Music Trade Review

Issue: 1899 Vol. 29 N. 2

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
destined to become of infinite value in the
His trade venture has become but a vision,
full time, and even under those conditions
advancement of the best interests of the
a dark memory, as it were, of things that
if the present business continues they will
trade.
have been.
be unable to create a surplus
The attitude of the organization towards
the stencil and
other evils which have
crept into the trade, shows plainly that it
desires trade weal and not the personal ag-
grandizement of some of its members.
When we consider the membership which
the national organization has to-day, we
must admit that it is a power which cannot
be lightly disregarded, one which must be
reckoned with in the trade problems of the
future.
THE REVIEW'S NATAL MONTH.
JULY is the natal month of The Review.
It was twenty years ago that it was first
issued in a modest form.
We believe that
we can remark at this juncture, without
laying ourselves open to the charge of in-
dulging in personal glorification, that The
Review has played no unimportant part in
the development of the industry, and we
believe that we may assert
with equal
truthfulness that its standard has never
been trailed in the dust of dishonor.
It
has faithfully, persistently and, we trust,
intelligently fought for the maintenance of
that which tends to trade betterment.
It
has also been independent in all things.
There are always excellent reasons for
the success of a legitimate institution, and
one of the chief tributary causes of The
finished instruments.
OPEAKING of trusts, the first of which
we have
record
relating to com-
mercial affairs was probably the Egyptian
corn trust, born in the fertile minds of
Joseph and Pharaoh by which the corn
output was controlled during the years of
famine.
It will be the wise
dealer who places his orders now for early
shipment.
Depend upon it, there will be
many complaints heard over the country
from dealers who hold their orders until
the eleventh hour, thinking then that they
can get their goods immediately.
This event illustrated the judici-
ous combination
Their
stock of
of prophet
scheme has been
and
king.
somewhat
en-
larged upon, and those old timers would be
Will Get Five Cents on Dollar.
THE AFFAIRS OF THE REIMER PIANO COMPANY
REPORT OF THE RECEIVER.
surprised if they could see to just what ex-
[Special to The Review].
tent the trust idea has grown before we
Poughkeepsie, N. Y., July 5, 1899.
The affairs of the Reimer Piano Company
were aired once more before Judge Barnard
Saturday morning on an application to
settle the accounts of George E. Cramer as
receiver of the company.
During the hearing it developed that
the capital stock was issued to Jhe extent
of about $70,000, of which about $50,000
was issued to Reimer or his representative
for his patents. Nearly $20,000 was paid
in ia cash. During the time the company
was in operation this amount and $14,-
138.41 was spent and then the crash came.
From the sale of the property and the book
accounts the receiver collected $2,217.90,
from which he paid for expenses $822.82,
leaving $1,394.08 for distribution, sub-
ject to the compensation of the receiver
and the expenses of the accounting. The
stockholders will lose all they subscribed,
and the creditors will probably get five
cents on the dollar. The affairs of the
company have been managed by the re-
ceiver to the satisfaction of all concerned,
and after the accounts were settled as pre-
sented the receiver was discharged.
cross the line into 1900.
DEFERRING
to the value
of
trade
marks, an incident recently occurred
which serves to show what a large figure
a name cuts in the estimation of some
men.
A man prominent in trade circles re-
cently stated that if he were given the
choice between the right to use the trade
mark of his company or their entire plant
without the same trade mark he would un-
questionably take the former without a
dollar to back him up, and in no industry
is the value of a trade mark greater in pro-
portion to the business carried on than the
one in which The Review is an exponent.
Y\ 7E learn that a man representing him-
Review success lies in the fact that at all
self to be a Review photographer
times there has been an evident desire to
has been approaching several firms in this
state things as they are and to advocate
city for permission to take pictures of their
trade advancement, and to work on those
establishment.
lines which tend to elevate rather than
of saying that photographers employed by
In the Pawn Shops.
to depress.
The Review are provided with written cre-
NEXT TO JEWELRY, MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
MOST FREQUENTLY VISIT YOUR UNCLE'S.
dentials, and all persons without them are
LEADERETTES.
frauds in so far as they purport to be rep-
A SHORT time ago a well-known manu-
facturer remarked
' ' I have
found
that the dealers who read trade papers are
desirable customers.
We take this opportunity
They are intelligent,
well posted men, and I believe that the
men who fail to read the trade papers to-
resentatives of this paper.
This is not the first time that our atten-
tion has been called to men who have been
working some cheap advertising dodge by
alleging that they were connected with
The Review.
day are men of narrow views and unpro-
I glean a great deal of in-
A STRIKING piano advertisement of
from the trade papers—infor-
John Wanamaker, occupying a full
mation which is of value to me in my busi-
page in the Philadelphia Ledger appeared
ness, and I believe that such papers as The
this week. The advertisement was written
Review are of infinite value to the in-
in dignified terms and gotten up in an at-
dustry."
tractive manner.
gressive ideas.
formation
That reminds us.
A NOTORIOUS trade editor is credited
with
There has not been,
so far as we have seen, even the slightest
the statement that the piano
reference made to pianos carried by the
manufacturers no longer have a responsive
great department stores of New York in
touch, that they refuse to obey his sum-
their advertisements for many weeks.
mons, and that he should shortly concen-
trate his entire energies upon his musical
C VIDENCE is multiplying which points
to great business activity in the early
publication.
To the outsiders it would seem as if this
were a case of necessity and not of desire.
fall.
Nearly all of the factories propose
to run straight through the summer on
From an article prepared by Dr. W. R.
Patterson for the University of Pennsyl-
vania, upon the systems employed by
pawnbrokers in Europe and this country,
it appears that next to articles of jewelry,
watches, etc., the articles most frequently
placed in pawn are musical instruments.
During a certain month the number of
musical instruments pawned in Pittsburg
was 49, on which the amount loaned was
$156.55; in Providence during the same
month the number was 47 and the loan
was $133-72; while in Buffalo 59 were
placed in pawn for $186.50; in Washing-
ton 38 were pawned at $176.26; in Boston
$401.22 was loaned on 247 instruments,
while in Chicago the number loaned upon
was 356 and the total amount loaned $768.-
46. The average loan for the cities named
was as follows: Pittsburg, $3.19: Provi-
dence, $2.77; Buffalo, $3.15; Boston, $1.62
and Chicago, $2.16.
During the fiscal year ending June 30,
1898, the number of musical instruments
upon which loans were made in Cleveland
was 336, the highest number in any one
month being 37, and the lowest 18.
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
. . . SOriE DEALERS WHOM WE KNOW . . .
GLANCES AT SOME OF THE MEN WHO HAVE MADE MUSIC TRADE HISTORY IN FARAWAY TOWNS.
Under this caption The Review has pre-
sented a series of articles touching upon the
personalities of men who have contributed
to music trade history in the remote sec-
tions of the country. The central West
has some historic figures upon whom we
may dwell briefly.
C J. WHITNEY CO., Detroit, nich.
When that veteran of the music business,
C. J. Whitney, dropped out of trade a few
c. j . WHITNEY,
DETROIT, MICH.
years ago many believed that he would
never again re-enter the ranks of active"
workers. However, his old love pos-
sessed a strong attraction for him, for he
is back again, actively engaged in the
piano business, having headquarters on
Woodward avenue, Detroit, Mich., where
he is conducting a very satisfactory busi-
ness, having for his leading instrument
the Chick ering piano.
Mr. Whitney is one of the picturesque
figures of the western trade, as it is nearly
a half century since he first began to sell
pianos and his sales aggregate millions of
dollars. He has also been a prominent
figure in the theatrical line,, having built
the Whitney Opera House in Detroit, and
for many years was connected with theatri-
cal matters. He has also taken an active
part in the promotion of the best interests
of Detroit.
When Mr. Whitney is in a reminiscent
mood he is at once entertaining and in-
structive as well, for he has a fund of trade
and professional reminiscences which date
back to the time when he landed in Detroit
with only a few dollars in his pocket.
Where old Fort Shelby once stood Mr.
Whitney erected an opera house which was
a credit to Detroit and made that city an
attractive one for theatrical troupes. The
site was subsequently purchased by the
United States for a post office. After this
he erected on Griswold street the present
structure which is known as the Whitney
Opera House. He has also taken an ac-
tive interest in theatrical matters in other
pities.
WHITNEY-CURRIER CO., Toledo, O.
Another well-known member in the
trade in the central West is William H.
Currier, of the Whitney-Currier Co., of
Toledo, O. Mr. Currier has had an ex-
tensive and varied acquaintance in the
trade. It was in 1868 after a retail experi-
ence in Michigan that he opened the busi-
ness in Toledo, which has since become so
successful. Mr. Currier's abilities as a
merchant are well known and he is rated
as one of the best piano salesmen in the
trade.
Wm. H. Currier comes from musical
ancestry. Both his parents were musical.
His father taught singing school, and with
the use of a blackboard upon which a musi-
cal staff was drawn taught his children the
rudiments of music. Some years later a
teacher was engaged to come to the Cur-
rier house and instruct the six Currier boys
in brass and orchestral music. For years
it was a regular thing for the family to
practice brass band music for a considerable
time each day.
Mr. Currier early began to teach music
and organized several brass bands and
composed and arranged music for bands
and orchestras. The practical side of his
nature began to develop about this time,
and he considered there was more money
in selling pianos and organs than there was
in teaching music. His success in that
branch has proven that his talents were not
misdirected.
WILL A. WATKIN MUSIC CO., Dallas, Tex.
There are few firms engaged in selling
musical instruments in cities the size of
Dallas, whose members have taken such an
active interest in the promotion of music
as have the members of the Watkin Music
Co., of Dallas, Tex. Will A. Watkin is a
which the elite of Dallas can always make
a selection to meet almost any require-
ments. Mr. Watkin is one of those
members of the trade who believes that a
man can best succeed in the piano business
by selling standard makes continuously.
As a notable fact in his career showing how
he carries out this theory in his business I
may mention that he has sold the Steinway
and Fischer pianos without a break for
more than twenty years.
WILL. A. WATKIN,
DALLAS, TEX.
Music's Power to Soothe.
A remarkable incident happened Mon-
day at the county infirmary, Toledo, O.,
when Elwood Harriet, a maniac, was
broughtjn with six powerful men holding
him, to prevent him from killing his
father. -# The boy woke up during the
night, and going to his father's room,
attempted to kill him. The father strug-
gled for an hour, till he got the attention
of some of the neighbors, who went for a
policeman.
After Harriet had been overpowered he
was taken to the infirmary, and Director
Beecher determined to try an experiment.
He had his daughter to start some music
on the piano, and the insane man at once
became quiet and soon went to sleep.
Mr. Wagoner a Benedict.
Carl Wagoner, of J. H. Wagoner & Son,
music dealers, Rochester, Minn., was
married the closing days of last week to
Miss Nina Cook at the home of the bride's
parents in that city. Mr. Wagoner and
his wife are life-long residents of Roches-
ter, and their marriage drew forth the
most cordial congratulations from a legion
of friends.
WM. H. CURRIER,
TOLEDO, O.
musician of ability, and since early boy-
hood has been engaged in selling musical
instruments. He has developed a splendid
trade in Dallas and vicinity, and he carries
at all times in his spacious warerooms a
well arranged stock of instruments from
Praise the Knabe.
In the Chicago Conservatory of Music
twenty-two Knabe pianos are now in use.
The instructors of this institution rank
among the highest and their warm eulogies
of the Knabe instruments are in line with
the general opinion held of these artistic
products by leading experts. .

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