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THE TAXJSIO TRKDE
OPPORTUNITY IN PIANO BUSINESS
The right man can
succeed as well now
as in days agone—
Causes which are in-
strumental — S o m e
men who won distin-
guished success.
YOUNG man, who
has evidently not
achieved success in the
music trade field, writes
us from a Western town:
A
REVIEW
C XTENDED reference is made in another
portion of this paper, to the musical
exhibition now being held in Boston, under
the auspices of Chickering & Sons.
This notable exhibition is attracting wide-
spread attention, for in every respect it is
the most remarkable grouping of ancient
and modern musical instruments which the
world has ever seen, and the enterprise of
Chickering & Sons is being appreciated by
all the lovers of the historic everywhere. It
is impossible to describe the entire exhibit
in detail, but it possesses remarkable interest
for all who have watched the development
of musical instruments.
A READER of The Review writes:
"Don't you think a war will break out
between this country and Germany within
the next year or two?"
War! Lord bless you, there are now over
three thousand firms in the world manufac-
turing munitions and supplies of war, nine
hundred of which are in America. A sure
sign of peace; and then, isn't Henry coming
over to see Miss Roosevelt break that bottle
of wine on the Kaiser's yacht ? But then,
perhaps our friend got a little tangled in his
communication and referred to piano wars.
Lots of them, and the knives are being sharp-
ened daily.
"I do not think the piano industry holds out
a promising future for a young man, do you?
I have become discouraged, and think I shall
seek some other field."
He writes considerable more, but we only
quote this portion of his letter.
Most assuredly we do think the piano in-
dustry affords a magnificent opportunity for
a young man, but it depends upon the man,
and he should remember and not be discour- T" HE eyes of piano men are cast longingly
IT now transpires that the new secretary of
aged because he occasionally finds his will
upon Texas during these days of the
the National Treasury has eleven toes;
too weak for the task before him.
vast oil findings. Texas is a pretty good
but it is not advanced that this is a necessary
We should say to our young friend, keep State and cuts a good deal of a figure in the
qualification for the office—but he might he
on trying, and as he develops his will power, piano output. From the way things are run-
a hard man to walk upon.
he will develop a greater degree of success. ning there now, it would seem as if her pur-
Every one of us is conscious of some weak- chasing capacity was increasing very largely. ""F HE love of Blumie for the trade is well
ness, some defect, which fights constantly
The residents of one Texan town can get
known, and his unselfish devotion is
against us and against our character; but all the oil they want by merely turning the at all times apparent. His recent separation
the will is simply a function of the brain, and, water faucet.
from trade matters caused scalding tears of
like any muscle of the body, can be developed
T T is interesting sometimes to hear how some sorrow to furrow his cheeks, and incidentally
by exercise. As the arm is made stronger
men who have made a most emphatic made such a slump in his paper that he has
by repeated exercise, so can the will be made
failure of business criticise the actions of concluded to again grant—at a price—the
stronger, and the men of strong will power
those men who have reached the pinnacle of great boon of his experience to the members
usually succeed, because they find out where
success. If we all understood our own na- of the industry. His tearful valedictory will
their weakness is, and they develop sufficient
tures and business as well as we think we be recalled. A little bird whispers that, hav-
strength to counteract the weakness. Every
understand others, how remarkably brilliant ing become disgusted with the decadence of
man must decide for himself wherein his
his paper, he is now going to effect a combin-
we would be!
weakness lies, and then, by developing will
ation of the two, and thus publicly acknowl-
'"T HE firm or corporation who did not suc-
power, strive to defeat it.
edge his defeat.
ceed
in
making
a
substantial
advance
It may be drink—or laziness—of course,
This fellow, Blumie, beats the chameleon
inherited; sometimes it is conceit; very of- last year will probably be further behind in for changes of color, after all, and he beats
ten, too, it is a tendency to whine and com- the race during 1902.
Croker for bluffing. What a pair they would
It isn't always a question of leading at the
plain. We should say to our young friend,
make!
who has been somewhat discouraged by his start in the winning of a race, but the man
experience in the music trade, to keep his who gets well behind in such times as we T T is pleasant, indeed, to turn from the peru-
sal of stories of bankrupt trusts, dishonest
will power in practice and not to be discour- have been, and are now, enjoying will be very
apt
to
continue
at
the
tail
end
of
the
proces-
public
officials, and the seamy side of life
aged.
sion.
.
generally, and read something cheerful and
Recollect, the heads of the departments
QURPRISING,
isn't
it,
how
the
clever
uplifting. Like the Blumie orations on the
piano manufacturing houses of our times
salesmen will all concentrate upon the ethics of Fischer and Hardman advertising,
began as humble mechanics, or away down
the ladder. In all departments of trade can particular dealer in town who has the repu-. or the account of the Western piano dealer
be found self-made men. P. J. Healy began tation for paying cash. Business life circles who can smoke through his ear.
by sweeping out a store in Boston. W. W. around the man who owns the cash; but, as
Kimball used to do chores on a farm in Maine, a matter of fact, some men are so anxious A N English woman has outdone the late
Ignatius Donnelly by discovering a
and outside of our industry all the notable to make cash sales that they forget the most
important
part
of
their
vocation—that
is,
to
cipher purporting to show that Sir Francis
examples of our times began life in an humble
make paying sales.
Bacon was Queen Elizabeth's son.
way.
When Andrew Carnegie was a braw Scotch 1T is quite Rooseveltian now to say "By Well, who cares?
If some one would discover a cipher show-
laddie he did not get discouraged, nor any
Godfrey," which is the President's favor-
of our great men when things did not come ite ejaculation, and it is surprising how quick- ing plainly a certain music trade editor's
their way. They hustled, looked discourage- ly the resourceful piano man falls into a habit. connection with a department store deal, it
ment squarely in the eye, and developed their The other day, while in a piano wareroom, a might be of some interest.
will power and incidentally succeeded. Yes, salesman, discussing the merits of a certain
the piano business affords splendid opportu- piano, said "By Godfrey, madam, that leads C A N FRANCISCO'S fiddling mayor has
commenced to wield the bow at the City
nities for the development of the young man; the procession!"
Hall.
Is it waltz music, or a wedding march,
but perhaps our young friend is afraid of
He was an ardent worshipper at the Roose-
or a dirge?
work. If he is we had better stop here.
velt shrine.