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THE: MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
FROM PENNSYLVANIA'S MUSICAL CENTER.
November Not a Satisfactory Month, but There Are Few Complaints—Manufacturers Unusually Busy
in All Departments—Lester Piano Co. Break Records—C. J. Heppe & Son Supply Patti With One
of Their Pianos—Steck Pianos for the Holidays—Activity at the Estey Warerooms—Stephen Bram-
bach a Visitor—New Art Kranich & Bach Grands at Herzberg's—New Miller Warerooms Praised.
[Special to The Review.]
breaker, in a business sense, in the history
Philadelphia, Pa., Nov. 24. T903.
of the company. While an impending
The last week of November in Philadel- financial panic is being discussed frequent-
phia is not any more satisfactory than the ly, there is no evidence of fear at the Lester
previous three weeks, and the month gen- factories. The men there have more than
erally will not come up to the November they can do filling orders for the delivery
of last year. By this it is not to be con- of pianos. And as for the future, the num-
veyed that as many pianos have not been ber of orders for the delivery of pianos,
sold. The sales have been equally large, two, three, and four months from this date,
if not larger than last year, but the profits is greater than has ever been on file at any
have not been so great, and it has required one time in the past.
considerably more money to do business
H. C. Pressey, secretary of the Lester
this fall. Much more money has been Co., has started for the South and West,
spent in advertising, a very few of the not to return until close to the holidays.
firms but have much larger forces than He will probably go-as far as Texas, where
last year, and it requires a great deal more the Lester has many friends, and will
of an effort to sell. One firm told me that cover all the important points in the Gulf
they were compelled to take back to their States. Kirk Johnson, of Atlantic City
store eight pianos that had been sold to and Lancaster, a warm friend of the Lester
Pencoyd Iron Works men alone, on ac- piano, was among the callers at the com-
count of that big establishment closing pany's office this week, and left a substan-
down. How many other houses were af- tial holiday order. The house of F. A.
fected in the same way, or how many North & Co. have their window filled with
pianos had to be taken back or sales lost New England pianos, as well as the front
in the closing of other factories, it is hard wareroom of theirhouse.andthey have been
to determine. However, there seems to having a large sale on these instruments,
be little complaint among the dealers, and the entire stock of which they have
they are still looking to pull up well dur- bought, and the store for the past two
ing the remaining weeks of the year.
weeks has been open evenings, and will
The manufacturers in Philadelphia have continue to be open until the holidays.
been unusually busy, and Philadelphia's
Business with the house of C. J. Heppe
wholesale business has been quite profit- & Son continues very good. On Wednes-
able. There has also been a very active day afternoon, of this week, they will have
business during the entire fall in the small their last afternoon recital, on account of
goods establishments. Stewart & Bauer interfering with their December trade, but
have been having almost double the busi- instead will return to their old custom of
ness of any other fall, and have been com- giving evening concerts on Fridays during
pelled to work every evening until ten December. The Heppes feel very much
o'clock, and with a larger force than the3* delighted that Madame Patti, during her
have ever before employed. Conditions visit to this city, ordered for her exclusive
are practically the same with Weymann use, one of their three r sounding-board up-
& Sons, and they are just completing a rights. They prize very highly the compli-
large addition to their factory to help them mentary personal letter from the Diva re-
out in keeping their trade supplied. Rob- garding the piano. The activity in the
ert C. Kretschmar has almost double his Regina and talking machine departments
imports over former years, and E. J. Al- resembles the rush incident to the week
bert and C. F. Albert have had an excep- before Christmas.
For the past two
tionally large trade on their famous violins, weeks these departments have been rushed
and the latter house are continually adding to their limit.
machinery to help them supply their trade
The Heppes have a fine line of Steck
on their famous G strings. Orders are com- pianos for the holidays, and they make
ing for these strings from all the great ar- particularly desirable Christmas gifts,
tists from all over the world, and they are more of these high grade instruments be-
used by the big American orchestras, such ing sold during December in Philadel-
as the Boston Symphony, Chicago and phia than all the other months combined.
Philadelphia orchestras.
In the re- Mr. Solomon is doing good work at the
tail stores business has been very Heppe house, and has already made him-
heavy, and the latest firm to go into the self a very desirable acquisition to their
business, Strawbridge & Clothier, have al- force. Robert Stultz, who has been a
ready had a very large trade, as they carry salesman at the Heppe house for some
a stock second to none in this city.
years, has resigned and will shortly go to
The increase in the trade of the Lester the Blasius house.
Piano Co. has passed the astonishing mark.
The Estey forces are setting up a fine
The year 1903 will be the greatest record pipe organ in the Westminster Presby-
The
15
terian Church at Wilkes-Barre, which will
shortly be opened. Another force is at
work putting into position one of the Es-
tey pipe organs in the St. John's Reformed
Church, of MifHinburg, Pa. Monday even-
ing of this week the Esteys opened a very
fine organ in the Presbyterian Church of
Wrightsville, Pa. Lewis Elmer, a mem-
ber of the American Guild of Organists,
presided at the organ, and F. Nevin
Wiest, and other talent made the concert
enjoyable.
I saw some very beautiful Puritan model
pianos in the Estey warerooms, which
they recently received from the factory,
and consider them the finest that the Es-
tey factory has ever turned out.
Stephen Brambach, and his daughter
Miss Susie Brambach, were here this week,
and on Tuesday went to Atlantic City for
a couple of days, and upon their return
they are going to start on a trip through
the south and southwest, touching St.
Louis and running- up as far as Milwau-
kee, and coming home by way of Chicago.
The Esteys are showing at present some of
the new Brambach colonial pianos, which
«ire very handsome instruments, and bril-
liant of tone. Mr. Brambach reports that
his firm are doing the best business in
years.
I also noticed a fine line of
Kroeger pianos in the Estey warerooms,
that firm having recently taken the agency
for these pianos formerly held by Gimbel
Brothers.
Gustave Herzberg took great pleasure
in showing me this week a new art grand
Kranich & Bach piano that he has just re-
ceived from the factory of that firm, and I
must say that there is no finer piano in
Philadelphia. In case work, it is of that
handsome quality of veneer that has made
a reputation for the K. & B. piano as being
most beautiful to look upon, and the tone—
well, it is that pure, rich, singing quality,
that appeals to the heart and sends
a thrill with the striking of every note.
The other piano man says: "You never
see Mr. Herzberg advertise, and you hear
very little noise from his piano store. It
is not necessary, for such magnificent
pianos as are turned out by the Kranich &
Bach and Mehlin factories sell themselves,
and with little or no effort.
Mr. Herz-
berg has just received some very nice
Mehlin pianos, of the Grecian model,
which style he says is just now the most
popular seller from that factory.
G. Dunbar Shewell has been doing ex-
cellent work for the Miller piano in the
short time since his connection. He has
about completed all the improvements in
the building, the finishing touches having
been put on this week in the polishing of
the floors. The stock does not yet look as
fine as Mr. Shewell would like to have it,
but a big order for Miller pianos has been
given to the factory, and they are expected
to arrive this week, and then Mr. Shewell
expects to make an arrangement of these
instruments, that will give the Miller store
one of the most pleasing appearances of
any in this city. James C. Miller seems
thoroughly pleased with his rejuvenated
warerooms, and goes about admiring them
like a boy with a new toy. And he can
well be proud, for they are thoroughly ar-
tistic and attractive.
Tha Quality, StyU and Prlct« art right.
KiSCIILLEB PIANOS SCULLER PIANO GO.
Thty art htntitly
madt, and will gtv» ytir cuttomtrt latlttactlta. ^
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MANUFACTURED BY
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01 FIFTH AVI-
tV H. KAYTON ff«t«ry t P f i
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