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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW.
From A Traveler's
Note Book.
Washington in White—flany Dealers
There—The New Droop Building—F.
G. Smith will add a Washington
Piano Factory to his List—The
Knabe Warerooms—J. F.
Ellis & Co. are getting
their share of
Trade ; Also
A.V.Grimes.
HAT tall, over-towering and
over-topping gleaming and
ghostly shaft dedicated to the
immortal G. W. was in perfect
harmony with the Capital city
itself when I arrived there; it
waswhite—white on every side
—but busy hands were digging out the city
from the snow drifts, and ere this Washing-
ton will have resumed its normal condition
and have cast aside its mantle of white.
I question if there is a city in the whole
country of anything that approximates
Washington in point of population where
may be found as many makes of pianos as
can be counted in this city.
All of
the leading instruments are represented
here, and scores of the lesser lights as well.
In the Capital city there are, counting all
the establishments which deal in music as
well as pianos and organs—some thirteen or
fifteen—many more than may be found in
Baltimore, an hour's ride away and of
much greater population. It occurs to me
that not only have the manufacturers them-
selves been anxious to seek representation
there, but also have the dealers been drawn
there by Washingtonian allurements. To
my mind the music business is overdone in
Washington, and I question seriously if all
those who have sought the city as a distri-
buting point for musical wares, have met
with the substantial returns for which they
hoped. Of course, with the ever-changing
political tide, there is swept into the city
with each new Congress a vast number of
people who, if they do not become actual
purchasers, become at least renters of in-
struments. They pay, and well; but it
Of Course...
A high-grade piano costs more
than an instrument which is in
that class known as "medium,"
but what a satisfaction to sell a
high-grade piano, and how pleasant
to meet the customer and friends af-
ter the sale is made, particularly if it is a
BOURNE
Just make a minute right here to write
to 180 Tremont Street, Boston, and find
out about it.
should be also understood that Washington
is not a manufacturing city to any great
extent. If the sales w r ere evenly divided
among the total number of music houses, I
think the pro rata would not make a good
showing. I conclude, from what I have
seen of the trade here, that a few of the
larger houses get the great bulk of patron-
age, and that the smaller firms just keep
along by cutting down expenses to the
lowest possible point and then hustling for
a little bite of the crust left over. There
is a crust, to be sure.
I usually stop at the Riggs House when
here, but hereafter, induced by the enjoy-
able lunch which I had with my friend W
P. Van Wickle, I shall throw in floating
shekels at the Raleigh, it is truly fin-dc-
sicclc in every respect.
E. F. Droop & Sons have a removal sale
advertised, preparatory to reducing their
stock before removal into temporary quar-
ters while their new building is being con-
structed. The first of next month work
will be begun upon the structure, which is
to replace the building at present occupied
by them.
I saw an illustration of their proposed
building, and I may state that it will be of
pleasing architecture, and when completed
will be most imposing.
Manager Van Wickle, of the Bradbury
branch, was engaged in closing up some
detail work in the specification for the new
addition to his establishment when I called.
This addition will consist of adding on
two stories to the present building. This
will give to Freeborn G. Smith's Washing-
ton establishment six stories and basement,
two hundred and twenty-five feet in depth,
running back to E street, and a frontage of
twenty-five feet. The additional space will
be utilized in the manufacture of pianos,
the first piano-manufacturing establishment
in Washington. This move will enable
Mr. Van Wickle to supply his customers
direct from the Washington factory, where
the instruments will be made under his
supervision.
Mr. Erck, at the Knabe branch, had
nothing of special moment to relate. The
Knabe piano has a strong hold in Washing-
ton, the same position which in truth it oc-
cupies everywhere.
J. F. Ellis & Co., occupy an impos-
ing building on Pennsylvania avenue, on
which the same signs are seen which were
there when the founder was an active mem-
ber of the trade. His widow has continued
the business under the same name. The
most courteous manager, Mr. Bayly, you
may be sure comes in for a good share of
the trade, as he should with such pianos in
stock as the Chickering, Henry F. Miller
and Mason & Hamlin.
A. V. Grimes is anticipating a good
spring trade and is preparing for it by
ordering in goodly numbers.
He has
placed some large orders with Stultz &
Bauer, and the Jewett Piano Co.
In my next letter I may give you a
glimpse of trade affairs in Birmingham and
Mobile.
Petit Bijou Piano Co.
T
HE St. Johnsville News says that the
plant, stock, fixtures, etc., of the Petit
Bijou Piano Co., of St. Johnsville, N. Y.,
have been transferred to Melissa Benedict to
secure claims held by that lady to the
amount of $5,000. Roth & Engelhardt, it
seems, are suing the company for $390,
and the citizens of St. Johnsville hold a
mortgage on the property to the amount of
$6,000. The Nexus says the factory is run-
ning as usual and about five or six men are
employed.
Behr Bros. & Co.
T
HE instruments which are being
turned out from the factory of Behr
Bros. & Co. nowadays are bound to attract
the attention of dealers and the trade at
large for their many features of sterling
merit. From the standpoints of tone,
touch, design and general finish, they will
commend themselves to all who appreciate
a good'piano. It is not surprising to learn
that Behr Bros. & Co. are adding to their
line of dealers every week and building up
a fine business.
Jack Haynes Making Alterations.
J
ACK HAYNES is taking advantage of
the quiet spell between Winter and
vSpring trade to make some improvements
in his warerooms at 20 East Seventeenth
street. He is laying down a new pine floor
and going to reconstruct the offices, erect-
ing a private office convenient to the en-
trance. The general office will remain as
now at the rear of the warerooms. When
the alterations are completed Mr. Haynes
should announce a "Spring Opening."
BLASIUS & SONS, Philadelphia, have sent
us one of the showy and imposing posters
designed for the American tour of Edouard
Hesselberg, the noted Russian pianist, who
will play the Blasius Concert Grand piano
exclusively.
And when
you have con-
sidered the matter
sufficiently it will oc-
cur to you that you would
like to have some good
''salesmen"out, too;
you can if you
handle the
Henry R Miller
Piano. One sale
makes more. . .
*
r
Home office, 118
Boylston Street,
Boston