Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1897-08-27
WHERE OLD PIANOS W.
The Discarded Instruments Find q
Market in Philadelphia.
There They Arc Repaired and Sent Out
to BE Sold to Peo.,l i'll Moderate
circumstances in COun-
try Towns.

what becomes OF Old p!anOST' was
the question put to u large New York
the other day. WELL"
was the rather unexpected reply, the
most of ours go to Philadelphia" The
manufacturer could not explain this
fact exactly to his own sat .sfactioE.
He thought perhaps it was because 50
many persons owned homes in Philadel
phia, or possibly because the good peo-
pie of the Quaker town are much given
to- attending concerts and love music
more than the New Workers.
"Thcre ought to be several hundred
thousand old square pianos slowed
away somewhere in the United States"
said dealer, in speaking of the sub
ject 81 have been in the business 20
years, and personally have seen but
three or four of them cut into kindling
wood. 1t is indeed rare occurrence
that one of these massive cid rosewood
affairs meets with such an unworthy
fate.
"A biography of a good piano is some
times very interesting. They general
ly start off in life gayly, having the most
conspicuous position in the parlors OF
the wealthy and receiving courteous
treatment. Thirty years ago a good
square piano was an object of much
greater Importance and commanded
vastly more respect than any piano now
adays. This is still to be seen when we
go to remove an old piano to exchange
it for a new one. 1t is purely II matter
of mercantile interest to us. but not 81
with the owners. have seen cid folks
who had bought q PIANO in the days of
their honeymoon fairly overcome when
they saw the familiar old instrument
which had been with them through
days of joys and sorrow hustled out Of
the house by irrevcrcnt hands and con
veyed to the warehouse. 1t is the Gus
tom for piano firms now to take away
the old instruments and allow fair
price for them, deducting the amount
from the price of the new one. 1t is
absolute loss to us, for we have the
greatest difficulty in disposing Of these
landmarks which have seen better days
1T is quite amusing to hear the old
folks say. as they always do when max
ing selection of q new piano: Our
old piano. if it were only tuned up
would have much better tone than any
of these
~ great ma iority of these old pi
amos find their way to the homes q
comparatively poor people. They may
be bought for a mere song. There is
class of men who make a living by dis
posing of these old PIANOS. \ second
hand dealer drorrcd in here the othr
day and said he had Just bought s.N TO
$50. Some firms are almost willing t.
pay for having them taken away.
"Thcse old pianos are ly no mean
worn out. after going through three
or even four. hands. New strings am
new hammers are put in, ard the cid in
strument is tinkerod up, so that it Wi
oftentimes have better tone than tn
cheap piano of to-day. City boarding
, houses. where the only object is to hay
: an instrument caralle of en- tin
noise, are extensive harlorin~ place
for these old has lccns. Nary ar
,hipped to the west and to countr
I towns. A number find their way t
1 museums, where they are exhibited q
( the piano on which George Washing
& ton was wont to play. THROUGHOUT Ne
!, England, Ohio and in y v York city
y have seen them used us tables fo
1 kitchen purposes. the works, in man
, eases. being removed tn allow n Elat
G for slowing away jars of fruit. Man
+ are disposed of at auctions, too, an
h some very good bargains are to be s
d cured in that way"
d At the present tine, according to Il
q dealer. there are about $4,000 pian'
l. manufactured annually in Amcric
n The same number is produced by Ge
: man manufacturers, while France al
n England have an annual outout of Al
p 600 each. There is very little bus ne
o in the exporting of pianos. This
II due to the fact that the change in c
i mate makes it impossible for plan
If when shipped to n foreign country.
IT. keep it's tone. Only $40 were export
1t from this country last year They we
w TO South America and Germany. +
d. latter country ships quite rnmber
Australia and South Alnerica.-N.
Times.