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VOL. X X V .
N o . ir.
Published Every Saturday at 3 East Fourteenth Street. New York, September 11,1897.
Sohmer & Co.
F. G. Smith Agitating.
A GREAT HOUSE WHOSE TRADE AND INFLUENCE
IS CONSTANTLY EXPANDING.
Freeborn G. Smith, the well-known piano
manufacturer, is agitating the question of
utilizing the public property under the
bridge car storage yards, between Liberty
and Washington streets, for a public market,
says the Brooklyn Eagle. The land cost
the cities over $500,000 and is practically
unused at present. Mr. Smith is having
elaborate plans prepared, showing just
what could be accomplished in this direc-
tion, and he has secured the indorsement of
Mayor Wurster and Senator Brush. As
soon as the plans are ready they will be
submitted to Bridge President Berri and
the board of bridge trustees, which has
already placed itself on record as favoring
the establishment of a public market at
this point. All that is needed to secure
the accomplishment of the project is the
organization of a company for the purpose,
or a guaranty that a sufficient number of
tenants could be secured to make it a suc-
cess. The agitation by Mr. Smith will
help this along and it is his desire that the
trustees should approve of the scheme and
advertise for bids from prospective tenants.
One peculiarity of the piano making in-
dustry as The Review sees it in warerooms
and factories is that the largest amount of
solid, money-making business is usually
being done where it is least suspected to
exist. One of the numerous instances of
this kind is at the Sohmer warerooms.
There is, naturally, an air of business-like
prosperity, but an outsider would never
dream, except perhaps from the size of the
building, that these warerooms are the
center around which an immense wholesale
and retail trade revolves.
Yet such is the case. With regularity
and clean-cut precision every detail is
handled withotit the least sign of worry,
agitation or anxiety. There is no shouting,
"hustling," hurried moving hither and
thither. Everything is as calm and un-
ruffled as a summer sea. This policy of
quiet, effective work is proving itself to be
by far the best. Sohmer & Co. stood for
much during the first years of its existence
as a firm. To-day it stands for far more
in the matter of patronage and influence,
44
Starr" Lights to Success.
and steadily it moves "onward and up-
ward." A power in the trade in 1897, at
The Starr Piano Co. of Richmond, Ind.,
the present rate of progress the firm's are receiving compliments all along the
future can readily be foreseen—an impreg- line in connection with their latest styles,
nable position of power, dignity and afflu- which are illustrated in their new catalogue
ence, honestly won and well deserved.
recently noticed in The Review. These
'Starrs" may be termed guiding lights to
Encouraging Steck Report.
prosperity and reputation. Dealers are
enthusiastic about them, and their enthusi-
In talking with The Review yesterday asm is pardonable, for the new Starr pianos
Geo. Nembach, of Geo. Steck & Co., stated
that their house was receiving the most are beauties.
substantial proofs of business betterment
Weber-Wheelock Co.
in the form of increased wholesale orders
and letters of inquiry from all sections of
The Weber-Wheelock warerooms are
the country. In addition, their retail trade
now
unusually well stocked with a choice
has picked up wonderfully. Under the
variety
of new styles in grands and up-
circumstances he could not but be optimis-
rights.
Every new style Wheelock men-
tic as to business prospects.
tioned in the new catalogue is on exhibition
Imperial Grand "Symphony." on the main floor. Weber grands to suit
the most fastidious are arrayed in imposing
A new and imposing instrument having numbers throughout the length and breadth
almost infinite organ possibilities, the of the Recital Hall, and select examples of
" Imperial Grand," has just arrived at the uprights in many styles abound on the
Symphony warerooms on Fifth avenue. office floor. Business is rapidly assuming
J. H. White, president of the newly organ- its old-time proportions. Innumerable evi-
ized Wilcox & White Co., gave a brief dences of the fact are to be seen at every
recital during The Review's visit yesterday turn.
I3.00PER YEAR.
SINGLE COPIES, 10 CENTS.
Progressive Hason & Hamlin.
WILL SHORTLY
STYLE PIANOS
ISSUE CATALOGUE OF NEW
MAY SURPRISE THE TRADE.
It is questionable if any previous fall
season has furnished so many excellent op-
portunities for choice of good pianos as
that of 1897-8. Every firm of any standing
has taken a long stride forward, so to speak,
within the past few months, and now stands
ready to compete in a friendly conflict for
supremacy under the most exacting condi-
tions. A high^ standard to-day in piano-
making cannot be reached or maintained
without great expenditure of time, money
and brain power.
Foremost among the worthy aspirants
for highest place this year as piano makers
is the Mason & Hamlin Co., a firm name
intimately associated in the past—and also
in the present—with organ building. Their
fame in this branch is world-wide. It
will not be the fault of the present manage-
ment if the credit so universally acceded
for organ-building shall not be as liberally
given for construction of faultless pianos.
It may be well for those who are interested
in the latest and best piano products to
keep a sharp look-out for the new Mason
& Hamlin piano catalogue. Several agree-
able surprises may be looked for by out-of-
town dealers and professional pianists.
The Astor-Broad wood Myth.
Our bright and always interesting con-
temporary Music calls attention in its last
issue to the periodical publication of the
Ast^or and Broadwood partnership myth in
the musical press of this country. The in-
formation vouchsafed by our contemporary
"that John Jacob Astor was never a partner
in the Broadwood house " is so well known
that any editor who pretends to know any-
thing about music trade history should
know enough not to publish any such ab-
surdity in his paper.
Another legend which seems to fre-
quently crop up about John Jacob Astor is
his being the first importer of pianos in the
United States. This is just as far removed
from facts as the statements referred to by
Music. En passant, it is interesting to
note that the ex-American, William W.
Astor of London, has lately purchased an
exceedingly costly concert grand from the
Broadwood house. '