Music Trade Review

Issue: 1897 Vol. 24 N. 21

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
Rather a good paper this!
Brimful of news, and by the way, the
old Review
pole is just knocking down
the business persimmons this year.
Clean, forceful journalism counts, and
the honest efforts that we are putting forth
in building a great journalistic enterprise
seems to be applauded with the correct
Strascino Factory to Resume.
[Special to The Review.]
Fond Du Lac, Wis., May 17, 1897.
The Strascino piano factory, of this
place, will be started up to-morrow after a
quietude of several months. A full force
of workmen will be put on. It is under-
stood the firm have a large number of or-
ders ahead.
emphasis on the word.
Loyalty to the trade, carefully conserv-
ing the interest of our constituency, giv :
ing good value for every investment made
in our columns, and a dignified treatment
of every interest, has won for this paper
an unassailable position.
"Gets all the news, k is loyal and never
sycophantic, never mistaking intrigue for
journalism, a paper that merits success;
has an ever increasing power," was the
compliment paid The Review the other
day by one of the largest manufacturers in
this trade.
Are you under The Review banner?
Kilbourne's Schedules.
[Special to The Review.]
Boston, Mass., May 17, 1897.
Frank H. Kilbourne, dealer in pianos, of
this city, who recently failed, has filed
schedules showing liabilities of $24,561.
He has book accounts worth $645, pianos
rented $600, stock in office $350, pianos
leased and piano leases $4,066, and notes
receivable $7,079, all of which assets are
assigned to various creditors as collateral
for notes.
Milwaukee Dealers Will Dine.
[Special to The Review.]
Milwaukee, Wis., May 15, 1897.
The Piano Dealers' Protective Associa-
tion met last night in Charles Grobman's
office, Uihlein building, and adopted a
constitution and by-laws. Arrangements
were made for a banquet in Gram's Hall,
May 27.
Another Musical String Co.
[Special to The Review.]
New Brunswick, N. J., May 20, 1897.
The National Musical String Co., formed
of four companies formerly competing
with each other, have purchased land on
the Raritan River Railroad in this place for
the erection of a factory. The new con-
cern has a paid-up capital of $120,000, and
will give employment to about 200 persons.
Prante & Smith Organ Plant.
To Manufacture in Bloomsbury.
[Special to The Review.]
Bloomsbury, N. J., May 17, 1897.
The piano factory, recently occupied by
the Gleitz Piano Co., will begin work in a
week or so, a party from New York having
leased the plant from the late purchaser,
Thomas Hoffman.
A Tennessee Product.
[Special to The Review.]
Knoxville, Tenn., May 19, 1897.
Messrs. Socin & Son, who have been
manufacturing pianos here for the past
twelve months, have just completed a spe-
cial piano which will be on exhibition at
the Tennessee exposition.
It will be placed in the reception room
for the ladies of Knox county, where all
may admire its handsome design and the
brilliancy and sweetness of its tone. The
entire wood work is of Tennessee oak. In
fact, it is a thorough Tennessee product.
H. L. riason Returns
FROM A HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL EUROPEAN BUSI-
NESS TRIP.
Henry L. Mason, of the Mason & H"amlin
Co., arrived from Europe on Thursday and
proceeded at once to the headquarters of
the firm at Boston. Mr. Mason, who has
been away five weeks, devoted his time in
Europe exclusively to business, visiting
London, Berlin and Holland. Short as was
the period of his absence, first-rate result
were brought about. The Mason & Ham-
lin interests in England, Germany and
other leading European countries have been
greatly strengthened. Of course the Ma-
son & Hamlin organs have long been favor-
ably known across the water, but Mr. Ma-
son has, during this last visit, instilled new
life and energy into the business. In-
creased efforts will be put forth in all di-
rections to make known, more widely than
ever before, the special merits of the Ma-
son & Hamlin products. This progressive
policy is sure to bring much added pros-
perity to the firm and consequently greater
renown, which last effect is a desideratum
not to be neglected in these days of keen,
merciless competition.
[Special to The Review.]
Chillicothe, O., May 18, 1897.
The foundation for the new Prante &
Smith organ factory is completed and the
lumber is expected to arrive to-day, when
the building will be rapidly finished. The
new orchestral organ, which will be put on
exhibition as soon as the building is up, is
now about completed.
It contains 400
pipes and is an orchestra in itself, playing
all the parts, including drums, cymbals, etc.
Du Bois Sells.
C. H. Du Bois, the well known dealer of
Bradford, Pa., has disposed of his business
in that city to Jacob Sheasley. Mr. Sheasley
has control of a large business in Pennsyl-
vania, having stores at several important
points, notably at Franklin, Meadville and
Oil City.
The Mehlin Platform.
AN INTERESTING TALK WITH H. PAUL MEHLIN
ON THE ADMIRABLE POLICY OF HIS
HOUSE HIGH STANDARDS THAT
DESERVE SUCCESS.
" I t has been our rule, from the start,"
said Mr. H. Paul Mehlin to The Review on
Thursday, during a talk on the Mehlin
products, "not to attempt competition with
what are termed 'cheap grade' pianos,
and, like others who have adopted the same
plan, our volume of business has suffered
for the time being. I say 'for the time
being ' advisedly, because in the end we
have found the greater gain.
Whatever
reputation we may enjoy has resulted from
a strict adherence to our view that if a
piano is worth making, it is worth infinite
pains from beginning to end. To take
pains means also to take time—and the
greater the time taken, the larger the cost
of production.
"That this policy of aiming to produce
instruments to stand the test of time is the
wisest in the long run, has been admirably
illustrated in our retail business during
the last few days. Several instances have
occurred in which important sales were di-
rectly traceable to the recommendation of
customers who purchased Mehlin pianos
seven or eight years ago. One customer
writes from Vermont asking that a piano
' exactly like the one I purchased from you
in 1889' be sent to a certain address as a
present to a relative. Only this week a
lady called here, at the warerooms, and
within five minutes purchased and paid
for one of our mos.t costly instruments. I
ascertained that the visit had been paid on
the strength of a customer's indorsement.
He had used his piano steadily for several
years and failed to find a flaw or a defect.
"Incidents such as I have mentioned are
very gratifying.
They compensate for
some apparent disadvantages, and prove
to our entire satisfaction that a steadily
maintained standard of all-round excel-
lence is the safest and best in the end. "
Love is Optimstic.
Malcolm Love arrived in town last Thurs-
day morning. Mr. Love said while speaking
of business with the Waterloo Organ Co. :
" Our new factory will probably be ready
for occupancy in from two to three weeks.
It is built on the same street where our
organ factory is erected and only a short
distance away, and is eighty by forty feet,
three stories Jin height. Meanwhile we
are occupying a temporary factor) 7 , but
are taking care of our regular trade in
good shape. Our organ business never was
better, in fact last month was the largest
month in the manufacture of organs ever
experienced by the Waterloo Organ Co."
It is probable that Mr. Love will visit
one or two points further South before re-
turning to Waterloo.
Henry B. Fischer, of J. & C. Fischer, left
New York for Florida on Wednesday, but
only for a few days, on business connected
with the development of the Southern trade
of the firm.
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
8
Stopped the Incorporation
OF HAINES & CO. MR. ARMSTRONG'S STATE-
MENT TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE THE
ROCHESTER RUMORS EXPLAINED—MR. FOS-
TER SHOULD EXPLAIN HIS POSITION IN
THE MATTER.
A. P. M. A. Special fleeting.
Secretary Kammerer, of the American
Piano Manufacturers' Association, has
issued to the trade notice of a special
meeting of the association to be held at
the Union Square Hotel, next Monday at
As The Review goes to press, the news 3 p. M., for the purpose of considering the
comes that Haines Bros., (incorporated), advisability of joining with other trade
for some time past on the trail of persons associations in receiving and entertaining
and firms who are imitating the example the visiting delegates from Latin America.
A number of other trade associations
of certain defunct corporations in their
attempt to secure custom by the adoption have taken a warm interest in this matter,
of a similar name, have succeeded, just in believing in the possibility of extending
the nick of time, in thwarting a determined trade with the countries which lie south of
effort to place on the market a piano sten- us, through the mediumship of the South
cilled '•'•Haines & Co., incorporated, New American representatives.
York."
Schimmel Starts.
Rumors and indefinite statements have
been floating around for some days to the
[Special to The Review.]
effect that a "Haines & Co." factory was
Fairbault. Minn., May 17, 1897.
to be opened at Rochester, N. Y. As a
Schimmel & Co. start in the manufacture
result, letters and applications of all kinds of pianos in the old Schimmel & Nelson
have been pouring into the office of Haines factory. Fridolin Schimmel was the in-
Bros., asking for contracts to remove ventive head of the old concern, and it is
goods, for patronage of various kinds, and said that he starts under favorable auspices.
for work in connection with the manufac-
ture of pianos. As part of the rumor it
was publicly stated that the Haines factory
would move to Rochester forthwith.
When inquiries were made at the Haines
Bros, factory, it was stated that Mr. Will-
iam Armstrong, secretary of the Foster
Notwithstanding sundry positive state-
Piano Co., made an application at Albany, ments in Western contemporaries to the
on Thursday, for a certificate of incorpor- effect that Albert Strauch, of Strauch
ation under the name of "Haines & Co., Bros., left New York during the week,
New York." For the present it will suffice that gentleman is still here and will not
to say that the application was not gran ted. leave town before the end of this month or
It is understood that when it was made the the beginning of next.
applicant volunteered a positive statement
Gustave A. Brachhausen, of the Regina
to the effect that a Haines & Co. factory actu-
Music
Box Co., Rahway, N. J., secured a
ally exists in New York, which is not true.
patent
this week for a new and original
In fact, judging from present developments
design
of
cover for music boxes.
as stated at the Haines Bros, office, it is in
order for Mr. Armstrong to explain and he
John Evans has been added to the com-
cannot be too prompt about it.
mittee who has charge of the forthcoming
What have Foster & Co. to do with this? banquet of the Piano Manufacturers' Asso-
Let them explain. Does George Foster ciation, instead of Nahum Stetson, who is
seek to manufacture a Haines piano? If unable to serve on account of press of busi-
so, by what right? Come, Mr. Foster, )'our ness.
position calls for an explanation-
F. C. Grobman, Milwaukee, Wis., is
It is understood that the members of the making a splendid display of Chase Bros,
firm of Haines Bros., incorporated, are in and Hackley pianos in his handsome new
possession of all the facts, including some quarters on Grand avenue.
that indicate interesting times ahead.
L. K. Washburn has been engaged to
close out the piano business of D. S. Bing-
ham, of Boston, who died on May 6, in
Prescott Moving Ahead.
that city. Mr. Bingham had been in busi-
ness at 521 Washington street for the past
Dana G. Prescott of the Prescott Piano twenty years.
Co. is making a trip through Massachu-
It is said that D. F. Dunbar, and a bro-
setts and Connecticut and is meeting with ther of J. J. Looschen, the case maker, are
great success in securing substantial orders to manufacture the Dunbar piano in the
for his house. The Prescott Piano Co. 's old Gildemeester & Kroeger factory, this
business for the first four months of '97 is city.
equal to that of the same period of '95. It
Elias Howe Co., manufacturers of the
is impossible to make a comparison with
their business for '96, owing to their fac- Howe-Orme guitars, mandolins and man-
tory being destroyed by fire last year. The dolas, 88 Court street, Boston, have issued
Prescott piano deserves a wide apprecia- a very pretty hanger containing a half-
tion; it is an excellent instrument, con- tone illustration of two pretty^women play-
scientiously made, and a dealer should be ing guitars.
able to make many friends for his house
J. H. Sherrill & Co. have opened a
with such a splendid product.
music store at Franklyn, Tenn.
The Ann Arbor Organ Co. are working
overtime. This speaks for itself.
W. B. Tremaine, of the yEolian Co., has
just returned from a Southern and Western
trip.
M. J. Smith, manager of the Kimball
Piano Co. 's store at Cleveland, was a recent
visitor to his old home in Parkersburg,
W. Va.
Brown, Page & Hillman Co., of Peoria,
111., arranged this week to represent the
Chickering piano in that city and locality.
• H. I. Solomons, formerly of Brenner &
Solomons, and who at one time traveled for
the Stultz & Bauer house in this city, has
opened a music store in Augusta, Ga., in
conjunction with Mr. Zerbe, under the firm
name of Solemons & Zerbe. He will handle
the Stultz, & Bauer piano as his leader, and
will carry a full stock of small goods. Mr.
Solomons is thoroughly equipped by train-
ing and experience to succeed in his new
enterprise.
The Roanoke Music Co. have succeeded
the Richwood Music Co., of Roanoke, Va.
T. J. Washburn, music dealer, 117
South Sixth street, St. Joseph, Mo., has
issued a public notice warning the public
that itinerant tuners are imposing on the
public and representing themselves as be-
ing in his employ.
Frank A. Lee of the John Church Co.
was a visitor to the Metropolis on Monday.
W. H. Leach, who has been connected
with the firm of C. W. Lindsay, Montreal,
for the past eighteen years, has resigned
his position as manager and has established
himself in the piano business at 44 Met-
calfe street that city.
A dispatch from San Francisco says that
Stephen Dewing, of the J. Dewing Co.,
was recently arrested on charges of grand
larceny and battery, the result of some
trouble in connection with the leasing of
pianos on the installment plan.
E. V. Church of Chicago, who has been
spending some days in Boston, left for
home the middle of the week.
Tees & Leonard, music dealers, Detroit,
Mich., filed a chattel mortgage on Wednes-
day last in favor of the Oliver Ditson Co.,
Boston.
The Rev. Dr. Mitchell, senior member
of the firm of Mitchell, Young & Co.,
music dealers, Williamsport, Pa., died re-
cently. Dr. Mitchell retired from the min-
istry in '94 and was in his eightieth year
at the time of his death.
The Singer piano is a special favorite
with H. Kleber & Bro., the well-known
dealers of Pittsburg, Pa. They are selling
an immense number, as the result of their
intelligent and up-to-date pushing of this
instrument.
Hugo Worch, the well-kncwn Washing-
ton, D. C., dealer, has some well founded
complaints to make against the Automaton
Piano Co. of this city, which will possibly
find an outlet in the law courts.
Howard White, of the Wilcox & White
Co., has recently supervised the erection,
at Plainfield, N. J., of a Wilcox & White
Grand Symphony. Business at the Fifth
avenue warerooms is reported good.

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