St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-05-11
PIANOS FOR EVERYONE
Minneapolis to Have One of
the Largest Factories in
the Country.
It Will Be Owned and Oper-
ated by the Century Piano
Company.
One Of the New York Com
panies Consolidated With
the Century.
A Business of 100000 Per
Year Will Be Done by
the Concern.

for the institution of one of the most
important manufacturing enterprises
yet established in Minneapolis. This is
the erection of one of the largest piano
factories in the country by the Century
Piano company. The matter has been
under consideration for about six
months, but not until yesterday morn
ing were all matters connected with the
enterprise broughtto head.
This enterprise is the result of the
consolidation of the piano manufacture
ing establishment of Paul Mehiin: &
Sons, of New York city, and the
Century Piano company. of Minneapo-
lis, under the name of the Century
Piano company. AS a result Of the
consolidation the Century Piano COM
pany will Immediately begin the cree
ton OF a large piano factory, which
will be the equal of any SIM
liar institution in the United States.
The site chosen is as good one as could
be found within the city limits. 1t IS
directly in front of the exposition build
ing and between that building and the
river. with frontage on Main, Prince
and Banks streets. The factory will be
feet. This will be only the temporary
quarters of the manufacturing business,
the plant to be enlarged by the cOnstruc-
ton of still larger building. Nothing
will be wanting that is necessary in the
construction of piano of the highest
grade.
The erection of the factory will cost
about $4,000, and will give employment
to about 300 men. most Of them skilled
laborerS. Wherever possible, Mlnneap-
oils workmen will be employed, but a
good many will have to be imported
from the East. But, of coarse, as soon
as the factory is in order. the training of
skilled workmen on the grounds
will be commenced. These employees
will earn from Sl6 to S35 per week, and
he addition OF such an enterprise to
the business Of the city is of no small
moment to the prosperity of Mlnneap-
oils. When the whole plant Is in Oper-
do business OF 100000 per year, a ca
pacity of fifty pianos per week being
assured. The capital stock of the COM
pany is 100000. The officers are as
follows:
President, M. A. Paulson; general
superintendent, Paul q. Mehlin; vice
president, Henry P. Mehlin; secretary,
A. M. Shuey; treasurer, c. A. Sickle.
The following list of directors vOuche3
for the financial solidity Of the new
enterprise:
j. S. Pillsbury, Thomas Lowry, M.
A. PaulsOn, G. l.. Travis, G. r. Chute.
A. M. Shuey, R. T. Lang, Paul G.
Mehlin and II. P. Mehlin.
The largest stockholders in the con-
| Germ are the Chute Bros, j. s. Pills
bury, Thomas Lowry and w. S. King.
Paul G. Mehlin, the head of the New
and has worked all his life OH pianos,
| he possessing not only a practical but
| scientific knowledge Of piano cOnStruc
| ton.
For period of thirty-five years Mr..
Mehlin has been connected with promi-
nent factories, both in this country and
in Europe. During all this time his
| active brain has been busy in searching
deep into the science of tone produc-
| ton, and working out difficult problems
| In the art of piano construction. the re-
suit OF which is clearly shown in the
| following list of the most remarkable
and valuable patents as applied to the
modern piano: Metallic agratfe, Besse-
mer steel, action frame; cylinder top;
finger guard; grand plate; piano
muffler; harmonic ecole: touch regula-
tor; tone reflector; grand fall board. and
Endwood string bridge.
The American Musician, one of the
| foremost, if not the foremost, musical
| journal of this country, has this to say
of Mehlin, who will have charge of the
construction of the pianos of the new
company:
"In honoring Paul g. Mehlin, the
| American Musician pays a deserved
compliment, not only to him individual
| ly. but to the whole class Of German
| mechanics, practical piano makers and
| inventors, who have done so much to
| build up the piano trade of this country,
and of which he is so distinguished and
worthy representative"
In 1885 the jury at the New Orleans
| Worlds exposition awarded to Mr.. Meh-
| Inns patented improvements gold
medal. In their report they stated that
they made the award for the quality of
tone, which is remarkably fine, by its
power and brilliancy, the singing quail
| ties OF the instrument, the tOuch-even
| throughOut-the construction, excel
| lence of design and perfection of work.
manshlp. The quality of tone is due to
! Mr.. Mehlin's new invention.
&The piano factory now operated by
| Paul Mehlin & Sons in New York city
will be retained by the new company.
and its product will go to supply the
Eastern states. The instruments manu-
featured in Minneapolis will be for the
trade of the Western and Middle states.
The establishment of this new enter
prise in Minneapolis is not due to the
| Business Mems union or the board of
trade, as has been stated. The whole
credit for It's establishment here is due
to C. r. Chute and NJ. A. Paulson.