Music Trade Review

Issue: 1897 Vol. 24 N. 11

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE' MUSIC TRADF. REVIEW
most prominent being: F. G. Smith, Sr.,
F. G. Smith, Jr., and Master F. G. Smith
No. 3, Brooklyn, N. Y.; Walter Z. Holmes,
Manager Firth avenue warerooms, New
York; A. McElwee, Manager Bicycle De-
partment, Brooklyn; H. N. Pakcnham,
Manager Paterson, N. J., Branch; J. H.
Robley, Manager Bicycle Department,
Remington Arms Co. ; E. V. Church,
Everett Piano Co. ; C. H. MacDonald, Pease
Piano Co., Chicago; B. H. Janssen, Matbu-
sek Piano Co.; Chas. Jacob, of Jacob Bros.,
New York; and J. M. Birely,Frederick, Md.
* * *
The Philharmonic Orchestral Society, of
Altoona, Pa., which is under the leader-
ship of Prof. Gipprich, gave their first con-
cert in that city last Saturday night. It
was a pronounced success. Among the
participants was Mr. F. A. Winter, the well-
known dealer and organist. Prof. Gipprich
is an experienced conductor, organist,
teacher and soloist, and his ability was
well displayed in producing such marvel-
ous results in so short a time with the
material at his disposal.
The musical
people of Altoona, Pa., will be fortunate if
they can retain this talented gentleman.
* *
*
There should be no quarter given to
those dealers who directly or indirectly en-
deavor to sell pianos bearing a name simi-
lar to well known makes as the real, legiti-
mate instrument. It is dangerous work
and the consequences,—well, they are ob-
vious.
* *
*
Joseph Cholmonski's great picture, "Re-
turn from the Fair," which won the grand
prize at the Paris Exhibition of 1889, is
now on view at the Weber warerooms,
Fifth avenue and Sixteenth street. The
scene is laid at Ukraine in Russia. In the
foreground several interesting groups and
incidents are depicted. The most conspic-
uous is the advance of a Russian nobleman
in an open carriage. He is being driven
rapidly through the snow. The team of
horses, four abreast, are admirably de-
picted in life, like attitudes. The canvas,
painted in 1878, is 22x9 feet in size.
*
Bunches of cheap mandolins, banjos, and
guitars hang outside the Bowery pawnshops
as thickly as bunches of bananas in the
doorways of fruit stores. Musical instru-
ments of this character appear to be a glut
in the market, and no person with ability
to finger the strings need forego the pleas-
ure on account of the expense. A quarter
of a dollar will now buy a mandolin in the
Lower Bowery, and 50 cents will buy a
guitar. Banjos are marked a little higher,
ranging from 75 cents to $1.50. These
instruments are neither new nor absolutely
perfect. Some have broken strings and
others have broken backs, and a few are
whole and possess a full complement of
strings. The pawnbrokers tie a lot of
them together and offer the straggling
purchaser his "pick of the bunch" at bed-
rock prices.
The Kimball The Administration
Piano.
PRESIDENT M ' K I N L E Y SELECTS A KIMBALL
GRAND FOR THE WHITE HOUSE.
The W. W. Kimball Co., of Chicago, and
their representatives in Washington, the
Metzerott Music Co., have good reason to
Under no circumstances will the Everett
feel proud of the signal honor which has
been paid the Kimball piano by President Piano Co. issue licenses under their plec-
McKinley. On last Saturday, according to traphone patents.
an order given some time since, the Metz-
C. B. Garritson, of the Kroeger Piano
erott Music Co. placed an unusually hand- Co., has returned from a flying trip to the
some mahogany grand in the Blue Room West.
in the White House. The matter is put so
R. C. Hull, of the Brockport Piano Co.,
cleverly in the following excerpt from a lo-
Brockport,
N. Y., was a visitor to this city
cal paper that further words are unneces-
during
the
week.
sary:
The Sterling Co., Derby, Conn., have
Amid all the display and brilliancy at-
tendant upon the inauguration ceremonies just completed the first of a series of new
that so successfully ushered in the new ad- styles which are going to create some talk
ministration last week, nothing was more in the trade.
welcome nor significant to the thinking
J. H. Procter is touring Pennsylvania
mind, than the calm, dignified, determined and Ohio in the interest of the Braumuller
bearing of the chief actor in it all, President Co. and sending in good orders.
William McKinley. There was a confi-
Edward P. Mason is contemplating a
dence and manly decision expressed in his
trip
to Europe this spring.
every look and movement—confidence in
himself and in the people—that augurs ex-
During Albert Krell, Jr.'s, Eastern visit
ceedingly well for the country. President he placed the agency for the Krell piano
McKinley impressed all beholders as a man with the Driggs & Smith Co., Waterbury,
who understands him self,believes in his abil- Conn.
ity and believes in the integrity of the peo-
Geo. J. Dowling, traveling representa
ple as a whole and their willingness to do
tive
of the Everett Piano Co., returned
their share in making of his administration
from
an unusually successful trip on Wed-
a business and political success. In the selec-
nesday.
tion of his cabinet President McKinley has
shown rare judgment and it is but fair to
Frank J. Sohmer returned this week
presume that his future acts can be judged
from his initial business trip in the inter-
by those already accomplished. That he
est of Sohmer & Co.
is intensely American and loyal to the in-
Daniel F. Treacy, of the Davenport &
dustiies of his country is again evidenced
Treacy
Co., expects to leave on Monday
by the fact that he selected, for the Blue
Room in the White House, a magnificent next on a Western trip.
Kimball grand piano—the product of the
C. H. W. Foster, of Chickering & Sons,
great factories of the celebrated W. W.
left New York yesterday morning for Bos-
Kimball Co. of Chicago. The instrument
ton.
was placed in position Saturday and by its
extreme beauty of appearance and its rare
J. Burns Brown, as announced in last
musical quality proves an ornament to the week's Review, takes charge officially as
tasteful setting of the room. Although the manager of Chickering & Sons on Monday
Kimball piano has received the autograph "next.
endorsement of all the great artists—in-
A. M. Wright, manager of the Everett
cluding Patti, Nordica, the DeReszkesand
warerooms, 141 Fifth avenue, reports re-
the other celebrities whose word is author-
tail business as fair, yet in excess of expec-
ity—it is probable that none of them is so
tations, as the warerooms have only been
gratifying to the W. W. Kimball Co. as
out of the workmen's hands for the past
this recognition by the president of the
two weeks.
greatest country in the world.
Frank Scribner of Apollo harp fame will
leave on a road trip next week.
Organized.
The organization of Easman & Co.,
Newburgh, N. Y., whose incorporation
was reported in last week's Review, was
completed on March 10. Officers: James
E. Easman, president and treasurer; John
Evans, vice-president; Alfred J. Newby,
secretary.
Lewis Haas, music dealer, Allentown,
Pa., suffered a loss of $5,000 by fire last
Wednesday night. He is insured for $1,200.
The Weber piano will be used exclu-
sively at the concert of the Metropolitan
Permanent Orchestra, under the leadership
of Adolf Neuendorff, at Carnegie Hall, to-
morrow night.
The Pianophone Co. with which G.
Howlett Davisisconnected have established
a salesroom at 1144 Broadway, and fac-
tory at 46-8 East Houston street. They
have just issued a neat brochure on the
advantages of the pianophone or electrical
attachment.
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
From a Traveler's Note Book.
5cP5(«)xn><5>x«^^
PASSED THE LAST MILESTONE
COMPARATIVE STATEMENT OF BUSINESS CONDITIONS IN
DIFFERENT SECTIONS TRADE CONDITIONS IN THE SOUTH THE EAST IS NEGLECTING A
RICH FIELD CHICAGO IS LOOKING CLOSE AFTER IT SOME FIGURES QUOTED WHICH
WILL INTEREST A LESS PER CAPITA INDEBTEDNESS THAN ANY OTHER SECTION
—MUSIC TRADE IN MEMPHIS—O. C. HOUCK & CO. A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS
CONCERN D. H. BALDWIN & CO.'s BRANCH — E. W1TZMAN & CO.
JOHN LUDWlt; IN TOWN—MARDI GRAS AT NEW ORLEANS THE
CITY GIVEN OVER TO THE REIGN OF REX—AN INTERESTING
OLD CITY THE PRINCIPAL MUSIC STORES RENE^GRUNE-
WALD'S SUCCESS WILL DOUBLE HIS FACTORY
FACILITIES—NORTHERN VISITORS WHO
SAW MARDI GRAS.
HE last milestone on the turn-
pike of commercial and indus-
trial depression seems to have
been reached and from now
on, if we may judge from in-
dications, there is ahead of us
a good clear business road, asphalted
with confidence.
During the past two and a half months
I have been afforded opportunities to study
the trade in different sections and as I
have written you previously I have seen
indisputable evidence of the incoming
tide of prosperity. To sura up the situa-
tion by sections, trade in New England is
better than in almost any other part of the
country. I should include also as special-
ly favored points, New York and Pennsyl-
vania.
The most depressed conditions prevail
in the Central West, and the losses created
by the recent floods there will tend to ac-
centuate rather than to lighten the busi-
ness gloom. In the Northwest the trade
barometer is down close to the bulb, but the
conditions are a trifle clearer than in the
Middle West. .
In the South I have found a much better
condition of things commercial than I had
looked for.
Notwithstanding the low prices of the
great Southern staples, cotton and sugar,
this country has prospered and on every
hand I can observe signs which indicate
material advances since my last visit to
Dixie.
For the benefit of some of my readers
who are uninformed as to the financial
status of the South I respectfully submit a
few figures.
To my mind the average manufacturer
in the East has overlooked the rich field
south of the Ohio River.
Chicago has not, she has on the contrary
cultivated it to the disadvantage of New
York.
Chicago is after Southern trade in all
lines and what is more, she is getting an
enormous slice of it. She is getting it in
musical instruments and our Eastern man-
ufacturers should look well to their laurels.
The Southern people owe less money to-
day than the inhabitants of any other
section of the country. The average land
mortgage indebtedness, per capita, accord-
ing to statistical figures, in the fourteen
Southern states, is $25, whereas in fourteen
Northern and Western states it is $129.
The average ratio of land mortgage indebt-
edness to assessed valuation in the four-
teen Southern states is n . 6 per cent.,
against 32.5 per cent, in fourteen Northern
and Western states.
*
*
*
*
The land mortgage indebtedness of the
two states of Kansas and Iowa exceeds by
more than fifty million dollars the aggre-
gate land mortgage indebtedness of all the
Southern states, including Texas. The
interest on real estate mortgages in Kansas
amounts to $14 per annum per capita,
while in Alabama it is only $2 and in Ten-
nessee $1.37. It is shown that the aver-
age per capita, counting municipal and
school districts, debts for the New England
and middle states is $23.91; for the South-
ern states $5.75, and for the Central West
$11.33-
Another interesting statement is that the
last census reveals that the assessed value
of taxable property per capita in thirty-five
principal Southern cities increased 25 per
cent, between 1880 and 1890, while the
bonded indebtedness per capita for the
same period shows an actual average de-
crease of over 12 per cent., being in 1890
only $42 per capita against an average of
$70 in the largest American cities and
against an average of $120 in the leading
foreign cities, such as Paris, Brussels,
Liverpool and Antwerp. I may add too
that the South did not vote for free silver in
the last election but for the Democratic
party.
The importance of Memphis as a distribut-
ing point is steadily augmenting. In
former years the terrible visitation of that
Southern scourge, yellow fever, caused it
to linger by the wayside of progress. The
Memphis of to-day, with its modern system
of sewerage and its clean, well paved streets,
need no longer fear a plague, the germs of
which fatten on filth.
O. C. Houck & Co. have developed a
splendid Southern trade. The firm was
established in 1883 and work a large ter-
ritory in three or four states. They are
agents for the Steinway, Vose, Steger, Ster-
ling, Singer, Hardman, Majestic and
other pianos.
Besides, members of the firm are stock-
holders in the Kershner Piano Co., and
although a new instrument it is rapidly
growing in favor through the influence of
O. C. Houck & Co.
April first Jesse French Houck, a brother
of O. C , will be admitted to partnership.
At the Tennessee Centennial at Nash-
ville, the Houck firm will make an exhibit
of Kershner pianos with the " Angelus "
attachment and the Symphony as well.
D. H. Baldwin & Co. have a branch here
under the management of Mr. Griffin,
whom I found to be a most affable gentle-
man.
Few realize, except travelers, the far-
reaching influence of the great Baldwin
house of Cincinnati.
Their branches in Southern and Northern
states are manifold.
Mr. Griffin said that his business during
February, 1897, had increased over that of
1896 one-third, and a remarkable increase
in cash sales.
When I walked into the establishment of
E. Witzman & Co., 221 Second street, who
should I see talking to the proprietor but
John Ludwig, of New York. He has been
out of New York some weeks and has
closed some very handsome business deals.
Mr. Ludwig is one of the few manufac-
turers who believe that it pays to travel
and thus keep in touch with his constitu-
ency. I notice that he builds pianos that
sell and that his business is steadily ex-
panding. By the way, we journeyed South
together. John Ludwig likes Mardi Gras,
and I must confess to a personal weakness
in that direction as well. But to return to
Mr. Witzman. He is a veteran of the
Memphis trade, having passed twenty-five
years in that city. He sells the Knabe,
Kimball, Ludwig and Krakauer pianos.
Threlkeld, Bard & Co. have a piano fac-
tory at 121 Union street.
This is the
only piano factory in the South. Mr. Bard
has seen service in some of the well-known
factories of the North. He said to me that
they proposed to push their business, and
had, on the day of my call, arranged to se-
cure more commodious factory quarters.

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