Classic Mode

Music Trade Review

Issue: 1897 Vol. 25 N. 13

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
LYMAN
Editor and Proprietor.
PUBLISHED
EVERY
SATURDAY
3 East 14th St., New York
SUBSCRIPTION (including: postage) United States and
Canada, {3.00 per year; Foreign Countries, $4.00.
ADVERTISEMENTS, $2.00 per inch, single column, per
Insertion. On quarterly or yearly contracts a special dis-
count is allowed.
REMITTANCES, in other than currency form, should
to made payable to Edward Lyman BilL
Bntirtd at tkt Ntw Ytk Post Offict as Second-Class MOtor.
NEW YORK, SEPTEMBER 25, 1897.
TELEPHONE NU/1BER, 1745.--EIOHTEENTM STREET.
THE KEYNOTE.
The first week of each month, The Review
will contain a supplement embodying the liter-
ary and musical features which have heretofore
appeared in The Keynote. This amalgamation
will be effected without in any way trespassing
on our regular news service. The Review will
continue to remain, as before, essentially a trade
paper.
THE TRADE DIRECTORY.
The Trade Directory, which Is a feature of
The Review each month, is complete. In it ap-
pear the names and addresses of all firms en-
gaged in the manufacture of musical instruments
and the allied trades. The Review is sent to
the United States Consulates throughout the
world, and is on file In the reading rooms of the
principal hotels in America.
"NEW YORK" AND THE A. B. CHASE CO.
HE subjoined paragraph appeared in
an article in the Musical Courier
Trade Extra of last week:
"Great country house is A. B. Chase,
although they have a legitimate right to
put New York on the fall board of their
pianos."
An interesting question and one which
vitally affects every piano manufacturer in
this country is evolved from this statement.
According to this publication the A. B.
Chase Co., whose factory is at Norwalk,
Ohio, have a legitimate right to stencil
New York upon the instruments which
they manufacture.
Let us ask, what constitutes a legitimate
right, and do the A. B. Chase Co. really
possess that right?
If so how was it gained, and how main-
tained?
Some years ago, the A. B. Chase Co.,
extending their lines of operation toward
the East, thought it advisable for their busi-
ness extensions to open up a branch in
New York. Accordingly they secured
premises at No. 86 Fifth avenue. This
move, as evidenced by their subsequent
action, presumably entitled them to place
the name New York upon the fall board of
their instruments.
T
Considerable comment was caused by
this move, and this action on their part
was criticised in many quarters. Some al-
leged that they assumed a position which
their factory location in Norwalk, Ohio,
did not entitle them to occupy. Still the
facts were the A. B. Chase Co. maintained
a branch in New York which was con-
ducted under the supervision of the com-
pany's officers.
Had they not deemed that the placing of
New York upon their pianos would give
their instruments a standing in the East,
and in all sections for that matter, in other
words, give the prestige of a New York
nomenclature to their instruments, un-
doubtedly they would have refrained from
adding that to the fall board.
Thus their agents in every part of the
country upon exhibiting the A. B. Chase
pianos to customers, were enabled to allege
if they so desired that the company main-
tained establishments in New York and
Norwalk. It is also well to observe that
the word Ohio did not appear in conjunc-
tion with the word Norwalk, therefore, a
customer might be led to believe that the
factory was at Norwalk, Conn., a suburban
town wherein are located many factories of
New York concerns, while a huge branch
was maintained in the first city of the Un-
ion. Noted firms, such as Chickering,
Knabe, and Mason & Hamlin, have always
preserved the single name of the home
city of manufacture upon their instruments,
while they have for years maintained mag-
nificent branches in that great trade artery
of New York designated as Fifth avenue.
Time rolled on, and evidently the busi-
ness conducted at the New York branch of
the A. B. Chase was not profitable. This
presumption is based upon the fact that at
the expiration of the lease the branch was
discontinued, and the agency of the A. B.
Chase Co. was placed with Geo. W. Her-
bert at No. 10 East Seventeenth street.
It is possible that expenses of the lease
of the building where Mr. Herbert con-
ducts his business may be shared by the A.
B. Chase Co. Even if such be the case,
and we have no knowledge that it is, the
arrangement does not remove the identity
of Mr. Herbert as an agent. He is an old-
time, respected dealer, and his connection
with the A. B. Chase Co. has not, as far as
our observations go, changed his mode of
conducting his business in the remotest
particular. So even if it were true that a
portion of the expenses of conducting the
Herbert business were borne by the A. B.
Chase Co. that would not give the com-
pany the right to class the Herbert estab-
lishment as a branch,
The question arises if the A. B. Chase
Co. had a legitimate right, and that has al-
ways been questioned by some, to place
the name of New York upon their pianos,
while they maintained a branch at this
point, did not they forfeit that right when
they discontinued their branch and placed
their instruments in the hands of a local
agent?
The action of the company in continuing
to stencil New York upon their instruments
has been severely criticised in some quar-
ters, and now when it is declared by a trade
paper that the A. B. Chase Co. have a legit-
imate right to place New York upon their
instruments, we think it is a proper occa-
sion on which to raise the issue and ascer-
tain the sentiment of the trade in this par-
ticular.
And there is really more at stake in a
matter of this kind than appears to those
who give the matter purely a superficial
view. Take such firms as Steinway,
Sohmer, Steck, Hazelton, Fischer, Estey
Gabler, and other great local institu-
tions who maintain extensive factories in
New York and profit by the prestige which
indisputably lies in the name of the second
city of the world. It would be a work of
supererogation on our part to announce that
this city is the very center of the wealth
of the nation and that its name carries a
mercantile and artistic weight. Property
is more valuable here, rents are higher,
expenses are greater than in country locali-
ties, and is it right for firms whose estab-
lishments are in small inland towns, not
even in the State of New York, to give
purchasers the impression by placing the
name of our city upon their instruments
that they are part and parcel of us? Are
they not attempting to profit by the pres-
tige of a name, to the use of which they
are not morally or legally entitled?
Although we have had for many years
the most friendly personal and business
relations with the A. B. Chase Co., yet a
paper has a duty to perform, and must
rise above personal affiliations, and we
unhesitatingly say that in our opinion
whatever right accruing to the A. B. Chase
Co. to place the name New York upon
their pianos by the establishment of a
branch here was forfeited at the time their
interests here were transferred.
We say further, that it is a question in
which every manufacturer in New York
is interested, and in our opinion no one
has a right to profit by the name of New
York unless they possess the rights which
entitle them to the prestige of the name
of our city.
Steger & Co. would have the same right;
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
to place New York upon their pianos as
have the A. B. Chase Co. They sell instru-
ments to Winterroth & Co., on Fourteenth
street. The A. B. Chase Co. sell to Geo.
W. Herbert, wherein lies the difference?
The injury to the New York trade is
this: Every up-to-date salesman never
permits an opportunity to pass where he
can score a point for the instrument which
he is interested in selling, and to a purchaser
in California, Maine, or in any other part
of our country where the A. B. Chase
pianos are sold does he not use it as an
argument in effecting a sale that A. B.
Chase pianos are New York instruments
when as a matter of fact they are not, nor
are they even identified with our city save
in an insignificant way.
The Review is not desirous of condemn-
ing the A. B. Chase Co.'s actions unjustly.
But we do not hesitate to say that we be-
lieve that this concern are giving a false
impression to purchasers of their instru-
ments as long as they permit the name of
New York to remain upon the fall board of
their pianos.
If it is right for them to do this, it is
just as fair for every other concern located
in small towns East, or West, doing busi-
ness in our great city to annex its name
to the fall board of their instruments.
New York is proud of her prestige; she
guards her honor jealously, and she is
rather loath to have those institutions west
of the Alleghanies steal her thunder, and
if it is not an advantage—if there is not a
prestige behind it, then why do the A. B.
Chase Co. continue to attach the name of
New York to their instruments?
If our position in this matter is wrong
then we should be extremely gratified to
have it made clear to us, but until then,
we adhere to our expressed convictions.
We shall continue the subject further.
The off-shoot of the Musical Courier
has affirmed that the A. B. Chase Co. have
a legitimate right to place the name of
New York upon their instruments, and we
assert that neither morally nor legally do
they possess that right.
One paper must be right, which is it?
#
#
Reduced to few words, the Shaw Piano
Co.'s reorganization as we understand it
is as follows : Mr. Frank Meckel of Cleve-
land will be interested in the Shaw
Piano Co.; Mr. Matthew Griswold will
still retain an interest in the business as
heretofore, while Mr. Raymore will be
largely interested in the new organiza-
tion. The officers of the company as or-
ganized are as follows : President, Frank
Meckel; first vice-president, Matthew Gris-
wold; second vice-president, John C. Min-
ton; treasurer, J. A. Meckel; secretary,
H. J. Raymore.
The increase of capital stock in the Shaw
Shoninger Progress.
TheB. ShoningerCo.,New Haven,Conn.,
have been shaping matters towards an
Piano Co. from $30,000 to $200,000 is active campaign.
They have a number of
announced. There will be no interruption newstyles which show careful consideration
whatsoever in the business; on the contrary, of the artistic in their design and make-up.
it is asserted that the additional capital The company are now preparing a new
catalogue which will be issued containing
will cause material augmentation in the elaborate reproductions of the new Shon-
business affairs of the Shaw Piano Co.
inger styles.
#
#
In regard to the alleged purchase of the fir. Kraemer Comes and Goes.
business of Steinway & Sons by a syn-
Felix Kraemer returned from Europe by
dicate representing English capitalists, the "Normannia" last Saturday, and yes-
there is really nothing furtherto add to what terday morning left on one of his conti-
appeared in The Review last week. That nental trips in the interest of Kranich &
the deal is really off lacks official confirma- Bach. Mr. Kraemer's vacation has well
equipped him, physically and mentally, to
tion through the present head of Steinway
cope with an active business campaign.
& Sons with whom an interview appears
in another part of the paper. A report
C. A. Hyde, of the Norris & Hyde Piano
from London states the deal is off and that Co., was in town this week. Through Mr.
all the stock was subscribed for save Hyde's energetic and forceful manner of
forwarding his business interests, the Nor-
$1,000,000.
ris & Hyde piano is rapidly assuming a
Steger Buckling on His Armor. prominent position, and is now handled by
John V. Steger of Steger & Co. has re- many leading dealers of the country.
A most delightful musicale, participated
turned to Chicago much benefited by his two
weeks' sojourn at the Baths. He is now in in by many noted artists, was given by
splendid health and well fitted to engage Bruce, Mabon & Co., Springfield, Mass., to
in an active campaign in the interest of the signalize the occupancy of their new quar-
Stegei and Singer pianos. By the way, ters at 74 Bridge street. Distinguished
business at the different factories in which pianists displayed the excellent Mehlin
Mr. Steger is interested is active. A full grand piano used on the occasion to such
force of men are employed and things are advantage that admiration for the instru-
humming in a lively fashion. The Steger ment was general. There were also a
and Singer styles for the fall are many and number of vocal soloists. Paul G. Mehlin
attractive, and fully worthy of the appreci- of New York was one of a number of in-
ation which is being so lavishly bestowed. vited guests.
At Germania Hall, on Wednesday even-
ing,
Mr. Mangold, of the Krakauer ware-
Messrs. Krell and Blackmore.
rooms, was the recipient of congratulations
Among the important trade visitors to on the occasion of the marriage of his
town this week were Dawson J. Blackmore, adopted daughter. Many of his friends
the recently elected secretary and treasurer and the friends of the bride were present.
of the Krell Piano Co., Cincinnati, O., and The groom—who has been connected with
Albert Krell, Jr. The members of the the Krakauer firm for several years—was
trade in the city who have met Mr. also congratulated on his happy choice.
Blackmore have been unanimous in pro-
New music stores have just been opened
claiming him a cultured and pleasing per- in Bellefontaine, O., by A. N. Larue and
sonality who is destined to make himself N. Hardy; Baltimore, Md., by P. J. Lam-
felt in the music trade industry. The mer; Mansfield, O., by Orrin Kohler; Aledo,
Krell Co. are to be congratulated upon the 111., by Mannon & Marquis; Ionia, Mich.,
latest accession to their official family.
by James F. Bayard; Paulding, O., Kimball
Piano Co. ; Howell, Mich., N. E. Mannel.
The Kroeger Piano.
Attention is directed to the Kroeger Piano
Co. 's advertisement on another page. When
The Review called at the factory on Wed-
nesday, several Kroeger pianos were being
packed for shipment, and they certainly
were ideal instruments for popular use.
"We aim," said Mr. Kroeger, "to produce
a first-class piano that can be handled to
good advantage by the dealer, with credit to
himself and satisfaction to his customers,
at the lowest possible price consistent with
good workmanship. We are always glad
to hear from enterprising dealers. The
demand is growing continuously, but our
present facilities permit of an almost
unlimited output."
Robt. D. Sterns, for many years a fore-
man at Johnson & Sons organ factory, died
at his home in Springfield, Mass., on Mon-
day last. A widow and two sons survive
him.
Edward Clark, of Edward Clark & Co.,
Brattleboro, Vt., called at the Mehlin ware-
rooms this week and left an order for
several of the choicest Mehlin products.
Sohmer & Co. made a first shipment of
pianos to the new firm of S. M. Barnes &
Co., of Providence, R. I., this week. The
"Sabmer" will be their leader.
In the recent suit of the John Church Co.
against Guernsey Bros, of Scranton, Pa.,
a decision has been rendered in favor of
the plaintiffs.

Download Page 4: PDF File | Image

Download Page 5 PDF File | Image

Future scanning projects are planned by the International Arcade Museum Library (IAML).

Pro Tip: You can flip pages on the issue easily by using the left and right arrow keys on your keyboard.