The Dickinson press. (Dickinson, Stark County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1927, 1888-06-02
PIANO MANUFACTURE.
AN INDUSTRY BEGUN HERE ABOUT
100 YEARS AGO.

| ltincrant Stewart, of the Last Century,
| John Jacob. Astor, Piano Importer of
| Maiden Lamc-Statc of the Trade Today.
\ Combinatiu ion.
The Germans dispute with the Italians the
| invention of the piano, each nation dating
tll" invention about POO Wears ago lut the
| former nation ;ntedatcs the latter in its
claims by one Year. The dispute is hardly
| worth maintaining. The original piano was
probably little more than II harp laid on its
side, lmXrl up and pounded 10y some mrrlian-
ir;il rotrlNalcr IL little less primitive than
| the hammers of IL either player The piano
| is To" much ut an instrument ever to have
| lc". Invented. II grew 1t is Il combination
| OF s''Hri'al other Instruments, and i'll its ,lav
| ha Er"ii made To comprehend even u drum
| attlr'h:!rut. and other now obsolete devices
| fox iHl.itsrn.s startling effects Ii has been
| snit,, loo, til it combines almost all the Gle
l"nis ri expression that hclun.s to every
Other iastrumrnt. But in its birth, if il ever
| had y ,'i.. met tim" and place of nativity, its
| feature, were so Inlrtiulir hat even the name
| of the - called inventor in Italy, if not also
| in tirr..,.ay, had to he d-intcrrcd and res
cuc,i from Oblivion hv the labors of the
mlsi,'ll historians. The piano belongs to all
| con.s'rcS, each country contributing some
| ,!li.!@ L" tho perfection ot an instrument
which moss holds Il position of unchallensc,l
! superiority OYER every other instrument cx-
CO... the organ, and is only challenged hy the
ur an when the gloom of cathedral archie,
has descended upon solemn and worshping
congregations.
THE FIRST MANvFACTl RER
The history of the piano in America has
been IL somewhat brilliant history, until it
has finally led up to tie claim that the best
piano in the world is made in New York.
Contrary topopular impression, the record
"t tho manufacture of pianos in this coun-
try runs back nearly 100 years. The first
manufacturer was an Englishman named
Stewart, who is indefinitely located in Bos-
ton, Philadelphia OF Baltimore, and who
| possibly found it necessary in the beginning,
like the old portrait painters, To be some
thing of an itincrant tn find customers His
operations, We're credited chiefly to I,alti-
more, until he became prominently identified
with the Stcnways in the earlier years of
their industrial adventures. 1t will surprise
most readers to be told that among the first
ii not the first, of the importers of pianos in
this country in the way of commercial spec
ululon was John Jacob Astor; but it is true,
and in some of the odd nooks and crami,s
oi the metropolis may still De seen antiIu;,tc,l
pianos bearing his name OIL the plate, with Il
reference also to his place of business ii
Maiden lane He bought his pianos in Eng
land and Germany, paying for them rt tll,
rate of about SG5 each, and sold them her,
for about twice the nmount--rcasonabl,
enough. He is said In have ai,l the fuunda
tpm uf the fortune which has since become
considerable through this trade, and when
aitcrwar'l his dealings in furs and real cstal,
lE'l become vast and varied that he had
no time for triilcs he turned his piano trad.
over To II successor named l.nib.
but these wrrc incidents that occurred in
| the infant days of the country. Since that
period we have expanded nightly as Il ma
ton, and our industries have grown even
more rapidly than our boundaries and popll-
lntnn. But no industry has surpassed tho
nr,Eufacturc of pianos in til" rapility Of it,
Development. From n single itincratinp
plan" maker, with possibly few assistants
The numhcr of workmcn has swcllc,l to many
Thousands, and piano factories, many ul
which are of very huge dimensions, ur,
countcd by the score if no, by the hundreds
| according to The Musical Courier. :; journal
devoted to the trade and which keep, ~
careful II record of production as the ,c
| tAtiicl condition of tho industry will permit
| ..OIW pianos were manufactured in I'll.
| lnitcd States last year. AT an average
value Of 800 for each instrument, probably
| II low average, this would make the tutiil
value of TN" product 81, ,sOo,o'Ht
MANY DISTINCT TRADES
In view of the number manufacturer, in /,
single year one would suppose that the mar
kct must soon he gluttel. But tn. same
authority tracing the number manufactured
annually since the year liso I,ln"e- ll.,' ,otnl
number of pianos III the country nj This ,nlc
III 40 more than l,ol9,ooo, and this too
without any calculation "n the number of
in.truncnts that may have been broken III
and destroyed i'll the more tlran 100 year.
that lilvr followed the initial date As ,lI"r,
are more than 1l,0OOO0O fannie, in til,
country and the life of i, piano Is cs; s;ilr,,rt
at only twenty years. it will he seen that wc
s'.o,,l be very far from rcnrhin, II lut i!I
t' innrict for these instruments
II takes Il great many distinctive trades e.
form one complete piano maker. a heln,
hardly LONGER existing in fact as an cnlit y
Lu, living us the objective representative, III
NJ! ,e!l combination of industries Onl,- i.
few Of the c;uling factories in the rn,lntr.
nnnu.artur" The entire instrument within
t!.cir walls, and piano makers, like builder
c!'. chiefly engaged i'll putting together The
products of Il variety Of worI:mcn. First
comes The manufacturer of the lro.i plate.
Il sn foundrylnan. Then conc, The maker
of sounding boards, tuning li:,, and the
like. Thcv, too, flourish ou'>id. If {, piano
factory Another distinct industry is found
il the rrotlurtinn Of The Wire. Thi., was for
mrry imported from Birmingham but is
now produced in the Unitcd States. Tho
manufacturers of actions and kcvboarcls fol
low, and they, too, represent domestic indus
tries prosecuted largely in New York
Tho fabrication Of hammers is II distinct
trade, and after they are fashioned they ar,
sent to the hammer covercr to he covered
with felt. But what is felt. Veal know of
it in general terms GS head covering; but
piano felt is something different. 1t is the
| prpiuct Of an especially fine quality of wool
aud formerly all imported from Ger
many or France. But in recent years
American manufacturers have learned t,
compete successfully in its production. These
ar, ali auxiliary industries in the manufact
urc of pianos, and the list may be extended
bv the mention Of pedals, which come alsC
from the founder; piano legs, which come
frohi l!i" wood turner or carver. piano case;
rrc'luced by the cakinctmakcr on hi, double
and of keys, more than 4.50o,nn of which
ivory and celluloid, are produced in Il singh.
year. The list of distinct industries kept il
motion To serve the Piano maker would i'll
deed he a long one We're un attempt made Il
trace it to the cnl.-Ncw York Sun