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V O L . X X . N o . 27.
Published Every Saturday at 3 East Fourteenth Street. New York, July 6, 1895.
In The West.
AN
EARLY LETTER
ENCOURAGING CONDI-
TIONS THROUGHOUT THE WEST WISSNER
IN THE WEST A COLLECTION OF
CURIOS —• THE K1MKALL CO.
AMBUHL, OF CHICKER1NU.
OTHER VISITORS IN TOWN.
S I have received the gentle hint to
forward my weekly contribution a
little ahead of time, in order, I suppose,
that you fellows may make up the time lost
on a "dry Sunday," I herewith respond.
In the first place I want to say that the out-
look has materially improved throughout
the West. Crop conditions have been phe-
nomenally good, and two or three weeks
more will see the danger point passed, as the
harvest of small grains promises to be about
two weeks earlier than usual. The injury
to fruit by late frosts was not as extensive
as was at first feared. Grain prices have
advanced in the face of promising crop con-
ditions, and fair prices seem assured for the
new crop. The prospect of good crops has
put new life into all channels of trade, and
a substantial fall revival of business is con-
fidently anticipated. Labor has found ful-
ler employment than for several previous
years, and in many cases at advanced
wages. Manufacturing industries show new
life, notably those of iron, which usually
form a good industrial barometer. Uncle
Sam is financially and industrially con-
valescent, and nature has come to his aid.
Popular confidence has returned, and politi-
cal vagaries will largely disappear before
the rising sun of general prosperity.
In the trade there is but little to write.
Otto Wissner, the Brooklyn piano manu-
facturer, has been out here on a visit, and
I understand is very much pleased with the
location of his Chicago branch, also with the
management of Mr. Blumner.
I was much interested in the list of old
pianos published in Presto last week of the
Britting collection of Cincinnati. I question
if such a collection of curios can be found
elsewhere in the world.
This is from a recent issue of the Chicago
Tribune: The Chicago Amusement Hall
Co. filed the assignment of its leasehold to
the W. W. Kimball Co. with the County
Recorder yesterday. The consideration of
A
the assignment was that the W. W. Kim-
ball Co. assume the bonded indebtedness of
the Music Hall Co. of $100,000.
Geo. P. Bent is flying around your part
of the country—I might say hustling—but
that is his every-day gait, so there is noth-
ing new about that.
Here is another clipping that I cut from
to-day's paper: "Hugh I. Kelso, Jr., pro-
prietor of a school of music, has incor-
porated a stock company with a capital of
$150,000,000 for the purpose of pushing an
electric motor which, he claims, is to revo-
lutionize transportation.
"We are not getting money out of any-
body," he said, "and our stock is not for
sale. We simply incorporated our com-
pany, and the details will be given to the
public later on. We've got a good thing,
but I am not going to say anything about
it at present."
One hundred and fifty million dollars
capital stock; whew! Is it possible that
they are going to manufacture pianos with
the Gibbs refrigerator attachment? It
must be.
Edward Ambuhl, the great Chickering
traveler, is in Chicago, and you know Mr.
Ambuhl is not given to making exagger-
ated statements regarding the condition of
business, but when he winks the other eye
you can rest assured that everythngis mov-
ing well with the Chickering interests.
There is no doubt but they are trying to do
a big trade in this city.
It is said that there will be no change in
the Chicago establishment of the Chicker-
ing-Chase Bros. Co., that Mr. W. E. Dodge
will remain in charge as heretofore. Hand-
some "Billy" Dodge is one of the best
posted men in the piano trade in this city,
and he has always controlled an excellent
business.
Geo. C. Adams, of the McCammon Piano
Co., of Oneonta, N. Y., is looking over the
McCammon interests in the West. He re-
ports an excellent condition of trade. The
star of the McCammon still seems to be
climbing upward. I understand their local
agents here in the city, the Rintelman
Piano Co., are doing well with the McCam-
mon piano.
I learn that a new music store will be
opened at Engelwood by Steger & Nor-
throp. J. V. Steger and H. H. Northrop
are members of the firm.
S3.00 PER YEAR-
SINGLE COPIES, 10 CENTS.
The proposed Salesman's Association
continues to be talked about, but as far as
I can learn no further progress has been
made than reported in my last letter.
F. W. Teeple is doing some excellent
work for the Chicago Cottage Organ Co.
on his present trip to the Pacific Coast. He
has sent in several substantial orders.
The new Hallet & Davis Co. continue to
report a very excellent business.
It is understood that Nathan Ford has
engaged with Lyon, Potter & Co., and will
travel in the State of Iowa in their inter-
ests.
.
.
•
A. B. Lyen, of Dallas, Tex., has been in
this city exhibiting a device for taking up
all lost motion in the action when the soft
pedal is used. Piano men who *hav ; e ex-
amined it say it amounts to something.
Edmund Schnaubel, superintendent of
the Wheelock factory, is in town and en-
joying himself. J. R. Brown, of the Colby
Piano Co., is also rusticating here.
Ernest Chattel!, Julius Bauer & Co. 's
foreman, is dead.
It is rumored here that the Coulon Piano
Co., of Ottawa, 111., are about to retire from
business.
The Value of the Autoharp in
Augmenting Trade.
HE Autoharp has a special value that
no other instrument which the music
dealer handles possesses. The Autoharp
serves to bring to the music store unmusi-
cal people, and no other instrument to any
considerable extent serves this end. The
Autoharp can be, and is, played by un-
musical people, and to any person of or-
dinary ability it can be successfully dem-
onstrated that the Autoharp is easy to play.
The value of getting this new class of
customers into the store is easily seen,
says Strings. The practice on and playing
of the Autoharp is, to a considerable ex-
tent, a course of instruction in harmony,
and the person who comes into your store
with no musical taste, and buys an Auto-
harp, will probably through it become your
profitable customer in many channels.
T
W. R. AND T. E. STEINWAY, sons of Mr.
Win, Steinway, left this week for a four
weeks' camping expedition in the forests of
Canada.