Bozeman avant courier. [volume] (Bozeman, Mont.) 1872-1882, 1879-10-02

means were less than one dollar,
they Immediately sought and found wo
one ut his trade piano maker at s.
week, The other as. ;ngraver. For th
years Alfred Dodge, the younger OF P,
If TWO, worked steadily with Messrs. Ste
e way as a journeyman. ard then he Diet
q hhhed to go into business on his own :
II count as Il dealer in piano materials.
) had little capital and was not twenty-o
# years Old. But he had pluck and industr
: Understanding the business, he concluded
t manufacture piano lettings instead of i,
A porting. and he opened a small worksht
. In brooklyn. associating his elder broth
: with him. Success followed, and he HI
seen his lettings take the first prize at IL
Worlds Far in Vienna. Paris. and Phil
delphia. The fel:ings are made chief
from Sclcsian wool, though certain brant
OF Australian and Cape Town are use(
and such is the demand tor them that I'll
agents in New York have ceased to solic
orders. Cf course this has not been eas
OF accomplishments. fur. even in this coun
try, there was a feeling that nothing bu
European goods were fit to use; but nov
the best piano-makers of London. Pari
and Leips!c lin which the three other fel
manufacturers are locatcD send to Brock
ett,s Bridge for their supplies.
When the exposition was hellat Vienna
Mr. Dodge arrived there in July only tc
find that. through the incapacity of the
United States officials, his boxes were still
unpacked. The jury in Piano materials
mad already made their award, but Mr.,
Dodge, tlnda'nted, challenged their attcn.
tor, brought his goods before them. and
by practical experiments demonstrated
Their superiority. Finally the gold metal
was Unanimously awarded him. t,ouph
there was not an American on the i,rv
Irlnmphsat Paris and Philadelpia followed
as 4 matter Of course,
Up to 1879 piano makers manufactured
their own sounding boards. But at that
time Mr. Dodge began their construction.
'hd now supplies all the leading piano
makers Of the United States. and exports
hese sounding boards to England. Italy.
iermany. Norway, etc. a thousand were
iiipped to London, July 9th, and the tor
IGN agents have received directions to
AXE no more orders until March 1880. A
ifSe portion of the new building will be
evoted to this biai;cll, the spruce logs be-
1S sawed into planks in the basement and |
hence carried through every process until
eady for shipment. In conjunt,lre witt,
Ills. the manufacture of piano neuldnps
III be carried on. the facilities for caryino
eng greater than in any other factory in
ie United States.
Perhaps Tie tho't which m1st have often
:cuired to he visitors WAS that al this
al been accomplished during the four
'ars OF sever~st depression the country
Is ever known. 1t was in 1875 that Mr.. :
oIsc made his purchase of the old tannery
Brockctt's Bridge, with its immense wa
privilege 600 horse power), and deter ,
lhed to launch his little bark on aruer :
aters. Ills best friends tried to persuade ;,
m from the venture, but as he expressed !;
he had faith in the country and its fu- :
re. Now the buildings have 'front.' =
OF 4Fo feet. with a height of three and
III stories. Mr. Dodge has S22O, 900 in
''ed IN the property and gives employ "
mt to loo laboers. nearly all of whom II
American. and all of whom are of the o
'hest type OF intelligent working people. j
e success OF these new Industries has g
nsformed once deserted village into a III
'sperons hamlet. and though the village e'
light miles distant from the railway STA RI
at Little Falls. it is attracting many Il
Itors. The Brockett's Bridge people OF
ut to their work with pride as living al
of that even in the hardest times pluck az
brains Can force their way to fortune. de
of'neriy the makers of English pianos ve
opcd the spruce lumber from this coun- s'l
TO make their own sounding boards oe
dealer constructing his own. When 10
vas first proposed to send them the l;''
lpleted sounding boards the English W.
hugiIed a. the idea, and when Mr..
no Dodge arrived in London three
IS ago, he found his agents over r,
lined by this ridicule and so discour-
that they had not taken a single Or
1t looked dark. so bitter was the {
udice against the Yankee idea. "Why col
Ill nonsense" said one leading London ne.
ufacturer; you might as well send da,
.ir pianos from America already made, Eli
know" But Mr.. Dodge stuck to his Lii
. got him to see the boards and test ton
|, and finally took his order for 500 ed
ding boards. and then every promi- the
dealer in London followed suit. noe
riean ingenuity had saved them time, maj
Die. and eXper Sc, and the success that mai
rowIied these industries will follow ire
$ Il our capitalists will only make the poll
Ire. At least this was the moral of tain
celebration and speeches.-Scientifc be !
'ea"' august 9'h. pers