Music Trade Review

Issue: 1900 Vol. 31 N. 11

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE NEW YORK
PUBLIC LIBRARY.
V O L . X X X I . N o . 1 1 . PnDlis&ed Every Saturday by Edward Lyman Bill at 3 East Fourteenttt Street. New York, September 15,1900.
Amie's Narrow Escape
FROM BEING A VICTIM OF THE DISASTROUS
HURRICANE AT GALVESTON—CHANGED
HIS PLANS ONLY AT THE
LAST MOMENT.
J. C. Amie, Kroeger traveling represen-
tative, who returned early in the week
from a tour occupying nearly two months,
narrowly escaped being a victim of the
Galveston flood and hurricane on Sunday.
His traveling schedule made him due in
Galveston on Saturday evening. Only by
the merest chance he changed his plans at
the last moment and thus averted a disas-
ter almost surely ending in death.
Mr. Amie visited several States, including
Illinois, Minnesota, Oregon, the Dakotas,
Idaho, Washington, California, Texas and
Missouri. He found the Kroeger agents
at all points active and alert, sanguine of
big success this fall and enterprising in a
most praiseworthy degree in their meth-
ods for securing the best results. The
wheat crops of the Dakotas and Minnesota
he found poor; those of Oregon and Wash-
ington were exceptionally rich, the fruit
crop of these latter states being excellent.
Mr. Amie described the peculiar condi-
tions existing in California, where the
farmers are suffering from a drought which
has lasted four years, the fruit-growers,
on the other hand, enjoying all benefits of
a splendid fruit season. The perfect irri-
gation system in vogue among those who
cultivate fruits makes them, to all intents
and purposes, independent of the rains for
the proper moistening of their lands.
"The contrast in California, between the
present condition of the farmers and that
of the fruit growers is a strong one," said
Mr. Amie. "The former, in many cases,
are actually in want of the common neces-
sities of life. The latter, almost without
exception, are reveling in luxuries of the
most extravagant kind. In the fruit-
growing area of California millionaires are
plentiful.
"The principals of the fruit-growing es-
tablishments are simply rolling in wealth,
as a rule. Some of them are worth more
millions than they ever dreamed of pos-
sessing. Some don't even know how much
they are worth. Their residences are ver-
itable castles, frequently costing a million
or one and a half millions to construct and
furnish. The buildings are massive, the
exteriors and grounds magnificent, the
furnishings equal to those of a palace.
" And these places are to be found at
frequent intervals as you travel along. To
say that they are numerous is not to speak
extravagantly. In localities of the choicest
each dwelling with its surrounding land-
scape forms a scene worthy of any painter's
brush and palette. Ofttimes it seems,
when one is passing through or in the dis-
tance, as though a trip were being made in
fairyland."
Mr. Amie left town again on Wednesday
for a short trip.
The Apollo in Detroit.
The Apollo self-playing piano attach-
ment, made by the Melville Clark Piano
Co. of Chicago, is gaining the strongest
line of representatives in all important
cities throughout the States. Among the
latest is F. J. Schwankovsky, the promi-
nent dealer of Detroit, Mich. After a thor-
ough investigation of the Apollo he has
arrived at the conclusion that it is one of
the most satisfactory instruments of the
kind ever made. In fact, he is delighted
with it, and will make a vigorous claim for
a market for the Apollo in his territory.
Owe Much to Piano Men.
Great composers and pianists in the
past, as to-day, owe much of their advance-
ment to the interest displayed in their wel-
fare by piano manufacturers. Their ser-
vices in this connection have been enor-
mous, and are not often recognized by
writers when treating of the lives and ac-
complishments of these musicians. Not
only have manufacturers made presents of
valuable instruments to individuals display-
ing marked ability, but they have provided
the necessary capital to get them educated
and trained. Many of those so helped have
been forgetful and ungrateful. Others, how-
ever, are not as unappreciative of the favors
bestowed. It is a well-known fact that nei-
ther Schubert nor Brahms ever owned a pi-
ano. But the reason for this was not the
same in the two cases. Schubert never had
money enough to buy one. When he died,
the value of all his personal property was
just $12. Brahms left about 200,000 florins,
yet the piano he used belonged to a Vien-
nese manufacturer, to whom it reverted
after his death. Among the valuable
documents left by Brahms were twenty
letters of Wagner, addressed to him, and
autograph compositions, most of the great
masters. His library contained 488 vol-
umes. Among the autographs was the
scheme for an opera libretto by Turgenieff.
The number of Brahms' own manuscript
scores was thirty-three. He also owned
the original score of Strauss's opera, "Rit-
ter Pazman."
CBNTS
Hoffman Leaving Leavenworth.
[Special to The Review.]
Leavenworth, Kan., Sept. 10, 1900.
For the last few days it has been ru-
mored that Carl Hoffman intended to close
his Leavenworth house. A reporter called
at the store yesterday and found Mr. John
Hoffman, who had just come up from
Kansas City, and who, upon being asked
the truth of the rumor, said: "Yes, we
intend to close our Leavenworth house, and
will endeavor to do so not later than
October first. It has been the policy of
our house during the last few years to
concentrate our business in one place, and
thus do away with all branch houses.
Leavenworth has been the last, and al-
though we have been doing a fair business
here we have not made any money to
speak of. My father has hesitated a great
deal, on account of having been in busi-
ness here for so many years, but he has
finally decided to close the store.
"We regret to leave Leavenworth very
much indeed, as we realize that she is
going up, instead of, as in the past, going
down."
Won a Gold Hedal.
Erroneous reports have been published
concerning the award received by that emi-
nent Mexican house Wagener & Levien
at the Paris Exposition. They received a
gold medal, and not a silver medal as has
been published. A gold medal was the
highest award that a Mexican exhibit could
receive as in the exposition arrangement
a grand prix was not given to Mexico.
Wagener & Levien is the oldest and most
prominent of Mexican houses and have been
for many years the Steinway representa-
tives in that country.
Stole From Jacob Bros.
Ernest Hoffman, charged with larceny
of $160 worth of piano supplies from
Jacob Bros., piano manufacturers of this
city, pleaded guilty in the General Ses-
sions Court this week, and was sentenced
by Judge Newburger to the Elmira Re-
formatory. In the interval between his
pleading and the time of his sentence he
was married in the Tombs, the ceremony
being performed by the Tombs Chaplain.
When Hoffman was arraigned for sen-
tence the judge reprimanded the Chaplain
in the severest words for wedding a re-
spectable young woman to a confessed
thief.
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
tion of the busy world, but the man who
sage to Garcia, the man who does has his
prototype in thousands of busy, industrious
No doubt we can all call to mind certain men, who are each day adding their quota
individuals whom we have met who are to the world's progress.
living on past records, and who are never
The history of this industry offers many
TWENTY-SECOND YEAR.
tired.of talking in season and out of sea- conspicuous examples of where young men
Jt j* EDWARD LYMAN BILL J* J* J*
son about the wondrous accomplishments from the humblest beginnings have worked
Editor and Proprietor.
which
they have possessed and the deals themselves up by their ability to com-
PUBLISHED EVERY SATURDAY
which they have made in days agone.
3 East Uth St., New York
manding positions in the institutions with
SUBSCRIPTION (including postage). United States, Mexico
There
is
still
another
class
who
are
al-
which they have been connected. There
and Canada, $2.00 per year ; all other countries, $4.00.
ADVERTISEMENTS, $2.00 per inch, single column, per
ways dealing in futures, and giving glow- is a splendid opportunity for the ambitious,
insertion. On quarterly or yearly contracts a special discount
is allowed. Advertising Pages $50.00, opposite reading matter
$75.00.
ing accounts of what they intend to do, energetic young men of this trade; for
REMITTANCES, in other than currency form, should be
made payable to Edward Lyman Bill.
and oftentimes to hear them talk one upon the faithful performance of each
Entered at the New York Post Office as Second Class Matter.
would imagine that they were about to days duties depends in a large measure
NEW YORK, 5EPT. 15, 1900.
wipe the earth, metaphorically, with all of what the world calls success.
TELEPHONE NUMBER, 1745-EIQHTEENTH STREET.
their competitors and that every deal that
T H E KEYNOTE.
The first week of each month The Review
was closed in the trade they had a hand in. T T will be remembered that The Review
oontains a supplement embodying the literary
and musical features which have heretofore
predicted at the inception of the labor
There is still another class which in-
appeared in The Keynote. The amalgamation
is effected without in any way trespassing on
cludes real workers and consists of men troubles in Chicago last year, that within
our regular news service. The Review con-
tinues to remain, as before, essentially a trade
who are not wholly content with their past the next twelve months a number of int-
paper.
record but are striving to improve, by appli- portant industries would be operating
The ONLY music TRADE paper which
auxiliary factories outside of Chicago,
received any award at the Paris Exposi- cation, their services to the institution with where they would not be subjected to auto-
tion of 1900 was The Husic Trade Review which they are allied. They are bending
which was given the GRAND PRIX, the all their efforts on the duties of to-day. cratic interference by labor agitators. It
HIGHEST official recognition obtainable What failures or successes they have made would seem as if our predictions were pas-
for any exhibit in any division of art, me- in the past, count as nothing, but they go sably correct.
chanics or industry.
forth to meet the shadowy future full of
THE COMMISSION EVIL.
"OPPORTUNITIES FORSUCCESS.
earnestness and determination to succeed T T is pretty generally conceded that the
\ 1 7 H I L E recently discussing certain trade along the lines of legitimate business com-
commission evil is somewhat of a com-
peculiarities with a local manufac- petition.
plex and difficult puzzle to solve satisfac-
turer, the question of traveling salesmen
For such men there is a great opportunity torily. There are so many elements enter-
was touched upon. This gentleman empha- in this industry.
ing into this commission problem that it is
sized the fact that comparatively few young
There is another class of men who de- almost impossible to make a general rule
traveling salesmen were being educated up vote more time in emphasizing how cold-
to the point of becoming fitting successors blooded and unappreciative their employers which will apply with justice upon all oc-
to some of the road veterans who have, are, when, as a matter of fact, they cannot casions.
It is also admitted that the commission
both in ability and time service, so cleverly
show on their order books enough business evil has reached a point where it is of the
won their distinctive medals of merit.
of a paying character to cover their salary utmost necessity that some remedial ac-
It is certain that there is a demand in
and expense account. In other words, tion be taken in order to lessen the num-
this industry for bright young men who do
they are not producers.
ber and variety of commission fiends who
not look upon traveling as belonging to a
It is true there are institutions where present their claims with almost unflagging
play-day era. In fact, there never was a
honest, capable work does not seem to re- regularity upon any and all occasions.
time in the history of this industry when
ceive the recognition which is its just due. Sometimes they appear in pairs, some-
the future of young men of an industrious
Still, the man who is always doing does not times in groups and there are instances on
turn was afforded the opportunities of ad-
worry about the past nor does he think record when as many as five commissions
vancement as at the present time.
very largely about the future, for he real- have been claimed on the sale of a single
This is the business man's, era, and a
izes that the present, if rightly cared for, piano. It has grown beyond a purely
man to represent a business institution
will result in the future taking care of it- commercial proposition and has reached
must be business from the ground up, for
self. He considers that the task at hand is that field which approximates closely busi-
his success depends, not upon his capacity
more important than anything which has ness blackmail.
for imbibing liquids and consuming per-
been or anything which the future may
Opinions gained from local piano men,
fectos, but upon his ability to present a
have in store. It is this class of traveling which appear in another part of this paper,
straight proposition, and impressing the
desirability of accepting that proposition men who will go ahead in the world and will serve to emphasize some individual
command the recognition which their capa- impositions to which piano merchants are
favorably upon a good piano merchant.
bilities deserve. They are the men who are subjected almost daily. No other industry
It is industry that wins—tireless, never-
giving the best product of their brains and submits to the exorbitant demands of
ending industry that reaches a goal—and we
skill and trusting not wholly to luck but commission fiends in the same way as does
know of both road and warerodm salesmen
to the judgment and discriminating quali- the piano trade. A commission for legit-
who have won success through that one
ties of the men who constitute their firm, imate work men do not object^to paying,
qualification. Perhaps they are not very
but when it reaches a point where, after
brilliant, but they keep everlastingly to the extent of appreciating their work.
does.
at it. Early and late finds no diminu-
tion of work on their part.
It is not the man with the past record or
a glowing future who attracts the atten-
What may seem to be a lack of recogni- almost every sale, one is confronted by
tion now may prove a stepping-stone to several commission demands, then it be-
larger and better appreciated results later comes a matter of trade interest to see that
on. Like the man who carried the mes- the commission evil, if not entirely uproot-

Download Page 3: PDF File | Image

Download Page 4 PDF File | Image

Future scanning projects are planned by the International Arcade Museum Library (IAML).

Pro Tip: You can flip pages on the issue easily by using the left and right arrow keys on your keyboard.