Omaha daily bee., 1906-05-20

room even all the time, and the heat
ing and scrubbing are done with the
utmost care.
Il have seen pianos that had been
utterly ruined in a home when the
owners thought the instruments were
getting the best of care. Often
piano will be placed against a wall
through which the air ducts from tho
furnace are conducted This nearly
invariably results in a split sounding
board. The heated air passes all win
ter through the walls. exerting a
steady effect on the piano, and the
sounding board is the part that suffers
most. 1t is kiln-dried to the limit
when it is placed in the instrument,
and then 1t is fastened rigidly in po-
sition. When the further drying eff
feet of the steadily applied heat is felt
the sounding board must give some-
where, and being fast at the ends,
nothing is left for 1t but to split. This
doesn't always ruin the piano, but 1t
does always have bad result. 1t de-
ponds on the location of the split.
Again, people will set a piano near a
register, through which the hot air
pours all winter long. This. too. has
a bad effect on the instrument, and is
soon noticed in the loose and rafting
these things in mind and not expose
the delicate mechanism to too great
strain from heat cold or moisture.
Material for Pianos.
mo material for pianos is to be had
in Omaha Only the best and most
expensive of woods are used. and all
the metals are prepared especially for
pianos, so we are compelled to buy all
our stock for manufacturing in the
east. Our hardwood for cases and
backs comes from Michigan. We use
Michigan maple and oak for this pur-
pose, and for the posts and pin blocks.
The pin blocks are made from rock
maple, several layers being glued to-
gether with the grain crossed so as to
absolutely prevent splitting. The
finer woods used for decorative cases,
such as walnuts and mahoganies, are
all imported. They are supplied to us
from the importers direct. These
have their headquarters in the east,
although in Cincinnati are found the
headquarters of the importers of some
of the most expensive of piano woods.
Piano lumber is the most costly
known, for it must be selected with
the utmost care and be han 10 with
the greatest skill in order / pr oiuce
the perfection demanded Tor the in
e.rument. No wood for any other pur-
pose is so expensive in either quality
or seasoning.
1.-THE sounding boards are made
from Vermont spruce, selected for the
purpose. This is the best wood ever
discovered for the uses. 1t has the
most resonance and is most desirable
in other regards. The same quality
that enters into the top of the violin is
used for the sounding board of the
piano.
Workmen of Great skill.
"In making a piano great skill is re-
quired of the workman. 1t might
seem TO the uninitiated that a cabinet
maker of ordinary skill could make a
piano, but such is not the case. We
find that a good cabinet maker, whose
skill has been demonstrated in that
line of work, has to learn the business
when he comes to work in a piano fac
tory. The processes are very differ
ent and a much better grade of work
is necessary. The piano maker must
not only understand the working of
wood in the highest degree, but he
must have a further knowledge of
strength, tension and acoustics, all of
which are essential in the plano. These
men are the kings of their craft, just
as the piano is the king Of modern
music"