The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-09-06
uALES PIANOFORTE TRADE.
NOW WORTHLESS INSTRUMENTS ARE
sOLD 10 UNViRY BUYERS.
The Names Of Noness Manufacturers Stolen
and Imitated-Wbat Some Leading Men In
the IIuslness shy of The Suns ~ POsmre.

Tho Names ot Honess Manufacturers stolen
and Inflated What Some Leading Men In
the Business shy of The suns Exposure.
The revelations concerning the peculiar
business Of Joseph 7. Hale. which have come
out in connection with the accounts of the burn
ing OF his pianofortc factory are rccoiVcd WIN
expressions Of hearty satisfaction. and their
truth ns presented by THE Sun. finds unpuali-
Hed endorsement Over n year ago the Music
Trade Rerie,r of this city made nm effort 10 cx-
pose this bogus pianoiorte" business. but as
it's influence was by its character M class pa
per necessarily confined to the trade and to
professional musicians 1t achieved but little II
anything, in restraining the trufic In shams.
the major portion " which WIS carried on In
remote parts OF the country, to which its re-
monstrances failed to penetrate.
In 1862, the bogus pianoforte trade car |
rcd on with such holiness that the asual names |
OF leading manufacturers were fraudulcntly |
stcncillcd on the fronts Of worthless ins,ru- |
ments that were sold in great numbers in the |
West. That. however. was stopped. and there
after the trickstcrs rcsortcd TO the device OF
adopting names very much like those OF real
individuals and firms Of established reputation.
Whatever might he the moral wckcdncss Of this |
procedure it does not appear that 1t had any
legal handle which might easily be laid hold Of
by the aggrievcd honest manufacturers The
dealer in bogus generally managed to have
anominal authority from some person whose
name he used. and 10y that loopholc escaped tho
laws vengeance. In This way Joseph T. lialc'
according To his own admissions in March lnSt,
got from some man named Stanley the riEht
to Ssm @"pq s@nay ons whSn r was ' as
is reported. very successfully pushed IN
reputation of Stcnway 4 Sons instruments, lis
stencillcd front in old English letter.; being us
close an imitation of that oi the real firm az is
component letters would prrmit-sO good NJ
doed nS to require close looking by one IAN o -
ence. The firm Of Chickrrng & Sons bird
trouble years ago with jacob Chckrrn- VINO
went to Boston. and was used Tor nearly dvlcn
years ~ the igurrhchd oil hrh nlnklnE very
poor "Chickering instruments The courts
sustanedhis right L. call ms rattlc huNeI ,hlrK-
ering pianofortes since that was his real nam".
The courts would also have sustained the claim
who had his name changed to Chickering in
order To flood the market with bogus Chieecrlng
pianofortes. hut. fortunate ~, the Legislature,
being informed Of his little game. rcScindcd ia
action and nut his nnme back 10 what II was
Cases are not wanting however. IN which tho
names used are manii, silly frauds. in ONE in
stances being not those OF individuals, hut
close approximations to patented titles oi good
reputc Thus there j. bogus "Arion piano:
forte in the stencilled name on the front oil
%nish tne Word At,n ih p riinni
off. as 70 eyado the law The iull list OF the
names used MS covers for these instruments. Tor
the purpose OF doceiving the public into the be
lief that they were manuaoturcd 10y some lead
ing and well-known makers is us follows:
seinniaS sons
s ssnnSy Ga Som. Tor s,eiuway a SOMA
shunway 4 SOM.
ibssRRM"G inrS.P''
p pSss 9,t; ''' D''A'' BIOS
Sl pS,sSer }
Weber 4 Co. for Weber t,lbcr, Weber,.
Kcnahe for Knabc WIN Knabc a Co)
Knabc Sco.
Stack 4 tu.l
sirik 90. FER Geo sieck&cc.
h hsfn. p pro- for Haine. Bros
Anon franc sew York. for ratcn, Aron New York
EE.yc@ =. Sior Bacon 4 Kari
Hs,s,gsn b., h,s' ;'or na1cl,on Bros
r." r ra"6 p1nham for Durham Durham sons
il is also ayerrcd that pianos bearing the
names OF Chirkcring 4 Sons Chickering &
Co J. Chickcrngf and Chickering's Pat
ent" have been wendell. but these are not in,
GUIDED IN the foregoing. lst. Tor the reason that
Mr.. G +. ChickerIng says that he never saw. nor
has any positive information OF any sun IN
strument-. Doubts are thrown upon the ali.
scncc OF right in the claim of persons named
IL really belongs To- them, although thoy do not
belong to Tho iirm that has made the rrnutai on
ever i too involved a question. and TOO broai a
one. to 20 into IN this connection. Tn" evil If
these bogus instruments became 50 great that
the LEADING manuii Hnrfrs "i ana dealers IN
ize an a-so, citation e. crush Gut IN" frauds. /"
this end thy held a me.'inE II which H. was
the movement was manly dirr, t.dI,wlT hk'
joey Bagsi"Gk, sly. dcNIsh sly ne NAM
his influence. ami got himself cle tod President
and A. Wehrr, Secretary. The orisnniors
they recovered from their temporary democrat
ization., promptly withdrew from that associa-
ton and founded another into which they took
care Mr.. Hale should not plant his foot The
first thing the solid society did was 70 procure
in conjunction with other business houses. tho
Of trade marks. The first man to register un-
pianoforte stencil he registered was STANLEY x
Sons" No wonder they say he IS smart ~
ing advantage Of the new laws provisimrs
Hac's agents were very energetic. They sold
pianofor,s as far away as, savannah Ga. as
sufficiently accommodating to ohrr-from the
same fact'ry--a choice between any instruments
whose makers names customers might prefer.
In different places different limitations Of names
were chose9io suit rublic ,a.t" Thus n De-
Vo G in All Of Mr. Haics large as-drtm TIM
while in Texas; tho random name Of Cham,
did as well ~ any.
Ii should bc clcnrly understood that this " ho-
gus business includes more than the mcrr in
WhieR it ., siycs EIth may lie dividSd into
mate nearly 10 those Of reputable makers
second names Of local dealers either falsely
made cxprcssly ior' attacHed thcrcto and
third, those that concealed worthessnes, under
fanciful and seductive names. Of which class
may be cited the following Empire, Fifth Ave,
nue.. Gem. AlendelsSsohli, Tlalbcrg, Grand
Union, Great Union. New York Piano Company
q. +. LigAtr ~ Co.. Steiner 4 Co.. Bradbury ~
Co., Haden, Philip Phillips. Mannfa oturcrs who
take pride in the instr1ments they turn out
and who endeavor to build W II reputation ior
them on their merits. Will not make piano.
bearing any other name than their own. MOI
only on the front above the Keyboard Of oacl
planoiort" DO they display plainly their proper
titles, but they cause the heavy iron frames a.
bear in great letters either raised high or drrI-
Iy indcnted their individual or firm names
and in som" Instances even 20 50 Tar rs Ia put q
conspicuous TRADE mark on the sounding board
IA is the case in the Patent Ariou, Now York.
made by simpson a CO. But j, T. Hale turn
out thousands Of llan"iuIt"s.rl the frames o
which no names Whatever appear. others nuiuot
to order. and the richness Of his assortment o.
stencils enables him To- give grrnt'r variety 4
the fronts OF his Instruments than any othel
maker can hope 10 rival.
W. w. Fields. OF 100 Avenue C. used 10 en-
Halos stencils Mr.. Fields cuts stencils tp
nearly all the piano0rte makers 81 thocOunlry
and frankly MnmlLs lMMl ln Inns an mMmy -MM