Music Trade Review

Issue: 1896 Vol. 22 N. 19

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW.
IO
pianos of the Kimball Co. have now de-
veloped into a character and grade far
above the average type, in the construc-
tion the greatest care is evinced, and from
the outside finish into the very deepest and
obscure inside portions the best technical
skill is applied. The result is a splendid
tone and a most sympathetic touch.
What peculiar changes the whirligig of
time brings forth.
# * *
This is also from the same paper:
By the way, I notice on the back page of
the Musical Courier there are five large
piano firms, and all are Western houses ex-
cept Steinway. Isn't that rather signifi-
cant? Has it not struck you yet? Does
it not show a handwriting on the wall?
Well, it may be significant. It depends
largely how you construe the meaning of
the particular ads alluded to. There are
some who might be unkind enough to say
—well, I will pause. Perhaps I'd better, at
least until the time when Mr. Blumenberg
has satisfactorily and clearly defined
"Western Methods," as applied to the
Smith & Nixon collapse.
* *
*
*To show what a tremendous hold the
bicycle craze is having on members of the
piano trade, I will quote a portion of a con-
versation which I recently overheard in a
well-known Fifth avenue wareroom, when
a salesman was addressing a possible piano
customer.
"This, madam, I assure you is one of
our 1896 productions. You will notice that
it has rear quadrant tubes, detachable
sprockets, ball bearings, truss saddle
double swaged spokes, corkaline grips
This wheel—I beg your pardon — piano,
has dust proof bearings, cones and cases
turned from special steel, hardened and
ground. This wheel—I beg your pardon,
this piano, I mean—has high grade rat trap
pedals, the finish, as you will see, is in
black enamel trimmings. This wheel—I
mean piano—(aside—where the devil am I
at?)—I assure you, will give you perfect
satisfaction."
* *
While passing through Union SquareHote
a few days ago, I met Col. Daniel F. Treacy,
looking as happy as if he had fallen heir to
a fortune. He had just returned from a
trip through the West and Canada, and is
quite optimistic about trade conditions.
Col. Dan believes that the man who gets
out and hustles these days is the one who
secures trade, and with this view I entirely
agree. It is by putting on working har-
ness that Davenport & Treacy are enabled
to keep their immense plant at Stamford
always busy. This is a recipe which other
firms should try.
* *
*
The return of Minister Dunn from
Japan on a vacation trip has exploded the
Japanese piano competition bomb which
the esteemed Art Journal has been so much
afraid of for some time. It was all smoke.
Minister Dunn's statement that we have
nothing to fear now or in the future in that
line should reassure our venerable contem-
porary.
Furbush with Vose.
M
R. E. W. FURBUSH, late of the
Briggs Piano Co., will on June 1st
repiesent the well-known piano manufac-
turers, Vose & Sons, in their wholesale de-
partment.
The eminent Boston firm and Mr. Fur
bush are no strangers.
In fact, their acquaintance was formed
years ago, and Mr. Furbush has performed
many years of faithful service in their be-
half on the road, hence the resumption of
his former duties and his alliance with
the well-known corporation of Vose & Sons
will be welcome news to his host of friends
on the road.
The fact is, Mr. Furbush has talked Vose
pianos for so many years he has always had
a sort of leaning toward them—a sort of
hankering, as it were—he could not with-
stand their attractive powers.
The Vose is one of the best known, and
certainly one of the most popular pianos
in the trade, and Mr. Furbush is a salesman
of exceptional ability, hence the arrange-
ment must prove truly an advantage. Mr.
Furbush is back with his old love again,
and that's all there is about it.
The Rohlfing Sons flusic Co.
A NEW
CORPORATION.
T
HE sheet music and publishing depart-
ment of the firm of Wm. Rohlfing &
Sons has been incorporated under the name
of Rohlfing Sons Music Co., with a capital
stock of $100,000. Chas. Rohlfing, presi-
dent; Geo. Rohlfing, vice-president, and
Arthur Munkwitz, secretary and treasurer.
The name of Rohlfing is familiar to the
entire trade.
It is associated with the
growth of a large and successful music pub-
lishing business. The Rohlfing catalogue
has an international reputation, containing
a wide variety of only the better class of
music. Their publications find a sale in
all parts of the world, the foreign represen-
tatives being F. Schuberth, Leipzig, Ger-
many, and Cranz & Co., London, Eng.
All the members of the corporation are
well known and enterprising young men.
Charles and George Rohlfing have since its
establishment in Milwaukee been continu-
ously connected with the business, and A.
R. Munkwitz, the new member, having
been with the same firm in former years,
is also experienced in this line. The latter
has been until now connected with the Wis-
consin Marine and Fire Insurance Co.
Bank, but realized that an opportunity like
this one to associate himself with a firm of
such excellent standing as the Rohlfing
house was one that not often presented it-
self to a young, energetic man of his ability,
who has an ambition of making a success-
ful business career.
According to the Milwaukee Sentinel, the
business of Wm. Rohlfing & Sons and
Rohlfing Sons Music Co. will remain
together as heretofore, only that the sheet
WM.
ROHLFING.
music and publishing department is to be
kept separate from the piano department,
and the location of the sheet music as well
as the piano business remains the same,
corner Broadway and Mason streets. The
senior member of the firm, Mr. Wm.
Rohlfing, can well feel proud that he has
succeeded in systematizing his business
affairs so that in his advancing years he
can take it somewhat easier while still keep-
ing a watchful eye 01: all the departments.
The Fischer Grand Piano.
M
USICIANS are rapidly falling in line
in their admiration and appreciation
of the merits of the Fischer grand pianos.
It has been our pleasure to hear many
tributes paid them by competent musical
authorities. The following letter, which
Messrs. J. & C. Fischer recently received
from Sig. Pietro Minetti, one of the lead-
ing teachers in the Peabody School of
Music, Baltimore, Md., is a worthy and
honest complement to instruments which
are destined to win a greater vogue as time
goes on apace:
GENTLEMEN:—My attention was called to
a "Fischer" grand piano in your ware-
rooms, and upon examination I am free to
say that I was delighted with it in every
respect. Its tone is noble, rich and full,
and there is a sonority rarely found in
pianos. The touch is elastic and even, and
taking it all in all, the instrument is worthy
of the highest place in the piano world.
Funeral of H. P. Sondheim.
T
HE funeral of the late Mr. Henry P.
Sondheira, special partner in the
firm of Hardman, Peck & Co., who died in
Dresden, Ger., recently, was held from his
late residence Sunday last. There was a
large gathering of his associates in the
Cotton Exchange and personal friends who
in common with a legion of acquaintances,
deeply regret the demise of an honorable
and upright business man.
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE
Martin Piano Co. for $6,508.61. The judg-
ments were taken on notes of the Cincin
nati firm of Smith & Nixon, on which the
local firm were endorsers.
GIVEN & LITTLEFIELD
THKRK is nothing new to add this week
to the extended and only correct account of
the affairs of Keller Bros. & Blight, which
appeared in our last issue.
WAGNER & STARR have engaged in the
manufacture of guitars at Danbury, Conn.
Both members of the firm are practical
musicians.
They are starting out in a
modest way.
THE Rochester Box and Lumber Co., of
Rochester, N. Y., has been incorporated to
manufacture piano and other boxes, with a
capital stock of $30,000. The directors are
William W. Webb, S. E. Clarke and L. At-
water. The latter two were members of the
recently assigned firm of Atwater, Arm-
strong & Clarke.
ROBT. HIGGINS, JR., has opened a piano
wareroom at 1115 Columbia avenue, Phila-
delphia, and will catry a full line of Estey
pianos and organs, and Ludwig pianos.
W. H. FRY, of the Bradbury warerooms,
this city, will take charge of the Brooklyn
branch at 304 Fulton street.
THE store of Levering & Bro., Dubuque,
la., was damaged by fire last week to the
extent of $3,000.
L. RICCA, manufacturer of mandolins,
guitars and other musical instruments, who
recently moved into his new factory, at
886-8 East 134th street, will retain the
present retail warerooms at 163 West
Twenty-third street.
PROF. AL. MOREHEAD has accepted a po-
sition with the Hockett Bros. Co., a large
musical supply house, of Cincinnati. Much
of Mr. Morehead's work will be selling
goods on the road, and he will make occa-
sional calls in this city.—Richmond, Ind.,
Telegram.
WORK, on the Cherry street extension of
the Regina Music Box Co.'s plant at Rah-
way, N. J., was begun last Tuesday. The
building to be erected will be like the main
one, first-class in every respect, three-
storied with substantial brick walls, and a
sub-story beneath the cellar to be cemented
and finished in asbestos. The structure
will be 102x30 feet.
M. C. PERKINS & Co., music dealers,
Rockland, Mass., are enlarging
their
quarters in Paysdn Block by an addition in
the rear.
TH^ International Piano Makers' Union
has settled its differences with the Pease
Piano Co.
have
opened
a
music store on Main street, Old Town,
Me., where they will carry a stock of
pianos, organs and all kinds of musical in-
struments, sheet music, etc.
ANNIE
KRIVAN,
the
fifteen-year-old
daughter of John Krivan, of Clarenceville,
was accused before Justice Charles Lauer,
in Woodhaven, L. I., last Friday of steal-
ing a number of musical instruments from
Paul Hampe, of Ozone Park. Three music
boxes, one guitar, one violin, three man-
dolins, two accordions and other instru-
ments are alleged to have been taken by
her. The theft occurred in December.
DAVID C. HASKIN, a salesman in the em-
ploy of R. D. Gardner, piano and music
dealer, Watertown, N. Y., disappeared
from that city in a mysterious manner on
Monday of last week, leaving a wife to
mourn his departure.
been our pleasure to commend his composi-
tions. We have been favored with a new
song from his pen entitled "Listen, Those
are Angels' Wings."
The melody is
smooth and pleasing, the arrangement
effective and the words by the composer
are especially expressive. The song is in
common time, with a catchy waltz refrain.
This ballad should prove as popular as
"Diamonds and Roses,'' by the same com-
poser, of which sixteen thousand copies
have been sold. The Standard Music Co.,
Danville, Va., are the publishers.
BRASS bands are being organized in Uion
and Verona, N. Y.
THE New England Piano Co. have leased
the large four-story building, 601-Washing-
ton street, Boston, which they will occupy
as retail quarters.
THE case of Victor Flechter, who was
sentenced Friday of last week to one year
in the Penitentiary, has been appealed to
the Supreme Court. Lawyer House says
he will take the case to the Court of Ap-
peals if necessary.
GEORGE WILSON, an employee of the Fort
Wayne Organ Co., had his hand caught in
a machine while at work, and the member
was severely lacerated.
WILLIAM O. HOYT, music dealer,
Dan
bury, Conn., has begun suit against Moses
C. Johnson, of that city, to recover $10,000
damages for the alleged alienation of the
affections of his wife, Josephine A. Hoyt.
A. E. WERKHEISER, Lena, 111., has moved
his music store across the street i;;to the
Distlemeyer Building.
A FIRM of London manufacturers has
just constructed a musical perambulator to
the order of a native Indian prince. By an
arrangement in the body of the vehicle as
the wheels revolve strains of music are
ground out. To suit the Oriental passion
for display, the lining is made exceedingly
gorgeous, and the wheels and springs are
gold plated.
THE Estey Organ Co., Brattleboro, Vt.,
have sold the Ctntreville factory to the
National Contract and Supply Co., the con-
cern having an option to buy the property
within a year.
A BRANCH store for the sale of pianos,
organs and musical merchandise has been
opened in Passaic, N. J., by the enterpris-
ing firm of Ruckstuhl Bros., of Rutherfordj
N. J.
A. D. SISK, Madisonville, Ky., has de-
cided to add a line of sheet music and small
musical merchandise to his general stock
of stationery.
ALEX. ROSS, music trade dealer, Alle-
gheny, Pa., has opened a branch store at
New Castle, Pa.
THE exports of musical instruments for
the week ending May 20th amounted in
value to $9,630. Great Britain was our
largest purchaser, the value of exports to
that country amounting to $6,515.
Two judgments growing out of recent
failures were filed in County Clerk's office,
at Rochester, N. Y., early this week. Both
were in favor of Comstock, Cheney & Co.
C. H. ADDISON is not only a prolific, but
One was against Atwater, Armstrong & Co.
clever
writer of songs. It has frequently
for $4,600, and the other against the
The Crown Pianos.
WHY DEALERS SHOULD HANDLE THEM WHY
GEO. P. BENT'S BUSINESS IS BOOMING.
w
E should like to
say
something
to our readers about
these remarkable spe-
cimens of piano build-
ing, manufactured by
that'go-ahead representative of Western en-
terprise, Geo. P. Bent, popularly known as
the "Crown," but much of our "thunder"
is appropriated, and set forth clearly, ably,
and convincingly in the advertisement in
another part of this paper; therefore, we
can only ask our readers to study and di-
gest this announcement.
It is a plain
statement of facts.
To a certain class of dealers, who neglect
to keep pace with the times, it may seem
that Mr. Bent is making claims which he
cannot live up to.
To those thinking so, we would suggest
an investigation of the "Crown" instru-
ment or a trial order, and we guarantee
they will be convinced that there is a
"princely profit in the 'Crown' piano,"
and beside the mere pecuniary recompense
there is the satisfaction of handling and
selling an instrument that is thoroughly re-
putable and satisfactory in all its essen-
tials.
There is a particularly promising future
for the "Crown" piano. Trade conditions
are such that it maintains a certain—a
peculiarly pre-eminent place.
The extension of Geo. P. Bent's trade is
the logical result of an intelligent conduct
of business on modern and advanced lines.
He has faith in his business, faith in his
pianos, and as the Good Book says, "Faith
moves mountains."
It makes success.
Back of all this faith, however, is merit,
and merit wins.

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