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In The West.
THE SMITH & NIXON FAILURE—RAD RESULTS.
KIMBALL IN THE SOUTH—JACOH DOLL BUYS
OUT THE RINTELMAN PIANO CO.—AN IN-
SIGNIFICANT
VISITORS
FAILURE
SOME
NOTED
NEWMAN BROS. CO. BUSY.
KIMBALL
CLANS—HAMILTON
GAN CO.
OR-
WHY THEY ARE NOT
COMPLAINING—'AEOLIAN
OR-
GAN IN THE GREAT NORTH-
ERN
HOTEL
LOOP
THE
PIANOS
THE
"L"
KIMBALL
THE STORY
& CLARK "WEDNES-
DAY
REMINDERS"
J. V. STEGER
GENERAL NEWS.
HE Smith & Nixon failure has been the
general topic of conversation in trade
circles all week. While it occasioned no
surprise out here, yet it was hoped they
would be able to hold together, as it was
supposed that they had passed the danger
point when a re-organization was effected
a few months ago.
There is a general regret that this failure
should have been precipitated just now.
Trade was in the way of "picking up" and
regaining the security which had been
damaged by other recent failures.
The results of the Smith & Nixon contre-
temps are obvious. Banks will almost close
down on piano paper, followed by a tight-
ening and embarrassment to manufacturers
right along the line. There is nothing
new in this connection which I can supply
in the way of particulars that you are no-
already in possession of.
The W. W. Kimball Co.'s Southern
wholesale representative, Mr. Gilbert
Smith, has been visiting Charleston, S. C.,
with a view of making that city one of the
main distributing points for the Kim ball
goods in the South. The Kimball business
has grown to large proportions in that sect
tion, and an excellent business has been
built up under the direction of their special
agent in Charleston, Mr. Gellison.
Just to be in line, I suppose, we have had
a small failure out this way. The A. H.
Rintelman Piano Co. have given a bill of
sale of their entire assets to Jacob Doll, of
your city. He has taken possession of the
stock carried in the two stores operated by
the company. The instruments in the
Clark street store have been transferred to
Wabash avenue, and the stock will be closed
out by F. M. Hulett, who has taken charge
in Mr. Doll's interest. The liabilities of
the company are not heavy; the assets will
not pay more than 15 or 20 cents on the
dollar. It is thought that Mr. Doll will
continue the Wabash avenue establishment
as a direct branch establishment. The idea
is not a bad one, and might prove profit-
able.
During the past week we have had a
number of important visitors to town.
The Estey house has been represented by
Gen. Estey, Stephen Brambach, Robert
Proddow and E. M. Read, manager of the
T
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW.
II
Estey branch house in St. Louis. They
reached Chicago about the same time as the
new Camp & Co. pianos, and, as a matter of
course, there was a close examination of
the new instruments, which were found to
be excellent, both in design and tone; re-
sult, mutual congratulations. General Es-
tey has been visiting the Northwest, and is
quite hopeful about trade in general. He
reports a marked increase in the Estey
Co.'s business during the past twelve
months. The four gentlemen left for home
last Saturday.
The Newman Bros. Co. seem to have no
trouble in disposing of their output of or-
gans. They report a marked demand for
their new piano-cased organ. They are at
work on a magnificent catalogue which
they will have ready for the trade in a few
weeks.
The Kimball clans have also been promi-
nent in this city recently. In addition to
the one and only W. W., O. A. Kimball, of
the Emerson Piano Co., and E. N. Kim-
ball, Jr., of the Hallet & Davis Co., have
been looking up business and greeting their
many friends.
The Hamilton Organ Co. are evidently
not influenced by the prevailing cry of
"hard times." Their business for the past
week has been as large, if not larger, than
any week since they commenced manufac-
turing. There is good reason for this
cheering condition of affairs; they are
making a first-class instrument, as beautiful
in design as in tone, and their success is
well merited.
In addition to the magnificent p p e organ
to be erected in the Great Northern Hotel
in this city, by.the Farrand & Votey Organ
Co., two large ^olian organs will also be
placed in the building, one in the rotunda
and another in the dining room, which is
on the seventeenth floor. They will be con-
nected electrically with the grand organ,
and can be played separately or together.
The " L " loop on Wabash avenue is being
erected with great dispatch, and it would
seem the street will again be presentable
around the end of August. This will bring
joy to the hearts of piano men.
One of the novelties in connection with
the latest styles of Kimball pianos is that
the plates have stamped on them "World's
Fair Award." This tells a significant story
in very few words, and is a clever business
stroke.
The local office of the Farrand & Votey
Co. has been removed from Steinway Hall
to the Great Northwest Hotel Building.
These "Wednesday reminders ' which
the Story & Clark Piano Co. are getting
out are simply immense. They are so
cleverly written, and so neatly gotten up
typographically, that they never fail to at-
tract and hold the reader's attention.
I understand that the Mason & Hamlin
Grand Rapids store has been turned over
to Mrs. M. D. Weedon.
J. V. Steger is not complaining of busi-
ness. The Steger and Singer factories are
pretty busy, and while more could be done,
there is no reason for discontent. Mr.
Steger is a persistent worker, and he is
reaping his reward.
Chas. H. Becht, of the Brambach Piano
Co.; W. B. Williams, of Behr Bros. & Co.;
Calvin Whitney, of the A. B. Chase Co.,
and J. A. Norris, of the Mason & Hamlin
Co., have been in town.
The Briggs Piano Co.'s Affairs.
T
HE assignee of the Briggs Piano Co.
has about completed his taking of
stock, but is not disposed at present to give
any particulars for publication. A meet-
ing of the creditors has been held, but no
action was taken—they are awaiting the re-
port of the assignee. It is the general
opinion that the creditors will not suffer
much. The factory occupied by the Briggs
Piano Co. is advertised for rent. Should
they resume manufacturing, as it is ex-
pected, they will occupy smaller quarters.
Credit Men to fleet at Toledo.
HE Toledo, ()., Chamber of Commerce
has invited credit men to meet in con-
vention in that city June 23-25, to perfect
a national organization. One hundred and
fifty of the credit and financial managers of
the largest houses in the country have been
appointed on the Executive Committee.
The purposes are to reform laws unfavor-
able to creditors, to determine information
desired concerning applicants for credit,
and to formulate some plan by which such
information shall e obtained and distrib-
uted ; to secure better handling of bank-
rupt estates, and to reform business meth-
ods.
T
F. O. Evans Piano Co.
A RTICLES of incorporation of the F.
J \
O. Evans Piano Co. have been filed
with the County Recorder at Des Moines,
la. The incorporators are F. O. and E.
L. Evans and C. H. Martin. The capital
stock is $50,000. The corporation will en-
gage in the wholesale jobbing of pianos, or-
gans, musical instruments and musical
supplies.
Trade Mark " Fischer. 5
T
HE great reputation enjoyed by the
"Fischer" piano for more than fifty
years has induced the using of the word
"Fischer" by unscrupulous parties, there-
by imposing poor or worthless pianos upon
innocent purchasers. In order to prevent
this, the Messrs. J. & C. Fischer have
adopted the word "Fischer" as a trade
mark, confirmed by letters patent, and here-
by announce that they alone are entitled to
use the word "Fischer" as applied to the
name of a piano.
Henry E. Krehbiel, who married Miss
Marie Van in Brooklyn last Saturday, is
the music critic who discovered that the
Keely motor was in B flat. But even that
key has failed to make the motor a success.