Music Trade Review

Issue: 1896 Vol. 23 N. 5

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW.
with which we are menaced, and which at
present have a retro-active effect upon-our
business interests.
No man should underestimate it—no man
should be guided in his business arrange-
ments by other than correct views of the
environments by which we are now sur-
rounded.
It is useless and insincere for a trade
publication to write in glowing colors of
the conditions of trade in this or that part
of the country. Intelligent men know that,
while we may have certain gleams of light
which will occasionally illuminate our pres-
ent business darkness, that it will take the
sun of national prosperity to dissipate the
fog. They know that trade must be spo-
radic until this dominating matter of cur-
rency is settled for once and for all. Let
our utterances be truthful—let our views
be honest.
#
#
From THE REVIEW representative in San
Francisco we learn that the dealers on the
Pacific coast are strongly impressed with the
desirability of forming an association in or-
der to come to some sort of agreement on
matters which are of interest to the mem-
bers of the trade, thereby saving consider-
able expense and much annoyance.
It is also interesting to note that some of
the music trade papers are now advocating
the formation of a national piano manufact-
urers' association. In this connection it
may not be an inappropriate time to quote
a little history which is not ancient.
THE REVIEW years ago advocated the
formation of a union of American musical
industries, believing that such an associa-
tion would be in accordance with the de-
mands and necessities of the age. After
obtaining the opinion of the leading men
throughout the trade, at their suggestion
THE REVIEW convened a meeting at Claren-
don Hall, New York, on Sept. 17th, 1889.
Edward Lyman Bill called the meeting
to order, and in his opening remarks said:
"The main object of the meeting was to
form an association which will eliminate
from the music trade of America certain
evils connected therewith. First, the man-
ufacturers of pianos and organs desiring a
reform of the credit system. Let there be
established bureaus of information in the
large cities—Boston, Chicago and New
York; national bureaus where manufact-
urers could gain information relative to
the financial standing of firms and individ-
uals, information which he, the speaker,
was informed could not be acquired un-
der present circumstances. Frequently a
dealer ran up an account with a manufact-
urer, failed to .meet his obligations, and
transferred his custom to some other house
which had no adequate means of informa-
tion itself as to his financial condition.
Other subjects of the suggested union
might be an adjustment of freight charges
and of the duties upon musical instruments.
Aanother desideratum, perhaps, was the
establishment of headquarters, to be fitted
up after the manner of clubs, where dealers
and manufacturers should meet or other-
wise communicate with each other to ad-
vantage. Many other matters in regard to
which an association would benefit the
trade would probably occur to those pres-
ent. "
lars and payeth it for a shirt that formerly
cost one dollar ?
#
#
What right has a publisher of a music
trade paper to ask for advertising payments
in advance? He hasn't delivered his goods
and the man who pays him furnishes him
with money to run his business. Surely
The above is taken from the records of
men who do this cannot complain of the
that meeting.
over-production of trade papers. Aside
A perusal of it will show that the ideas of from this point we cannot overlook the fact
THE REVIEW were not so far opposed to
that the editor who asks for advance loans
right and reason as some of our contem- is nothing more nor less than a journalistic
poraries at that time were prone to state.
begger. Give him alms if you will, but do
The association which was formed at that not confound mendicancy with legitimate
time was for certain reasons best told later journalism.
maintained for purely social aims. We
#
#
have often wondered in the light of later
Some of the trade papers are again re-
developments whether, if manufacturers at
viving that old story of the Albert Weber-
that time had perfected a business organi-
Doll deal. This time the story is bright-
zation, the nucleus of which was in their
ened up a bit and looks quite fresh. The
hands, whether such failures as we have
recent burnishing has also included as
witnessed during the past year would have
among those interested in the scheme Ex-
been possible.
Governor Tom Waller, of Connecticut.
#
#
No trade=paper bulldozing.
No advertising payments in
advance.
No monetary loans to support
newspaper mendicancy.
#—#
New York breathes freer, the hot wave
and Bryan hath departed.
It occurs to us that in thinking about the
hot wave, tracing up its causes, etc., we
may lay it to other than meteorological
conditions. It seems to have had its in-
ception in the West, accompanying Bryan
on his intended stampede tour—remained
with him while in New York, and with his
departure it left us. We say the hot spell
under which we, to alliterate, sweat, swore
and sizzled, should be termed in history
the Bryanic wave. Things were so hot
here in New York at the time of the Boy
Orator's visit that it nearly fried his adjec-
tives.
Now that the Bryanic wave is passed,
and there seems little danger of its recur-
rence, we may look for improvement in bus-
iness conditions as the silver menace day
by day lessens.
The action of the Canadian bankers to-
wards American money will also have a
beneficial effect, in that it will bring some
of the people to their senses in this country
by causing them to fully understand just
what the purchasing power of a silver dollar
means when its parity with gold is removed.
What profiteth it a man if he hath two dol-
#
#
Fishing tales are at times entertaining,
but we can hardly believe that tales are par-
ticularly enjoyable to dignified members of
the trade when they are held up to public
view as if they were going off on a terrible
debauch instead of an innocent fishing trip.
A respectable paper eschews vulgarity
in any form.
#
#
Mr. Geo. Maxwell, manager of Boosey
& Co. \s New York branch, gives us a
"Specialty Talk" this week. Mr. Max-
well's experience with the music publishing
business extends over a long period of years
both in Europe and America. Mr. Max-
well possesses a refined and agreeable per-
sonality, and his indefatigable efforts in be-
half of the distinguished London firm whom
he represents have greatly added to its
prestige in this country.
#
#
Last Saturday Mr. P. H. Powers, of the
Emerson Piano Company, reached his sev-
entieth mile stone in the journey of life.
Seventy years means a long time, but it
means in the case of Mr. Powers that while
the snowfall of time has been stealing over
him, whitening his locks and his mustache,
that it has not dimmed the brightness of his
eye or dulled the ruddy color of health up-
on his cheeks. Neither has it impaired
those brilliant mental powers which have
made the executive head of the Emerson
Piano Co. known and respected throughout
our trade. May many years of health and
usefulness remain with the honored head of
the Emerson house.
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW.
Russell Piano Co. Fail.
the Mehlin instruments where they deserve
to be placed—in the front rank, and under
DISPATCH from Chicago last Tues- the new arrangement they would be able to
day stated that the plant of the Rus- give customers and dealers every oppor-
sell Piano Co., at 294 S. Jefferson street, tunity of judging of the high merits of
pianos. They
were
somewhat
Chicago, was in the hands of the Sheriff. their
The company were forced to the wall crowded at the factory, and could not make
through a confession of judgment filed so large a display as they could wish. He
against it to-day amounting to $26,000. thought that the present time was propi-
The officers of the company believe they tious for obtaining a desirable lease, and the
deal had been satisfactorily made.
will be able to resume in a short time.
Mr. Paul G. Mehlin, assisted by his two
The above tells the brief story of the fi-
younger
sons, Charles H. and Otto F., will
nancial difficulties in which the Russell Pi-
look
after
the factory, and Mr. H. Paul
ano Co. are at present involved. Charles
C. Russell, the president of the company, Mehlin will superintend matters down town.
has had a hard and uphill fight. He has As Mr. Paul G. is no longer interested in
made a plucky and earnest struggle against the Minneapolis factory, the veteran inven-
the terrible depressed conditions under tor will devote all his energies to the New
which we have been laboring for the past York business.
Certain privileges are secured in the
three years. His ability to inaugurate and
build up a business in hard times may be lease, one of which permits of a large sign
best seen in the fact that although they being placed at the top of the building,
have had a hard time from the very start, overlooking Union Square.
Paul G. Mehlin & Sons have kept moving
yet the company have erected a large and
well-appointed factory, in which they right along through the summer. They
moved last spring, on South Jefferson have some exceptionally elegant "Colonial"
and "Empire" designs ready for the fall
street.
trade
and will certainly be in a position in
Charlie Russell's honesty is unquestioned,
and he has sufficient ability to have pulled their new quarters to make an excellent bid
along and developed a successful business for an increased trade.
A
in ordinary times. We regret exceedingly
to learn of his present financial difficulty.
An official statement of the affairs of the
concern is not at hand. It is said in an in-
formal way that the assets approximate
$85,000; liabilities about $94,000. The
failure was precipitated by two judgments
which were entered against the company
in the Circuit court, one of which was for
almost $26,000, and in favor of Fred. Mc-
Call, representing Eastern creditors, and
the other for $3,365, in favor of J. P. Bull.
Cratty Bros, and Charles M. McLaren are
attorneys for the judgment creditors.
riehlins' Move.
MR. LOUIS LEVASSOR, of the Levassor Pi-
ano Co., Cincinnati, O., was in town yes-
terday after a ten days' visit to Atlantic
City. Mr. Levassor left later in the day
for Philadelphia, en route home.
ALBERT G. CONE, of the W. W.
Kimball
Co., Chicago, will sojourn a while at Colo-
rado Springs, Colo.
C. G. GARRITSON, president of the Kru-
ger Piano Co. is expected back from his
Western jaunt to-day.
H. A. ROTHROCIC and Philip H. J. Law-
ence, dealers, of Easton, Pa., were in town
on Wednesday last.
T. M. LA COUCH, the indefatigable secre-
tary of the Kroeger Piano Co, New York,
is enjoying a well-earned vacation at Stam-
ford, Conn.'
JACOB DOLL'S employees will hold a sum-
mernight's festival at Brommer's Union
Park, New York, on Friday evening, Aug.
28th.
OTTO L. BRAUMULLER of New York left
to-day for a two weeks' visit to Mt. Clemons,
Mich. Mr. Braumuller will then proceed
on a two weeks' business trip West.
WM. R. GRATZ is expected to arrive in
New York on August 25th.
E. F. DROOP & SONS, Washington, D. C ,
have been for some time past engaged in
making extensive alterations in their store.
These are now completed, and everything
is ship-shape.
E. F. DROOP, Washington, is winning
considerable notoriety in Washington by
reason of his recent composition, "Pride of
the Nation," which has been played by the
United States Military Band.
MISSHATTIE BAUMEISTER will leave some
time in September for a road trip. This
time she will probably go as far Webt as
Chicago. Miss Baumeister has been very
successful, and has developed splendid
business traits. She is a lady of large bus-
iness and musical attainments, and works
with a vim which must necessarily accrue
to the advantage of the business of Bau-
meister & Co. This firm, by the way, will
issue a new catalogue early next month.
They are comfortably situated in their new
factory, 534 West Fifty-eighth street, where
they have increased factory facilities.
IN a chat with Wm. F. Hasse, the well-
known
musical importer of 115 East Four-
DOWN TOWN WAREROOMS.
teenth street, who has just returned from
Europe, Mr. Hasse said to me: " I have
N important deal has been made by
J. B. SPILLANE, of THE MUSIC TRADE RE-
visited
all of the principal manufacturing
Paul G. Mehlin & Sons, New York, VIEW, is spending his vacation at Sound
centers
of - Europe.
I passed a while
during the week, whereby they will be View Beach, L. I.
in Great Britain, thence to Holland, Bel-
in a position to more adequately display
Germany,
France, Switzerland,
J. S. BROWNLOW, of Danbury, Conn., will gium,
their products to both retail customers and
probably open up a music store in Torring- and included in my visit the large
dealers.
musical manufacturers of Saxony. At
Messrs. Mehlin have obtained a favorable ton, that State.
every
point I found business in a mag-
lease of commodious premises at 27 Union
WE learn from Vermont that it is pos-
nificent
condition, in fact, I never saw man-
Square, adjoining the Bank of the Metrop- sible that A. C. Bailey, of Bailey's Music
ufacturers
so independent, and evidently
olis, which, after Sept. 1, they propose to Store, of Burlington, Vt., may open a store
caring
so
little
for orders; they are running
utilize as combined wholesale and retail
at Littleton, N. H.
their factories full time. Some of the man-
warerooms and offices. The rooms are ad-
mirably adapted for the required purpose,
HUGO SOHMER, who has been spending ufacturers have laughingly said, 'What are
and are to be- altered and fitted up in the the summer in Europe, is expected to re- you people doing over in America? Do
most approved style.
turn to New York on the "Augusta Vic- you want to place your currency on a basis
of half civilized countries, like Mexico and
In speaking of the approaching move toria" on Sept. 24th.
China?'
to THE REVIEW on Wednesday last,
GUSTAVE BEHNING, of the Behning Piano
"I visited the Steinway factory at Ham-
Mr. H. Paul Mehlin stated in substance
Co., has been on a flying trip through New
burg and I tell you there is activity. Why,
that he was aware business at the pres-
England.
they are working not only full time days
ent time did not warrant any large out-
but are compelled to run nights in order to
lay of expenditure, but he certainly
S. H. HOCKETT and J. H. Puntenney, of
thought things would look up very ma- the Hockett-Puntenney Co., Cincinnati, fill their orders for Continental shipments.
terially this fall, and they were deter- Columbus and Cleveland, O., were in town Yes, of course I picked up a line of novelties
mined to leave no stone unturned in placing this week.
which will be along later."
A

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