The morning times., 1895-11-05

Visitors from Distance.
Eight thousand friends OF L. F. Droop
& Sons dropped in to see them yesterda Y
afternoon. About two thousand more
dropped around last night to attend the
| Informal musicale given from 10 $50
| O'Clock.
The gentlemen had expected large
! crowd, put were not prepared for TINS
overflow. Had they known they had SO
| many friends they Houiant have talked
! three years about putting up tneIr hand
some new building at Sz5 pennsylvania
| avenue. 1t wouIu have gone up long
/ ago and father ana sons maze happy tlIcI..
! Happiness, though, keeps.
IL mas Deem Almost IUrty years since Mr..
+. +. Droop entered the piano business III
( this city. In these years he has made
many friends, as lie now knows. Lately
he has had his two sons, Edward Il. and
[ Carl A. to help him along. They are
proving themselves Just as popular as
their father. Yesterday the three felt
! there ought to be twenty or thirty of them
I TO greet the friends and express the salts
faction the firm felt.
! 1t was ladies DAY. Saturday night the
! opening festivities began with the en-
I tcrtainment OF representatives Of the piano
I trade OF tHe country. Sullidy tdliy
no party of furty-iive, under the care of
Mr.. E. II. Droup, was taken To Cabin Johns.
Half dozen different photographs of
the merry party were made at various
points during the ride.
| Later in the day trolley party was
the chief entertainment, Chevy Chase,
! Tenleytown, and the Willows being
on the programme At night he gentlemen
were entertained at the home of Mr.. E.
F. Droup. Chief among these were Mr..
l Stetson, Charlie and Fred. Steinway, or
Steinway & Son, and with them were three
] other members of the firm. This is without
I parallel. This great firm never sent four
! of It's members To the opening of any repre-
4 sentative.
Other manufacturers present were W.T.
| liam Knabe, E. Gabler, Emil Gabler, Jr.,
| George P. Bent, Major c. II. Howes,
I Ben Jansen and F. NJ. Hulett, Of Jacob
! Doll. All Of these gentlemen agreed in
saying they had never seen a more cCin-
plete stock Of pianos.
TRIED SHAKING HANDS.
The guests were received at the front
door by Mr.. f. F. Droop, assisted by Harry
j. Read aud Kent Nelson. Mr.. Droop
! thinks lie knows now how IA Z resident some
times feels after shaking hands with five
or six thousand people. The main floor
was soon filled, and then began the tour
through the five-story building.
On the second floor Mr.. E. ii. Droop and
F. Y. Boucher were In charge. They were
assisted by W. b. Gibbs. They took the
| finest care OF every visitor. On the third
floor Mr.. Carl A. Droop aud Charles Dill
were in charge. Here the orchestra was
stationed. The orchestra was conducted
by Prof. August W. Schroeder in his mas
terly style, and every number was loudly
! appIauded. Messrs. Droop * Sons wish
to return through The Times their heartfelt
thanks TO the orchestra and to the artists
of the evening musicale.
Messrs. Ely aud Newell were in charge
of the fourth floor. Each visitor here was
shown through the repair and manufacture
ing department. This department is I'M
der the special supervision of the junior
members OF the firm. Visitors found 1t
one of the most attractive p laces in the
building.
The decorations were most profuse and
beautiful. They had been placed by
Messrs. GUIDE & Bro, the florists. Cope
land furnished the flags, which We're seen
everywhere. The effect was bewilder-
ing after coming in from the street.
Chandeliers We're covered by flags and
festoons OF green. All along the walls,
up the stairways, ran the decorations.
Nodding palms fitted into corners, vases
OF chrysanthcmums stood on the polished
furniture, and from the roof down moth
ing could have been added to increase
the beauty.
Handsome paintings, elegant musical in
struments, costly rugs, all went to make
the complete and harmonious whole. One
can have no idea how much a hundred and
twenty thousand dollars worth of musical
instruments can set off a building.
THE MUSIC PLAYED.
The third floor was given up to the
mus i,sta prAf S..ar
thousands for two hours with his varied
programme. In the evening the crowd was
SO great that all could not hear. On the
programme were the names of such we'll
known artists as Miss Anita Cluss, harpist;
Mrs. Nellie Wilson Shir-Cliff, soprano;
Mr.. Hermann Rakemann, violinist; Prof.
Ernest Lent, yiolunceilo; Mr.. John Porter
Lawrence, pianist; and MI. S. Monroe
Fabian. The names of all these artists
will be handed down 10 posterty on beauti-
full souvenir cards. The front page bore
the portrait Of some noted composer, and
the last that of Mr.. f. F. Droop.
Arrival inpopularity withProf. Schrocder's
Orchestra and the musicale was the great
orchestriaD on the main floor. 1t was
made in Germany and is the largest in the
city. II does the work of fifteen men and
does it well. 1t played the liveliest kind
of airs from Sweet Marie and "Bowery
VII, up 10 SeleCtiODs from IannueuScr.
1t caught crowd every time it was wound
up.
There are couple of hooks in this large
building which every one did not See
One was the ladies' room on the second
floor, in charge of maid, and the other
on the mezZanaine floor, the office. It's
as coy as possible. Here Mr.. E. II. Droop
entertained his friends of the press. He
was a busy man all day long and made
more off-haDd speeches than a candidate
on the Maryland State ticket.
One of the most pleasa mt incidents of
the evening was the presentation to the
Steinway representatives of portrait
of the founder of their house. 1t was
draped in the German colors. Mr. Charles
Si"tnway was most happy in his re-
spouse.
LETTERS OF REGRET.
Over three hundred letters of regret
were received from the entire trade in
the United States. They all voiced the
sentiment found in the following fro m Hon.
G. G. Conn:
New York, Oct. 81, 1895.
''Messrs. E. F. Droop & Sons.
'Genliemen: 1t is v nth much regret that
l am compelled TO inform you that i'm
portant business " i'll preve 1T my accepting
your kind invitation TO be present at your
opening. Your upright business methods
and remarkable enterprise have made you
many friends in the music trade, and none
of them wish you more complete enjoy
ment of your increased prosperity than 1
do"
Among others from whom letters of re-
greet came are: Sir Julian Pauncefote,
Earl of Westmeatb, British embassy; Don
Matthias Romero, Senior Plaza, Mexican
legation; Col. W. H. Crook, Executive
Mansion; ". b. Matthew'S, John Joy Edison,
John Chamberlain, Hon. Charles C. Glover,
E. B. Hay, Crosby s. Moves, George w.
McLanahan, George H. b. White, Harry C.
Mncas 0'prion onnaraI r,a,o,ror