New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-11-18
HOTEL PIANOS.

lady writes The Tribune q letter on Tie SuDJect
OF pianos in hotels. The lady lives with her
husband in fashionable hotel not far from
Central Park though she says mournfully in the
course of her letter that she expects soon to be
removed to Bloomingdae. The house is badly
infested with pianos. and to every piano there
is attached a young woman who cannot play,
but who does not know it. What to do our
correspondent knows not. and she appeals to us
for counsel though fear that this is one OF those
cases where even The Tribune can offer but
little advice.
There are usually, we believe, enough pianos in
any hotel. but in the one under consideration
there appears to be an abnormal supply AL
ready, writes the lady, there are eight pianos
on this floor, and as I try to hold my ears
with one hand and write these disjOinted lines
with the other, the porters are struggling up the
stairs with another. Yesterday one arrived that
was too big. think, to come up the stairs, ana
they hoisted it in from the outside like SAFE
Another thing, there are several suites OF rooms
on the floor not vet rented, and when they are
7 know that other pianos will come" This GER
tainly shows lamentable state of things And
they are all active pianos, in a constant state OF
eruption as it were. "On one side of u.s." con-
tinues our correspondent. fhere is a young lady
who struggles constantly with her piano, with
the exception of about six hours for sleep
believe that she has her meals served at a small
table at her side, and that she eats with one
hand while she struggles with the other She
always has the loud pedal down hard-l actually
believe that she has it tied down, or keeps
brick on it, something Of that sort; ana The
cover. I think, must be always propped up, ana
sometimes it seems if the whole case must
be removed, leaving the gaunt skeleton standing
there a thing OF hammers and wires vibrating
cold and harsh on the distracted air. She never
struggles with the same tune twice, but on the
other side there is another young creature who
contends constantly, from morn to noon'
from noon to dewy eve with the
same piece. deadly composition. composed
by q misanthrope under the shadow OF the gal
| lows which, I think, was originally intended as a
combination waltz and funeral march, ana WHICH
rises and falls with tummy-tum-tum movement
distressing alike to young and old. never knew
| her 70 attempt any other composition. These DE
the great twin terrors, alike yet different, OUT
| the other six on our floor are usually pens
| operated and are all within hearing and-horrors-
the one that was coming mp the stairs is in posi-
ton across the hall and thirteen-year-old grl
has begun to interpret Wagner"
II will be seen that correspondent is in no
| enyiaDle position. Ill clOSlnS SIT odJo' 'iS iiie
/ is like bowling desert. Why, why do all hote
rooms connect? Why are all hotel walls thin
Why do all hotel proprietors take pianos by the
| dozen? What can do?" AS regards hotel ar
chtecture and hotel proprietor mental operations
we can say absolutely nothing, and, we fear, but
| little on the last and most important question
Various plans more or less impracticable occur tc
u.s. such as blowing up the hotel with dynamite
ham -stringing the pianos one by one in the dead
| of night, and so forth; but we will not dwell OF
these There is another plan which may, per
| hans. be worth a trial. Why not tiy retaliation
or, if you prefer, reciprocity Let the lady pro-
cure one Of these street pianos which are or
wheels and are worked by crank and two ltal
ians. She should place this in her rooms together
with the two Italians and ten days rations. 1her
| she should go into the country for week, mrs
locking the Italians in and impressing upon then
that if the piano is heard to stop for even one
minute ont of the twenty-four hours OF each DAY
half of their pay will be deducted. Wher
she returns we fancy that she will find change
in the floor, II not, let her put in steam calllop'
and 90 away for another week We cannot war
rant this plan but it is all that we have to offer