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Music Trade Review.
The Only Music Trade Paper in America, and the Organ of the Music Trade of this Country,
1879.
VOL. XIV. No.
II
NEW YORK, JANUARY 5 TO 20, 1891.
CHICAGO, I I I . , Dec. 31st, 1890.
Editors Music TRADE REVIEW:—
As foreshadowed in my last letter, the holiday trade,
while in a measure disappointing, was fairly good con-
sidering the stringency in the moneyed world; and
while few, perhaps, realized their hopes no one can be
found who is discouraged for the future. Many would
fain wish the winding up of the year had been better,
. but all were sufficiently encouraged to form adequate
plans for a successful business for the new year, and
occasionally an isolated case may be noted of a com-
paratively brilliant outcome for the holiday season and
the entire year as well.
I predicted that the principal retail trade during the
holidays would be with the middle classes and in
medium-priced goods, and so it turned out- The streets
were never more crowded and the stores never so full,
yet the grand total of sales was not in keeping with the
outward appearances
The Kimball Company, which claims to have been
the pioneer in establishing and thoroughly testing and
following the "one-price system," reports retail sales
for December of over $50,000, and total sales for the
year in excess of 1889. They have sold more Hallet &
Davis pianos, which all know to be high-priced instru-
ments, than in any previous year, while sales of lower
grade goods have kept pace therewith.
Mr. Kimball is having a splendidbuilding erected in
an eligible locality on Wabush avenue, with ample
wareroom and salesroom facilities, into which the con-
cern will move about February 1.
George Thiers, well known in music trade circles in
the West, a member of the thrifty firm of Curtice &
Thiers of Lincoln, Neb., is just now the subject of a
deal of ridicule and good-natured badinage by his asso-
ciates and friends in the trade. He is a warm hearted,
generous fellow and this very trait got him into trouble.
He sports a well-polished cranium as guiltless of a hair
as an oyster shell. An old fellow of the Col. Sellers
type offered him a " wash" warranted to stimulate a
hairy growth on a cobble stone. Thiers paid a dollar
for it- A few weeks after he was asked for a testi-
monial and thoughtlessly gave a glowing one, although
he had not used the ' wash." His indorsement was
used as an advertisement, and the mails are now
freighted with letters of inquiry as to its merits. It
has now become a positive danger to ask Thiers to ex-
hibit the effects of the " hair-grower," and he seeks
alleys and by-ways to escape the jeering crowd.
A great music enterprise has recently been inaugu-
rated in Chicago that will mark an epoch in our music
annals. An orchestral association, with the great and
only Theodore Thomas as the central figure, has been
organized. It purposes establishing, as a permanency!
the grand concert in Chicago. When the matter ot
establishing a grand concert in Chicago was first can-
vassed and brought to the attention of Thomas he said
a guarantee of $50,000 to start with would be requisite.
This was quickly secured and the association incorpor-
ated. The first meeting was held last week. Milward
Adams, manager of the Auditorium, was made man-
ager of the association for a term of threejyears, that
being the time for which Thomas, who will have charge
of the orchestra, is under contract. The object of the
association is not money-making, but to establish a
place in Chicago where visitors and citizens may at all
times hear good music. During the World's Fair it is
expected this will be one 01 the leading features on the
entertainment programme. Mr. Thomas and C. Nor-
man Fay, the prime movers in the enterprise, are now
in New York for the purpose of engaging their orches-
tra, after which rehearsals will be immediately com-
menced. The following officers of the association
were elected: President, N. K. Fairbank; vice-Presi-
dent, C. N. Fay; Secretary and Treasurer, P. A.
McEwan. The performances of the association are to
be held in the Auditorium. The orchestra is to consist
of not less than sixty pieces and is to be augmented,
when required, to eighty members. The regular per-
formers will be employed for not less than six months
in each year and not less than three consecutive years.
The orchestra is to be selected with special regard to
quality, and the standard by which it will be measured
is that ot the leading orchestra of the world. It will be
bound to play exclusively under the direction of the
association. The character of the performances has only
been determined in a general way, the directors not
wishing to commit the company to a programme that
might not prove satisfactory. So far as they have
been permitted to anticipate the wishes of the public
a plan has been mapped out that contemplates not less
than twenty nor more than twenty-eight symphor.y
concerts and the same number of public rehearsals,
like those given by the Philharmonic Orchestra of New
York, and the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Provision
will be made for popular concerts, but their number
will depend on the wishes of intending patrons.
It is proposed, eventually, to have a large building,
with a garden where refreshments could be served.
The association hopes to prosper financially. If, how-
ever, there should be a deficit it will be made up from
the subscriptions of the fifty guarantors who have
agreed to pay $1,000 a year should so much prove
necessary.
Among those who have already guaranteed $1,000
each toward the necessary $50,000, are: Marshall
Field, N. K. Fairbank. T. B. Blackstone, O • A. Sprague,
T. Murdock, John R. Walsh, C. Counselman, T. W*
Harvey, R. N. Isham, G. M. Pullman, V. F. Lawson,
Henry W. King, Albert Keep, A. V. Armour, C. H.
McCormick, J. M. Losmes, Carl Wolfsohn, C. N. Fay,
H. H. Porter, W. C. Larned, R. T. Crane, Edson Keith,
O. W. Potter. C. L. Hutchinson, C. W. Fullerton, Eu-
gene S. Pike, John W. Root, A. C. Bartlette, L. J. Gage,
J. McC. Adams, H. N. Higinbotham, J. E. Barrett, B
L. Smith, L. Z. Leiter, E. B. McCagg, A. A. Spiague,
G. A. Armour, J. M.Clark, F. MacVeagh, Henry Field,
N. B. Ream, C. R. Cummings, H W . Bishop, P. D. Ar-
mour, S. A. Kent, N. Williams, M. A. Ryerson, J. J.
Glessner, E. W. Blatchford, W. G. Hibbard.
A number of gentlemen now absent from the city
have signified their willingness to add their names to
the list.
Messrs. Lyon & Healy report an increase in trade in
all departments over any previous record for Decem-
ber, the increase in the piano section alone being 40 per
cent., with an excellent showing in the better class of
instruments. The increase in their organ department,
which is even better, is due to increased facilities for
manufacturing. "Barney" Immer, who for many
years has so efficiently managed the receiving and de-
livering department of Lyon & Healy's business, over-
strained himself on December 22d, and was very se-
verely injured. He is liable to be confined all winter.
Mr. Immer has been with the firm twenty-five years,
and is a.general favorite.
39X109
$3.00 PER TEAR.
SINGLE COPIES, 15 CENTS.
No important change in the organization'or person-
nel of any of the music houses is anticipated—at any
rate rumors are scarce.
The Chicago piano manufacturers have enjoyed an
unprecedented trade for the year now at its close, and
nearly all will end the year behind in orders, and some
of them in arrears from 250 to 300 pianos. But few
orders have been countermanded, notwithstanding
many of these unfilled orders were for Christmas.
A Western dealer, evidently new at the business, is
the author of a new version of that frequently mis-
spelled and more often mispronounced name Knabe.
He writes for prices for the " Kernaber " piano. He has
doubtless heard some down-easter pronounce the name.
Mr. I. N, Camp was last week called to his old home
in Elmore, Vermont, on a sad mission. His aged
father died there a week ago last Monday.
Mr. E. S. Wilson, o f E. S. Wilson & Co., Oshkosh.Wis.
the agents for the Wheelocks there, was in the city last
week and "held out" at the Wheelock agency here.
Mr. VV. B. Sparkman, a prominent dealer of Butte,
Montana, was in the city yesterday.
C. M. Paulsen, of the Century Piano Manufacturing
Company, of St. Paul, Minn., and Leroy Bowlby, of
Rock Island. II'., were here last week for a few days.
The " old wheel horse," " Tony " de Anguera, of the
Kimball Company, will leave here Saturday for a
week's stay in Boston and New York.
Mr. C. H. Martin, of C. H. Martin & Co., St. Paul,
Minn., and Sioux City, Iowa, left here last night for a
visit to his branch house in the latter city.
Yours, &c,
I. A. FLEMING.
DOLGEYILLE (N. Y.) ITEMS-
THE inhabitants of Dolgeville, N. Y., are consider-
ing the advisability of incorporating their village under
the laws of the Sta-te of New York.
THE increasing orders in the felt department of the
Dolge works make it necessary to run the factory
night and day. In many of the departments two sets
of hands are now employed. This is extremely grati-
fying to the residents of Dolgeville. The favorable
weather for the past few days has also increased the
orders for felt shoes, while the lumber industry is now
very active.
IN the latter part of the present month the twenty-
second annual reunion of the employees of Alfred
Dolge will be held at the club house, Dolgeville. Last
year Mr. Dolge introduced a new system of earning-
sharing with his employees, and much interest attaches
to the next reunion in consequence of the general de-
sire to see how far the work has prospered.
THE number of academic scholars iu the Dolgeville
Academy has increased from twelve to twenty-one.
The Kindergarten has thirty-six scholars.
A LADIES' class of physical exercises has been formed
under the auspices of the Dolgeville Turnverein. The
ladies are under the tutorship of Mr. Hugo Dolge.
PATENTS AND INVENTIONS.
Cornet, No. 442,955, Conn & Seidel.
Mechanism for playing keyboard instruments, No.
443,003, F. Rahse.
Regulator for motors for music boxes, etc., No. 442,-
609, L. Kampiche.
Musical instrument, No. 442,913, M. J. N. Poussot.
Piano tuning apparatus, No. 443,041, A. Felldin.