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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW.
Toward
the West.
A Week in New York State—
Trade Prospects brightening
all along the Line—
Albany is no longer
quiet—
Dashes here and there at Nassau,
St. Johnsville, Dolgeville,
Auburn, Waterloo,
Brockport, Buffalo
and Niagara.
I journey toward the West I notice on
every hand unmistakable proofs of the
return of business prosperity. This is apparent,
not only in the music trade but in all other
lines as well.
ALBANY.
When I visited this city last fall, trade here
was worse than dull—it was stagnant, and
everj-one seemed depressed. Now it is entirely
different. There is a buoyancy in the business
atmosphere which is infectious.
Board man & Gray.
A firm, which was established in the early
thirties and has withstood the ever v;
business cunents, is clearly entitled to more
than passing comment. The brothers Gray
succeeded to an old and honored name, an I they
have taken much pleasure in maintaini ,g the
high standard of excellence which charac erized
their instruments from their very inceptio^
R. W. Tanner & Son.
The line of piano and organ hardware manu-
factured by this firm is properly classified as
" Specialty " goods. The Tanners pere and fils
possess a large amount of constructive ability,
and they have invented and perfected a line of
useful specialties which are in great demand by
piano and organ manufacturers.
Marshall & Wendell.
The Marshall & Wendell Piano Mfg. Co. have
been for many years part and parcel of the
Albany trade. This year, however, they have
made strong advances. Mr. Harvey Wendell
left last Monday for an Eastern trip. This con-
cern are fortunate in having an able business
manager in the person of Mr. Edward N.
McKinney, who has earned a reputation of being
one of the leading executive men of Albany.
Qorgen & Qrubb.
Over in the pretty little town of Nassau is a
firm of piano action makers who have escaped
largely the depression of the times. They exer-
cise a personal supervision over every portion
of their work, and as they are thoroughly prac-
tical men, it is not surprising that the firms who
have used their actions for years adhere closely
to their product.
Roth & Engelhardt.
Here is a young firm who seem to have been
singularly unfortunate in their visitation by
fires. They possess a large amount of what is
known in the vernacular of the day as " sand, " as
we have seen evidenced in their quick power of
recuperation from two disastrous fires. The
people of St. Johnsville are proud of this young
firm, and well they should be, for they surely
will develop a great industry among them. Only
a short time will have elapsed before all traces
of their recent destructive fire shall have been
removed.
Petit Bijou Piano Co.
The factory of this concern is located near
that of Roth & Engelhardt at St. Johnsville.
Like many other manufacturers, their trade was
seriously curtailed during the last year, but re-
cently they have been in receipt of a considerable
number of orders.
AT DOLGEVILLE.
Big hearted Fred. Engelhardt generously pro-
posed to drive me across the country to Dolge-
ville, an invitation which, by the way, I lost no
time in accepting. Shortly after my arrival at
the hostelry of mine host Guenther, there was a
gathering of the clans, so to speak. A genial
company had gathered who made it their sole
duty to see that hospitality unstinted should be
lavished upon me during my tarry in their
midst. There were Edward Dedicke, Julius
Breckwold, Edward A. Brown, the Corporation
Counsellor, and Van Cullen Jones, editor of the
Herald, and many others to whom I am par-
ticularly grateful and with whom I had the
pleasure of renewing acquaintance formed during
my last visit to this charming little city. Many
changes had occured since my former sojourn.
New factories, new dwellings, new streets,
widened and graded, brightness and thrift every-
where, all seemed to indicate with forcible elo-
quence that the age was evolutionistic in Dolge-
ville. To give a detailed account of all I saw
requires more time and space than I now have
at my disposal. A visit to the Autoharp factory,
a pleasant round with Mr. Roth, a trip over the
felt shoe factory, the Brambach, the woolen, the
wire factories all deserve special mention. And
the manufacture of the now famous blue felt,
and the new railroad and more—but one word
for the new road ; I have traveled over all the
great railroads in America from Winnipeg to
Mexico, and never do I recollect of witnessing a
more charming scenic effect than I saw from the
rear car on our ride down the valley to Little
Falls. Ah, the Mohawk Valley ! there is hospi-
tality and scenery unparalleled.
AUBURN.
Wegman Piano Company.
Here is located a well-known piano manufact-
uring company. The Wegman Piano Company
—f^r it is now an incorporated company—are
busy. A trip through their spacious factory in
company with Henry Wegman furnished con-
clusive evidence that this firm are enjoying the
fruits of well-earned victory in piano making.
The recognition which their instruments re-
ceived at Chicago gave a new impetus to their
business. It is lasting, and there are no dull
times with the Wegman Piano Co. .
WATERLOO.
Malcolm Love.
An historic name, and Malcolm Love and his
confreres are going to make this particular
Waterloo historical as the birth place of a first-
class piano. I should qualify this statement by
removing the future from the allegation, and
refer only to the past. They have made it, for
the Malcolm Love piano has long since passed
beyond the experimental realm into that of as-
sured and demonstrated success. I never have
had reason to change my first expressed opinion
of the Malcolm Love instruments. After a care-
ful examination I pronounced the instruments a
success, as in their construction the firm had
carefully avoided anything which savored of a
cheap nature. They make an instrument of
high grade. Their wares are appreciated—they
are in demand. In both the piano and organ
factories they are working with a greater num-
ber of men than any time since the company
was organized.
BROCKPORT.
The Metcalf Piano.
Henry W. Metcalf has accomplished wonders
down here. He came to this town not many
months ago, organized The Brockport Piano
Company, built a new factory building,
equipped it with the necessary machinery, has
been turning out pianos, and pianos of merit at
that. Think that is not hustling ! Well. I beg
to disagree. The position attained in such a
limited time could only have been gained by
hard, practical work, for Mr. Metcalf had many
obstacles to overcome. The Metcalf piano is an
instrument which possesses original features of
construction, that clearly give it a distinct in-
dividuality. Dealers will do well to examine it.
It is an instrument destined to become popular.
To-day the company are placing their instru-
ments with well-known firms, whose letters of
endorsement I saw.
ROCHESTER.
Rochester has been improving each year as a
city for retail trade. Lately it has been gaining
some prominence in piano manufacturing.
Gibbons & Stone
For a long time were the only manufacturers
here. Their out-put has always been small and
absorbed entirely in their retail establishment in
this city.
Foster & Co.
Are late claimants for trade patronage, and their
business already extends outside of the State. I
have no doubt but that the business of this firm
will become rapidly extended. Already Otto
Wissner, of Brooklyn, has seen the merits of
their pianos and is purchasing them for his retail
trade.
Ropelt & Feltner
Are a pair of thrifty mechanics who believed
that there was an opportunity of securing speedy
wealth in the piano business, hence they joined
forces some months ago to that end. Their
pianos at present are all sold at retail.
. Phelps & Lyddon
Is the firm name of a concern here who manu-
facture piano cases. Both the partners are
young, energetic men, who thoroughly under-
stand their business. They have a spacious
factory at the corner of Allen and Platt streets.
Their trade is branching out, and they already
number some large houses among their custom-
ers.
The Archer Mfg. Co.,
Manufacture with other lines piano stools.
They do a large business with Lyon & Healy.
They complete the manufacturing interests in
the music trade line in this city.
BUFFALO.
While there have been numerous concerns
which have manufactured pianos in this town,
yet their existence has been short lived, with
the exception of
Kurtzman & Co.,
Which firm have continued right along with a
constantly augmenting wholesale trade. Their
new quarters also give them an excellent oppor-
tunity to effect a large number of retail sales.
The Kurtzman factory, on Niagara street, is
handsome and imposing from an architectural
standpoint. The company's weekly shipment
is very satisfactory.
Louis Kurtzman returned a couple of weeka
ago from a prosperous Western trip,