The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1886-03-20
THE OLDEST PIANO.
An Interesting Relic in an Old Mansion
! I in the Ancient Town of Salem. b..

An Interesting Relic in an Old Mansion
in the Ancient Town of Salem. ..
For at least century and half the
town of Salem has stood, a .veritable
"old curiosity shop to the American
people. Its weird traditions took root
and domicile much. earlier, but were
not valued at par until time had given
the sure appreciation. 1t is doubtless
supposed at present that research has
obtained its final victory, and that ''old
Salem" is before the.public in complete
undress. -.s.t. D.. l--. -..E ~ ....
The present research leads into an
old Salem dwelling, not an ''ancient"
house, nor d structure yelled in any ro-
mantle mystery. but a genuine museum
of rare commercial trophies of the old
time trading ventures when Salem and
Salem ships were known wherever
Yankee enterprise could find wharf
a landing or market There may be
good many such houses in Salem. At
any rate this is one of them. On its
eXteriorit is a massive, unpretentious
old mansion, built so long ago that the
work was done 'pon honor,n and vet
not long enough in lang syne to admit
it into the category of ancient houses.
1t is not more than century old, and
century in Salem gives nothing
respectable age.
One ofthe most interesting articles in
the house, which is the old Rogers
home, is the old piano, which is quite
likely the Oldest musical instrument of
the kind in the United States, which is
now fit for use The Inventor of the
first American piano, which was
brought out in Salem according to more
than one. chronicler, would not have
cared to have the fact generally known
that he spent hour after hour at different
times studying the Rogers piano and
that he copied all of its essential points.
This venerable instrument is a surpris-
ing revelation to those who ponder on
the ''strides' made in the manufacture
of pano-fortes in this country. This
musical relic of Eye olden time is
pretty convincing bit of testimony to
the fact that there have been no aston
ishing improvements in pianos for a
hundred years. The essentials of the
modern splendid piano are all in that
old instrument, and its notes are still
surprisingly excellent. while the
action is almost marvel of mechan-
ical achievement, when the remoteness
of the production is taken into account.
The case is costly one, tillets of rare
inlaid work profusely diversifying
the beautiful rosewood and mahogany,
while the keys, though varying slightly
from the present pattern, are about as
good as those now standard. In size
this instrument is in no wise to be COM
pared with the modern piano, 1t is so
diminutive that its real excellence is
obscured. 1t is &c inches long, 239
inches wide and 80 inches high. Its
legs, six in number, are as slim and
of the shape as those ola stand or small
table. The legs are square, tapering
to the bottom, slightly beaded. Four
of the legs are on the front of the
piano. At each end, underneath the
piano proper, are small music closets
with doors opening to the front, while
still nearer the player and underneath
are shelves with gracefully rounded
corners. Just above the legs hand
some brass rosettes are set upon the
body of the instrument. There are
two pedals, one being used to prolong
the notes. and the other serving a
double purpose. One of its uses is to
increase the volume of sound somewhat
by lifting a section of the top of the
piano or lid near the front. The other
use of this pedal is to produce an imi-
tation of the firing of cannon, in this
case slam-bang operation, as the play
er suddenly lifts the section of the top
referred to and as suddenly lets it fall.
Boston Herald.