C. C. BRIGGS & CO. A few weeks ago it was our for- slain. Java and the islands of the tune to be escorted through the ex- East furnish the close-grained ebony. tensive manufacturing establishment Australia sends to America its finest of C. C. Briggs & Co., by the senior wool, from which is made the felt for member of the firm, and it was an the hammers. For the elaborately occasion of so much interest that the ornamented cases the forests of the memory of it is very pleasant to re- tropics and of the temperate zone call. are drawn upon for their choicest woods. Iron from Norway, copper from Lake Superior, silver from Nevada, copal from Brazil, and the common woods of New England, are Mr. Briggs is a quiet, well informed gentleman, who seems to take pleasure in exhibiting his factory and warerooms, and in answering the many questions which a novice may ask. Never before did we realize the amount of skill, labor, and science called into exercise in designing and building a modern piano-forte. It may well be called a triumph of mechanical skill. To the construction of it the most widely separated countries of the globe contribute of their products. Africa furnishes her quota in the polished ivory, to obtain which great herds of elephants are annually gathered together, and under the skilled hands of busy artisans are modelled and united into the modern piano, the joy of the home circle. The factory where the Briggs pianos are finally made ready for the market is situated in Boston, at No. 5 Appleton street, near Tremont street. Here are made the Briggs Upright, Grand, and Square PianoFortes, ready for the market. Outside the city are several establish the banks of the Ammonoosuc river, made. Out in Cambridge is situated in the northern part of New Hamp- the factory where is made the heavy ments which contribute to the piano. shire, there is a factory where the In the thriving village of Lisbon, on sounding-boards for these pianos are wood-work which enters into the construction of the piano. The home factory is the place where the products of the outlying establishment are brought together and finally united into a beautiful whole, the Briggs Piano. From a Boston contemporary the following facts have been collected: Among the houses which have contributed to making this city an important centre in the production of musical instruments is that of C. C. Briggs & Co. To accommodate the increased demand for their instruments, Messrs. Briggs & Co. have removed from their former location, No. 1125 Washington street, to their commodious and substantial six story factory, No. 5 Appleton street. This enterprising firm manufacture several styles of upright, grand, and square piano-fortes, with many new features and improvements in the scales and styles, and the success of their instruments and the commendation they have everywhere received from deal ers and artists attest the substantial progress of the firm in their important art. The principal aim of Messrs. Briggs & Co. is to make a first-class piano in every respect, with special attention to its lasting qualities. By constant care, experiment, and endeavor, Messrs. Briggs & Co. have brought their instruments to the highest standard of excellence, and in the opinion of those who have used them they are the nearest approach to per fection yet attained. The piano scales are drawn by Mr. C. C. Briggs, who has had practical experience in piano building for a quarter of a century, and his scales, drawn years ago for other firms, are in use today. The new style cases of this house are wholly original in design, and made of the most durable and fashionable woods. Among upright styles are their famous cottage pianos, which, by thoughtful and patient study and experiment they have brought to a wonderful degree of perfection, securing a small piano embodying the qualities of volume, fulness, and sweetness of tone of the larger sizes. Messrs. Briggs & Co.'s separable piano is one of the most ingenious inventions for facilitating the moving of the larger sizes of pianos through passages and doorways otherwise impassable. The cases are each divided into two vertical sections front and back. The style A, cottage upright piano, has ings on plinth, and Agraffe treble. Messrs. Briggs & Co. furnish a warranty with every piano sold, warranting for five years from date of sale. three strings to a note, overstrung rosewood, plain, and serpentine moldbass with repeating action, handsome panels, round corners, plain trusses, ivory keys, and improved music rack. Style G is also three strings to a note, overstrung bass and repeating action, with handsome panels and carved trusses, ivory keys and improved music rack, and has an exceedingly fine, rich quality of tone and even scale, and is the most desirable size metropolitan church. Before starting Mr. C. C. Briggs, the senior member of the firm, is a native of Boston, brought up and educated in the city. He is a natural musician, and for many years was choir-leader in a tools and work out his designs, and business and executive ability to succeed in what he should undertake. He has this advantage over the most of his rivals, that he is thoroughly familiar with every detail of the business. Unlike most workmen he can build a piano from the raw material, tune it, and then sell it, which latter becomes the easiest task to perform on account of the many merits of the instruments. The Briggs piano meets a want in the community which it fills to perfection. It is at once a fine instrument, and one within the reach of all who can afford a good thing. The prices are the lowest consistent with thorough workmanship and the best materials. The stock is received in the basement, and thence carried to the upper story by a commodious freight elevator; thence its course is downward, story by story, until it reaches the warerooms on the first floor, a large and commodious room, filled with finished products of the factory. These pianos are very popular with the people, as shown by the thousands in use in every part of our country, and the Briggs pianos are as well known as any made. A SKETCH OF ONE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE'S MOST ENTERPRISING BUSINESS CONCERNS. In 1871 Mr. Edd. F. Higgins made a beginning in a small store in Manchester, N. H., which has grown into the largest house-furnishing store in the state. Soon after starting, he perceived that the city of Manchester and the surrounding country needed an establishment at which good, honest goods could be purchased at reasonable prices, and set to work with the end in view of gradually building up and maintaining such an establishment. He soon associated with himself his brother, Mr. H. F. Higgins, under the firm name of Higgins Bros., and to their small stock of crockery, cutlery, &c., they began to add the cheaper grades of furniture, at the same time increasing the size of the store by taking additional room from time to time as needed. In February, 1878, having carefully felt their way along amid the breakers of the business depression then sweeping over the country, they decided that the generous support given by the public warranted them in still further catering to the wants of their patrons. Accordingly, after leasing the entire building of Wells block, in which they were situated, they fitted up in the basement a carpet room, the best in the state, and opened a large and varied assortment of carpetings, which venture proved an immediate success. During the summer following the floor area of the main store was nearly doubled by adding the next store north of theirs, and, the partitions being removed, they had the largest and handsomest store not only in Manchester, but in the state. Still their increasing trade, and the desire to please an appreciating public, urged them on to greater efforts. They began the manufacture of upholstered furniture; their carpet de |