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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW.
On the Road
With Ben Janssen.
STOPPED, I believe, in my last letter to
you, at Buffalo. I'd like to write more
about this beautiful city, but that is not the pur-
pose of this article—you want trade news.
Of course you've "mused"—everybody has
and I "reckon" a great many manufacturers
and dealers did all last year. You can " muse "
anywhere, but the best place I think is on board
of a train. Nothing like sitting back in your
seat, watching the smoke from your '' Garcia,''
and just "think what a wonderful amount of
thinking " you can do! How many, how varied
the thoughts that crowd themselves through
your brain. Mine are always about the piano
trade. You know that's all I ever think of. On
that trip from Buffalo to Cleveland I imagined
our trade what it might be, what it should be. I
thought of a Piano Manufacturers Association
in New York as a body of men associated and
brought together for not one purpose but for
many. Not formed as a union against the trade
press but earnestly endeavoring to make one.
No body of men can crush the press, no power
can do it. The many evils that exist in trade
journalism can not be eradicated by any organ-
ization if that organization shows its influence
in only one direction. I do not say this because
I am an interested party. The corporation of
which I am a member and the management of
which is in my hands does not advertise in a
single trade paper and has not for years. My
thoughts, therefore, were not selfish, but for the
interest of all the music trade, a trade I love and
have worked and labored for hard and long.
I thought of a Piano Manufacturers Association,
not as an organization alone for empty meetings,
trade dinners and luncheons, but an organization
with a purpose and that purpose to better the
whole trade, to drive from it the blacklegs and
'' crooks'' who every day are robbing and
swindling it. For fear that a wrong impression
may be put to the above I want to state that I
refer to those schemers and thieves who know
the conditions of our trade and take full advant-
age of the fact that we have no safeguard dis-
tinctly our own and are aware that any kind of
redress for their crimes is impossible.
Why, I " mused," cannot an association come
together on the vital question of credit and form
an organization similar to those that exist in
other trades ?
Why this jealousy when there is so much room
for us all ? I have seen manufacturers shake
hands and "jolly" each other with a bowie
knife up one sleeve and a dynamite bomb in
each pocket. Why this state of affairs ? In the
public eye there is only one '' Steinway." Why
hate that name, because this is a fact ? Why
try all sorts of schemes to belittle this name, the
bulwark of our whole trade ? Why follow in the
footsteps of one house that failed ignominiously
because they made a better piano than Steinway
and a spent a fortune trying to drive that im-
pression home on the public, a public that knew
. better ? Iyet us be men, not boys that only know
one sweetheart. The world is so large, and good
fellowship, honest admiration, will not alone
THE
make it better but bring more contentment and
happiness.
We need an honest credit bureau here in New
York, Boston and Chicago. One that will pre-
vent the many frauds continuously practicing
on our trade, not alone by unscrupulous dealers,
but salesmen, commission fiends, and all the rag
and tag that have formed a stamping ground in
our midst.
Some of the members will say, '' we need no
such safeguard ; '' but I know better, we all do,
the great as well as the small.
And I '' mused '' of those clever fellows and
hard workers that are on the road to represent
the various houses.
I wondered how very few of their employers
were cognizant of what it meant to sell pianos
and organs and musical merchandise to-day. I
thought of the mess they would make of it, how
different would be their advice, their instruc-
tions, their ideas, if they only took one trip.
No roadman is paid too well and the majority
not enough, for no line is more difficult, and
every traveling salesman must be at once a
hustler, diplomat and gentleman. I "mused,"
how many employers would work hard all day,
travel till late at night and sit up until 12 and 1
reporting to the office their day's labor and then
get a letter in the morning full of abuse for what
in the distance appears a mistake but which in
reality is all right. I heard of and saw such a
letter last night and the man that wrote it could
not give a piano away, inlaid with diamonds,
much less sell it. But here—you want trade
news.
CLEVELAND.
B. Dreher's Sons Co.
What wonderful progress this house has made
in the past few years. The largest and finest
warerooms in the city, it easily does the greatest
volume of trade. Composed as the corporation
is of bright and energetic men throughout, each
an expert in his line, their success is but the
natural consequence. Oscar Dreher, the lively
manager, would not complain about trade,
"simply because I cannot," he said. We are
busy, doing more than we did a year ago and all
our prospects bright and rosy. What a bundle
of nerves he is, though, and one of the best piano
men I know, full of ideas and alert to everything.
His brother, more subdued, is nevertheless up to
date and a far seeing, conservative man. Johann,
lately with Brainard, is now also one of the staff
and a very valuable factor in the business.
Hallet & Davis.
I met here the manager who was equally as
enthusiastic as his competitor across the way.
Here also I met again that capital fellow, Mr.
Woods, formerly the H. & D. representative in
Philadelphia and who attended to the winding
up of the H & D. interest in Boothe's failure.
Kirsch, Meckel & Co.
Mr. Meckel reported trade as fair. Their new
quarters are very attractive, indeed, and they
make a good showing. Unfortunately, Mr.
Kirsch is very ill, suffering from a severe attack
of some brain trouble, but he was slightly better
when I called. His illness was considered quite
serious. I do hope he will pull out all right, for
a better fellow never lived.
Wamelink
keeps on in the even tenor of his way, as fine a
salesman as ever and with the same courtly
manners. What a fine specimen of a piano man
CELEBRATED
STEGER
I I
he is though, always pleasant, with a kind word
and God speed to all the '' boys.''
TOLEDO.
Here I met my old friend, Currier, of Whitney-
Currier, he was hard at work selling a piano and
succeeded. For real, solid "business ability"
he's a model. He knows all about the trade
from A to Z and makes mighty good use of that
knowledge. He's so interesting he kept me
there all morning. What a change has taken
place in the trade within a few years. At one
time this house controlled the sale of various
pianos throughout an immense territory and
their great floors were filled up to the roof. Now
all is different. There is plenty of room and
their trade is mainly local. Mr. Currier looks
for better times but not before spring, he has not
much to say for this fall and winter.
Ketch um.
Here the manager, Mr. Carl ton, reported busi.
ness fairly good, and I predict that before long
this house will rank as one of the largest in
town.
Mr. Carl ton is an old time piano man, knows
what he's about and a hustler irom Hustlerville.
Miller, Melde & Co.
Here is a team of workers that in a short time
have rapidly come to the front. They are both
practical men, having been a long time with
Whitney-Currier, and do not let any sales go by
They report business this month as good and
sold a Chase just before I left the store.
TECUflSEH, MICH.
Here my old friend, Collar, has a monopoly.
What a pretty place it is. I know of no village
or town that equals it, and I am as enthusiastic as
Mr. Collar, who tells me Paradise was modeled
after it. Things are picking up here; all the
shops are working full time.
DETROIT.
Schwankovsky
was as busy as usual. What a wonderful man he
is and how thoroughly he understands his busi-
ness. How he must scare some of the boys
when he gives that "side look," and yet he's
one of the best fellows in the trade, that always •
has time to talk and that is ever on the alert.
He is a marvel without a doubt. His 50th an-
niversary festival and series of concerts at his
hall were a great success and the advertising
benefits immense.
Whitney-Marvin Co.
This is a great combination and undoubtedly
do the largest amount of trade in the state. Mr.
Marvin, always the same amiable gentleman,
very kindly took me through the building and
showed me their immense stock. He is virtually
the whole concern and the right man in the
right place. He does not look for good business
this year but has hopes that the new year will
show an improvement.
"We're doing something all the time, Jans-
sen," he said, "but I tell you folks are poor,
and we sell more pianos on a cash basis than
ever before, which tells the story.''
Grinned Bros.
These boys are hustlers from way back, and
hard workers, both of them. They can't com-
plain, and as young Grinnell said: "We
honestly are doing well and so what's the use of
complaining.
Ling
was too busy with a lot of customers around the
PIANOS
PATENTED 1898.
are noted for their fine singing quality of
tone and great durability. The most
profitable Piano for dealers to handle.
STEG-ER & CO., Manufacturers,
Factory, Columbia Height*.
285 WABASH AT&, CHICAGO.