Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
V O L . XXIX. No. 5.
Published Every Saturday by Edward Lyman Bill at 3 East Fourteenth Street. New York, July 29,1899.
Kimball Building
NEW FACTORIES AND BUYING CHOICE PROP-
ERTY IN THE HEART OF THE RETAIL
DISTRICT—LATEST PURCHASE COST
$400,000.
The W. W. Kimball Co. are still extend-
ing their already wonderful manufacturing
plant. News reaches us from the West
that plans have been drawn for an addition
to the factory, the dimensions of which
will be 80x150 feet, five stories high, and
costing about $50,000. With the com-
pletion of this structure the Kimball Co.
will occupy for manufacturing purposes a
city of buildings covering an area of
twenty-three acres. A consideration of
these figures and the mind is perhaps able
to comprehand the stupendous resources—
both manufacturing and financial— of this
great institution—the largest plant in the
world devoted to the manufacture of
pianos and organs.
Another deal in which the Kimball
Co. figured as the '' person of the first
part" and which caused considerable talk
in real estate and music trade circles in
Chicago, has just been consummated. It
is the purchase by the Kimball Co. from
the heirs of the J. A. Averill estate of the
valuable property at the southwest corner
of Wabash avenue and Jackson boulevard
for the sum of $325,000.
While there has been no statement made
that the property would be utilized in due
time for retail headquarters for the com-
pany, yet there can be no question as to its
suitability for that purpose. It has a
frontage of 120 feet on Wabash avenue and
109 feet on Jackson Boulevard and would
prove an ideal piano center.
Of course we shall hear more about it.
The Kimball moves on the trade chess-
board are carefully planned and as a result
they invariably are on the winning side.
*
*
*
*
We clip the following from the Chicago
Chronicle which treats of the matter in
detail:
"Through the sale of the improved
property at the southwest intersection of
Wabash avenue and Jackson boulevard
a big transaction in downtown real estate
was completed yesterday. The price
paid for the 40x109 foot lot and the
six-story building on it was $325,000.
The Kimball Piano Company, owner of
the adjoining eighty feet on Wabash ave-
nue, was the purchaser. The property is
subject to a lease running ten years from
May 1 next to Lyon, Potter & Co., who
sublet to Hallet & Davis.
"No surrender of these leases is to be
negotiated for, the new owners having had
the twofold object of securing both a divi-
dend-paying investment and future control
of the valuable corner in view when they
made the purchase.
" ' We had some money in government
bonds which drew only a low rate of inter-
est and as we knew this property was
rented to advantage we availed ourselves
of the chance to get better returns on our
money,' said Secretary E. S. Conway, of
the Kimball company, ' Of course the
proximity of the property to our house on
Wabash avenue was an added consideration
that had great weight with us, as we deem
it an advantage to have control of the
corner should we need it in our business
when the present lease runs out ten years
hence.'
" T h e sale was made through Dunlap
Smith & Co., acting for the recent owners,
James A. Lawrence and Anna B. Law-
rence, of this city. The nominal purchaser
was Joseph W. Williams, who immediately
executed a transfer to the Kimball com-
pany. The tax commission's valuation of
the property was $335,840, of which $55,840
was the value of the building."
Chickering Change.
Checkering & Sons have withdrawn the
agency of their pianos from the Jesse
French Piano & Organ Co.
The "Weber" Never Better.
$2.00 PER YEAR.
SINGLE COPIES 10 CENT
Appraisers* Decisions.
Among the decisions handed down on
Wednesday last by the Board of Classifica-
tion of the Board of General Appraisers,
we notice the following:
"The protest of Carl Fischer was over-
ruled. The merchandise is ivory plates
for violin bows, held to be dutiable at 45
per cent., under paragraph 453. The
cases covered by protests 44,108-F, 11,580,
were held by the Board to be manufac-
tures of wood, held to. be dutiable at 45
per cent., under paragraph 453, act of
1897."
In another case the protest of Carl
Fischer was sustained. The goods are
rough and sawed hewn wood, intended to
be finished into violin backs and bellies,
held to be dutiable at fifteen per cent,
under paragraph 198, act of 1897.
Death of C. F. Franklin.
Chas. F. Franklin, well known as a pianist
and musical instructor, and for the last ten
years in the piano business in Fulton street,
Newark, N. J., died Sunday last at his
home in that city at the age of 41. He
studied music for three years in Europe.
He was universally respected. His wife
and one daughter survive him.
Bacon Building.
Francis Bacon is building a new factory
at Mott avenue, near 138th street, facing
the railway. The land is his own property.
The building will be 50x35 feet, and six
stories high. Mr. Bacon expects to move
from his present quarters about October 1,
of this year.
Cameron Travelling.
William A. Wheelock, when asked by The
A. B. Cameron, of the A. B. Cameron
Review on Wednesday as to present trade
Co.,
left town on Tuesday for an extended
conditions and fall prospects for the Weber
western
trip in the firm interests. The
products said: "With existing conditions
new
Cameron
catalogue ought to be the
we have no fault to find. Our business
means
of
securing
for Mr. Cameron a big
during the present month has been far
batch
of
orders
from
desirable quarters.
ahead of last year during a similar period.
"Our representatives are well content
Behr Bros. &. Co.
with the outlook. They are preparing for
a big fall trade, and the Weber grands and
This week's report at the Behr Bros,
uprights will, I believe, be in good demand, factory does not vary from that of its im-
strictly on merit. They ought to be, too, mediate predecessors. In common with
if tone, style and construction stand for many other piano manufacturers in this
anything. The Weber products were never city, the business of the present month at
made better, from any point of view, than the Behr factory far exceeds that of July in
they are to-day."
any previous year since 1892,