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May 20th, 1882.
THE MUSICAL CRITIC AND TRADE REVIEW.
325
Mr. N. J. Haines, Sr., of Haines Bros., did not
o to Europe, after all, although his brother did.
Mr. N. J. Haines, Sr., has gone t© Chicago, and
Mr. N. J. Haines, Jr., assisted by Mr. Milliken, is
looking after matters here.
Mr. Howard Lockwood entertained at dinner at
Delmonico's, on May 16, the gentlemen connected
with his trade papers. The presence of Mr. W. E.
Nickerson, of the Musical and Dramatic Courier,
and Mr. Rufus Blake, of the Sterling Organ Co.,
gave extra zest to the occasion.
A certain "musical journalist" was pouring a
tedious tale about himself and his great newspaper
prosperity into the unwilling ear of a prominent
member of the music trade. The story-teller was
taken aback because his audience of one punctu-
ated every other sentence with a pronounced
yawn. " You don't seem to be particularly inter-
ed in my story," said the "musical journalist."
" Well, no," said the member of the trade, with a
broken yawn. "And pray, why not?" asked the
veracious journalist. "Well, (yawn) to tell the
ruth" (yawn), was the answer, " I'm something
of a d
d liar myself." Funeral of the story.
Mr. Rufus Blake, of the Sterling Organ Co.,
Derby, Conn., recently invested in a new Dunlap
hat. He says the hat itself is all right, but on
account of the recent rainy season when he comes
to this city, he is obliged to "wet" it rather to
often.
T. Leeds Waters has invented a new story. He
stayed up two nights to think it out. Like old
Lorenzo in the " Mascot," it's "a daisy."
Messrs. Peloubet & Co., the organ manufac-
turers, have put a traveling man on the road.
Our friend Ambuhl, and our equally good friend
Gildemeester, who travel for Messrs. Chickering
& Sons, are sometimes seen for a little while in
this city, but their time is precious and they don't
stay long.
Mr. C. F. Chiekering informed us a few days
ago, that their business had been so lively that
they were obliged to call in some of their travel-
ers.
It is gratifying to note that the striking element
among the piano workmen had the good sense to
keep quiet this spring. Jumbo C. Fr—d thinks
that it is impossible for workmen or " musical
journalists " to strike the musie trades now-a-days.
Mr. Albert Weber's health has improved lately.
He was not seriously ill, but his slight indisposition
has now entirely disappeared.
A VERY BUSY FIRM.
The Baby Grand is becoming a fashionable
UR
representative
called upon Messrs. Peek &
instrument. The touch suits musicians and accom-
several times recently, but was unable
plished amateurs, the tone has a grand quality, and to have Son
an interview with either member of the
at the same time only small space is required in a
We found each superintending a gang of
parlor to place the instrument. The style is rapid- firm.
men composed of masons, carpenters, plumbers,
ly becoming a favorite.
etc., making extensive alterations in the new fac-
The foundation is being laid for Oliver Ditson tory, which is situated at Nos. 124 and 126 West
& Co.'s new and extensive building ou the corner Thirty-fifth street.
of Broadway and Eighteenth street. The building Mr. Peek, Jr., treated us courteously, but stated
will be an ornament to that section of Broadway. that it was utterly impossible for him to talk
us, as orders were coming in very fast, and he
Decker & Son are very busy, orders for pianos with very
anxious to get the factory in a condition
arriving with nearly every mail The firm partici- was
to
begin
work,
with a request to call in later, he
pates in the general activity that pervades the bid us "good and,
day" and was lost to view among
trade.
the men.
E. G. Harrington
turers, state that they are well satisfied with the this time was more successful, as we found him at
condition of trade. There is a special demand for his desk, which was covered with a pile of letters
uprights, which seem to be growing in favor, al- and communications from dealers.
though trade in squares is also active. Business After the morning greeting we got down to
has increased to such an extent that the firm must business.
increase its manufacturing facilities, either in en- Reporter—"Mr. Peek, what are your pros-
larging the present factory or removing to larger pects?"
quarters.
Mr. Peek—" Good !" (with emphasis.) "We
starting out with every prospect of success.
C. D. Pease & Co. are fortunate in having the are
must know that we are not a new firm, by any
services of Silkman, the bookeeper and manager, You
Our name has been before the public for
who is carrying out Sir Joseph Porter's maxim by means.
a great many years; in fact, since 1850. We re-
" sticking close to his desk." He is a gentleman tired
from active business, however, about five
of even temper, although his inclinations are in
the direction of single blessedness, which is said years ago."
Reporter—What were your reasons for resum-
to make men chronic grumblers.
ing?"
Mr. Sylvester Tower tells us that THE MUSICAL Mr. P.—Well, simply this: We had a great many
CBITIC AND TBADE BEVIEW ought not to publish instruments throughout the country, and they
any articles against Beatty. We would inform were seen and played upon, and very much liked,
Mr. Tower, however, that it is just as much our and constant inquiries were made through our for-
duty to expose Beatty's methods as it is Mr. Tow- mer dealers for them; of course, as we were not
er's duty to sell him organ keys. Whenever manufacturing, this caused our old dealers some
Beatty ceases to make himself liable to exposure, embarrassment, as they could not supply their
and enters the ranks of the legitimate organ man- customers with the " Peek " piano, but were forced
ufacturers of this country, and adopts legitimate to " talk up " some other make. Then, again, let-
methods, neither THE MUSICAII CRITIC AND TRADE ters were constantly sent to us, requesting us to
resume. We held several interviews with our
BEVIEW nor any other journal can expose him.
former dealers, and after carefully considering the
J. B. Nugent & Co., piano manufacturers, report matter, viewing it from every possible standpoint,
active business in uprights and a steady demand we decided to do so, and here we are."
for their square pianos. All the uprights in
Reporter—"What grade instrument do you in-
work now are ordered.
tend to make?"
Brentano's sheet music trade, at 5 Union Square, Mr. P.—"A medium. You see, when we manu-
has proved a valuable part of their business. It factured formerly, we made a first-class instrument,
is conducted by a competent manager. Bright at a high price; and we also find that it pays batter
boys, those Brentanos!
to make a good one, at a moderate price, than to
a poor cheap one. Then again, the tide
When Mr. E. P. Carpenter, of Worcester, Mass. make
seemed to be turning in that direction. Some few
gets his New York warerooms in running order, years
ago—say four or five—the dealers were buy-
the trade on Fourteenth street will be pretty wel ing cheap,
poorly-made instruments; but they
organ-ized.
have found it does not pay, and are now paying an
Mr. N. J. Haines, Jr., appears greatly pleased advance, and procuring those of a far better grade,
with the new quarters on Fifth Avenue, to which and they give their customers better satisfaction
the firm of Haines Bros, have removed. The new and cause less trouble to themselves. We find no
warerooms are not nearly so large as the old ones difficulty whatever in getting a fair price for a
but they are cosier, and Mr. N. J. Haines, Jr., has good instrument."
a private office, a thing really needed by a busi- Reporter—"What is the prospect of trade in
ness man with great demands upon his time.
general?"
O
Mr. P.—"We can hardly say that spring trade
has commenced yet. As you know, we have had
no spring worth speaking of, the weather has been
so backward, and it certainly has had a tendency
to keep business back. It may possibly be the
means of making our summer trade a little above
the average, but it certainly will make our next
fall trade something far ahead of any thing known
in the past. We have had no serious drawback,
and unless something very unusual should occur,
his year will exceed any previous one in our trade."
We were shown one of the Peek uprights, and we
found it all that Mr. Peek represented it to be.
They are a good grade of action, the case was well
varnished, and the general appearance compared
favorably with instruments of a higher grade. This
firm procured their workmen from first-class fac-
tories, and they bid fair to do a flourishing busi-
ness.
PROSPERITY OP CLTJETT & SONS.
T is with no small degree of pleasure that we
briefly allude to the flourishing business estab-
lished at Troy and Albany, N. Y., and Pittsfield,
Mass., by the well and favorably-known house of
Cluett & Sons, who have been very largely identi-
fied with the piano, organ, and music business for
a period of over twenty-five years, and have estab-
lished such a reputation for fair and honorable
dealing, that throughout Northern New York,
Western Massachussetts, and the entire State of
Vermont, their name is a synonym for uprightness
and the strictest business integrity.
One of the several vital reasons which have con-
tributed so largely to their extensive business suc-
cess is the enterprise which pervades every branch
of their business, and it is but just to say, that
their several warerooms and business centres
evince the taste of the artist and critic.
It has long since been placed upon record that
the commodious and tastefully arranged ware-
rooms at Troy are among the very finest in the
country, and would probably furnish a model to
the world for elegance in internal and external ar-
rangement.
The firm is composed of Messrs. William Cluett,
Edmund Cluett, Fred H. Cluett, and N. L.Weath-
erby. They have branch stores at Albany, N. Y.;
North Adams, Mass.; Rutland, Vermont, and
Pittsfield, Mass., the latter being presided over by
Mr. Weatherby, who devotes considerable time to
this prosperous section of their extended terri-
tory.
The pianos of Steinway, Chickering, Weber,
Haines Bros., Miller, Fisher, Gabler, and Grov
stein all fill a very important place in the con-
stantly increasing business of this firm, and the
popular Estey, Wilcox & White, and Mason &
Hamlin organs are distributed liberally through-
out their entire field.
As a natural result this array of instruments is
constantly adding to the deserved reputation
so long enjoyed by this very popular firm. The
business of the present season is already largely
in excess of that of any former period, and the
record of the year will probably surpass the most
sanguine expectations.
I
F. A. BAOHER, PHILADELPHIA, PA.
11. BACHER'S business has become one of
the most extensive of its kind in this coun-
try, which is due to his energy, strict business
integrity, and his special knowledge of the busi-
ness. As music publisher, engraver and printer,
he is known all over the country by the sheet
music houses as one of the most reliable men to
deal with, his work always giving the best satis-
faction.
He uses the beat material, printing from finely
engraved plates on the best quality of music paper.
Business with Mr. Bacher has improved greatly
over that of the same period last year, and orders
from customers all over the country are constantly
coming in. He has succeeded in firmly establish-
ing his business, and there is no doubt of his
enjoying continued success.
M
Owing to the demand for their square grand
pianos, the firm of R. M. Bent & Co. moved re-
cently from No. 209 East 19th street, to the spa-
cious five-story factory, No. 453 West 36th street.
The firm expects a lively trade for square grands,
and will also largely manufacture uprights from a
new and improved scale.
Horace Waters & Co. are busy in their piano
as well as organ department. Trade with them
lias been excellent since the first of the year, and
they expect it to continue so.
Thomas Cottrell, Martin's Ferry, Ohio, pianos
and organs, is dead.