pleasure and could scarcely believe il TO be of
the same manufacture as that which 1 had
once condemned. There were Improvements
that raised il almost TO perfection, and | was
pleased TO see such an instrument upon the
market"
But does this tone last:' asked Mr.. Davie
Of the agent.
The latter shrugged his shoulders
You know DIR. Plummer, ST Rock Islandm
he inquired.
81 do; know him WELL" said Mr.. Davie.
Then ask him whether il will last. He has
had one for four years"
Readers OF the Tribune will remember the !
famous Russian concert troupe that passed
through the country in ISL. Their fame
spread broadcast through the country, and all
over the civilized world they were known as
one of the finest bands Of musicians that ever
crossed the ocean.
At the time Mr.. Davie speaks of. the troupe
was in Davenport, and while he was engaged
i'll conversation with the agent, a number of ,
the Russians entered the warerooms and one |
of thom sat down to one Of the pianos. !
The first touch he gave" continued Mr.. 7
lufN ali l. anu ulttTtu All tA- I
Of delight. As he played they con }
yersed together, and every one of them com }
pllmented the sweetness and volume of the 4;
They were surprised as well as :,
delighted, and as j watched them ! was salts /
that ii was a revelation to them in piano I
construction. 7
1--WE have ordered a Steinway for our con ;
tonight said one, and ] am sorry. for | :
prefer this one by far {
Il will send one w To the hall anv way"
said the agent, land you can use il or not as
you see fit" ,
The piano was sent and | whent 10 the con |
that night as much TO hear the trial be c
the two pianos as to hear the must I
clans. II was a pretty large-sized hall, and ! q
have seen $500 people there. The two pianos q
were on the stage, and the performers used
one and then the other with
CHARMING MPARTIALIrY. !
don't think that there was q doubt on the a
mind of a human being In that hall as TO
was the better instrument. In nv judg-
ment the Nathushek completely outshOwn the :,
S%teinway, and from what / heard ! am satifed II
hat all the rest believed il too. ! could U
scarcely realize that il was the piano | had 7
oOked at back in the COS and / made up nv I"
mind that il was the best piano then manu- y
'actured provided IL would hold its tone. II
Il straightway determined to INQUIRE into a
hat branch, and the next day ! went over TO u
Rock Island and saw DIR. Plummer. had 9
Known him for some time, and knew one Of his =
TO be an excellent musician. As the ~
agent told me, the doctor had q Mathushek. u
nd IL had haeO in constant usa IN, four u