Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1893-06-07
IN PLACE OF THE PIANO.
The Instruments Which Fashionable
Young Women Play Upon Nowadays.

IL you were to go 10 any OF the great
piano makers in this city. slys the N.
Y. Sun, and ask them if piano-playing
was on the decline they would laugh at
you. 1t YOU insisted that it was they
would bring down great sales books
and prove beyond question that more
pianos were sold during the last three
years than during the five years pre-
ceding. and about this has been keep
ing up for n quarter century.
Nevertheless. it is fact that in the
homes of this city piano-playing does
not rank where it once did. A few
years ago the girls of the family learned
the scales and the first reader together.
and the girl of IL years who was not a
pianist more or less accomplished, as
parlor accomplishments 60 was the
great exception. This was not only
true of New York city, but it was true
of every town and village in the laud.
There never was social gathering OF
an evening where any lack was felt OF
some one To play for the dancing. In
fact. it often happened that all the
girls present took turns In order that
making the music might become bur-
den to none. 1t was also n matter OF
rivalry between the young ladies to
perform well. Who does not remem-
Der the time when it was the exception
for proud mother not to call upon her
daughter to play the piano In order to
enliven friends call3
The same thing is probably true to-
day outside of this big city. 1t is
eminently true in the country. where
nowadays nearly every farmhouse has
it's piano. and one of the regular pleas
ures of the long winter evening is the
family singing to the daughters play.
ing.
But New York girls have been rapid
ly outgrowing the piano of late. 1t is
still the popular family instrument.
and most girls know how to play it.
Indeed among the rich and fashionable
pano-playing is still regarded as a
: necessary accomplishment But the
piano is studied nowadays much as the
French grammar is, and when the
schoolgirl becomes the young girl in
society the piano and the grammar are
laid aside together.
Piano playing is no longer the
fashionable thing. Music is exceeding
ly fashionable. but the New York girl
of today. when she entertains her
friends with music. plays upon the
guitar, the either. and even the banjo.
1t has got SO that almost any in.
strument is fashionable in comparison
with the piano. Musical circles abound
everywhere in which the girls make
up small orchestras aud play even the
flute. the cornet. the violin, and the
I cello. All have heard the most famous
of these girls orchestras. that large
one in which the Misses Hewitt are
the leading members. This comes neal
to being a complete orchestra with
every instrument played by a young
woman.
The number of these musical club.
among New York girls is surprising
There are some where the piano is
played, but in nearly all the piano
forms only one of many parts.
In every fashionable New York home
you will find the grand piano, but il
all you will also find variety of olhel
instruments. That most graceful O
all musical instruments played by
women. once so popular and always Sc
tuneful the harp. has small part il
this patronage of miscellaneous musica
instruments. 1t is pity. The reason
however, is evident. There is no in
strument, not even the either. which sc
hardens and distorts woman's finger
tips and nails.