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MUSIC TRADE REVIEW.
wedded to the Hazleton & Pease pianos and the Bur-
dett Organs, of which he sells a great many during
the year. He had just received one of the highest
priced Burdett Combination Organs, ordered for one
of the churches in the city. It is certainly a splendid
organ and deserves much praise for its powerful
tone and elaborate cabinet work.
ERIE, P A .
There is but one manufacturing firm in Erie, Pa.,
but this is by no means a small one.
THE BURDETT ORGAN CO.
have been very busy all the year round, as their
books show, and they have often been compelled to
work nights to fill their orders. Judge Converse tells
me that he has been striving to get a surplus stock
to meet the demands of the holiday trade, but he has
be«n unsuccessful, and even now the company have
a great many unfilled orders on their books. This
company have brought out several new styles during
the past year, which are deserving of praise. One
of their finest styles is the " Oriental," with its sky-
blue or brilliant carmine nameboard and other trim-
mings, which Judge Converse says has had a v«ry
large run. They have also brought out the '' Stu-
dent's Pedal Organ," an instrument designed for the
8tudy and practice of pedal organ music at the stu-
dent's home. They have received orders from some
of the best colleges in the country, and it will no
doubt grow rapidly in favor as soon as it becom es
more thoroughly known.
CLEVELAND.
Business in Cleveland is by no means brisk, yet
th«r« is a more hopeful feeling among the dealers,
and they are making preparations for the trade when
it does come.
WHITNEY & RAYHOND
ar« doing a good, reliable business. They have re-
cently received a large order from their Melbourne,
Australian agents. Their foreign trade is no small
feature of their business, and the United States Or-
gan Is found to bean easy selling instrument abroad,
especially where good workmanship is appreciated.
manufacture their own pianos in order to supply
their agents all through the West and not infringe
upon the rights of others. The firm expect soon to
establish agencies In the far west and south. Mr.
Currier states that their collections are very much
better at present than for a long time past, and that
out of about $85,000 worth of paper which they al-
ways carry, he does not think there is $4,000 past
due. This is a remarkably good statement, and I
think it shows that money i8 becoming more plenty
throughout the country.
DETROIT.
THE WHITNEY OBGAN CO.,
of Detroit, are very busy, and Mr. Votey tells me
they are running their factory until 8 o'clock every
night. Their organs, from the very first, have met
with a ready sale and are constantly gaining in popu-
larity. Their trade is by no means confined to the
West, for they have introduced their instruments
pretty thoroughly in the East in a short time. In-
deed there is probably no Western organ that has a
larger sale in the New England States than the
"Whitney." If their trade continues to increase in
the same proportion as it has they will very soon be
compelled to find a factory with larger facilities.
PUSILLANIMOUS.
F. J. SCHWANK.OV8KY
assures me that trade is booming, and he cannot get
pianos from the factories of Knabe & Co. aad Vose &
Sons fast enough to fill his orders. He recently sent
a large order to Vose & Sons and before the pianos
had arrived he had sold them all, and now has only
one Vose Square Piano in the warerooms, which he
will ship as soon as he gets some to take its place.
He says he does not know how he is going to get any
stock ahead to meet the demands for his holiday
trade, which he feels confident will be the largest he
ever had. I have heard several dealers complain
that they were unable to get their instruments fast
enough just now, The trouble is that during the past
dull times the dealers, as a general thing, have been
carrying just as low a stock of goods as possible and
the manufacturers have been running their factories
to meet their demand, instead of getting a stock
ahead. Just who is to blame I will not say, but It
certainly makes it very disagreeable now, for when a
piano or organ is bought the purchaser does not want
to wait a great while before getting it.
I
FEAR that some of my contemporaries are
adopting an exceedingly pusillanimous cour.-<*
in their endeavors, from motives of jealous
spite, to belittle the Music TRADE REVIEW on ac-
count of its wonderful prosperity. I hear they do
not intend to attack me in their papers, but that they
will talk about me in the trade, and will make the utmost
efforts to induce certain prominent parties, whom they
evidently think are directly under their influence, to with-
draw their patronage from the Musio TKADE RE-
VIEW.
I remarked some time ago, that when I fought,
I liked to have a man to fight with. Of course
on the basis that my contemporaries threaten
B. 8. HARRETT,
to establish, there can be no common ground for us
the manager of the Wilcox & White Organ Co.'s
to stand upon. Whatever I have to say concerning
branch, tells me that his trade is much larger this year
contemporaries or the trade, whi&h^*niay be un-
than last. He says this may be owing to the fact that
pleasant
for those spoken of, I shall say publicly in
he has been established only four years, which gives
THE WABASH ROAD.
him the chance to extend trade, while the other and
my
paper.
I have no disposition to stab anyone in
I think the " Wabash " is the most poorly fitted up
much older dealers have already branched out as far
the
back.
road in the West. I took this road from Toledo to
as possible. Mr. Barrett has made a great many im- Fort Wayne, and the dust was so thick on the win-
If any one is entitled to an encounter that is open
provements in the appearance of his warerooms, dows that it was impossible to see out. The car
and
above board, I am. This is not said for self-
which now look very handsome. He sells besides I was riding in had two lamps, which, when
the Wilcox & White organs, the Hallet & Davis pi- lighted, gave about as much light as a "tallow dip." glorification, I am simply dealing with facts. The
ano, and has already made it a very popular instru- I understand the road is in the hands of receivers, demoralizing BEATTY business was attacked for sev-
ment in Cleveland.
but the cars ought to be put in the hands of some eral years by this paper without the least assistance
B. DBEHEK
first-class repair shop. When a person buys a first- from any of its contemporaries, until the battle was
seems satisfied that he is getting his share of the class ticket and pays a first-class price, which the nearly won, and then it was really exhilarating to see
trade. He certainly ought to, for he sells two very road charges, he expects to ride in a first-class car
other papers flock together to join in the good work.
popular pianos, the Decker Bros, as a leader, and the and not in emigrant style.
The Music TRADE REVIEW has fought FUEUND per-
New England as a medium priced piano. One of
FORT WAYNE.
sistently for at least four years, with only here and
Mr. Dreher's sons is now traveling for Decker Bros.,
Now I have got into a fault-finding mood let me
and, I understand, is meeting with good success.
give my opinion of Fort Wayne. If you want to find there a word of encouragement from the trade,
H. M. HHAINARD & CO.
the heart of nowhere just steer for this place. The though many would gladly have spoken if they had
still continue to do a good business with the Stein- best hotel here, "The Aveline," is about on a dared. Three of my newspaper competitors with
way and Hazelton pianos. It is surprising, the suc- par with a good - sized boarding house. The trade attachments started after FBEUND with sharp
cess this firm has made since they started less than landlord of this establishment assigned me a room,
sticks, but he came down on them—squash—and
two years ago. Both Mr. Brainard and Mr. Isham which, upon investigation, I found contained neither
they
have not been heard from since, while my little
are young men, yet in experience in the piano busi- water, soap nor towels.
ness they are far beyond their years. They are con-
The laws of Fort Way ne are just perfect, I tell you. battle goes merrily on in spite of libel suits and foul
scientious business gentlemen, stooping to none of The grog shops are permitted to be in full blast on abuse. The ANTISELI, humbug award I was left
the low tricks resorted to by some to sell their goods, Sunday, but if a barber's shop is opened on that day to fight single-handed, as usual, after the most
and they certainly deserve the success they have at- the proprietor is "gent up." Well, I should prefer
blood-thirsty threats of libel suits from the aforesaid
tained.
prison life, any way, to living in such a place as Fort
ANTISELL against me and my printers, and this, not-
TOLEDO.
Wayne.
FORT WAYNE ORGAN OO.
withstanding the fact that my competitors with trade
In Toledo I find that
I don't wonder now that the Fort Wayne Organ attachments claim to be devoted to the best interests
WHITNEY & CTJRRIEB
Company
built their factory outside the city limits ; of the music trade. The battle has been fairly and
have commenced the manufacture of pianos in ear-
nest. They will manufacture, two styles—the "Pal- the only mystery is that they didn't go a great way squarely won, and Mr. ANTISELL has retired from the
ace" and the "Arcade." Mr. Currier took me through farther out. However, they have a good factory, and field a wiser man, I trust, although I was told at
the manufacturing department, showing me the dif- are doing a good business. They have lately built
the beginning that he was a man of enormous deter-
ferent styles of materials used in the manufacture of on quite an addition and gorgeously fitted up their
offices.
Mr.
A.
S-
Bond
is
now
on
a
trip
through
the
mination, whom nothing would turn from his course
their pianos, which I am bound to say are nothing but
first class. Mr. Currier says that, situated as they extreme West, and the company informs me that he and that all he was after was to make me give him a
are, only sixty-five miles from Detroit, fifty-five miles has lately sent in some very large orders.
little free advertising.
J. D. B.
from Norwalk, ninety-one miles from Ft. Wayne, and
I repeat that my course in this trade does not war-
300 miles from Cincinnati, they are surrounded on all
rant
my being stabbed in the back by malicious,
ARE the piano workmen interested In the new
sides by agencies who sell the same instruments as
they do, thus limiting them to a certain territory. It eight-hour scheme which the Knights of Labor hope small-minded and jealous rivals.
CHARLES AVERT WELLM.
is owing to this that they have found it necessary to to make a law? And if they are, how?