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VOL. XVIII. No. 24.
published Every Saturday.
CHICAGO.
P. J, HEALY'S
RESUME OF TH£
YEAR'S BUSINESS,
Jj?e K9 a b
CHICAGO,
January 3d, 1894.
KDITOR MUSIC TRADE; REVIEW :
Mr. P. J. Healy, in his resume of the past
year's business, said that up to June ist the
average was fully up to 1892, but that from that
lime there was a gradual decline for seven
months, trade reaching its lowest ebb in Septem-
ber. October showed some gain and November
a still further increase, but December fell fully
thirty per cent, under the same month for 1892.
Summarizing he reached the conclusion that
trade in all things pertaining to the music busi-
ness was not over 75 per cent, of that attained in
1892, either as to volume or character. Some
lines felt the difference more than others, the
high-class goods suffering most. Expensive
pianos, organs, harps, music boxes and violins
have been less in demand, he thought, princi-
pally, becuase music is accounted among the
luxuries, and in times of monetary difficulty
gives way to necessities in the general economy
that follows liquidation.
Manufacturing interests felt the depression of
the last few months much more than the job-
bing and retail lines. Chicago is third among
the American cities in the importance of its
manufacturing business, and within two years,
when the present temporary check has passed
away, will surpass Boston, which now stands
second in the importance of its piano manufac-
turing trade. This city is easily first in the
magnitude of its trade in small instruments, but
it has not yet assumed any considerable promin-
ence as a music-publishing centre. The total
amount of capital represented in the music
trade of Chicago is about $13,000,000, so it may
be seen our trade in that line is a good index of
the general situation in production of that class.
The effect of the World's Fair was felt favor-
ably in our local trade during the exhibition
season, but doubtless depressed outside business,
because money was spent in seeing the Fair by
*
$3 00 PER YEAR.
SINGLE COPIES, 10 CENTS.
fiew YorK, January 6, 1894.
the class of people who ordinarily contribute to
the prosperity of the music business.
Concluding, Mr. Healy considers the depres-
sion noted as being merely temporary. It may,
he thinks, take some time for general business
to settle down to a normal status, but judged
by the conditions surrounding our own trade,
that process of adjustment and settlement ought
not to last over six months or a year at most.
In the long run the influence of the Fair in the
development of a higher standard of taste, for
things musical and artistic should place Chicago
in the very front rank of the great cities of the
world in everything relating to music. Inci-
dentally, of course, this should be accompanied
by a corresponding gain in the magnitude of the
manufacturing and professional branches of the
trade.
Mrs. C. N. Stimpson, of Westfield, Mass., is
here arranging her company's orders for the
manufacturers.
Mr. Adams, of McCammon & Co., of Oneonta,
N. Y., stopped over here a few days en route to
St. Louis and Texas. He reports his business
as pretty good.
Mr. I. N. Rice, of the Schaeffer Piano Company
is away on a short business trip. The Schaeffer
factory is again running in good shape, and the
concern is again looking up their old repre-
sentatives over the country.
On the evening of Januar} r 17th, Dr. Florence
Ziegfeld is to give, at Central Music Hall, a
charity concert, under the auspices of the Chi-
cago College of Music, for the benefit of the un-
employed.
Mr. Peter Duffy, president of the Schubert
Piano Company, was here a short while last
week.
Messrs. Ditson & Co., of Boston, have taken
the Knabe piano, and all who know that concern
can readily believe that its interests will not
suffer in the New England States.
Very soon the corner of Wabash avenue and
Adams street will be the most important, from
a musical standpoint, of any in Chicago. Lyon
& Healy have leased the imposing structure on
the southwest corner, lately occupied by the J.
H. Walker Dry Goods Company, for a term of
years, and will shortly leave their old quarters,
where they have been for twenty-two years past.
They will then have more and better room in
which to display and sell their wares. It is
probably one of the best arranged buildings for
that purpose in the city, to say nothing of the
eligible location. The music trade has been
gradually drifting toward Wabash avenue for
several years. The B. Shoninger Company is
soon to go thither, and when Lyon & Healy and
the former get there, Wabash avenue will hold
practically all of the music trade, except Geo. P.
Bent, Story & Clark, Bush & Gerts, Henry
Detmer, Adam Schaff, and one or two others of
less importance.
When Lyon & Healy get into their new store
every corner of Wabash avenue and Adams
street will have a music house, or houses, on it.
The Chicago Music Company and Chickering &
Sons already have one corner, E. V. Church
another, and A. H. Rintelman is to go into the
northeast corner, diagonally across from Lyon
& Healy. Mr. Rintelman goes in with A. H.
Revell, the big furniture dealer, and will carry a
larger stock than ever.
Yours, etc.,
HARRY MANNING.
ELECTION AND
_RECEPTION.
Officers for 1894.
l
jp>ELOW we print a list of the names of meni-
Qir- bers presented by the nominating com-
mittee of the Piano Manufacturers' Association
of New York to fill official positions during the
present year. The election will be held on
Tuesday, January 9th, at the Union Square
Hotel. It will be followed by an informal re-
ception at the same place :
President, Wm. Steinway ; ist Vice President,
Robt. Proddow; 2d Vice President, A. H.
Fischer ; Secretary, L. P. Bach ; Treasurer, W.
F. Decker ; Executive Committee, John Evans,
B. F. Fischer, S. Hazelton, C. B. Lawson, H.
P. Mehlin, Geo. Nembach, N. Stetson, F. G.
Smith.
The officers for the past year were: William
Steinway, President; F. G. Smith, Sr., 1st
Vice-President; Levi K. Fuller, 2d Vice-Presi-
dent ; Nahum Stetson. Secretary ; William F.
Decker, Treasurer; Executive Committee, Rob-
ert Proddow, L. P. Bach, George W. Peek,
Samuel Hazelton, B. F. Fischer, George Nem-
bach, H. P. Mehlin, John Evans.
MR. JACK HAYNES is never commonplace,
everything he takes in hand bears the " hall
mark " of originality. During the last month
it was remarked that Mr. Haynes had become
unusually studious, all his spare time being de-
voted to looking up works on Grecian mythol-
ogy, and the object became a source of mystery
to his friends. It was said by some that he
was going to extend his projected European tour,
and take in those lands famed in classic lore, with
a party of antiquarians. However, all these sur-
mises are incorrect, for in the handsome calen-
dar with which he has favored us we realize the
result of his studies. It contains a beautiful
engraving of the "Votaries of Diana," among
which—although not in the engraving—may be
numbered the inimitable Jack, for he is truly al-
ways on the " chase."
THE Weaver Organ and Piano Company ex-
press themselves as fortunate that they had
sufficient orders during 1893 to keep their fac-
tory running without a shut down.
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