Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
13
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
something to the manufacturer. On
the whole we are inclined to the belief that
the public idea of business extension is re-
versed in the piano trade. The belief that
the small dealer is profitable is steadily
growing in trade estimation. Go back a
few years, and it would seem as if the aver-
age traveler devoted more of his time to
securing one big dealer than he would to
all of the lesser trade.
Manufacturers
have found by experience that the big deals
look well on paper, but not as far as profits
are concerned.
T^HERE are several important changes
slated to occur in the local warerooms
on Jan. i. A number of others outside of
town as well shows that the first month of
1900 will be as prolific of shake-ups as for-
merly.
Holiday Tradejn Pittsburg.
SteiHWay Resign.
[Special to The Review.]
Pittsburg, Pa., Dec. 26, 1899.
Never in the history of the "Smoky City"
has there been such a holiday trade as
closed on Saturday evening. Merchants
in every branch of the holiday trade say
they never experienced such a crush as
they have had for the past two weeks.
Piano dealers were not overlooked by
buyers. One of the leading dealers in this
city said that this firm had sold more pianos
during December than in the past four
months.
A Knabe Medallion.
Together with a card extending Christ-
mas greetings that eminent piano concern
of Baltimore, Wm. Knabe & Co., have
issued an unique and novel holiday sou-
venir in the form of a medallion about five
IT is impossible at this time to give an ac-
curate estimate of the output of pianos
for the present year. The record of '92,
however, has been thoroughly smashed
and '99 is the banner year of music trade
history.
An Angelus For England.
FROM THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF PIANO
MANUFACTURERS NAHUM STETSON ALSO
SENT IN HIS RESIGNATION.
Wednesday of this week Steinway &
Sons forwarded to the secretary of the Na-
tional Piano Manufacturers Association
their resignations as members of that body.
Nahum Stetson also resigned as chairman
of the membership committee.
Steinway & Sons have been prominent
in Association work from its inception, and
have taken an active interest in promoting
the influence of the organization. Their
resignation naturally creates much com-
ment.
The officers of the Association whom The
Review has interviewed expressed extreme
regret that the Steinway firm should have
deemed it expedient to their business in-
terests to retire from the National organi-
zation. It should be understood that they
still retain their membership in the local
Association. The constitution provides
for the resignation of an official, but no
provision is made for resignations to take
effect immediately, therefore action will
be delayed until the next meeting.
Wilcox & White have just shipped an
Angelus to Princess Hatzfeldt, Draycott
Hall, Chippenham, England. The prin-
The Weber in Toronto.
cess, it will be remembered, is a daughter
R. S. Williams & Sons Co., Toronto,
of C. P. Huntington, the railroad magnate. inches in diameter. On it in strong relief
Canada,
have been appointed Weber repre-
During a recent visit to her father, who is the bust of Wm. Knabe who founded
sentatives
for the province of Ontario. An
has possessed an Angelus for some time the Knabe business in 1837. Thus the
important
shipment of Weber grands and
past, she saw the instrument, learned its members of the Knabe firm to-day pay a
uprights
was
made yesterday. Mr. Wood-
possibilities, became enthusiastic over the delicate compliment to the memory of
ford,
the
Weber
traveling representative,
results achieved by it, then called at the their distinguished ancestor, who early
who
visited
Toronto
last week in connec-
Wilcox & White warerooms and ordered laid the foundation of a great business
tion
with
the
establishment
of the new
one of the choicest to be sent to her Eng- institution.
Weber
agency
in
that
city,
told
The Re-
lish home immediately.
view yesterday that the demand in Canada
New Byrne Factory.
for high-grade American pianos is steadily
Will not Leave fleriden.
TO BE LOCATED AT 3 2 4 WEST TWENTY-SIXTH growing.
[Special to The Review.]
Meriden, Conn., Dec. 27, 1899.
• A report has obtained general circula-
tion that the ^Eolian Organ Company of
this city had made a combination with the
Votey Company of Detroit, Mich., and the
Vocalion Company of Worcester, Mass.,
and that the united companies would build
a big factory at Garwood, near Plainfield,
N. J.
Secretary J. H. Chase of the ^Eolian
Company says that, so far as he knows,
nothing has been done regarding the Gar-
wood, N. J., story. This probably origi-
nated from some real estate source. The
Meriden concern was closely identified
with the other concerns, but he could not
say that there had been any purchase.
Garwood wants the Meriden concern very
badly, and would offer what might be
glowing inducements. Even if the com-
pany should decide to go, which is highly
improbable, it would take a year and a
half to two years before the removal could
be consummated.
A Hastings, Minn., despatch says that
the music store of W. E. Van Aukens was
damaged by fire a few days ago.
STREET
SPLENDID FACILITIES FOR
THE NEW YEAR.
Charged with Embezzlement.
C. E. Byrne, of the C. E. Byrne Piano
[Special to The Review.]
Cincinnati, O., Dec. 26, 1899.
Co., after a long and patient search, has
Frank Hunting, 41, a salesman employed
found a suitable location for his new fac-
tory. On Saturday last the firm signed a by Ilsen & Co., dealers in musical instru-
lease for a six-story brick building at 324 ments at 25 West Sixth street, was arrested
West Twenty-sixth street, with a depth of at the Columbian Hotel last night by De-
100 feet and a frontage of about 35 feet. tectives Bulmer and Grimsley on a warrant
This will more than double the space now charging him with embezzlement. Hunting
available and enable the producing capacity is regarded as one of the best salesmen
to be doubled also. Mr. Byrne reports the in the employ of the firm. His especial
stronghold was his ability to sell concert
firm's prospects for 1900 to be excellent.
phonographs. A short time ago, it is
claimed that it was discovered that Hunt-
Piano Co. Closed by Sheriff.
ing was $160 short in his accounts. Mr.
[Special to The Review.]
George Ilsen decided that he would not
Seattle, Wash., Dec. 23, 1899.
prosecute Hunting, who was given a chance
The Eastern Piano Co.'s salesrooms in to pay the amount mentioned out of his sal-
the New York Block are closed and signs ary. Hunting promised to do this and was
across window and door bear the legend, allowed to retain his position. The arrest-
"Closed by order of the Sheriff." Very ing officers claim that instead of making
little can be learned concerning the good what he had taken Hunting converted
failure excepting the fact that Sheriff Van $40 more to his own use. He also got $50
de Vanter has ordered the entire stock to from Val Beck, a saloon keeper on Walnut
be sold at auction next Thursday.
street, near Sixth, on a check bearing the
Secretary Beverley, of Lindeman & Sons, signature of Ilsen & Co. This check is
left town on Wednesday for a brief business pronounced a forgery. Hunting is a sin-
gle man and is well known around the city.
trip in the East.