Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 40.djvu/825

 about 1835, but the few bands then in the country constituted the market to be relied upon. American bands, and the spread of the cornet and other brass instruments among private parties which increased after the war period, helped to maintain a few small manufactories devoted to the cheaper variety, until about the great Centennial Exhibition year, when Henry Distin, son of John Distin spoken of above, removed from England and began to manufacture the justly celebrated "Distin" instruments in the United States. The Distins had been previously in business in London for a great many years, and had won a leading place in that sphere. Henry Distin's arrival here practically established that industry in this country.

A notable sign of the progress going forward in this art and industrial channel is the town of Elkhart, Indiana, the mainstay of which is a manufactory founded by C. G. Conn, devoted to military band instruments of a high order, which are fast winning a leading place. Mr. Conn established himself in business in 1883 upon an enlarged scale after being burned out; he had been only a few years in the field at the time. The Distin factory is situated in Williamsport, Pa. Several other smaller makers of the cheaper class of musical instruments are scattered throughout the country.



In addition to the branch treated, Lyon & Healy, of Chicago, Haynes & Co., of Boston, and Stratton & Co., of New York, maintain factories devoted to the production of guitars, mandolins, and small instruments of that order, which give employment to a large number of hands. These industries being of very recent growth, it is impossible to give any comparative estimate of their progress in the absence of the statistics for 1890, which has not yet appeared. The table for 1880 would in itself be no guide, for the above reason.

Meanwhile it is a source of satisfaction to know that such activity prevails in relation to musical art in America as the articles throughout indicate. It also shows that Americans, as a people, are wonderfully versatile, and capable of establishing industries which are maintained as specialties in countries abroad, while capable of improving almost everything which they undertake to manufacture. That has been distinctly shown in the music industries at least.