Wichita eagle., 1888-07-17

| had-a distinct time and place of nativity, its
| features were 50 indefinite that even the name
| of the so called inventor in Italy, If not also
| in Germany, had to be disinteTred and res
cued from oblivion by the lab0rs of the
musical historians. The piano belongs 10 all
countries, each country contributing some
thing to the perfection Of an instrument
which now holds a position of unchallenged
superiority over every other Instrument ex.
cept the organ, and is only challenged by the
organ when the gloom of cathedral arches
| has descended upon solemn and worshiping
congregations.
THE FIRST MANUFACTURER.
The history of the piano in America has
been a somewhat brilliant history, until it
has finally led up to the claim that the best
piano in the world is made in New York
Contrary to popular impression, the record
of the manufacture of pianos in this coun-
try runs back nearly 1G0 years. The first
manufacturer was an Englishman named
Stewart who is indefinitely located in Bos-
ton, Philadelphia or Baltimore, and who
possibly found it necessary i'll the beginning,
like the old portrait painters, to be some
thing of an itinerant to find customers. His
operations were credited chiefly to Balti-
more, until he became prominently identified
with the Steinways in the earlier years of
their industrial adventures. 1t viii surprise
most readers to be told that among the first,
if not the first, Of the importers OF pianos in
this country in the way OF commercial spec
ulation was John Jacob Astor; but it is true,
and in some of the odd hooks and crannies
of the metropolis may still be seen Anticipated
pianos bearing his name on the plate, with a
reference also to his place of business in
Maiden lane. He bought his pianos in Eng
land and Germany, paying for them ct the
rate of about S65 each, and sold them here
for about twice the amouDt-reasonabl
enough He is said to have laid the founda-
+ ton of the fortune which has since become
considerable through this trade, and when
afterward his dealings in furs and real estate
had become SO vast and varied that he had
no time for tritieS, he turned his piano trade
over to a successor named Leib.
But these were incidents that occurred in
the infant days of the country. Since that
period we have expanded nightly as a ma
ton, and our industries have grown even
more rapidly than our boundaries and popu-
lation. But no industry has surpassed the
manufacture of pianos in the rapidity of its
DEVELOPMENT From a single itinerating
piano maker, with possibly few assistants,
the number of worllmen has swelled To many
thousands, and piano factories, many of
which are of very huge dimensions, are
counted by the score if not by the hundreds.
According to The Musical Courier, a journal
devoted to the trade, and which keeps as
careful a record of production as the de-
tached condition of the industry viii permit,
$1,000 pianos were manufactured in the
United States last year. at an average
value of 500 for each instrument, probably
o. low average, this would make the total
value of the product SOS, 500, 900.
MANY DISTINCT TRADES.
In view of the number manufactured in
single year one would suppose that the mar
ket must soon be glutted. But the samo
authority tracing the number manufactured
annually since the year 1850, places the total
number of pianos in the country at this time
at no more than 1,0l9,G00, and this, too,
without any calculation on the number of
instruments that may have been broken up
and destroyed in the more than 100 years
that have followed the initial date. As there
are more than II coo families in the
country and the life OF piano is estimated
at only twenty years, it will be seen that we
should be very far from reaching a glut il
the market for these instruments.
1t takes great many distinctive trades to
form one complete piano maker, a being
hardly longer existing in fact as an entity
but living as the objective representative of
an ideal combination Of industries. Only a
few of the leading factories in the country
manufacture the entire instrument within
their walls, aad piano makers, like builders,
are chiefly engaged in putting together the
products of variety Of workmen. First
comes the manufacturer of the iron plate.
He is foundryman. Then comes the makers
of sounding boards, tuning pins, and the
like They, too, flourish outside OF q piano
factory. Another distinct industry is found
in the production of the wire. This was for
merly imported from Birmingham, but is
now produced in tho USited States. The
manufacturers Of actions and keyboards fol-
low, and they, too, represent domestic indus /
tries prosecuted largely in New York.
The fabrication Of hammers is q distinct
trade, and after they are fashioned they are
sent to the hammer coverer to be covered
with felt. Bucwtzr IS f6'tf ~ al know Of
it in general tstirri11s Is 4 nas5 oe5ygffng: but
piano felt is something different. Il is the
product OF an especially fine quality Of wool,
and was formerly al imported from Ger
many or France. But in recent years
American manufacturers have learned 10
compete successfully in its production. These
IRE ali auxiliary industries in the manufact-
ure Of pianos, and tie list may be extended
By the mention Of pedals, which come also
from the founder; piano legs, which come
from tho wool turner or carver; piano cases,
produced by the cabinetrnaker or his double,
and Of keys, more than 30. go Of which,
ivory ind csllulo.G, arc produced in a single
year TIE list Of distinct industries kep. IN
motion TO serve the piano maker would in
deed be long one vera en- attempt made TO
trace it to the end-Eew York sun