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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
FROM PENNSYLVANIA'S MUSICAL CENTER.
Business in Philadelphia Shows Up Better This Week—Delegates to the Buffalo Convention Enthusias-
tic in Their Praise of the Management and Success of the Entire Affair—The Philadelphia Piano
Salesmen's Association Say Some Good Words for Themselves—Outing on Decoration Day with Some
Star Ball Playing—Some Ludwig Grands Expected Within Three or Four Weeks—Kretschmar's Bus-
iness Shows Advance—Druckenmiller & Allen's Business with the A. B. Chase and Poole Pianos—
Mathushek & Son Pianos in Demand—Chas. F. Albert Enlarging His Plant—Lester Piano Co. Mak-
ing Good Progress with Their Factory.
[Special to The Review.] _
Philadelphia, Pa., May 19, 1903.
Business in Philadelphia has taken on a
little bit more activity since my last letter,
but is not yet what the dealers would wish it
to be. In fact, the bulk of the spring busi-
ness here is over, and the trade will have to
content itself with getting on with summer
business for several months. The prospects
look bright for the fall trade.
The returning delegates to the P>uffalo con-
vention speak in the highest praise of the suc-
cess of the meetings and the good work ac-
complished, and are unstinted in their praise
of the Buffalo piano men who had the affair
in charge. That it is to be held in Atlantic
City next year, the Philadelphia men are al-
ready feeling the responsibility of getting at
work early and making the next convention
at least a duplicate of the one just closed, or
go a little bit better if such a thing is possi-
ble.
* * *
A brilliant brain of the Philadelphia Piano
Salesmen's Association—in which body there
are many brilliant brains—has handed me the
following article about the association, with
the request to have it printed:
"Two factors which generally exist to a
morbid extent in associations and other cor-
porate bodies are the pros and cons. These
generally lead to factionalism and disruption.
The Philadelphia Piano Salesmen's Associa-
tion is now in its second year, with no feuds,
controversies or internecine wars threatening-
its placid career. It is truly remarkable to
notice the geniality and warmth of greeting
among the members. Should you attend one
of the meetings, you will find the president,
G. D. Shewell, gracing the functions of his
office with remarkable suavity; the treasurer,
Charles Wright, bland and of charming man-
ner (so that when the time for payment of
dues approaches you pay them and from con-
tact with him you assume that 'O be joyful
look'), and the secretary, Thomas A. Patton,
with as many varieties of geniality as has the
Cunningham piano which he represents, all
in their accustomed places with the matters
of their office well in hand.
"At these meetings, besides the business
transacted, affairs of note and of interest to
the trade are discussed, and pleasantries,
rapid-fire repartee, and a merry war of words
are indulged in as the different measures are
brought up. The membership has been well
purged of members who, on account of tak-
ing no interest in affairs thought best to re-
sign, relieving the association of carrying any
'dead wood,' while new members are being
constantly enrolled. This association, al-
though little more than a year old, is gaining
well-deserved success."
Just a word of comment on this letter. It
is really remarkable to one outside of the as-
sociation to see the great interest the mem-
bers are taking in it, and the great loyalty
they are displaying in spite of many discour-
aging things that they have had to contend
with.
On Decoration Day the association will
have an outing to Collingswood, N. J., and
have selected two baseball teams from among
the members to play the game. The oppos-
ing teams are called the Trebles and the
Basses. The batteries will be chosen in a
few days, but it is reported that Charley
Wright will pitch for the Trebles, as they
say Charley is so fat that no balls can get
past him to the field, and in consequence they
are not worrying much about the make-up of
the other part of the nine. Fred Patton,
diminutive but agile, will catch for the
Trebles.
For the Basses, Elton Stockton is named
as the pitcher, but why is a mystery, as he
has one of the most feathery male-soprano
voices in the trade. To support him behind
the bat Irvin Brown is talked of, and it is
thought he will make an effective catcher, as
his semi-circular pedal extremities will give
him a chance to catch the low balls with
them, while he is watching for the high ones
with his hands.
* * *
Mrs. C. J. Heppe and Mrs. G. Dunbar
Shewell are spending some weeks at the
Hotel Marlboro, Atlantic City. They will be
joined by Mr. C. J. Heppe this week.
* * *
John J. Ryan has just had a letter from
John Ludwig from Minneapolis. He is on
his way home from the Pacific coast, and
says that his trip has been very much of a
success. He expects to reach New York in
a week or ten days. Mr. Ryan says the busi-
ness of the Ludwig house is satisfactory and
they have been having some good sales, par-
ticularly for their style 34, a Royal Cabinet
Grand, very beautiful in design, and for their
Columbia Cabinet Grand. They expect to
receive the first Ludwig Grands at the Phila-
delphia house in three or four weeks.
* * *
Mr. Hillebrand, in charge of the seolian
and pianola department of C. J. Heppe &
Son, is arranging to go to the country with
his family for the summer months. He says
that he succeeded in selling several of the
most expensive orchestrelles they handle this
week, and just built quite an addition to a
pipe organ in the home of one of our rich
suburbanites.
A call on Robert C. Kretschmar, in his
new store at 830 Arch street, will convince
any one of the enterprise of this gentleman.
His business has been growing remarkably
fast in the last few years, and his removal to
his present home was absolutely necessary.
He occupies the entire building, which is a
long one, and a finer apportioned store in his
line than he now has does not probably exist
in the United States. He has fine offices and
his stock is displayed to excellent advantage.
He is thinking of adding phonographs to the
various lines he handles. In violins he has a
big stock of Wuerer, Wilhelm, Lowendall
and Heberlein, all fine imported stock. He
handles the Vega guitars and mandolins and
the Stewart banjos. In accordions he has the
Boehm, Gessner and Kalbe. He is already
receiving his shipments of imported goods
for his fall trade, having ordered earlier this
year than usual, and he is branching out in
13
the way of wholesale, covering a wider ter-
ritory and keeping a man constantly on the
road.
Joseph F. Allen, of Druckenmiller & Allen,
was in Buffalo several days last week on per-
sonal business. The firm have the biggest
stock of A. B. Chase and Poole pianos that
they have yet carried and a particularly fine
line of both. They also have several A. B.
Chase organs. Mr. Allen says: "We have
done a nice business since we started, and
our prospects are very bright." Mr. Allen is
a man of much experience in the piano busi-
ness, having started in that line in 1869 with
Lee & Walker, a firm long out of existence.
Neither of these gentlemen are now living,
but Mr. Lee's son, Julius Lee, is employed
by the Presser house. When Mr. Allen en-
tered the employ of this firm they handled
the Hazleton pianos, and after he left them
he was employed by Mr. Dearborn for twen-
ty years.
"Business is improving right along," says
Charles Jacob, of Jacob Brothers. He visits
the local branch once and twice a week, and
is very well satisfied with the way it is being
conducted by Mr. Todd. They have been
having an extremely large business on
Mathushek & Son pianos and complain that
they are having much trouble in getting their
orders filled. They have been doing a nice
business on grands, and have sent an order
three weeks ago to the Mathushek & Son
house for several grands, but have not as yet
received any word of their shipment. The
Jacob, Style 12 and Style 16, are the most
popular of the pianos by that firm.
James C. Miller did not return from the
Buffalo convention until Monday of this
week, but he comes back thoroughly infused
with the success of the affair, and as he is
one of the most active workers in the trade
here much of the success of the next conven-
tion will fall to his lot for accomplishment.
He is able no doubt to handle the burden.
Charles F. Albert, the maker of the famous
G violin string, is about to add considerable
machinery to his already large plant on ac-
count of the growing business in these
strings, which have become world-wide in
reputation. Almost every mail brings orders
from artists from all over the world for these
strings, and these letters, particularly from
the great violinists of the age, are placed in
a large show case in his store, and never
fail to attract a great deal of attention from
the laymen, who also use the same string as
the great artist. Mr. Albert has just returned
from a successful trip through the State dur-
ing which he sold a large number of old vio-
lins, of which the house has a big quantity on
hand.
Gustave Herzberg was in New York this
week, and Harry Herzberg, his son, is visit-
ing his brother, Edward Herzberg, in Chi-
cago, who is a member of the firm who make
the Straube piano.
The Lester Piano Co. is building its hopes
upon good weather. The storms of the ear-
ly spring greatly hindered the improvements
underway at the factories in Lester, Pa., and
the company has, therefore, had great diffi-
culty in keeping up with the streams of or-
ders which have been flowing in from all
parts of the country.
Geo. Miller, the treasurer of the company,