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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW.
PEAKING of old time music salesmen
with Theo. Hamel, manager of Hamilton
S. Gordon's music publishing department,
a few days ago, he said: "Probably the
oldest in this special line in the United
States is Julius Mirsalis, late of Schuberth's,
whose illness you recorded last week.
"For over forty years he has been con-
nected directly with the music publishing
business, and what is most remarkable, he
spent his entire time with three houses—
Augener & Co., of London, where he served
his apprenticeship, and later with the now
defunct firm of G. Andre & Co., Philadel-
phia, which he left in '78 to engage with
E. Schuberth & Co., of this city.
"He has been over thirty-five years in
this country, so you see he has spent that
entire time between two houses. This is
a record that can hardly be duplicated.
"Mirsalis is a regular encyclopedia of
knowledge on music, and his memory is
really astonishing. In the days agone,
when cataloguing was not as much relied
upon as to-day, he could give you any
desired information about any piece of
music, no matter where published, simply
on mentioning its name. In this respect I
think he stands unexcelled.
"Mr. Mirsalis was born near St. Peters-
burg some sixty odd years ago, and during
his active career in this country built up a
wide circle of friends, who will see that he
will receive every attention during his
illness."
Although it is very hard to get Mr.
Hamel to speak about himself, yet he has
also quite a record for length of service,
being now thirty-three years in the sheet
music business, and, like Mr. Mirsalis,
possesses a wonderful fund of information
on matters musical. He was associated
with that gentleman during his connection
with and after the dissolution of the Andre
house in Philadelphia. Mr. Hamel has
traveled extensively and has a fund of
anecdotes about the many musicians he has
come in contact with that would prove most
interesting if put into type.
S
"Yes," said Henry Behning, in conver-
sation with THE REVIEW man, "we are
rushing work on the addition to our factory,
and hope to occupy it by Saturday. This
will just double our floor space and give us
great additional facilities for turning out
our pianos.
"The outlook for '96 at the present time
is quite bright, and I hope it will continue."
The mercantile agencies report a marked
increase in failures during the year just
closed. The music trade industry, how-
ever, comes out with banners flying. Out-
side of a few insignificant failures among
the dealers, I can bring to mind no
failure in the music trade during the past
year. This is something to be proud of,
considering the depressing condition of
business during the greater portion of '95.
It has been a trying period, but no better
demonstration of *.he stability and healthy
condition of the music trade is needed than
the gratifying showing made in the matter
of failures.
* *
*
John Boyd Thacher possesses the unpleas-
ant knack of getting into trouble. His
record in connection with the World's Fair
medals is historical, and as Mayor of
Albany, he seems to be as brilliant a
failure as Chairman of the Committee on
Awards at the World's Fair. Things have
come to such a pretty pass up in the State
capital that hundreds of Democrats who
supported Mr. Thacher are openly express-
ing their disgust with'him and urging that
he put into execution his threat to resign as
Mayor.
*
Violins are among musical instruments
that are rented. They are hired by visitors
to the city, by students and by professional
players. The visitor may be a profes-
sional player—he is more likely to be an
amateur—perhaps from Europe or some
other distant part of the world, who has
brought no instrument with him, and now
has occasion to play at the house of friends
whom he is visiting. He can hire an
instrument for any length of time he may
desire.
Students of music and beginners who
may not want to invest in a good violin
until they know whether they will follow
music, sometimes hire a violin; if they
finally purchase it the rent is allowed as a
part of the purchase money. Professional
players sometimes hire a fine instrument
with the understanding that the rent shall
apply upon the purchase. The rent of a
violin depends, of course, upon its value.
For $2.50 a month one gets an instrument
valued at $50; for $15 a month, an instru-
ment valued at $600 to $1,000.
* *
9fc
The unsophisticated people of Ohio and
Wisconsin are evidently under the impres-
sion that shares in a piano business are as
good an investment as a gold mine—one
"panning out big," at that. The couple of
news items bearing on this matter which ap-
pear elsewhere, demonstrate how gullible
some people are in this advanced age. West-
erners with money to spare should fight shy
of investing in unknown piano concerns
unless, for instance, they find a Kimball
or a Cable back of them.
* *
:
If you'd make your business pay,
Advertise—and that to-da}-.
Until you do your goods won't move,
So don't delay till times improve,—
Printers' Ink.
GEO. B. SHEARER, manufacturer of the
Meloharp, has established New York head-
quarters at 13 Union Square (Decker
Building).
HARRY CURTAZ, of B. Curtaz & Son, San
Francisco, is sojourning in the city, and is
being made quite at home by his many
friends in the trade, among whom may be
mentioned Geo. N. Grass, of Geo. Steck &
Co. Mr. Curtaz is accompanied by his wife.
He will leave on his home trip next week.
As a result of Mr. Curtaz's visit, a good
sized order of Steck pianos is being pre-
pared for shipment to San Francisco.
THE schedules of Alfred Schellhase,
dealer in music boxes, at No. 329 Fourth
avenue, show liabilities, $7,798; nominal
assets, $7,302; actual assets, $4,540.
HARDMAN, PECK & Co. are working on
some new style instruments which will be
ready for the spring trade. A new catalogue
will also make its appearance in the near
future.
THE music store of E. D. Burchfield, of
Howard, Kans., has been quite badly
damaged by fire.
W. B. MCLAREN, of Ontario, Cal., has
sold out his music store.
MRS. L. J. WIGHTMAN, who formerly
dealt in musical instruments at Payson,
Utah, has resumed business.
R. O. BURGESS, traveling representative
of the Wegman Piano Co., Auburn, N. Y.,
has left on an extended Southern trip.
THE annual meeting of the shareholders
of the Morris, Field, Rogers Piano Co.
was held last week at their warerooms in
Listowel, Ont. The report of the year's
business was considered satisfactory. Mr.
J. W. Scott was re-elected president, and
Mr. D. D. Campbell, vice-president.
GEO. N. ROCKWELL is a recent addition
to Mr. Rosenberg's staff of assistants in
the Shoninger warerooms.
R. S. HOWARD, with J. & C. Fischer, has
just returned from a Southern trip and
will leave in a few days for the West.
C. E. WHITE, who severed his connection
with the New England Piano Co. a short
time ago, is going to take a position with
one of the Western houses.
THE Sander Musical Instrument Co., of
212 Boylston street, Boston, are insolvent,
and have filed a petition in the Suffolk
Insolvency Court. The liabilities sched-
uled aggregate $4,600, and the assets are
$500, mainly consisting of stock in trade,
mortgaged.
PATENTS on a new tuning device have
been secured by Mr. Feldine, who is
connected with the construction depart-
ment of the Wegman Piano Co., Auburn,
N. Y.