The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1907-02-01
SWEET SOUNDS In INK.
PHILADELPHIA PRINTS OVER A
QUARTER OF couNTRY's MUSIC.

industry Has Rapid orowth-Has
Eight Times Volume of Fifteen
Years Ago-Best Work Done by
Lithographlo Process = Tools I'M
ported.
That America is rapidly becoming
a musical nation is generally admit
ted, and if the quality CT the musical
taste which is being evoked is left out
of the question the matter is suscep-
tible OF more definite proof than Is
to be found in the increased musical
noise which one hears on the streets
and in places of amusement, the
steady growth and spread of the
cumming" habit among private in
diyiduals of all classes and the swell
ing sales of mechanical matchmaking
machines These things indicate
quickening ear and taste for music,
but it is the sale of printed music
which measures the amount of skill
and knowledge in the production Of
music by the laymen.
Business Increases Rapidly.
1t is estimated by conservative au-
thorities that the amount Of musical
compositions printed, published and
sold in this country is now eight
times as great as it was Is years ago,
and the greatest increase has been
r,itb;,, 4I,o Lost HV,a voorc Tho pCti-
mate, too, is based on the value Of
total sales which, while in one sense
the most reliable basis, does not
show the actual increase because of
the constant cheapening of the prices
at which the printed matter is sold
The current figures for total annual
sales is $485,000 for the entire United
States, which amount is large or small
according to the point of view of the
observer. That there is still ample
room for the growth of the business
and of 'fondness for music is shown
by the fact that the total amount of
music printed in this country is less
than that printed in each of several
European cities and less than half
of the annual output of the city of
Leipsig, Germany.
Only four places in this country are
centres of music printing, and out
side of these the industry is practical
ly non-existant. These are New
York, with $4,000 worth a year;
Philadelphia, with $125,OOO; Cincin-
natl, with 100000 and Boston, with
$85, 900. From this it will be seen
that this city prints over quarter
Of the total amount. In this city,
too, it is an older industry than else
where in this country and with more
complete history. New Yorks rise
in the business is of comparatively
recent date, and may be attributed to
that citys lead in theatricals, espe-
cially that branch of it known as mu-
steal comedy.
EnqraVers are Musicians.
Most music is now printed by the
process of engraving on stone, known
as TYPOGRAPHY This, or some sort
of engraving, was perhaps the earliest
method used, but modern efforts to
cheaper the work resulted in the use
Of movable metal type, set up by
printers just as type for reading mat
ter is. The number and complicated
forms of the characters needed has
made this method not so cheap as was
hoped however and not so satisfac-
tory in the quality of the. finished pro
duct, and, while there is still some
printing from these metal types, they
are less and less used. About all of
the Philadelphia product is now litho-
graph work and it is reputed every
where to be of high excellence. The
! engrayers are themselves musicians
and of necessity because they work
from the composers manuscript and
must have a knowledge Of music equal
to the ordinary printers knowledge
of language. In the largest printing
establishment in this city the engray-
ers are all young women, and when
not engaged at this trade add con-
siderably to their income by appear
ing as performers at concerts and
similar entertainments. Some Of
these are vocalists, and there is not
one of them, indeed, who is not capa-
BILE of producing music, either instru-
mental or vocal, by reading by note.
The first engraving is done upon a
plate having a composition somewhat
similar to ordinary type metal but
lighter and harder This plate, in
fits standard size, is by II inches,
though other sizes are sometimes
used. The tools consist Of steel dies
and cutting instruments. The lines
are ruled by hand and dies are used
to stamp the notes, the letters Gnclud-