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V O L . XXIX. N o . 16. Published Every Saturday by Edward Lyman Bill at 3 East Fourteenth Street. New York, October 14,1899.
Trade on the Pacific Coast.
H. K. Williamson, of Williamson Bros.,
music dealers, Los Angeles, Cal., accom-
panied by his wife were visitors to The
Review sanctum on Wednesday. Mr. Wil-
liamson has been traveling for the past
couple of months, visiting- his old home in
Canada, and taking in all the prominent
cities in the States. He attended the
Dewey celebration in Washington, and
visited Philadelphia previous to his arrival
in New York.
In the course of an informal chat, Mr.
Williamson said: "Our firm handle the
Behr Bros, and Shoninger pianos. We find
them to be excellent instruments in every
respect, giving the best of satisfaction to
our customers.
"Judging from trade conditions when I
left home and from the reports which have
reached me on my route, the prospects for
a large piano trade in our section this
season are very bright. Yes, there is an
appreciable demand for the better grades
of pianos. It is not as marked as we would
like, for it takes some time to recover from
the tendency which has prevailed in every
industry for the past few years to buy cheap
goods. I believe that with a greater cir-
culation of money among the masses of
the people the demand for high priced
pianos will increase because the American
people are not disposed to haggle over
money when merit is in consideration."
"What do you think, Mr. Williamson,
of the matter of piano prices. Do you
not expect to pay more for your pianos in
view of the rising market? "
"Oh, yes, no sensible businessman could
expect otherwise. Prices must go up and
also of course to the purchaser. That is the
only plan, for the margin of profit to deal-
ers in many cases nowadays is not suffi-
ciently large to permit of giving a present
of so much cash to the customer.
"Organs? No, we do very little in the
organ line. The class of people who settle
in our section, ranchmen as they are called,
are mostly people from the East who jour-
ney to California for their health, or other
reasons, and they are people of refined
tastes with families, and pianos invariably
grace their parlors.
"The agricultural outlook in our section
just now, is bright. The orange industry
is becoming a formidable one, while in the
growing of fruits generally Southern
California is destined to be a big factor in
the trade of this country."
Mr. and Mrs. Williamson left for Boston
the closing days of the week and will jour-
ney homeward by way of the Northwest.
Boston Retail Methods.
There is one thing about the retail piano
trade as it is conducted by one or two
firms in Boston that marks it as unique,
says the Traveller of that city. If a suit
of clothes or a pair of shoes is seen in a
store window marked at a certain price
there is a reasonable expectation that the
suit or shoes in question can be bought at
that price. But in the piano trade it is
different. One sees in a store window a
fine looking piano with a large placard on
it reading, "Good piano for a beginner,
$25," and it appears to be a good bargain.
If inquiry is made, however, the purchaser
is told that the piano marked $25 in the
window is not for sale at that price, but
that down stairs there is a very good ' 'baby
grand" which is just the thing for a begin-
ner to use. When further examination is
made, an old, worn-out rattle-box is dis-
covered, which would not be fit for a baby
elephant to play on, to say nothing of a
human being. In other branches of busi-
ness it would seem that this method of at-
tracting custom is hardly honorable.
$3.00 PER YEAR.
SINGLE COPIES io CENTS.
"Some of my advanced pupils who are
before the public in concert work, including
Grace Preston, contralto, of the Nordica
Concert Co. last season, Sarah King Peck,
one of New York's excellent artists, Miss
Agnes Forbes, vocal teacher at Mrs. Haz-
en's Seminary at Pelham Manor, and sev-
eral others, were most enthusiastic in their
praise of your piano. The principal fea-
ture which pleased us all was the wonder-
ful support it gave to the voice, the quality
being so rich that it lent an inspiration to
the artist. I feel I cannot praise it too highly!''
The Packard Co. have good reason to
feel proud of the progress of the Packard
grands in the esteem of musicians. They,
are built by men who believe that piano
making is something higher than an ordi-
nary commercial pursuit, that it is an art.
These beliefs are exemplified in the Pack-
ard instruments.
It is pleasing to note that from the At-
lantic to the Pacific and from Canada to
Mexico, dealers and purchasers are recog-
nizing the especial merits of the Packard
creations and backing this recognition in
a practical manner by purchasing them.
The busy plant at Ft. Wayne, which is
now compelled to work far into the night
in order to supply orders, is convincing
proof of the foregoing statement.
Smith & Nixon to Move.
For some time past the Smith & Nixon
Piano Company of Steger, through A. J.
WIN FURTHER ENCOMIUMS FROM ONE OF OUR J. Miller of Chicago Heights, have been
negotiating with the Chicago Heights Land
LEADING TEACHERS PRAISE WORTHILY
BESTOWED.
Association for the erection of a factory
The Packard piano continues to add to building at Chicago Heights where the
its roster of admirers in the East. It was company is very desirous of moving their
only a short time ago we announced that industry. For several years the Smith &
some of our prominent metropolitan schools Nixon Company have been manufacturing
of music had purchased a number of Pack- pianos here and seemed to be doing a fair
ard instruments for use in these institu- business in a small way; but local affairs
tions. So satisfactory were they that they not going to suit the factory management,
commanded the highest praise from the they have been looking about for another
location so we are told, and to all appear-
heads of the piano departments.
Again a noted New York teacher, Marie ances will locate at Chicago Heights. In
S. Bissell, pays tribute to the excellence fact a prominent member of the Land As-
of the Packard grands. The letter in full sociation gives out the fact that although
appears elsewhere in this paper. From a the Association do not feel justified in giv-
perusal it will be seen that she joins in the ing the Smith & Nixon Co. the cash bonus
general opinion held by eminent musicians asked, they will probably be accommo-
anent the musical merits of the Packard dated with a building.—Steger Herald.
grands. Mme. Bissell says:
Dont All Speak at Once.
' 'The quality of tone was all that could
be desired, the action perfect.
Who will place a piano in Dewey's
"The accompaniments I was obliged to house? It is said that it will be neces-
play required the most delicate response sary for him to surround himself by
from the instrument, a quality I found a special guard in order that he may not
lacking in most of the pianos heretofore be overwhelmed by the rush of promoters
used; but your instrument met every re- and men who wish to secure some adver-
tising from his name.
quirement.
The Packard in New York.