Music Trade Review

Issue: 1901 Vol. 32 N. 12

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
readily see the usefulness of this convenient
directory form. If there are names of legit-
imate manufacturers omitted from the list
this week we shall be glad to insert them
upon application. Our intention is to have
this absolutely correct in every detail. No
name of a piano manufacturer, however
small, shall be eliminated from the directory
of piano manufacturers. The value of this
directory for reference purposes will be ob-
vious.
f~\ F all of the absurd laws ever introduced
in State legislatures with the obvious
intent of crippling the installment business,
Pennsylvania easily takes the lead. Last
week in a special report from Harrisburg we
gave a digest of the new law. In this issue
the matter is dealt with in detail, and is well
worthy of perusal by every member of the
trade as the best example of crank legislature
that has ever come to our notice. A move
has already been made to interest dealers to
prevent this ridiculous law from going on
the statutes.
REVIEWLETS.
The Bell Organ & Piano Co., Ltd., of
Guelph, Ont., may, it is said, invade the
United States; and there is some talk of
erecting a factory in Chicago to compete with
the United States manufacturers on their
own ground.
The Canadian Manufacturers' Association
is urging the government to send its ablest
diplomat to Australia for the purpose of se-
curing a preferential tariff with the new con-
federation.
The Weaver Organ & Piano Co.,- York,
Pa., have contracted for a new engine house
at their plant on Broad street. A 120-horse
power engine and two large boilers will be
installed .therein.
Captain Alexander S. Williams, of the As-
toria Veneer Mills, has resigned from Com-
pany I, 71st Regiment, 1ST. G. S. N. Y., giv-
ing business as the reason. He served with
the regiment in Cuba and was recently elect-
ed major.
Charles H. Parsons, president of the Need-
ham Piano & Organ Co., has been suffering
for several days past from the effects of a
bad cold, but expects to be at his desk again
.to-day.
W.-J. Weirsback has been appointed gen-
eral traveling representative by Held & Co.,
piano manufacturers, 313-315 Fulton street,
Brooklyn. Mr. Weirsback will be glad to
hear from his many friends in the trade.
Fred. J. Mabon, the Eastern representa-
tive of the Cable Co., Chicago, and Geo.
Clay Cox, Rochester, were within our gates
this week.
William Dalliba Dutton, with Hardman,
Peck & Co., is out of town for a few days
on business connected with the firm's inter-
ests.
Frank A. Lee, of the John Church Co.,
arrived in town on Thursday on special bus-
iness. He expects to leave again to-day.
Stetson Returns.
For the Shah of Persia.
"Yes, I am glad to bet back again," said
Nahum Stetson, who returned from an ex-
tended sojourn in Florida last Saturday, "and
to find a regular fall condition existing here,
as far as business goes. The spring of the
new century is certainly a record-breaker for
the Steinway establishment. Our art de-
partment is showing steady progress. Spe-
cial orders this week included three pianos,
which aggregate more than $15,000. The
demand for regular styles, too, is even more
than we had hoped for. Naturally, I am
much benefited by my tarry in Florida. It
is an excellent place to enjoy a vacation, and
a delightful place to spend money," thought-
fully added Mr. Stetson.
Another Crowned Head Pays Tribute to Am-
erica's Supremacy in the Industrial and
Husical World — Graphophone Bound for
Teheran.
fir. Peck Selects an A. B. Chase.
Among the recent purchasers of A. B.
Chase pianos was the Hon. F. W. Peck,
United States Commissioner at the Paris Ex-
position. The selection was made at the
warerooms of Grosvenor, Lapham & Co., in
Chicago. The selection of the A. B. Chase
piano by such a competent judge of piano
values as Mr. Peck—a gentleman who had
such opportunities at the Exposition of see-
ing and testing pianos from every part of
the globe—is a tribute, and a well deserved
one, to the A. B. Chase piano, of which the
manufacturers can feel justly proud. It is
also a feather in the cap of their enterprising
representatives in Chicago.
The Mark Ament Co.'s Progress.
Peoria, March 19, 1901.
We note in The Music Trade Review an
article "Sent Piano by Trolley." This is
certainly a novel way; as we have been en-
listing the services of the trolley for trans-
portation of musical instruments from Peo-
ria to Pekin, and vice versa, for the past year
or more, and more than this, we have the ac-
commodation of the Peoria and Pekin Ter-
minal R. R., stopping directly in front of our
store and delivering such instruments to our
doors. The last one delivered in this way
was with the pianola attachment, which had
been used at an entertainment at Pekin, 111.,
which is about ten miles' distance from our
store. Only a short time ago we received a
letter stating that "we are sorry your sales-
man could not get here in time, as we are go-
ing to start for Oklahoma to-morrow." We
boxed a Kroeger piano, style 5, and shipped
by express, changing and transferring the
piano .three times, going a distance of more
than one hundred miles, landed the piano
at their home; loaded iacar with rest of their
effects, and was on my return home, with the
cash for piano by six o'clock A. M. next day.
This is only one instance where we are keep-
ing up with the t^mes, trying to do business
with accuracy and dispatch, and pushing
the piano business "out West."
Are You a "Buffalo?"
"The Buffalos" have struck the music
trade. Geo. N. Grass is forwarding the work
in good form. Last week, while in Boston
seeking new pastures, he organized two herds
of "Buffalos."
Jack,Haynes now represents the "Vocal-
ion" in the Eastern territory,
Never, in the history of present making,
has so original and elaborate a gift been made
by a subject to his sovereign as the one re-
cently ordered, in Washington, from the
Columbia Phonograph Co., by the Persian
minister, for presentation to the Shah of Per-
sia.
This magnificent gift, which was shipped
on the 21st irist. from the factory of the
American Graphophone Co., at Bridgeport,
Conn., consists of a multiplex Graphophone
Grand and thirty-four barrels of records and
blank cylinders.
The machine was built on the model of the
one exhibited at the Paris Exposition last
summer, and which attracted the attention
and won the admiration of visitors from all
parts of the world. It is the most wonder-
ful sound reproducing mechanism ever con-
structed and it contains new features, in ad-
dition to those embodied in the famous Gra-
phophone Grand. It uses three separate
horns, acting in absolute unison with three
separate and distinct records, each one of
which gives the same loud, pure tone as that
of the Graphophone Grand. The combina-
tion of all three in unison, gives an intensity
of volume and a sweetness and richness of
tone which seem almost beyond belief, and
results are obtained that it is difficult to real-
ize are within the possibilities of sound-re-
producing mechanism.
One of the interesting features of this pre-
cious shipment is that it will complete the
last stage of its journey—from Batum to Te-
heran—on the backs of camels, and it goes
without saying that no present that has ever
been received at the palace of the Shah cre-
ated even a small fraction of the interest
that will be awakened when this phenome-
nal instrument, from far away Connecticut,
makes its appearance and lifts up its won-
drous voices.
Water Causes Trouble.
[Special to The Review.]
Ottawa, 111., March 18, 1901.
There is a lively little war going on be-
tween the commissioners of the Illinois and
Michigan canal, and the owners of the West-
ern Cottage Piano & Organ Co. over the divi-
sion of the water at Dayton. Some time ago
the canal commissioners had their engineers
determine the amount of water which con-
sumers were allowed from the Fox River.
As a result, it was found in the trial of a
case in which the Merrifields were defend-
ants, that they were using more than their
share of water, and nominal damages were
assessed. The case was appealed by the de-
fendants.
After the case had been decided the com-
missioners, against the protest of the Merri-
fields, constructed a guage at Dayton, in con-
sequence of which not enough water was se-
cured to run the Merrifield dynamo at Day-
ton. Yesterday the guage was ripped out by
the Merrifields and the wheels of the electric
machinery again began to revolve. But to-
day Superintendent Keough began the recon-
struction of the guage. How the matter will
end is difficult to say.
E. B. Bogart & Co. are experiencing quite
a demand for pianos for export.
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
Of a Personal Nature.
The impress of time is much more strongly
marked on some people than on others.
There are instances in the piano trade, as
well as out of it, of men who, apparently,
grow less old as the years roll by.
Julius Krakauer is one of these. To-day,
he is, to all appearances, ten years younger
than was the case a year ago. If he cares
to stay in harness, the end of the decade will
see him still at his post, alert and active as
ever.
*
*
*
*
Henry Lindeman is delighted with his n^w
office quarters on the floor below the main
factory floor at 159 East 128th street. Like
Julius Krakauer, time seems, with him, to
have turned things topsy-turvy. The alman-
ac is no guide as to his age, if activity is any
criterion.
*
*
^
*
- He whistles and sings like a boy of seven
as he works at his bench or his desk, and he
scrutinizes every instrument with the keen
discrimination of a master-workman. And
he is never so happy as when in the midst of
his men and material.
*
*
*
*
Henry Keller is another manufacturer of
the old school who fairly revels in the intri-
cacies of piano-making. He know the parts
from A to Z. and takes as much pleasure in
putting them together, as some men enjoy
when cutting coupons.
*
*
*
*
And while talking about men who take
pleasure in their work at the bench, Theo-
dore L. Dusinberre and his worthy partner,
Robert E. Small, must be duly noted as pro-
per claimants for one's respect and esteem.
*
*
*
*
Call when you will at the Dusinberre
headquarters, one or other of the partners—
not infrequently both—is seen, steadily plod-
ding along, implements in hand, carefully
preparing a "Dusinberre" for the final
touches.
*
*
*
*
As with the impress of time, so with the
impress of personality. It is, as we all know,
much more strongly marked in some than in
others. The piano industry has its full com-
plement of men whose personality is decided-
ly conspicuous.
Wm. J. Keeley, of the Wilcox & White Co.,
is one example. For years past, the person-
ality of Mr. Keeley has entered largely into
the conduct of the Fifth avenue warerooms
of the firm. The whole establishment, figu-
ratively speaking, has been built up around
him.
*
*
*
*
The personality of the members of the
Sohmer house, too, is much more plainly
evident than in some other firms. The mo-
ment one hears of Sohmer & Co., there comes
to mind at once the group we know so well—
Hugo Sohmer, George Reichmann, Joseph
Kuder and Charles Fahr.
*
*
*
*
And who among the trade hearing of Paul
G. Mehlin & Sons, fail to find immediately
pictured in their minds the familiar figures
of the venerable founder of the firm and his
active asociates, H. Paul and Charles? The
personality of each is strongly marked.
Along this line of thought other groups
reveal themselves. Take the Behrs—Henry,
Edward, William—each with characteristics
entirely distinct from the other, and yet all
Behrs, fighting under one flag and intent on
one worthy object—the upholding of the
Bchr prestige.
*
*
*
*
Is it not easy, also, when reading or hear-
ing of the Fischers, to call up vivid portrait-
ures of Adolpho H. and Henry B. ? Not quite
in such bold relief, yet distinct, are Bernardo
F. and T. Tasso. Their personality is becom-
ing more and more distinct as time goes on.
The flelvilie Clark Apollo Co.
Delayed Somewhat in Securing Quarters Ow-
ing to Difficulties With an Hotel Syndicate.
Difficulties have arisen which prevent the
Melville Clark Apollo Co. from taking pos-
session of the quarters at 227 Fifth avenue,
as reported last week. It now seems that a
new hotel syndicate has an option on that
property and on others in connection there-
with, amounting to 197 feet on Fifth avenue
and 200 feet on Twenty-sixth and Twenty-
seventh streets. On this corner it is proposed
to erect the largest hotel in New York. The
Apollo men were told that this option had
expired and it is believed that they have a
legal case for damages against the owners
of the property.
While East, Braton Chase, of the Chase-
Hackley Co., concluded an important bus-
iness deal, which will be announced in a later
issue.
The Starr Piano Factories
RICHMOND. IND.

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