The Dickinson press. (Dickinson, Stark County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1927, 1888-12-29
A MOTH EATEN PIANO.
A TUNER TELLS QUEER STORIES
ABOUT THE INSTRUMENT.


ABOUT THE INSTRUMENT.
A Common Error Among Non-Profes-
sional Piano Players-Enects OF Artla-
cial Hcat-Out Of Tunc.
IA moth eaten pianol Who ever heard of
such a thing3"
Such was tho exclamation the other day
of well known young lady amateur pianist
OF this city to piano tuner, who had been
sent to her house by dealer of whom she
had purchased costly instrument three
months before, and which, much to her
amazement, had developed a series of
whcezy, rattling responses to her touch on
several keys. Tho tuner had tried the
piano, and promptly gave her the surprising
information that the moths had been eating
it; wheroupon her exclamation of incre-
dulity and amazemcnt.
IA moth eaten pianol Who ever heard Of
such thingl"
~ hear of it nearly every day." replied the
tuner, land surprise at moth eaten piano is
nothing new to me. There is nothing moths
like better than to revel in the interior of a
piano. Soft cloth, as you should know, is
used to no small degree in tho delicate mo-
chanism of piano. 1t is placed wherever
there is liability Of contact between any Of
the numerous movable portions of the instru-
ment in order to avoid tho rattling noises
that would result from such contact. 1t is
on this cloth that moths love to feed, and tho
ravenous pests are not long in eating itaway
from some important spot and bringing
about the result tho cloth was put there to
prevent. Let us sec if this is not the case
with your piano."
THE MISCHIEF MAKERS.
Tho tuner opened tho instrument, uncov.
cred its maze of strings and pins and its rows
of delicate hammers. Several piles of snowy
dust revealed the presence Of the destructive
moths. They had eaten the cloth away in
places.
"Ahl' said the tuner, ~ thought sol The
damage is easily repaired and now that you
know tho moths arc here. they can be
quickly and easily exterminated Tho best
way to keep moths out of piano is to dust
it thoroughly inside with largo feather
duster not less than once week. Your in.
strument is somewhat out of tune see,
madam"
"lmpossiblep exclaimed tho owner of the
instrument. SIT has been in uso but three
months, and good piano should certainly
remain i'll tune year."
IA common error among non-professional
piano players" replied the tuner sit is
really surprising to note tho ignorance that
prevails i'll regard to this popular instrument.
Tho principal object of tho best piano makers
is to llave their instruments stand in tune
we'll. Unless they succeed in that, tho quail.
ity of tone or beauty Of finish they impart
to them will DO Of only superficial value
But even pianos bearing tho names of fa.
nous makers are disappointing i'll this most
important respect. There are good reasons
for it. Look, for moment, at tho way the
musical part of piano is made. Tho steel
pins that hold the wires arc driven into
solid block of wood, and in order that this
wood may retain firm hold of the pins
and yet admit of them being tuned by the
tuners hammer, not only are great caro- and
Skill necessary in tho fitting of them, but it
is absolutely requisite that the wood forming
the pin block should be Of tho very best sea.
soncd material. Outdoor seasoning is the
only method by which this wood may be
perfectly cured, no matter what tho kiln
driers say to the contrary. Outdoor season
ing requires long time and tho keeping on
hand of immense stocks by tho mtAlufact-
urcr, representing an investment of thou.
sands and thousands Of dollars. There are
not many manufacturers who can afford tc
keep so much capital lying idle, and they are
Obliged, even if they preferred to do other.
wise, to use tho kiln dried wood in their
pianos
HEAT FROM A FURNACE.
''To the coming into uso of kiln drying is
duo tho great increase in the number OF
pianomakers during the past few years. The
artificial heat in parlors, especially if it is
hot air from u furnace, acts disastrously
upon this kiln dried pm board, and no piano
containing one can be made to stay in tune
after three years. use, because tho wood
shrinks gradually, and the pins move in the
block from every hard blow on the wires.
AS to tho action Of furnace heat on pianos, il
Injuries even those of the best makers II
warps tho keys, loosens the hold of the great
number of screws used in tho wood, and
causes the keys to stick OF rattle. thus sadly
affecting tho action Of tho instrument A
piano should be kept away from the direct
influence of furnace heat Us much Us possible.
"ln spite of all the efforts of the makers, ]
do not believe there is one piano in hundred
that, with ordinary parlor use, will stand in
tune more than two months. An unskilled
musical ear, it is true, will fail to detect any
important discord in piano for six months,
or perhaps longer, but no cultivated ear can
tolerate tho discordant notes that tho best
piano will insist upon giving out after two
months Of use. When you think that the
steel wires and iron frames are alternately
contracting and expanding under the
variations OF the surrounding atmosphere,
giving a constant movement of tho wires
and consequent change in the pitch anc
tone of the instrument, the impossibility OF
apiano maintaining perfect tone for any
length of time must be at once apparent; and
if you will but reflect oA the surprising fact
that the tension Of the strings Of piano
causes a strain on tho body Of the instrument
equal to tho weight of 100000 pounds, you
will doubtless agree with me that o piano
that will remain In perfect tune for year is
an instrument that must necessarily bo one
Of extreme rarity, If not one impossible to
make
"a piano, good, bad or Indifferent, when
new, should be tuned once month. Tho
longer an instrument remains untuned tho
lower its pitch of tone becomes, and when it
is desired to have the piano drawn to concert
pitch tho strain on the body of the instru-
ment is greatly increased, SO much, in
fact, that tho case is liable to yield gradually,
necessitating second tuning In week or
two weeks. New York Sun.
Results OF Wrong idea.
Much evil results from the idea that mar
riage is tho end and aim of woman's life
Full of this supposition, and desperately
afraid, in this age of female preponderance,
of being left, to the scorn Of victorious
matrons, ON ''old maid," girl will accept
man without the slightest thought as to