Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
From the Editor's Note Book.
trade has been noticeably quiet, while in
scores of the lesser towns I have found re-
tail trade surprisingly good, and that status
of things accounts for the activity in the
factories.
The question is, does the dealer in
smaller towns work harder than the one
Association of Credit Men have turned who dwells in the great metropolis?
I think not,but the conditions are much
their attention to fake advertisements, in-
different.
It is always late in the fall
cluding the numerous "damaged goods,"
before
our
city residents have returned to
"bankruptcy" and "fire" sales that are
their
metropolitan
homes and later still
regularly announced, and they hope, by
when
they
get
down
to the purchases of
agitating the matter among credit men, to
home
accessories.
In
my opinion the
check the growing abuse. They have
months
of
busy
trade
in
our
great cities are
issued a circular letter to the different asso-
becoming
more
and
more
concentrated
as
ciations suggesting the expediency of ap-
time
rolls
on.
We
are
unconsciously
pointing a committee for the purpose of
investigating the accuracy of any adver- drifting into certain customs, and the real
tisement appearing in their community cream of the music trade in our great cities
that may be called in question, and the is focused upon three months of the year,
adoption of such measures as will protect the remaining nine months there is a pow-
the general public and legitimate business erful lot of uncertainty concerning the
variable course of the trade currents.
houses.
Again the business in our great trade
There is no doubt that " f a k e " adver-
marts
is more or less influenced by the rise
tisements constitute a very great abuse in
or
decline
in stocks, while in the small
our mercantile life. Fake sales and meth-
towns,
they
move steadily along regard-
ods have never obtained to any appreci-
less
whether
Manhattan has slid off a
able extent in the music trade, although
point
or
two
or Chicago Gas is on the
there are now and then sporadic cases.
jump.
Still, anything which tends to elevate the
Great centers are immediately influenced
methods of marketing wares, by removing
by
the fluctuations of the stock market,
the false and misleading statements, is of
while
in the small towns but little concern
benefit to every trade—it at once becomes
is
manifested.
There Mr. Younghusband's
a matter of vital importance, as this play
purchase
of
a
piano
is not based upon a
upon the confidence of.the masses calls
successful
stock
return;
neither is date of
for severe condemnation, and unless the
purchase
dependent
upon
his return to his
custom is checked it is likely to grow
town
house.
He
is
right
on the ground;
into an abuse of such magnitude as to call
remains
there
the
year
through.
into question the integrity of our entire
*
*
*
*
commercial structure. Of course it is a
difficult matter to control, but the very
The result of the suit of the John Church
agitation will tend to cultivate the idea that Co. against C. F. Goepel & Co. is awaited
the attractive power of an advertisement with much interest. It is possible that it
should be based upon facts, and the ability will come up for trial next month, so Ed-
and intention of the advertiser to do what mund V. Church told me to-day. The ver-
dict reached by this trial will have a far-
his advertisement states.
reaching
effect upon the future of piano
*
*
*
*
attachments
of all kinds.
While the wholesale trade in Chicago is
I met Wm. F. Boothe to-day and he will
in a surprising state of activity, it can not
be truthfully said, at least if my observa- probably reach New York the last of the
tions count for anything, that a like condi- week. During his tarry on the Pacific
tion of affairs prevails in the retail district. Coast he sold the Gibson piano in large
While there is life and bustle in some spe- quantities.
Mr. Barnes, of the Smith & Barnes
cially favored warerooms, yet the retail
trade, taken as a whole, has not been par- Piano Co., will take an outing up in North-
ticularly buoyant during my tarry here. ern Michigan, where it is possible he may
It is oftentimes difficult to trace up the be compelled to slay a few deer in self-de-
cause of occasional periodsof dullness which fense. Mr. Barnes is an enthusiastic lover
strike our great cities. I have, within of Waltonian and Nimrodian. sport. A. F.
the past few weeks, visited the principal Campbell, of the Knight-Campbell Music
towns in New England and West as far as Co., Denver, greeted me in town to-day
this point. In the three great cities, Bos- fresh from the gem of the Rockies.
ton, New York and Chicago, the retail Adolpho H. Fischer, of J. & C. Fischer,
WHAT THE YERKES TELESCOPE WOULD DISCOVER IN THE CHICAGO FACTORIES A BUSY
CONDITION WHILE THE RETAIL TRADE IS INACTIVE THE APPROPRIATION OF CASE
DESIGNS FAKE ADVERTISEMENTS—RETAIL TRADE BETTER IN SMALL TOWNS
THAN IN THE GREAT CITIES —TRADE PERSONALS—GERMAIN OF
SAGINAW USES "NEW YORK*' UPON HIS PIANOS HIS
REASONS—HAS AS MUCH RIGHT AS THE A. B.
CHASE CO.—DASHES HERE AND THERE.
HE powerful lens of the Yerkes
telescope if directed toward
the music trade of Chicago
would fail to discover dull
conditions existing in any of
the factories in that city. The
manufacturers are busy, their wholesale
trade is strong and many are far behind
in their orders. In fact, I can not just
now name a single manufacturer who has
not told me that he was trying to check off
the unfilled orders on his books. This from
the smallest to the great Kimball institu-
tion who have on their books advance or-
ders for seven hundred pianos. That
single statement, seven hundred pianos
behind, tells in unmistakable language of
the magnitude of the Kimball business.
The Chicago Cottage Organ Co. have not
as yet their new factory in complete oper-
ation but they are turning out pianos at the
rate of fifteen a day and later when their
facilities are unchecked will increase that
number considerably.
George P. Bent, alwa) T s progressive in
the matter of piano case architecture, will
shortly have a new style on the market.
Surprising, how case designs are appropri-
ated! One manufacturer will employ a
skilled designer who will work for months
in getting up some unique case design and
no sooner is it placed upon the market and
pronounced by trade consent a success,
than the whole design is appropriated by
some manufacturers who are never dis-
turbed by such trivial things as qualms of
conscience. They know a good thing when
they see it and what is more they propose to
have it, especially so when it costs nothing.
I have seen, on my present trip, two repro-
ductions of one of Mr. Bent's most fam-
ous styles, with some slight alteration, but
the general effect the same. What is worse
for Mr. Bent, they were made up in some
of the very cheapestlines. There is but little
encouragement when such a condition ex-
ists for a manufacturer to devise by means
of brains and capital some striking case
designs, hoping thereby to augment his
fame.
It shows a lamentable lack of originality
on the part of those copying, and it also indi-
cates the possession of moral obtuseness of
a very pronounced order. It is worse than
fake advertising, and heaven knows that is
bad enough. By the way, the National