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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
The Weber Pianos.
Rapid Way to Kill the Trusts.
STEADY AUGMENTATION
IN DEMAND FOR
THESE INSTRUMENTS MR. WHEELOCK
SPEAKS INTERESTINGLY ON
THE SUBJECT.
PRESIDENT THOMPSON, OF THE ANTI-TRUST
LEAGUE, TELLS THE PAPERS HOW IT
CAN BE DONE.
One of the most gratifying indications
to-day of prosperity and progress in the
piano trade is the healthy condition of
business at the Weber factory and ware-
rooms. The rapid advance in public es-
teem of the Weber grand and Weber up-
right during the present season proves con-
clusively, first, that piano purchasers have
quickly recognized the good value of the
promises made when the Weber firm was
re-organized, and, next, that circumstances
being favorable, they intend to take ad-
vantage of the facts.
During a brief talk on Wednesday with
W. E. Wheelock, The Review asked ques-
tions concerning the manufacture and
present output of the Weber Grand. Mr.
Wheelock, in reply, stated that the call for
these instruments so far this year had
exceeded his most sanguine expectations.
" This is especially trvie," said he, "of the
small or baby grand. Only a day or two
ago we missed a sale of one at the ware-
rooms because the examples usually kept
in stock had been shipped in answer to
urgent calls from our out-of-town repre-
sentatives. The factory output, though
large, had also been swallowed up, in the
same way."
Speaking in a general way with reference
to the Weber products, and in reply to a
question as to the future program*'iSf the
firm in developing the instruments, Mr.
Wheelock remarked: "Our program, so
far as the Weber grands and uprights are
concerned, will not be changed. There is
no necessity for any change. The Weber
piano of to-day, as I have said more than
once before, stands as the embodiment of
the musician's idea of tone.
"Maintaining all the advantages of the
highest excellence in construction, the
most unyielding durability, and that ca-
pacity for retaining freshness of tone which
is so often found wanting, the chief glory
of the Weber piano is yet that pure, rich
and sympathetic quality of tone, in the
possession of which—from our point of
view and that of many experts—it stands
alone. Certain mechanical improvements
have from time to time been added since
the death of Albert Weber, Sr., but the
Weber piano of 1899 is substantially iden-
tical with that of 1876, when so great a
triumph was achieved at the Centennial
Exposition.
"The Weber Grand and the Weber Up-
right of to-day—at least, that is our aim—
represent, as nearly as possible the per-
fection of efforts in mechanism and art, as
applied to piano making."
St. Louis, April 14, 1899.
The National Anti-Trust League is an
organized movement by consumers to pur-
chase anti-trust merchandise. The con-
sumer demands from the merchant the
products of independent manufacturers and
producers. We do not advise boycotting,
but appeal to the consumer to intelligently
use the power he has always possessed to
patronize independents and thus create
competition with the trusts. It seems a
rapid, practical method of dealing with
the trust question. We not only appeal to
the antagonism to trusts, which seems to
permeate 90 per cent, of the people, but
actually reward the consumer by his re-
quiring the merchant to issue to him a
trade coupon, which is redeemed at a speci-
fied per cent., provided he purchased wares
of independent manufacturers.
The league is national in character and
was organized February 22, 1899. The
membership now numbers 20,000, with
an apparently limitless number of appli-
cants. We make no charge for member-
ship, inviting all interested to co-operate.
The league will teach them to know the
power they have to practically oppose the
trusts and how to use it most effectively.
Program for fir. Tripp's Recital.
Probable Organ Purchasers.
Manufacturers of organs will be inter-
ested in the following list of new churches
to be erected in different parts of the coun-
try. Each should be considered a prospec-
tive customer:—E. G. Frye, 211 Ninth
street, has plans for a church at Lynch-
burg, Va. $28,000. O. C. Knutson, Rush-
ford, Minn., has prepared plans for a
Congregational church at Cresco, la. $10,-
000. Geo. P. Stauduhar, Rock Island,
111., has prepared plans for a church for St.
Joseph congregation, of Meyers Valley,
Kan. $18,000. Proudfoot & Bird, Des
Moines, are making plans for a church at
Harlan, la. $10,000. The First Presby-
terian congregation of Wilkinsburg, Pa.,
will build a new church, corner Wood
street and Wallace avenue. $80,000. H.
A. Foeller, Greenbay, Wis., is preparing
plans for a Roman Catholic church for
St. Peter's congregation, Oconto, Wis.—
W. B. Valentine and Aug. Goetz, Yankton,
S. Dak., have the contract to build a church
at Tabor, S. Dak. The cost will be about
$30,000.—The East End Presbyterians, of
Ottumwa, la., have employed Architect
Clinton Nourse, of Des Moines, to prepare
plans and specifications for their new church
at a cost of $40,000.—Preliminary plans
are being prepared for a new church at
Twentieth and Dauphin streets, Philadel-
phia, Pa. $30,000.—Chas. W. Bolton &
Co., Witherspoon Building, Philadelphia,
Pa,^ are working on plans for a church to
tdrerected at Passiac, N. J. $35,000.^—
Competitive plans are being prepared by
local architects for a new church for the
Highland Presbyterian congregation, of
Pittsburg, Pa.
The following is the program for the
recital to be given at Knabe Hall on the
evening of April 28, by Mr. J. D. A.
Tripp, who as a pianist occupies a promi-
nent position in Toronto, Can. He will be
Paderewski Cables Steinway.
assisted at his debut in New York by Miss
On Wednesday morning Steinway &
Edith J. Mills, contralto. Mr. Isidore
Sons received a cablegram from Paderew-
Luckstone will be the accompanist.
ski, dated at Cologne, Ger., the previous
1.
(a) Scarlatti, Pastorale
(6) Bach Tausig, Toccata & Fugue in D
day. The substance of the cablegram
minor
from the distinguished artist was that the
2.
Beethoven, Andante Favori in F.
3. Songs (a) Schumann, Stille Thranen
Steinway piano was triumphant at Cologne
(ft) Franz, Im Herbst
as it had been in every other European
(c) Brahms, The Little Dustman
Miss EDITH J. MILLER.
city. He also included most cordial greet-
4.
(a) Chopin, March Funebre
ings to the members of Steinway & Sons.
(6) Chopin, Berceuse
(c) Liszt, Liebestraum No. 3
We may add that the concert at Cologne
(d) Leschetizky, Intermezzo
5.
Paganini-Brahms, Theme & Variations was one of a series which Paderewski has
6. Songs (a) Maude Valerie White, How do I Love
been giving in Europe.
Thee?
(b) Tosti, Spring
Miss EDITH J. MILLER.
7.
Paganini-Liszt, La Campanella.
Jesse French Buys.
An important deal in downtown invest-
ment property was yesterday consummated
by Henry R. Weisels, of the F. H. and C.
B. Gerhart Real Estate Company, who
sold to Jesse French, the well-known piano
dealer, the property at the northeast corner
The death last week of John A. Mc- of Ninth and Market streets, for $24,000
Laughlin, formerly connected with the cash. The property has a front of twenty-
Smith-American Organ Co., of Boston, nine feet on Market street, by a depth of
has occasioned much regret in the trade. eighty-one feet on Ninth street, and is
Mr. McLaughlin was well and widely improved with a substantial new two-story
known and highly esteemed. He is sur- brick building, consisting of stores and
vived by three daughters, one of whom is
a nun and the other a musician. He was rooms above, rented at $2,000 per annum.
—St. Louis, Mo., Democrat.
sixty-eight years of age.
fir. Poole, of Boston.
W. Harry Poole, of the Poole Piano Co.,
was in New York on his return from
Washington and other Southern points
Tuesday. He reports an excellent busi-
ness, and that the demand for Poole pianos
continues in a measure which is most
gratifying. A hustling manufacturer is
Mr. Poole whose advance has been steady
and on a solid foundation. A man of ex-
cellent parts, there are rungs still higher up
the trade ladder which he will reach.
The piano factory of the M. Shultz Co.,
Chicago, had a narrow escape from fire on
Saturday through the ignition of a large
wagon tank loaded with pitch which was
being utilized in making repairs to the roof
of the building.