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VOL XXIV.
N o . 26.
Published Every Saturday, at 3 East Fourteenth Street. New York, June 26,1897.
From the City by the Lake.
IMPROVEMENT IN RETAIL TRADK — KIMBALL CO.
FEEL THE 11ETTERMENT THE NEW
EVERETT WAREROOMS—A KILL TO KILL " FAKE " ADVERTISING CONE, ADVERTISING
LAUREATE H. D. CABLE IN LONDON BICYCLE CLUBS HAMILTON ORGAN CO. 's
NEW STYLES—STEGER AND SINGER PROGRESS ANCIENT INSTRUMENTS IN
THE ART INSTITUTE —TRADE WITH THE STEINWAV HOUSE.
[Special to The Review.]
Chicago, 111., June 23,1897.
There have been unmistakable signs of
improvement in the retail trade in this
•city for the past two weeks. The number
of sales have not been startlingly large,
but sufficient to imbue the pessimistic with
hope.
The W. W. Kimball Co. are among the
lucky ones, in fact the leaders, in the
matter of retail trade. Add to this a fairly
•satisfactory condition of wholesale busi-
ness, and it can readily be seen why this
go-ahead house are not indulging in com-
plaints. The progress of the Kimball
house can be attributed solely to steady
unremitting work. This goes on no matter
how the times are. Nowadays those who
work hard win. This could safely be
adopted by many firms as an axiom.
*
*
*
*
The reconstructed warerooms of the
John Church Co. now take rank with any
in this city. The Everett and Harvard
pianos on exhibition are superb, while the
•full "Imperial" line of small goods,
.embracing guitars, mandolins and banjos,
on display are so varied and of such merit
that they cannot fail to win that apprecia-
tion which they deserve. Some fine metro-
nomes—a specialty of this house—are also
in stock. Harry Robson, who was formerly
with Lyon & Healy, is in charge of the
musical merchandise department. He is
a capable and experienced gentleman who
should have no trouble in making this new
undertaking a great success.
*
*
*
*
Fake advertising is to be put an end to
in this city, that is if a new law passed by
the Legislature is enforced. It provides
that no person, firm or corporation doing
business in the State shall insert or cause
to be inserted in any newspaper circulated
in this State or display or exhibit any sign,
placard, transparency or distribute or cause
to be distributed any handbill, circular
or pamphlet whereby any goods or mer-
chandise shall be falsely represented or
advertised as stocks damaged by fire,
water or otherwise, or as bankrupt or
insolvent stocks, or as sheriff's, constables's,
receiver's, assignee's or other judicial sales,
or as offered as closing out or sacrifice sales,
or whereby the same are falsely represented
to be of a greater worth or value than the
selling price at which the same are offered
for sale.
The penalty for violation of the law is
$25 for the first offense and not less
than $50 for the second offense.
*
*
*
*
Albert G. Cone of the W. W. Kimball
Co. is out with another unique specimen
of advertising literature in the form of a
piano primer which abounds in informa-
tion anent the merits of the Kimball instru-
ments. Under each letter of the alphabet
the distinctive features of the Kimball
instruments are treated of very cleverly.
Mr. Cone is unquestionably the "advertis-
ing-laureate" of the trade' and were I pos-
sessed of a monarch's power to confer titles
I should honor him accordingly.
*
*
*
*
The latest news from H. D. Cable of the
Chicago Cottage Organ Co. is that he has
been taking in the Queen's Jubilee and has
had a royal time. His trip has been of
great benefit to his health. He is expected
home some time next month.
*
*
*
*
The employees of Lyon & Healy have
followed the example of the Kimball em-
ployees and have organized a bicycle club.
The two united should make quite an im-
posing gathering. It is very likely that the
bicycle club idea will become contagions,
if so we can look for a magnificent repre-
sentation on wheels of the music trade of
this city.
As'I mentioned some time ago the Hamil-
ton Organ Co. are working on a number of
new designs which will be brought to the
attention of the trade the coming season.
They will eclipse anything heretofore pro-
duced by this house and that is saying a
great deal, for the present instruments are
of great attractiveness and of undoubted
musical merit. Mr. Howland of the com-
lj.00 PER YEA*
SINGLE COPIES, xo CENTS
pany is going to make a ten strike with his
new styles or I am greatly mistaken.
*
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*
*
There is one man with whom it is al-
ways a pleasure to converse, be the times
dull or active, and that is John V. Steger,
of Sceg-er and Singer fame. He is essen-
tially an optimist, and he has no time for
those who believe in sitting down and be-
wailing instead of putting their shoulders
to the wheel. Perhaps Mr. Steger's suc-
cess can be attributed to his happy tem-
perament. But temperament will not al-
ways make trade. It takes hard work, and
Mr. Steger believes in it. " Hard work "
is only one plank in the Steger platform of
success. Another, and an important one,
is the excellence of the Steger pianos.
These instruments have been steadily gain-
ing in reputation since they were first placed
on the market, and to-day they are sold by
many of the leading dealers throughout
the nation. The Steger factory is as fine a
manufacturing home as one would care to
visit, and equipped for an immense output.
The Singer piano, in which Mr. Steger is
also interested, has been one of the phe-
nomenal successes of the past year. It is
the unanimous opinion of all who handle
it that no better piano could be made for
the money. The Steger and Singer pianos
are destined to win further and greater re-
nown with the approach of better times.
*
*
*
*
The Alice E. Getty collection of rare
musical instruments in the Art Institute
this city is about to receive several valuable
additions which are now on their way from
China and Japan. It is doubtful if the
museum department of the institute con-
tains a single collection which is more
enjoyed by the average visitor, but about
which less is generally known, than this
exhibit of over 100 curious instruments
which have been assembled from the most
remote, varied and unfrequented portions
of the earth.
While the collection along similar lines
in the New York museum is said to be
more extensive than Miss Getty's, it is
probable that the latter is of greater value,
because of the extreme age and rarity of a
majority of its pieces, not a few of which
are types which cannot be duplicated, even
in the countries in which they were secured.
Among the new objects which will soon
be installed in the exhibit are three unique
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