Music Trade Review

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Hugo Sohtner might be content with
his knowledge of the piano maker's art.
And if that was all he knew nobody would
blame him, for there are hundreds of
thousands who know but little outside of
their own particular business and yet they
satisfy both themselves and their neigh-
bors. But Mr. Sohmer—as those who
have the privilege of conversing occasion-
ally have long since learned—is as well
posted, on public affairs and current topics
as the editor of a daily paper. His opin-
ions, too, are always well worth noting
and recording.
* * * * *
Rudolph C. Koch, who succeeded Chas.
Reinwarth .as the maker of the famous
Reinwarth strings, is another of those men
—so plentiful in the music industries, thank
goodness—who are not ashamed or afraid
to take off their coats and roll up their
sleeves when occasion demands. Yes, and
he can strip to some purpose; for there is
no instrument or machine in the Reinwarth
shops concerning which Rudolph C. Koch
does not know as much as the man or men
who made it. He is a thorough master of
his business—and he succeeds.
W. H. Keller, proprietor of Keller's
Music House, Easton, Pa., is one of the
enterprising dealers of the country who
comprehend the value of printers' ink. In
the Easton Free Press of Dec. 12th, he
dominates that issue with a full page
advertisement neatly illustrated and clev-
erly written, devoted to exploiting the
instruments which he handles, namely, the
Steinway, Kranich & Bach, Estey, Ster-
ling, Jacob Bros, and other pianos, and the
Estey, Weaver and other reliable organs.
In the center of the page appears a few of
the many endorsements received from
Easton's well known musicians, many of
whom have purchased and fully tested the
Kranich & Bach pianos.
Holiday advertising of this kind should
be highly effective in results. The pur-
chasing public must appreciate the enter-
prise of a piano dealer just as readily as
that of the great department store, and
The Review predicts for the Keller Music
House a big and profitable volume of trade
as a result of their go-ahead methods.
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
David H. Schmidt, the hammer maker,
of Melrose avenue, is a firm believer in
the wise policy of making his products
known to the trade consistently and per-
sistently through the most direct channels.
His recent "Ad." in The Review, on page
17 of the last issue, is a fair sample of the
method Mr. Schmidt is using to keep the
merits of his hammers before the eyes and
the minds of interested people. "There
is but one opinion concerning Schmidt
hammers" and there can be but one opin-
ion as to the wisdom of Mr. Schmidt's pro-
gressive policy.
George M. Woodford, Weber ambassa-
dor, returned on Monday from a satisfac-
factory five-weeks trip in the South and
West. The Will A. Watkin Music Co.
have been appointed agents for the Weber
products at Dallas, Texas, and will handle
the Weber as their leader.
* * * * *
Charles F. Goepel, now famous as a
reliable supply man, is in position to know
at all times the pulse-beat of the piano
trade. He remembers several periods when
the throbbing was so feeble that a keen
sense of touch was necessary in order to
realize that it throbbed at all. Just
at this time, judging from the steady
run on his regular stock and specialties,
the pulse-beat is considerably above
normal. Still, there are no indications of
fever or other unhealthy disturbance. The
patient is well. Robustness is evidently
the cause of the additional pulsation.
John Ludwig, of Ludwig & Co., re-
turned on Tuesday from an extended West-.
ern trip. Mr. Ludwig visited the princi-
pal cities in every section, made a number
of desirable new connections and secured
many orders. He was well received at all
points, found trade conditions satisfactory
and reports the outlook as being very
bright for the Ludwig firm.
At the piano recital given last week by
Miss Fay Hall, one of the faculty of the
Chicago Auditorium Conservatory, the
Chase Bros, grand piano, made by the
Chase-Hackley Piano Co., Muskegon,
Mich., was used with great success. The
Chase Bros, grand will also be played at
Cedar Rapids, by Miss Cermak, a pupil of
Dvorak, and also of the Conservatory fac-
ulty, with an orchestra of sixty musicians.
The Chase Bros, grand is steadily growing
in favor with critical musicians.
According to the Newark, N. J., Adver-
tiser, many persons in the Oranges, who
have in the last few years purchased pi-
anos from Owen J. Turtle, as agent for
Bush & Gerts, of Chicago, have received
during the week letters from the home of-
fice of the company signed by W. L. Bush,
secretary and manager, directing them to
make no further payments to Turtle.
H. Paul Mehlin, of Paul G. Mehlin &
Sons is one of the busiest men in the trade
these days. Part of his time is devoted
to factory purposes, the remainder to the
retail trade and general correspondence.
This part of the business has grown in
proportion as the demand for Mehlin prod-
ucts has increased. It includes not only
the agencies but a big array of seminaries,
Edwin Milton Boothe and Walter B.
professional musicians and hundreds of
desirable people who are brought to in- Craighead, of the Milton Piano Co., make
quire and finally to purchase Mehlin pi- an excellent running team. In two years
anos through th'e medium of judicious ad- they have, by steady work in harness,
vertising-.
covered a lot of ground and, in spite of
the rocky nature of the said ground, in
places, are now as fit as possible for furth-
er progress at a fairly speedy gait. These
two capable and energetic young men
have hewn out a place for the "Milton"
among many worthy competitors and it
now stands "as firm as a rock."
P. J. Gildemeester, Knabe traveling rep
resentative, is expected home on Monday
from an extended tour in the Knabe in-
terests.
W. B. Tremaine, of the ^Eolian Co.,
started on his trip to the Antipodes on Sat-
urday. He was a passenger on the " Lu-
cania " and his destination is Sydney, New
South Wales, where, as already stated in
The Review, he will establish a branch of
the ^Eolian Co.
Improvement in Retail Trade.
Retail trade in the city which was some-
what slow during the first two weeks of
December, has shown a decided improve-
ment this week and visitors and purchas-
ers are well in evidence. Those who pur-
chase are selecting, in the majority of in-
stances, the handsomer and most costly
styles. Baby grands are in vogue for
Christmas presents. The business-like
"I want to purchase" air of visitors to the
warerooms is very noticeable. "Prosper-
ity" is evidently reaching out in all direc-
tions and those who have retail establish-
ments are proportionately thankful.
Death of John Summers.
It is with regret that we record the
death of John Summers, who for a long
period of years had been identified with
the retail and wholesale departments of
this industry. He was lately connected
with F. G. Smith's establishment. His
death was quite unexpected and was due
to pneumonia. Mr. Summers was a genial,
warm-hearted man with a host of friends
in the trade, who will regret to learn of
his demise. A widow survives him.
Steinertone Used.
The Steinertone concert grand was
played last night by A. Victor Benham at
the Genealogical Hall, 226 West Fifty-
eighth street. The recital was one of a
series of Historical Pianoforte Recitals
given by Mr. Benham in this city and was
extremely interesting. The Steinertone
served admirably to illustrate the lectur-
er's remarks by reason of its peculiar, or
we should say, individual action mechan-
ism. A clever musician can find in the
Steinertone abundant orchestral colors and
possibilities.
G. M. Ackerly, of Geo. M. Ackerly &
Son, Patchogue, N. Y., and John J. Pole,
Geneva, N. Y., both Mason & Hamlin
agents, were in town this week and left
orders.
Henry L. Mason, of the Mason & Hamlin
Co., arrived in time on Tuesday for the
Bauer Recitals. He expects to leave for
Boston to-day.
The Alex Ross Music Co. announce the
discontinuance of the retail branch of their
music business on Jan. 1st.