New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-07-01
cxsARs LOGS NOT Used FoR PIANOS.

SOME TALK ABOUT soUSDING-BoARDs AND THE
BRIDGE OVER THE RHINE.
A TRIBUNE representative called on one OF
the leading piano manufacturers the city few days
AGO and found that whltehaired worthy in his Office
chucklng himself and apparently enjoying the con-
tents OF a Hartford paper which he was peruslng.
What nonsense clever mentor suppose all news
napcr men are oever-oau write at tines" was his
aalutaton Now Just listen 10 this which find printed
as an extract from German paper the title OF which
IS judcously withheld" and lac read about IA follows
piano firm Berlin boash, Tho oaten piles which
Which are aid 10 be The original of tho bridge which
JULIUS CRsar constructed.
And then the silly fellow goes TO shy that worm
eaten and decayed logs make the best sounding
boards for pianos and that within a few years plano
firms have sent agents through Connecticut TO find fallen
and partly decaycd chestnut logs aud such timber has
been sold good prices Did you ever hear the Ike
Why the sounding board OF piano has IN the fret place
to ne ma de out soft wood such spruce in the next
has to be 80 sound that the surface is like satin, ana IN
the last would be- utterly useless there suspicion
even of a worm-bole. So you sec OF now much value
Mr. Ce-ar's oaken logs would l. piano sounding
boards.
IAN the woods used in the manu- reofthese boxes
OF music you In my wareeoOm have To be as
thoroughly seasoned the odestoper IN the city ofNew-
York Now yorSnow tina, Wteelwiights very often sink
their wood at bottom Of running stream and leave
II there for months at time. When 10 taken out and
dried found that all the sap and natural juices OF the
wood have been washed out and the water Il very
soon evaporated warpng becomes matter Of niposs-
bty Perhaps Il was vague idea OF that sort that
caused the scribe the German paper 10 Imagine
that soaking Of nineteen centuries IN the Rhine would
make the wood nearly perfect for piano manufacturing
purposes"
what about the Connecticut chestnut treesi"
guess that's meant Joke. To tell yon the honest
truth we do use a little chestnut wood which though
well seasoned Is rather worm-eaten. but that Is because
WE get IL very cheap We for the bottom boards,
which are aue out sight and only used to prevent
the entrance OF the body OF the instrument
once tried 10 veneer wood OF that description but
found that I'm short time the position OF each minute
hole WAS PLAINLY dscernbe the surface Of the veneer
when the light fell GA H. But Lne thhg you iny oo
Of and that Is that n any Que oncrs you soc NC
out OF the by Teselliug them To plano manufacturer
We've plenty Of dead wood In the trade without waning
any OF that sor'. A., ,,., -, Tho
manufacture generally, ana the reporter learned tna
paDo passes through about dozen hands IN Ola
Toned shops and through thirty or forty IN me monster
uspts a week are turned out He also learned that lnc
wages paid HOrkmen fromTl 10 $50 hweek tnt
the CHEST paid mechanic Il the tone aYuste Wmo
cot. from S31 10 200 and whose works most encatc UNI
chit and important That kit F." OF tools sometimes
costs much $50. but only when TIC owier ~
prof rient In several branches Thht the naloriy u
ihose employed are Germans Danes or swedes, naive
horn Americans being AT discount ~ tney WIZ 10.
work for the OF the foreigners are satisfied
WITH and besides. as rule have not etneu ,h nh
20 thoroughly. That the present system OF Tue SUI
division OF labor renders those VINO nave learned ne
trade at shop useless at another In case OF ske
Many other curious facts IA cataogner would say .oo
norfer took his leave feeling that he knew H ABOUT
pianO-cIcept how 10 play ON IT,