Music Trade Review

Issue: 1899 Vol. 28 N. 25

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSld ffeAfffi
T T is stated that a wager has recently been
made between two well-known mem-
bers in the music trade to the effect that
within two months the Annex will have
been discontinued and that portion of its
remains which can be conveniently gathered
together, will be incorporated in the parent
publication which gave it birth.
Isn't two months a long time the way
things have been running recently? In
our opinion it is only pride which prohibits
the Annex editor from acknowledging his
complete and utter rout in this special field.
To our minds the only future which he has
in this industry is to sidetrack what patron-
age he can for his older publication. What
life the Annex possesses to-day is simply
a little of the momentum left it by the
parent paper. The editor may secure
the patronage of a few manufacturers for
his original publication, but as far as a fac-
tor in the industry and a power in trade
journalism is concerned, we can no longer
j-eriously consider him.
** \ 1 7 H A T a lovely tone that piano has,"
said a lady recently to a salesman
in a Boston wareroom.
"Yes, Madam,"he replied suavely, "that
is the only real tone on earth, the Steiner-
tone."
r \ U R cousins across the border now have
an association of their own, and if E.
P. Hawkins continues as the head of the
piano organization in Canada it will be-
come a power in that country, no question
about that.
p \ O advertising novelties pay?
Well, that's a question. We are in-
clined to think, however, that a very small
percentage of the novelties which are used
to interest manufacturers have in them the
element of attraction.
T H E famous Strich & Zeidler contribu-
tion to piano literature analyzing the
difference between the good and cheap
piano, has been widely commented upon.
It is appreciated across the sea as well, al-
though there is no marked desire on the
part of our contemporary, the Piano, Or-
gan and Music Trades Journal of London,
to give the authors credit for the article.
This journal reproduces it as original mat-
ter.
A DVERTISING gives character to a
product and raises it in a competitive
sense. Cutting off advertising reduces it
to purely a price competition, that is, it
places it upon purely a bulk basis.
Chickering with Wulschner.
Col. Hollenberg in the East.
Arrangements have just been concluded
Col. F. B. T. Hollenberg, of the Hollen-
whereby that distinguished Western firm, berg Music Co., Little Rock, Ark., was a
Wulschner & Son of Indianapolis, will visitor to the Metropolis this week on a
handle the Chickering piano as a leader. combined pleasure and business trip.
This will give the Chickering instrument
''Trade conditions in our section," said
a splendid representation in the chief city Col. Hollenberg, in the course of a chat in
of the Hoosier state. Wulschner is one of The Review sanctum on Tuesday, "are
the best known names in the middle West exceedingly favorable. More so than they
as, aside from conducting an extensive re- have been for years. To give you an idea
tail business, this house carries on a con- of our piano sales I may say that last week
stantly expanding jobbing trade in the we sold 138 pianos. Of course many of these
small goods line.
were for schools and prominent institutions
and this number may be considered an
The Henry F. Miller Pianos.
abnormal output. Nevertheless our sales
have
been steadily growing since the first
Nowadays when quality in pianos is re-
of
the
year, and around the end of Sep-
ceiving more consideration than price, it is
tember
we
shall have more than exceeded
pleasing to learn that the Henry F. Mill-
our
trade
of
last year which was unusually
er & Sons Co. of Boston, who have persist-
satisfactory.
From the present outlook,
ently adhered to an undeviating policy in
I
should
estimate,
conservatively, that our
this matter, are meeting with that reward
business
for
1899
will exceed that of the
which they well merit. It has always
previous
year
by
twenty-five per cent.
been their aim to produce artistic creations
As
you
know
I
am
handling the Kimball
in the piano field—not only artistic in the
line
of
instruments,
and
find them to give
matter of case designs, but artistic in tone.
the
utmost
satisfaction
in
every respect."
Quality has always been their chief con-
Col.
Hollenberg,
who
was
accompanied
sideration, and that is wherein the Henry
by
his
mother,
spent
Wednesday
at Man-
F. Miller pianos are peculiarly distinctive.
hattan Beach, after which he left for Bos-
Appreciation of the Miller piano has al-
ton on a visit to the Hallet & Davis factory.
ways been liberal, but it is more so now
It is possible he will leave a goodly order
than ever before. Dealers report rapidly
for pianos for the fall trade with this in-
increasing sales in all sections, and mu-
stitution.
sicians who have used their grands in con-
cert are most enthusiastic in their praise of
Munn's Big Purchase.
these instruments.
Some very beautiful designs of uprights
James Munn, the music dealer, went to
are now being placed on the market by the
Chicago,
last week, to make his annual
Henry F. Miller & Sons Co. It would pay
purchase
of
organs and pianos from the
dealers who are looking for leaders—pianos
Cottage
Organ
Co., says the Middletown,
that sell—to look them up.
N. Y., Argus. He expects to buy 2,500
organs and pianos, a hundred carloads,
Customs Ruling.
which he will place in his stores in this
The following decisions were handed city, Liberty, Walton and Binghamton.
down by the Board on Classification of the
United States Board of General Appraisers
Stromberg Scores a Point.
Monday:
In the protest of Lyon & Healy, of Chi-
Composer Stromberg is gradually mak-
cago, the goods consist of blocks of wood ing headway in his suit against Joseph W.
for violin backs and of violin necks and Stern & Co., the music publishers of this
ribs. They were assessed for duty at 45 city. This action was brought under the
per cent, as parts of musical instruments, claim that the Stern people had not correct-
and were claimed to be dutiable at 15 per ly represented the number of copies of
cent, under paragraph 198, or at 35 per Stromberg's song, "How I Love My Lou,"
cent, under paragraph 208, The Board that had been sold.
sustained the claim as to the backs at 15
In the early stages of the litigation Stern
per cent., under paragraph 198, but over- showed that, according to the books kept
ruled the protest as to the remainder.
in his business, the account rendered to
Stromberg was right. Then the plaintiff's
Fall Buyers' Excursion to New lawyers applied to Judge Giegerich for an
York.
order to produce the books of the printer
The Merchants' Association of New from whose presses the different editions
York is perfecting its plans for the fall of the song were issued, and this order was
buying season. Applications for reduced granted.
Subsequently, Stern's attorneys went be-
rates for the non-resident members of the
fore
Judge Beekman in an endeavor to have
Association have been favorably acted upon
the
order vacated, but the Justice denied
by the railroad associations covering the
the
motion,
and it will now be necessary
territory east of the Mississippi and north
to
put
the
books
in evidence.
of the Ohio. The Southwestern Passenger
Bureau, the territory of which comprises
the State of Texas, has under considera-
The McKannons are making a fine show-
tion an application for reduced rates from ing of Chickering pianos at their new store
its territory.
at Port Henry, N. Y.
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
. . . SOHE DEALERS WHOM WE KNOW . . .
GLANCES AT SOME OF THE MEN WHO HAVE MADE MUSIC TRADE HISTORY IN FARAWAY TOWNS.
The inducing allurements of railroad lit-
erature anent the sunny South seemed to
me a trifle overdrawn when I passed
through that section last winter. In Mem-
phis and New Orleans and other points
South the cold was intense and New Or-
leans was really a suffering city when I
stopped there over the Mardi Gras last
February. They are so poorly prepared
for cold weather in the South in the way.
of warmly built residences and proper heat-
ing apparatus, that temperature which
would be but ordinary in a northern lati-
tude causes extreme suffering in the cotton
belt.
I recollect the first time I visited the ex-
treme South over fifteen years ago, I
thought it a most beautiful country, partic-
ularly after I had been encountering a
temperature of some forty-eight degrees
below zero in the Northwest. But during
the last few years it has been my lot to
find conditions reversed about somewhat.
I have seen New Orleans paralyzed by a
heavy snow fall, and in the far Northwest
I have seen glorious springlike weather in
mid-winter, weather so warm that even a
light spring overcoat was rather objection-
able on account of the unnecessary warmth
which it created.
It was not until I reached Phoenix and
Tucson that the temperature really began
to approach those agreeable figures where
it is pleasant to lay aside one's oiiter gar-
ments and joy fully note the growing warmth
of the sun's rays.
Texas means a good deal upon the map,
and after you have traveled a few thous-
and miles up and down its vast area, you
will have concluded that it is indeed an
empire in itself. In music -trade affairs
Texas cuts an important figure. It is
rapidly increasing in population and in
wealth, which necessarily means that there
is a growing demand for those home acces-
sories which are inseparably associated
with a higher civilization. While the low
price of Texas' chief staples has material-
ly hampered the prosperity of the State,
yet it can be said that matters pertaining
directly to the music trade have not been
in a languishing condition in that State for
some years.
There are a number of important firms
in Texas, chief among which I may men-
tion the great house of Thos. Goggan &
Bro., with headquarters at Galveston, hav-
ing branches in some eight or ten of Texas'
principal cities. The Goggan concern con-
trol an enormous business, as they carry
everything in music and have the richer
portion of the State well departmentized
so that it is constantly being worked by
their army of salesmen. A great house is
Goggan and one appreciates this fact the
further they travel in the "Lone Star
State." There are many other important
concerns in Galveston, Houston, San An-
tonio, Fort Worth, Austin to which I shall
refer later.
ALEX. HIRSCHFELD, Fort Worth. Tex
Alex. Hirschfeld, the well-known dealer
of Fort Worth, Tex., belongs to that in-
dustrious element of the trade that is mak-
ing itself felt in every part of the country.
Mr. Hirschfeld is still young in years,
having made his terrestrial advent in 1865
in Germany. He early exhibited a strong
talent for music and decided that America
ALEX. HIRSCHFELD.
would offer him better opportunities than
the German fatherland, hence 1884 found
him filling successfully the professional
duties of a music teacher in Galveston.
Being of a commercial turn of mind he
figured that there was money in the music
business, and in 1891 he nailed up his shin-
gle in Fort Worth where it has remained
ever since. It is not liable to be easily
removed, for Mr. Hirschfeld has made a
marked success in his business enterprise.
In pianos he handles the Weber, Behr,
Shoninger, Wheelock, Waldorf, Schiller
and Mathushek. He has also small goods.
*
*
*
*
*
*
Los Angeles, Cal., is a delightful city
to visit, particularly in mid-winter when
the East is being paralyzed with a multi-
plicity of blizzards. The city is well sup-
plied with music stores, most of which ap-
pear to be in a flourishing condition, and
J. T. FITZGERALD.
with a population that is growing at the
rate of nearly a thousand a month it does
not appear as if there would be a trade
drought in Los Angeles, particularly as
most newcomers bring money, and after
they settle in business either in a city or
upon a ranch, desire to adorn and beautify
their homes, patronizing liberally in this
connection the local stores of Los Angeles.
THE FITZGERALD MUSIC & PIANO CO.
J. T. Fitzgerald, proprietor of the Fitz-
gerald Music & Piano Co., commenced
business in Los Angeles with a very small
capital in 1890. He said: " I have worked
hard and incessantly ever since I com-
menced here, and I feel that my labors
have been fairly rewarded. There is no
one interested in this business besides
myself. If you will accompany me over
my establishment I think I can interest
you in a place which will demonstrate that
the Pacific Coast is not lacking in musical
culture. In my recital hall, as you will
see," he added as I accompanied him
through his elaborately furnished and
elegantly decorated space, with all the
green room accessories, "are given all the
pupils' recitals and local concerts of the
city. You may imagine that I estimate its
advertising value as considerable to my
business."
Mr. Fitzgerald's establishment is cen-
trally located, and he occupies in ware-
room space, in which are displayed pianos,
sheet music and small goods, an area of
some five thousand square feet. I noticed
in his warerooms a well assorted stock of
Knabe, Fischer, Kohler & Co., Blasius and
Albrecht pianos. He is also agent for the
celebrated C. G. Conn Wonder band instru-
ments.
I may say that Mr. Fitzgerald has taken
a warm interest in musical affairs. During
the past six years he has had the local
management of nearly all the musical ar-
tists who have appeared in Los Angeles.
Among those may be included Ysaye,
Ellen Beach Yaw, the Kneisel Quartette,
Rosenthal, the Henschels, Emil Sauer,
Sousa's Band. In every case these enter-
tainments have proved successful from a
financial point of view.
New England Advance.
It begins to look like old times about the
New England Piano Co. 's Boston estab-
lishment.
Last week sixty-five pianos
were shipped from the factory, and prob-
ably the record will be duplicated this
week. Orders are coming in and, on the
whole, the future looks decidedly roseate
for this establishment. Thomas F. Scan-
Ian wears a smile of contentment over the
improved condition of affairs, and will
leave before the end of the month for a
flyer West, going as far as Kansas City.
It is unnecessary to state that Mr. Scan-
Ian will do business on his trip. He al-
ways does, and a further point will be
scored for New England advance before he
returns. Five pianos were sold at retail
from the Washington street warerooms
last Monday. It does not look as if there
was a dearth of retail trade upon Boston's
thoroughfare at that rate.

Download Page 6: PDF File | Image

Download Page 7 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.