The Delaware ledger. (Newark, Del.) 1879-19??, 1884-09-13


together there are nine or ten coats of
varnish OF polish applied"
The next floor was reached.
"These men are building up the
cases." said the guide They are held
together by wooden clamps, and when
finished are taken apart, numbered and
sent upstairs to be polished. That man
is veneering. A thin, paper-like sheet
of rosewood is glued to that inch thick
piece of white wood. and both are then
subject to enormous pressure at high
temperature. The glue pours out at
the sides, and the veneer is almost part
of the humber wood 1t masks. 1t will
never blister or crack. That eddy
shaped piece of iron is the frame. We
do not cast those ourselves. as it would
not pay. In that little room are the
regulators, who, after the piano is made
tone it by carefully Tightening or loos-
ening the strings. The regulator is the
highest paid workman in the factory. 1t
takes him little oyer day to tone a
piano if he is working by time. If he
is piece-working he gets 1t done within
the day. Before coming TO him, how
ever, the instrument passes through
many hands, for each man has his
own line, and meyer departs from it.
There are key-makers, hammer-makers,
hammer-leatherers, stringers, case-ma-
kers and finishers, oundboard-makers
and so on. The keys are made as a
rule outside the factory, as it would not
be worth the while to have the neces-
sary machinery for ivory working"
Floor after floor was visited, until
finally the packing room was reached,
and after that the wareroom, where
rows of shining instruments stood, each
carefully c4vered to protect it from the
dust. "There, sir" said the guide,
'that is where piano finds its way six
months or so after its manufacture is
begun"
"Whatis the average prics of a pia.
nor"
"Well, that's difficult question to
answer. You can buy piano at retail
for 500, or rather what for want of a
better name is called piano. You can
think yourself lucky if you get one for
$500 as special favor from the manu-
facturer. Our instruments sell for $500
but to you L would put it in at 5000
cash." The courteous offer was de-
clined, but mentioned with appreciation
subsequently to a man who has been
connected with the piano trade. His
scorn was immense.
"Why, come to me-" said he, "and l
will get you the same piano for $3.50 OH
easy terms. There is more nonsense
talked in that business than in any
other l have ever heard of. The cash
price of piano to any one who is IN
any way connected with the business Is
invariably fifty per cent. lower than the
catalogue price. Now III just give
yon few figures to show that the man.
ufacture is not 50 costly an affair after
all. Mind you, too, | am speaking of
first class instruments. Wages vary
from Sl2 to $50 week, Or in the case
of good regulator to S35. Lumber is
dear, but there is not very much after
all in a piano. White wood costs from
$50 to $50 l 900 feet. The best spruce
taken from the sunny side of the tree
for sounding boards is S45 a 1000 feet,
A set of keys costs about SIT ready for
use. The castings necessary come to
about S12. The strings-say about
thirty covered strings-are So. so. Cases,
when made by the piece, as is generally
the case, are put in at about 1920 a
dozen for the very best, though they
are often contracted for in good shops
at about $3.50 dozen. Altogether the
average price of lirst-class instrument
to the manufacturer is about $3.50 al
told, which leaves fair margin of pro-
bit for agents and retailers when the
customer pays his $500 or 81, 600 for it.
Yet piano manufacturers do not make
fortunes rapidly. There is immense
competition, cheap instruments are got
up which sell for $3.50, and are not
worth so many cents. A large capital
has to be invested, about $1,000 for
each piano turned out each week, and
sales even in good years are slow COM
pared with the stock that must be kept
ON hand. Altogether the life of piano
manufacturer is not happy one, but
all the same when they tell you of the
enormou3cOst of making pianos sprinkle
afew grams of salt over the statement. :"