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THE
A GREAT INSTITUTION.
Something About the Great Factory Just Completed
By Weser Bros, of This City —Illustrates the
Immense Development of this Business—The
Men Behind this Enterprise.
Another long stride forward has been
taken by Weser Bros, in the completion of
their new factory building on West Forty-
third street, the total length of front now
reaching 125 feet and occupying live city
Iots, Nos. 520, 522, 524, 526 and 528, with
JOHN WESF.K.
a uniform depth of 100 feet. The building-
is eight stories high, exclusive of a lofty
basement.
It is expected that everything will be in
full swing by the middle of January. At that
time the re-arrangement of the several de-
partments will be practically complete. On
WINFIEI-D S. WESER.
the main floor will be large showrooms, the
offices of the firm and the shipping depart-
ment. The whole of the second floor will
be devoted to polishing and tone-regulating.
The third floor has been set apart for case-
making, a portion of the work in that depart-
ment also being carried on in the basement.
7VYUSIC TRHDE
REVIEW
II
GIBSON, OLASER & CO. ASSIGN.
On the fourth floor the fly-finishing and ac-
tion-finishing and action-making departments Give a Deed of Trust For Benefit of Creditors
will be located. Bellying and stringing will
and F. P. Clark Appointed Trustee—Assets
take up the whole area of the fifth floor. The
about $20,000; Liabilities about $16,000.
'},
sixth floor is intended for polishing; the Gibson, Glaser & Co., piano dealers of Bal-
seventh for varnishing, and the top floor for timore, Md., announce this week that they
varnishing and rubbing. The basement will have been compelled to make a deed of trust
contain lumber and machinery.
for the benefit of their creditors. The im-
In order that everything connected with mediate cause for this step is the fact that
the new Weser factory shall be the most the property in which the store is located has
modern available, a new 300 horse-power been sold, and as the rent is considerably in
steam plant is being installed, also motor arrears, and the transfer of the property ne-
power to illuminate 1,000 electric lights. cessitates an immediate settlement which they
Facilities at the new factory, when com- are unable to make, they have been forced
pleted, will bring the piano-making capacity for the protection of their creditors to this
of the firm up to 6,000 instruments per an- step.
num, with a working force of 350 men.
Robt. F. Gibson, president of the company,
The foregoing statement of facts concern- explains the situation in this wise: "When
ing the latest developments of the Weser our company was formed in August, 1897,
firm tells its own story. Established twenty- by five of the former employees of the Otto
two years ago, the Wesers have worked Sutro & Co., we had but a small cash capital
steadfastly and effectively toward the in- of $5,000, but by an arrangement under order
crease of their plant and output and the of Court made with the trustee of the Otto
enhancement of their reputation. From small Sutro & Co., we took the remaining stock of
beginnings they have reached the point merchandise of that company, amounting to
where the average weekly shipments approx- about $25,000 or $30,000 on consignment.
imate 150 instruments. Last week they This gave us a large stock of goods and was
equivalent to a much larger working capital.
shipped 155.
The increase in output for 1901 up to date The first months resulted in a very satisfac-
over that of 1900 has been fully thirty per tory and promising business, but on January
cent. There has been a steady yearly growth n , 1898, our store was almost totally de-
every year since the firm began business. stroyed by fire. The result of this was the
The brunt of the executive work has been destruction of the Otto Sutro & Co., stock,
done by John Weser, the head of the firm, and as the insurance was of course payable
famous alike for inventive genius and admin- to the trustee of the Otto Sutro & Co., we
istrative capacity, and his brother, Winfield had nothing, being deprived of the use of
S. Weser, general manager. They have la- this stock and the profit we had expected to
bored hand in hand toward the betterment of make on its sale, thus reducing- our working
their products, aiming always to bring them capital to the original investment.
"After the fire, we consulted with most of
to the level of the best. The Weser piano is
the
larger dealers, and from the showing our
well known now in every State. It is handled
business
had made, we were advised to con-
profitably by scores of live dealers, who find
tinue,
and
we laid in a new stock of goods on
for it a ready sale on its merits. That those
credit.
Since
that time we have struggled
merits are substantial is evidenced beyond
along,
barely
being
able to pay expenses, but
dispute by the continued prosperity of the
the
mere
fact
that
we
have been able to keep
Weser firm.
the business going for nearly four years,
shows the possibilities of our business if pro-
W. H. TURNER.
Many members of the trade who have had vided with the necessary capital to run it
dealings with W. H. Turner during his asso- properly. We have, however, not been able
ciation with the Braumuller Piano Co., will to accumulate any profits and have been un-
regret to learn of his death, which occurred able to get additional capital, and our last
at his home, 332 Whitehall street, Atlanta, annual statement, made on August 1, 1901,
Ga., on Dec. nth. Mr. Turner had been in shows the difference between assets and li-
feeble health for the past six months, and abilities to be just about the amount of our
original investment.
his death was not unexpected.
"The indebtedness incurred after the fire
When Otto Braumuller entered into the
has never been reduced, and hampered as we
manufacture of pianos in this city some years
have been from lack of capital necessary to
ago, Mr. Turner, who married Mr. Brau-
meet the increasing volume of business, the
muller's mother, came to New York with his
* liabilities have steadily increased. Business
wife, and for three years was associated with
this fall has been disappointing, and receipts
Mr. Braumuller in the manufacture of the
Braumuller piano. The climate of the East have not come up to our expectations, and
did not agree with Mr. Turner, however, and we have been compelled to use nearly all the
he returned to Atlanta, where he has since money received to meet maturing obligations
resided. As a business man and private cit- in the shape of notes. This forced us to
izen, Mr. Turner was respected both in New fall behind with our rent, which has brought
York and in his home city, and in all his wide about the crisis to which we have already re-
acquaintance there were few who did not ferred.
"A rough estimate shows available assets,
honor and esteem him. He possessed many
consisting
of merchandise, open book ac-
sterling qualities that won the admiration of
counts,
and
installment lease accounts, to the
all who knew him. Mr. Turner, who was in
amount
of
about
$20,000, against liabilities
his sixty-fifth year, was prominently con-
of
about
$16,000.
As soon as possible the
nected with leading families of the South.
trustee
will
send
out
an exact statement. The
The interment was in Oakland Cemetery.