Classic Mode

Music Trade Review

Issue: 1899 Vol. 29 N. 26

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12
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
The Kranz & Smith Piano Co.
number, and I feel that with the capital
behind him which I propose to place in
A NEW DEAL IN BALTIMORE WHEREBY FREE- the business that a brilliant future is as-
BORN G. SMITH ORGANIZES A COMPANY
sured for him. It will probably take from
WITH GEO. FRED. KRANZ AS LOCAL
$100,000 to $150,000 capital to run the Bal-
MANAGER MR. SMITH TALKS
timore business. No radical changes in
REGARDING THE BALTIMORE
BUSINESS—A MAN OF
the line of goods are intended, only, of
ENERGY.
course, the Bradbury and Webster pianos
Freeborn G. Smith, the millionaire piano wilV be added to the present line carried by
manufacturer, may be correctly termed Mr. Kranz. The Chickering will continue
the father of the branch system in this to occupy the prominent place it has here-
trade. It was many years ago when tofore, and I believe we shall sell many
Mr. Smith began the establishment of asys- more Chickering pianos than ever before."
Freeborn G. Smith is in
~™ "~^ I many ways a remarkable man,
I and there are few men in any
industry who are as active as
he. Notwithstanding his ad-
vanced years he is still actively
planning new enterprises with
the same degree of earnestness
which has made him a man of
millions a n d proprietor o f
huge factories in Brooklyn
and Leominster and branches
in many cities.
In Burlington.
IMPOSSIBLE TO GET STOCK IN
SOME BRANCHES FOR THE
HOLIDAYS.
There are many indications
which may easily be read in
such a way as to indicate a
large increase in business this
year over that of 1898. No
better indication of this kind
can be found than in the fact
that there is a demand for the
luxuries of life, which makes
it impossible for the retailer
to secure goods from the
manufacturer in sufficient
quantities to supply the de-
mand.
Col. H. W. Hall, manager
of Bailey's Music Rooms,
Burlington, Vt. returned re-
cently from Boston, where he
has been on a business trip,
FREEBORN G. SMITH.
and in conversation yesterday
temof branch stores which now extend from he said: "I have just spent three days
the East as far as Kansas City and to the in Boston endeavoring to procure a stock
Northwest as well. His latest move is the for the holiday demand, and I find it
establishment of a branch in Baltimore. next to impossible to get the first-class
Mr. Smith, himself a Baltimorean by birth, goods. The market is well stocked with the
has long had his eye on his native city with cheaper goods but it is hard to procure
the intention of establishing a branch the better grades in which we deal. Some
there, and he has been casting about to firms are 180 pianos behind their orders of
find the proper man to assume local man- Dec. 1, and it is out of the question to
agement. Last week a combination was procure instruments from the Steinway
made with that hustling member of the Grand company. You will not find it hard
Baltimore trade, G. Fred Kranz. The to read an indication of what the business
Kranz & Smith Piano Co. is now incorpora- of the country is compared with that of
ted under the laws of Maryland. Officers: last year from these facts."
G. Fred Kranz, president; Freeborn G.
Smith, vice-president; F. G. Smith, Jr.,
4
treasurer, and W. P. Van Wickle, secre-
Tlajestic" Demand.
tary.
When The Review called at the "Majes-
In referring to this new deal, Mr. Smith tic" headquarters on Wednesday, it was
said: "I consider Mr. Kranz one of the noted that the usual wareroom stock of
brightest men in this trade. He is ener- Majestic pianos was missing. On inquiry
getic, highly thought of and has sold a vast it was ascertained that every instrument
number of pianos in Baltimore since he on the floor had been shipped in order to
began business for himself—a surprising meet urgent demands.
Visitors to New York Favored.
The lines forming what is known as the
Central Passenger Association have granted
the application of the Merchants' Associa-
tion for reduced rates from Central Pas-
senger territory. This covers all that sec-
tion of the country lying west of Buffalo,
New York, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and
Wheling, West Virginia, as far as the
Mississippi River, including the cities of
Chic go and St. Louis and south to the
Ohio River; taking in, however, that por-
tion of northern Kentucky which is tra-
versed by the lines of the Chesapeake and
Ohio system.
The dates from Central Passenger terri-
tory on which the reduced rates will be in
effect are February 13-17 inclusive and
March 1-4 inclusive with a limit of 30 days
from date of sale. The rate of fare being
one fare and one-third for the round trip,
the general terms and conditions being the
same as those heretofore surrounding con-
cessions granted from the same territory.
The Trunk Lines have already granted
reduced rates from the territory as far
west as Buffalo, Pittsburgh and Wheeling,
West Virginia, including Washington on
the south, for the dates of March 16-21 in-
clusive, and April 3-6 inclusive with a
return limit of 15 days from the date of
sale.
Application for reduced rates of fare is
now before the lines of the Southwestern
Passenger Association, which covers the
State of Texas.
The Merchants' Association will com-
mence an active campaign at once in favor
of New York as the greatest market in this
country for buyers. It will send circulars
to every merchant throughout the coun-
try, setting forth the excellencies of this
market in every direction, and will work
with even more than its accustomed energy
to make the Spring buying season of 1900
the largest one in the history of this city
and of the country as a whole.
Business Affairs Tangled.
Geo. L. Barkley, the McPherson music
dealer, has failed for a good round sum
and skipped the country, leaving his bus-
iness affairs in an inextricable tangle.
Barkley did a rushing business there for
two or three years, keeping several crews
on the road selling organs, sewing machines,
etc. Much poor paper was taken in the
transactions which was discounted at ruin-
ous rates to obtain .money to keep going.
Of course this sort of business had to have
an end and Barkley's attempt was no ex-
ception. Business men at the county seat
who have been handling his paper are
nervous.—Lindsborg, Kan., Record.
Superintendent Higgins 111.
A despatch from Washington, N. J.,
says that superintendent J. L. Higgins
of the Needham Piano and Organ factory,
has been confined to his home since Wed-
nesday of last week. He was first taken
with a heavy cold and has been complain-
ing since from the ailments which usually
follow such a cold—neuralgia, congestion
of the lungs, etc.
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
Italians Apply.
Some More Incorporations.
Levasser Assigns.
TO THE SCHOMACHER PIANO CO. IN RESPONSE
TO A FAKE ADVERTISEMENT.
This has been a busy week in the incor-
poration field. In other parts of The Re-
view there appear several items regarding
a number of moves in this connection.
As we go to press we receive news of other
incorporations in different parts of the
country.
Last Wednesday the Levasser Piano Co.,
Cincinnati, O., made an assignment. This
does not come in the nature of a surprise,
inasmuch as the company ha,d not been
rated financially strong-, for ,$ome time.
The Levasser Piano Co., of which Louis
Levasser has been the principal owner and
manager, was incorporated in 1890 with a
capital stock of $30,000^
Last Saturday the sub-joined advertise-
ment appeared in the Enquirer of Phila-
delphia:
MEN—Number of Italians with knowledge of
tools to learn piano trade; no experience required.
Apply at Schomachrr Piano Co., 1109 Chestnut
street, or at factory, Eleventh and Catharine
streets, at 9 o'clock.
New York.
The Metropolitan Phonograph Co. has
been
formed with a capital stock of $100,-
In response to the call at an early hour
000.
It proposes to manufacture phono-
Italians began to threaten the Schomacher
graphs
that can be sold at $1 each. The
warerooms, and Col. Gray who was at his
wholesale
cost of manufacture will be, ac-
desk was overwhelmed with the applica-
cording
to
the prospectus, only 50 cents
tions for work. The men came in regi-
each,
yet
the
sounds produced by the
ments," and at last the cause of their visit
phonograph
are
said to be almost as per-
was revealed in the innocent looking ad-
fect
as
the
most
improved Edison phono-
vertisement. It is said that it was in-
graph.
The
company
was incorporated
serted in the paper by an employee who
under
the
laws
of
New
Jersey.
had been ten years with the Schomacher
Co. Col. Gray said, " The plain intention
Tennessee.
The Chicago Cottage Organ Company
of the advertisement was to cripple us.
All our men are well satisfied and are well Thursday filed an amendment to its char-
paid. Nevertheless if we advertise for ter increasing its capital stock from one
foreign workmen the union would order million to two million dollars.
every man from our factory. We do not
New York:
know whether the employee identified as
The Electric Piano Co. will be formed
the man who placed the advertisement did under New Jersey laws, with a capital
it through his own ill will or was prompted stock of $100,000. The company will make
by others, but a thorough investigation will a self-playing instrument, and it will be
be made and a warrant sworn out."
operated by electricity. Wires connected
with the apparatus will enable the piano to
The Price of Lumber.
be played from any part of the house.
The question of the future price of lum-
Illinois.
ber is one which is occupying the minds of
The Secretary of State of Illinois granted
those engaged in the industry at the pres- a license to the following corporation on
ent time, and it is freely asserted that it Dec. 19th; National Gramophone Corpora-
will never again be as cheap as in recent tion of New York, Yonkers, N. Y. ; capital
years. On this head the Cleveland Leader stock, $800,000; capital in Illinois, $27,000.
observes that it is already a fair question
whether or not lumber will ever be cheap, Tremaine Denies Consolidation.
as values were rated less than one year ago.
The report in a morning paper yesterday
No sound judge of economic and industrial
conditions can doubt that many staples that a combination of manufacturers of
will lose much of the advance made in the self-playing musical instruments had been
past ten months. It is inevitable, in the completed is not correct. It was said that
nature of things. With timber and all its the yEolian Co. was the prime mover in the
products the case is different. The dark- scheme, and that the name of that com-
ening shadow of inadequate or very expen- pany would be retained. The constituent
sive supplies lies over the trade in mer- companies which were included in the re-
chandise which comes from the forests. ported combination were the yEolian Co.,
It will not be permanently lifted by any Vocalion Co. and the Votey Co., of Detroit,
known agency. With population and Mich. The.consolidation, it was said, would
production of all kinds fast increasing, and include all the manufacturers of self-playing
the country gradually filling up, the de-
mand for timber and wood of all kinds instruments as well as those in the per-
will naturally increase. That means heavier forated sheet music industry.
At the office of the iEolian Co., in this
drafts upon the forests, and the best pos-
sible care of our remaining sources of sup- city, it was learned that there was no con-
ply can hardly make lumber cheap and solidation on foot, and that the Vocalion
plentiful, in the old sense. There may be Co., of Worcester, Mass., had been con-
temporary depression in the market, but solidated with the vEolian Co. for the past
reactions from too sudden and violent ad- year. The Votey Co. was not to be com-
vances in the price level will scarcely last bined, nor had any negotiations been car-
long. - Under such conditions it is the im- ried on towards that end.—N. Y. Commer-
perative duty of all govermental and edu- cial.
cational authorities to do what they can to
A Great Showing.
guard against the threatened lack of timber
in the United States. There is no plainer
The official figures of the Treasury
responsibility.
Bureau of Statistics place the total value
of imports of merchandise into the United
Frank F. Peard, the advertising manager States in November, 1899, at $74,452,283,
for Wm. Knabe & Co., was in town this an increase of $2,255,945 over October's
week. Mr. Peard is not only a clever orig-
inator of advertising, but occupies an im- imports. The total value of the exports of
portant position in the newspaper world, merchandise in November amounted to
being at the head of that important daily $123,752,038, a decrease of $2,208,889 from
those of the preceding month.
publication, the Baltimore Herald.
Ricca Factory Extension.
Plans have been drawn for a new Ricca
factory, having a frontage oia Southern
Boulevard of 150 feet, and a similar front-
age on 134th street. The new building
will be four stories high and will include
every modern improvement. The founda-
tions will be laid for the new portion,
which adjoins the building now occupied,
early in the new year.
Calendars for 1900.
Just at this time, the calendars begin to
pour in from different parts for the new
year.~ We ha,ve referred to the charming
calendars supplied by the Krell, Stultz &
Bauer and others. This 1 week the Sterling
Co. have favored us with a beautifully
lithographed and imposing calendar for
he new year. It is of convenient size and
will find an appreciative audience wher-
ever it goes.
, The Wegman Piano Co. have sent out
perhaps the most elaborate -which has
reached this office. A dozen bright faced
little children are cleverly grouped upon a
ground work of forget-me-nots. It is in-
deed a most charming souvenir.
Wickham, Chapman & Co., the famous
plate makers of Springfield, O., have sent
us a calendar in green and gold which con-
tains a photograph of the " Herring
Grounds" in colors. There are also half
tones of the members of the Wickham,
Chapman corporation. Together with this
they have sent a beautiful sample of color
photography, "Under the Willows," which
is decidedly a work of art.
The Staib-Abendschein Co., the well-
known action manufacturers, are out with a
color scene, "On the Meadows," which is
exceedingly attractive and in excellent
taste.
The Weaver Organ Co.'s new calendar
has the happy, contented face of a young
maiden lithographed in colors, around
. whom is gathered a quartette of little
angels.
The Otto Higel Co., Toronto, Can., ac-
tion manufacturers, have sent a combined
calendar and booklet which makes a very
tasteful as well as handsome reminder.
Thus far the calendars for the New Year
have eclipsed anything which has been
issued by the trade heretofore.
Krakauer Report.
The Krakauer report for this week
shows that there is no let-up in the de-
mand for Krakauer products. It is found
impossible to accumulate any reserve
stock. Every instrument is shipped just
as soon as completed.

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