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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW.
From a Traveler's
Note = Book.
ABOUT
TRADE
TRAVKL
IT
I'Al'KRS
THK
TIONS, LOCATIONS AND
EFFECT OF THE
TRYING
VARNISH —SOME
STAND
BF.NKFIT
ACQUAINTS ONE WITH
THE
TRYING
JULIUS
CEEDED
NISH
PERSONALITIES
WINTER
VARNISH
HANAU
STANDS
CONDITIONS.
HAS
IN MAKING
WHICH
UPON
WILL NOT
"AMBERINE"
CLIMATIC
OK
CONDI-
MEETS
REQUIREMENTS
SUC-
A VAR-
ALL
THE
SUCCESSFUL"SINGER. "
ALBERT
STRAUCH,
A TRAVELER.
V
touch with my constituency, and indirectly
yield a benefit. So much for travel."
There is no doubt that the past winter
has been an exceedingly trying one for
pianos. The sudden and radical climatic
changes have caused probably more com-
plaints from customers in the "checking"
of their instruments than any previous
winter for many years. The varnish work
on some of the best instruments made could
not stand the radical changes of tempera-
ture without showing many checks across
the polished surface. There are men in the
varnish trade who have made a careful
study of atmospheric effects upon varnish,
and have been careful to eliminate certain
ingredients, which have to a large degree
lessened the checking. In Mexico I saw
some instruments, the makers of which I
knew used varnish that has a high stand-
ing in the United States, but in that coun-
try it had just gone to pieces, so to speak.
I saw other instruments of American manu-
facture which withstood the warm and dry
climate of Mexico admirably.
Upon in-
vestigation I found that the pianos which
presented an unbroken and almost enameled
surface, were covered with the varnish
made by Davis & Co., Brooklyn, N. Y., and
known as "The Amberine." Mr. Julius
Hanau, the managing partner of this con-
cern, has made an exhaustive study of the
making of varnish. That he has solved a
difficult problem is evidenced by the man-
ner in which his product fulfills all require-
ments. Mr. Hanau has for many years
been paying close attention to the Mexican
trade, and to-day his firm practically sup-
ply the wholesale trade of Mexico; and I
have also taken pains, upon my return, to
note the condition of pianos in this coun-
try which were finished with the "Am-
berine" product.
I know that it has
given the highest satisfaction to the manu-
facturers who have used it.
RADE papers and their con-
ductors were discussed the other
day at a little informal gather-
ing where I was present. One
of the gentlemen present pro-
pounded the following to me:
"How do you make your
long trips pay, and if you do not make them
pay, why do you make them?"
I replied:
"In the first place, I consider travel one
of the greatest educators. I have never re-
turned from an extended trip but that I
was imbued with new ideas which were a
benefit to me and indirectly to my adher-
ents; but yet there is another motive. By
not confining my trips to simply manufact-.
uring centers I have gained an intimate
knowledge of trade conditions and environ-
ments in every city in America, and I hold
that that is a part of the stock in trade of an
editor. I believe that there are other aims
and ideas above writing trade news, gossip,
articles laudatory, defamatory and damna-
tory, and that it is the duty of a man who
caters to a certain trade or following to
It occurs to me, from what I have seen,
become thoroughly familiar with the con- that Mr. Hanau is manufacturing a varnish
ditions, locations and personalities of the which will withstand extraordinary climatic
men who conduct retail establishments, as changes without annoying results.
well as manufacturers, in their separate
In a Western city the other day, a well-
localities. In other words, it has been my known dealer said to me, pointing to a
aim for the past ten years to thoroughly piano on his floor: "Do you know, that is
acquaint myself with men and their methods the easiest seller that I have had in my
of conducting business in the principal warerooms for many a day? For the price
cities of the United'States.
I have seen nothing that can approach it."
"I have called upon thousands of dealers, I examined the instrument; it was a
have seen them in their business establish- "Singer." What this dealer said has been
ments, know the possibilities for doing repeated to me in almost the same words
business which exist in widely separated by other merchants.
sections, and am in a position to give fairly
I met Albert Strauch in Chicago. Mr.
intelligent answers to questions which are Strauch, one is a member of the trade, who
propounded almost daily to me in the con- fully appreciates the value of travel. It
duct of my business affairs.
keeps him in close touch with his cus-
"New, it is possible to gain all this in tomers, and aids him in a large degree to
only one way—by travel.
That alone extend the popularity of the Strauch ac-
acquaints one with separate localities. In tions.
other words, a man, to conduct a business
ALFRED DOLGE'S residence at Dolgeville
publication must be thoroughly posted upon
N.
Y., which w r as nearly destroyed by fire
business conditions wherever his constitu-
ency may be interested.
To acquire a a few months ago, will be ready for occu-
modicum of that knowledge I have devoted pancy about the middle of June.
a large percentage of my time for many
HENRY DREHER, of B. Dreher's Sons,
years. So you see these trips, from my Cleveland, O., accompanied by his wife,
standpoint pay me. They keep me in will leave for Europe on April ioth.
Braumuller on the Road.
T
HIS week Otto Braumuller starts out on
a Western trip, undertaken in the in-
terest of his business. It is possible that
Mr. Braumuller may journey as far West as
St. Paul, visiting the principal cities en
route. The Braumuller Co. have been re-
cently perfecting some new style pianos, in
which the specimens of case architecture
excel any of their previous efforts. The
company have been making good, steady,
rapid strides toward success, and we may
add that the Braumuller pianos are steadily
advancing in the estimation of the trade.
The Last Chickering flusicale.
A
LARGE and fashionable gathering
was present at Chickering & Sons'
last Invitation Musicale fur the season,
Tuesday afternoon, March 26th. The solo-
ists were Wm. H. Barber, pianist; Miss
Hattie D. Nathan, soprano; Miss Julie
Petersen, flute, and Miss Ida L. Morgan,
accompanist. Mr. Barber was quite eclectic
in his choice of numbers, and Handel's
Gavotte in B flat major, and Liszt's Rhap-
sodie Hongroise, opened and closed a pro-
gram liberally interspersed with selections
from the writings of Rubinstein, Greig,
Mendelssohn, Chopin, Wagner-Liszt, Schutt
and Stavenhagen.
A better program
could not have been selected to display the
Chickering Grand. In the majestic Liszt
and Wagner-Liszt numbers, and in the
choice and delicate compositions of Staven-
hagen, the Chickering tone was triumphant.
Its • musical quality—sonorous, brilliant
withal, sweet and delightful to the ear—was
advantageously displayed by Mr. Barber,
who played with fine musical feeling. Miss
Nathan was deservedly applauded for her
charming singing, and Miss Petersen's
solos on the flute were a feature of a de-
lightful afternoon.
Mr. Mayer is to be
congratulated upon the success of these
musicales.
They have contributed to a
wider appreciation of the celebrated Chick-
ering pianos.
Behr Piano Company Finances.
H
ENRY BEHR and Martin W. Brett,
receivers for the firm of Behr Bros. &
Co., piano manufacturers, filed in the
United States Circuit Court last Saturday a
report of the receipts and expenditures dur-
ing the time the property has been in their
hands.
The liabilities of the company
amount to $144,534.20. The receipts reach
$81,752.28, and the disbursements $51,-
538.59, leaving a balance of $24,197.69.
Don't Publish Without Author-
ity
LAST Thursday the Judiciary Committee
reported favorably to the Senate of this
State the bill making it a misdemeanor to
publish private letters, telegrams or papers
without authority.