Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE 7VSVSIC TRHDE
REVIEW
PROSPECTS FOR MUSIC TRADE IN PORTO RICO.
healthful games and drills with English
speech and the American flag.
Rapid Americanization of the Island, But Neither Cuba or Porto Rico are Particularly Rich Fields For
They have taken hold of the popular Amer-
the Piano Manufacturer to Explore at the Present Time—Progress of Education in Ponce and San
ican
game of baseball, and, strange to say,
Juan—Rkh Pronvse of the Future—Old Pianos—Sousa Marches Heard Everywhere—Palm Beach
here in the tropics it has a strong hold upon
Prospects.
the people. In fact, in San Juan the people
[Special to The Review.]
and the bare-footed wayfarers betray hardly
now are as enthusiastic over baseball as were
San Juan, Porto Rico, March 17, 1902.
as much concern over their passage and no
the
early settlers over the great Spanish pas-
What are the prospects for the piano busi- more curiosity than the average pedestrian in
time
of bull fights.
ness in Porto Rico is a question, no doubt, New York. Porto Ricans are even now try-
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
w,hich has been propounded by many makers ing to get in shape for an early admittance as
I
am
rather
inclined
to
think
that
small
of instruments.
a State of the Union.
musical
instruments
will
be
in
demand
here
I have looked over the situation in both
in
quite
a
large
way
within
the
near
future.
It
must
not
be
overlooked
that
education
is
Porto Rico and Cuba, and 1 wish to say that
The people are planning to organize brass
within the past year a
and reed bands and are purchasing musical
marvelous change has
merchandise rather liberally.
taken place in these
It is very pleasing to see how enthusias-
countries.
tic the natives are over American institu-
Cuba, in another
tions. In some respects they are like children,
year, will be able to
and we are going to develop a very patriotic
purchase pianos. I
people in this island. In the cities the Amer-
mean by this, not the
ican names are now being substituted for
few which find their
Spanish names, and the lettering on the
way to Havana, but
buildings
is after the American style. Fa-
the island will be a
miliar
advertisements
of American goods are
fair market place for
now
seen
on
every
hand.
instruments—not only
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
t h o s e of moderate
i
^
°
r
Ice
plants
have
now
been
established
in
price, but the better
nearly
all
cities,
and
it
is
rather
an
odd
sight
grade as well.
to see ice wagons drawn by oxen on their
After the war Hava-
rounds to make deliveries. From the latticed
na was in no condition
windows of the well-to-do one even hears the
to purchase pianos;
sound of Sousa marches, or airs from recent
the little shops in that •
N A T I V E M I L I T I A M A R C H I N G O V T H E M A I N S I ' R F F T OV M A V A H U I Z
light operas, sung or pounded on what must
town were not attractive, containing the in- playing a great factor in the change which is
be
pianos of the old regime.
significant black instruments of foreign man- taking place in these islands. The people are
Some
of these instruments that I have seen
eager for education, and they desire to send
ufacture.
here
would
not bring twenty-five dollars in a
The people there are growing rapidly pros- their children to school.
second-hand
store in New York. But after
Formerly the little fellows went naked un-
perous, because the surface of Cuba has hard-
a
little
while,
as these people gain a few more
ly been scratched, and with the railroad de- til they were eight or nine. Now they are dollars they will be ready for pianos on the
velopments which are bound to occur, and washed and clothed, and made to feel a little instalment plan.
which are even now in progress, there will self-respect.
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Sixty thousand native children attend
be soon a large market for American manu-
In the plazas at the Thursday and Satur-
American schools to-day in Porto Rico. In the
factures of all kinds.
day night band concerts, spirited American
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
operatic and popular
When I came to Porto Rico I looked up
airs or English selec-
the trade situation here very carefully and I
tions
have almost en-
a
must confess from the standpoint of musical
tirely taken the place
instruments, it is not at the present time flat-
of the melancholy bo-
tering, but there is a rapid Americanization
ruiqucna and Spanish
of this island going steadily on. The prin-
tunes.
cipal towns, which are Ponce and San Juan,
I think that about
"^ 7
:
have been transformed. They now have thor-
next winter it will
oughly equipped electrical trolley roads which
pay
some enterprising
provide comfortable transportation and com-
piano
man to come
pletely transform the appearance of the old
down
and
look this
Spanish streets and highways.
field
over
with
an eye
A brilliantly lighted, long American car
for
business,
but
at the
speeding through the cane fields of Ponce or
present
stage
it
won't
out through the palm groves along the ocean
pay
piano
manufac-
near San Juan provides a pretty and signifi-
turers to expend much
cant picture. Inside under the glow of the
time or money on
lights the pleasure-loving people are gay as
the d e v e l o p m e n t
children. The bright white and colored
THE FIRS I" TROLLEY' CAR LEAVING THE PLAZA IN SAN JUAN.
Porto Rican trade.
gowns and scarfs of the pretty black-haired, morning and afternoon they go and come Greater success could be of won
by working the
bare-headed women flutter in the breeze, and from their class neat and clean, carrying wealthy patrons at Palm Beach, Fla. People
on almost every car may be seen the white books and slates, even chattering their grow- who have built beautiful villas in that part
and gold of the army and navy fatigue uni- ing stock of English phrases. One sees the
of Florida are ready to buy pianos, and they
forms, Americans in duck and khaki coming greatest change of all in educational progress.
want the best, and during my short tarry
from the Country Club laugh and talk with That is the winning of the coming gener-
here I have formed the impression that if a
ethers in full dress bound to or from dinners ation.
representative of some of our leading houses
or dances in the city..
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
should go there with the idea for business
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
The Porto Ricans seem different in many well to the front, he might succeed astonish-
In the heart of the island along the famous
respects from the Cubans. They possess
military road one meets American automo- more vitality and more ambition to get on, ingly welh
The field is certainly worth investigating.
biles, some of thrm with native chauffeurs, and they are already beginning to associate
yi Hi HMi
ll
H R
:
' - •
• •
i