The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-06-27
STREET PIANOS.
How the Music Ia Arranged for the
Observation-Disclosures.

Street pianos, or, more technically, cyl
inder pianos" were formerly imported
from large factories in Berlin and Flor
ence. but of late two firms have begun a
prosperous business in this city.
The mechanism Of this instrument Is
the same as that of the ordinary upright
pianofo-te. with this difference. that, in
stead Of the keys being struck by the
hand Of the performer, they are pressed
down by nails driven at the necessary in
teTvals in cylinder contiguous to the
keys.
This cylinder is made of some soft wood.
about foot in diameter. II is covered
with a sheet Of paper pasted tightly around
It, The cylinder Is then placed in frame.
over which is a keyboard consisting OF
small wooden keys. on the upper side of
which are screwed small sharp-pointed
bits of steel The operator places the
music 10 be transcribed TO the piano on
a rack in front Of him, and proceeds to
puncture the proper notes on the cylinder
by pressing the keys. The measuring of
the Intervals between the successive notes
requires no small skill, and the performer
can hardly attain the rapdity Of
Pederewski in his silent music.
The cylinder is then handed over to an
other mechanic. who drives small brass
nails in the holes punctured by the first
workman. This process was formerly
done by hand and hammer, but the great
labor and tedum Of this work has been
largely diminished by a recent invention
Of the elder Molinari, the nails being
pressed in by a beam worked with
tread,e. The nails prOtrude about an
eighth of an inch, and are OF various
shapes, according to the length Of the note
to be played a quarter note is repre-
sented by a nail with head on 1t, an
eighth note by a sharp-pointed tack, and
sixteenth notes by a strip of brass.
toothed like a comb. while half or whole
note resembles a double-headed carpet
tack.
On each cylinder ten tunes are placed,
the position Of the cylinder being slightly
shifted for each tune With all the tunes
in. The cylinder is very much like that Of
an enormous music-box, and the only diff
ference between the Instruments is that
the points OF the piano cylinder release
the teeth of a strip of serrated steel. while
the points Of the piano Cylinder release
hammers which fly against strings
These street pianos are a rather eXpens-
i've luxury. and Ii is a matter of some
perplexity to understand how these
grimy paupers from fair Italy manage
TO scrape up the necessary capital for
their business. As the instruments can
till coax pennies in almost any condition
of decrepitude, a secondhand plano suf-
fers very little decline in price, espe-
cially as the cylinders can be renewed
to suit the tickle taste Of the public as
often as Is desired. These pianos are,
therefore, ndnQcu uONn lIOIl BcllcI dll'ss-
to generation till they fairly fall to
pieces.
Every piano plays ten tunes, but they
vary in price according to the range and
brilliance of these tunes and the number
of hammers required. A piano with
forty hammers costs from $3.50 to $3.50;
one with forty-four hammers from $160
TO $780, and one with fifty-eight ham,
mers from $40 to $3.50. From this they
increase to cost Of $3.50 for piano with
sixtv-four hammers. The panoramas
which adorn some of them range in price
from SO to $50. The cost of a new
cylinder depends upon the size of the
piano, and runs from $40 to $50. They
require constant tuning and frequent re-
pairs, owing to the roughness of their
usage, so that, on the whole, they are
not inexpensive tools.
Almost any composition can be ar
ranged for the street piano, though nat
urally the prevailing popular tunes mo-
nopolize the field. AS popular airs are
generally short-lived, and as the income
of the pianist depends largely on the
freshness of his wares, these peripatetics
are at a constant expense for new cylin-
ders.
owing to the ease with which money
is coined by these minis, "A street piano
Is a very difficult thing to rent without
renting the owners also. But If one is
found, a charge Of from 81 to $40 a week
Is made. AS a very good upright piano
forte can be rented for 81 a month, the
commercial value of these instruments is
evident N Y Press.