Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW.
On the Road.
With Ben Janssen.
I honestly believe I am the most forlorn man
in the world when away from home, and I am
blessed with a lot of good friends at that. Nat
Goodwin, the comedian, once told me '' as soon as
you leave New York City you're camping out,"
and really that is almost a fact.
The best thing about traveling is meeting the
members of our trade, who are without doubt
the most affable, courteous and generous men to
talk to and do business with in the country,
and the other, the hotels in the larger cities.
I spent Sunday in Detroit, at the "Cadillac,"
one of the finest hotels, I think, in the country,
and really felt at home there, for which I am in-
debted to the clerks and management in general.
But outside of the hotels in the large cities the
traveler is in sorry plight ; I only except one
State, Michigan, and in that State it's hard to
find a really poor hotel. No one wants anything
better than the Frazer, in Bay City, a most
cheery and comfortable hostelry, ably managed
throughout, also the " Churchill," in Alpena.
And while I 'm on the subject of hotels, I must
tell you a story about Philip Pfeiffer, who owns
the "Chamber of Commerce " hotel in Conne-
maugh, Pa. I stopped there a few weeks ago ;
his place was all newly papered and painted
throughout. After registering, I said, '' ah,
Philip, you've been spending some money, I
see."
" Dat's righdt, Barney," he replied, " I
hat too ; you know last Summer der flud cleaned
us owid once yet may be und you bet aber I get
me fixed up quick, ain't it ? " " Why, Philip,"
I said, " I did not know the water came up
here." "Yes, Barney, even higher, else how
would I sphend my money foolishnessly. No,
sir ! it cost me over $300 to fix up what der river
sphoiled. You know no insurance company will
pay water damages, only fire." "Well, it looks
clean and nice, Pfeiffer, and I want to congratu-
late you." Just then I noticed a thick, white
chalk mark about four inches from the ceiling,
which was very high. "What's that mark
for?" I queried. "Which one? Oh, dat!
dat is mine high water mark. Every year I
keep me a record of the flood, always making a
mark to show where the water came to the year
before; a good idea, eh, Barney? " "Yes, but
you do not mean to tell me the water came in
here as high as that ? " " No, not quite so
high, but about here,'' pointing to a spot about
three feet from the floor, '' but the boys always
rub the mark away there, so I put it where they
can't reach it."
My first stop after leaving the beautiful City
of Straits was
FLINT.
Business here shows a decided turn for the
better, according to Mr. Lyons and Mr. Frise.
Mr. Lyons is one of the old time piano men of
the state who, for years, had the only store in
the town, but now does all his business direct
from his home. He has a great many prospects
and believes he will do a good trade from now
on.
fir. Frise,
who runs a jewelry department in connection
with his music and piano trade, is quite as hope-
ful as his competitor.
BAY CITY.
Here things are very quiet—not alone in the
piano trade but in everything.
rir. Bell,
the last man to open a store, has perhaps the
least cause for complaint; but he told me things
were dull and had been. " What this city needs
is more manufacturing establishments. We
have been relying almost entirely, up to date, on
our lumber trade, but that has about come to an
end, and now we need something to take its
place. But I need not complain, I've done fairly
well."
Thayer & Gustin
report no business at all, and very little prospect
of improvement.
Van Syckle
feels about the same, and, like Bell, is praying
for more industries.
by trade, and nobody can fool him, not a little
bit.
JACKSON.
Mrs. J. M. B. Hough, the proprietress of the Old
Bullock Music House, received me very kindly
indeed. " I am satisfied with our trade, Mr.
Janssen, "she replied to my inquiry, " very well
satisfied ; we have a nice line, and our sales are
improving all the time. Do I own this establish-
ment ? Yes, ever since Mr. Bullock's death.
No, never had a partner, except for a short time.
Yes, I like it; in fact have been in the piano
business so long I could not keep away from it
if I tried. Have a brother in it also, Col. Bacon,
of the Webster Piano Co. Yes, indeed, he's
quite a reformer; we're very proud of him;
always has been his ambition to reform Mc-
Kane's principality. Always glad to see mem-
bers of the trade." A gracious bow and my
very pleasant Interview with a remarkably
bright and handsome woman was at an end.
She's a wonder!
OSCODA AND ALPENA.
HereChas. V. Hicks, the only " H i x , " has
full sway, without a sign of competition. He is
a unique and interesting figure in the piano
trade. He came up in this desolate, God for-
saken country about 16 years ago, as clerk in
the only drug store in the county and three
weeks later established himself. Then followed
S. B. Smith & Co.
the golden days of Upper Michigan, the day that
Here I met S. B. Smith, the good friend of
brought wealth to such men as Alger, Loud, every traveling piano salesman on the road.
Pennoyer, Park, Smith, etc., all of whom "Janssen, I'm glad to see you; come in, you're
started without a penny.
looking well. Business ?—business ? did you
" Hix " opened up his little store gradually, say ? There is virtually none, take my word for
adding different lines, such as tobacco, stationery, it, no matter what anyone else tells you. Oh,
etc., and finally music and musical instruments. yes, we do a little, but it's mighty little. I'm
The beginning was small and a struggle, but afraid the piano trade for a money making ven-
money flowed in streams, and to-day this Hicks ture is a thing of the past. No, we are not busy,
is one of the great and wealthy men of that and I don't think we will be for some time to
country, known throughout the state and even come. The people that usually buy the pianos f
beyond its borders. He has a number of stores, the installment buyer needs the money he may
and virtually controls the whole of that immense be earning now to pay his rent and his debts,
territory. He knows nothing about a piano, when he gets through with that then he will
can't tell one note from another, but so much buy pianos, unless, of course, our Congress does
confidence does he inspire that the people just not disturb the country with more tariff legisla-
take his word for everything. "Hix "—"your tion. No, Ben Janssen, put me down as a pessi-
money back without questions, if you are dis- mist as far as trade is concerned.''
satisfied "—is the sign that confronts you every-
where.
niLWAUKEE.
Wm. Rohlfing & Sons.
While there I met Mr. Smith, the roadman of
Clough & Warren, an old-time salesman and
This house is doing an enormous business, the
very clever fellow, too. He reported trade very largest by far in the city. Papa Rohlfing sold
good in all the places where he had visited. Smith, seven pianos the day I was there, three of them
" Hix," and " Yours truly " made an assault to- grands. This is not his statement but mine,
gether on a Baptist minister in order to close a and is not a " bluff," but a fact. They were al-
sale, and I am inclined to think succeeded, most sold out in new pianos. I watched his
although the unusual spectacle of three men, method of handling customers very carefully f
calling in at 9 o'clock p. m., to sell one piano, and must say I never, saw a better salesman.
rather unnerved him, and he was too dazed to He knows the business from A to Z. "Jans-
form a definite decision, but if "Hix " don't sell sen," he said, " no customer ever goes out from
the piano I'll lose my guess.
here if there is any ' buy ' in him. I make a
condition with every sale, if not satisfactory,
come back and get your money, no questions
OWO5SO.
Here the Michigan Piano, Organ & Sewing asked." Not alone is their piano trade A 1, but
Machine Co. exercise the same right that they are doing equally as large a business in
" H i x " does—that is, they are alone in the their sheet music, etc., etc., the small goods de-
field. Mr. Shattuck and his son, Jesse, I found partments being in charge of that wide-awake
to be clever and shrewd piano men, and I don't and shrewd fellow, Chas. Rohlfing. They have
wonder at their success. They told me they had the agency for the Regina Music Boxes and ex-
noticed quite an improvement in trade and were pect to do a very large business with them this
inclined to believe that the Winter and Spring Fall and Winter. It's a great house, Rohlfing &
trade would be very good—they have an im- Sons, and the boys, Wm. Rohlfing, Jr., Herman,
mense establishment. This city has probably George and Albert are all of them the right men
suffered less from hard times than any I know in the right places.
of, and the big furniture factories have been busy
right along.
YPSILANTI.
Samson is the only piano man in town. He's
a charming fellow, knows his business, and has
probably the most unique and beautiful ware-
room in the state. '' I am taking things very
easy," he said. " A year ago I quit entirely
and have only started up again lately. Have no
canvassers out and don't intend to send any;
just take what comes along ; do a smaller busi-
ness than I have, but one thing which will let
me sleep." He's a bright man, a piano maker
Jos. Flanner.
I was somewhat afraid of meeting Flanner,
because of my letter last year, and had a gun in
my coat pocket ready for trouble if it came my
way, but when I saw how cordially he grasped
my hand (the same one in which I had clutched
the gun) and greeted me, I felt safe. "Jans-
sen," he said, "business is very quiet, d— dull,
in fact, and if any one in this town tells you
they are busy put them or him down as liars.
The prospects are fair, nothing brilliant, just
fair. I consider this store one of the finest in
this territory, and if we can't do anything on