The Nebraska State Journal (Lincoln, Nebraska) berichtet auf S. 17 (= S. 5 des 2. Teils "Society Section") in der 4./5. Spalte von einem Artikel des Musical Courier, in dem fiktive Briefe an Komponisten beschrieben werden:

"                    Great Men in Today's Light

     Nigh two pages of "Variations" in the Musical Courier are worth reading for the evidence they give of the present appreciation of music. The pages contain  a number of letters from "X. Y. Z. company" to several not unknown composers who are supposed to have submitted compositions to these publishers. To Palestrina the X. Y. Z. says: [... Briefzitat ...]. The letter to J. S. Bach is very severe. His "pedantic style of composition," he is informed, "has gone out of fashion long ago, and is now strictly confined to harmony exercises and classics in counterpoint. [...]" The X. Y. Z. company observes to G. F. Handel that there is shall value in his manuscripts, except in America between December 24 and 31, and tell Haydn that his work is too easy; [... Boccherini (Menuett), Gluck (möge bei Puccini und Bizet studieren), Mozart (schreibe leider im Mozart-Stil), Beethoven (schreibe Strauss-Imitate; man habe einige Kreutzersonaten-Drucke dank Tolstoi verkauft), Weber (recte Joe Weber?) möge Liste seiner Werke zuschicken ...]. Passing over the letters to Liszt and Bruckner, Wagner and Berlioz, we quote this note of the X. Y. Z. company to "Mr. Francis Chopin," [...].

      Thanks for the manuscripts. Nocturnes are not selling at this season, as the days are very long and our customers complain that they cannot step to your waltzes. [... etc. (Etüden, Balladen, Sonaten) ...] at a Polish ball given here recently we sold the band some of your mazurkas and several persons twisted their legs fatally in trying to dance them. Your scherzi are too sad and your concertos too gay. What kind of a composer are you anyway? Hoping to hear from you by return mail."