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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
THE HARDMAN PIANO PLAYER
"PEERLESS" PRAISE.
The Nickel-in-the-Slot Piano Made by the Peer-
The Subject of an Interesting and Admirably
less Piano Player Co., Adding to Its Army of
Printed Booklet Just Issued by Hardman,
Admirers.
Peck & Co.—Treats of the Subject Most Ex-
haustively—Is Bound to Excite Favorable
The Peerless Piano Player Co., 2 East
Comment and be of Material Assistance in a
Better Appreciation of the Merits of This 47th street, continue to receive some of
Player.
the most enthusiastic letters we have ever
read, regarding the merits of the Peerless
"A Dream Realized" is the title of Hard- nickel-in-the-slot pianos which they manu-
man, Peck Co.'s latest art publication in facture. Here is one received from Schiff
advocacy of the Hardman product. It has & Dow, of San Francisco, which speaks for
special reference throughout to the Hard- itself:
man Piano Player and is certainly one of
Gentlemen: We desire to say that the
the most elaborate and exhaustive as well Peerless, Endless Roll, nickel-in-slot piano
as being one of the most artistic and inter- which we purchased is an instrument of
esting of books so far issued with reference splendid tone and gives entire satisfaction.
to this rapidly-developing branch of the One of the features which mainly pleases
us, the fact that it never has to be rerolled,
musical industry. To describe adequately and requires no attention except fifteen
"A Dream Realized," would require at minutes once in two or three days. We do
least a page of The Review. In fact, no not hesitate to say, that for public resorts
mere statement in type could do it full jus- it is a trade winner and unusual attraction,
tice. The best plan will be for those who and because it plays for itself from the
nickel it collects it is nearer "Something
are interested in the sale of piano players for nothing" than ever has been offered to
and their development to- secure a copy us. It has been a profitable investment for
and study its contents carefully.
us.
The key to the title of the book and the
Another letter, just as enthusiastic is
aim of the firm in issuing it is found in the that received from S. Ruppe, the prominent
following brief introductory:
druggist of Albuquerque, New Mexico,
"The dream of the musical inventor has and forwarded through their local agent,
been for years to devise some means by the Buckley Music Co., of that city. It
which the piano could be played with the reads:
aid of mechanism,—the technical difficul-
Gentlemen: I am pleased to say, that
ties thereby overcome—and the intelli- I have found the Peerless nickel-in-the-
gence, aesthetic feeling and human sym- slot piano a paying proposition, and can
pathy of the operator transmitted through conscientiously recommend it to anyone
requiring an attraction for local and tran-
the mechanism to the piano, and thus sient patronage. This is the second one
brought to bear upon the listener. This I have bought, and am thoroughly satisfied
has been accomplished in the Hardman with my investment.
piano player."
SOLD OVER A THOUSAND CROWN PIANOS.
The work is divided into three parts,
the first describing the Hardman piano-
Foster & Waldo, the enterprising deal-
player and giving a short recapitulation of ers of Minneapolis, Minn., have just pub-
its resources; the second containing con- lished, in book form, a list of considerably
cise, practical instruction in regard to its over a thousand sales of Crown pianos
use; and the third consisting of directions made during the past two years. As Fos-
for the benefit of the practical man who ter & Waldo pertinently say, "The fame
wishes to regulate, repair or put it in order. and genuine worth of the Crown piano is
In part I, under the hearing: "What is too well known throughout America to say
the Hardman Piano-Player?" a detailed anything additional in the way of praise.
statement of its plan and construction is It is a first class, good, reliable instrument
given, with perfectly drawn illustrations, —an honest piano, at an honest price."
showing the player in form, outline and The names of the purchasers include many
case-design. Part II contains practical in- of the most eminent men of Minneapolis
structions in the use of the player, with an and locality.
interior view, showing plainly all details of
THE CABLE LINE IN DETROIT.
mechanical construction. Part III em-
braces practical points for sellers, repairers
[Special to The Review.]
Detroit, Mich., Dec. 14, 1903.
and experts generally. It would be im-
One of the most progressive establish-
possible to praise too highly the editorial
and artistic features of the book. They ments in this city is the branch store of the
give evidence throughout of infinite pains Cable Piano Co., located at 27 Grand River
and a keen appreciation of fitness, bearing avenue, which is under the management of
H. T. Schmidt, assisted by Harry Zickel.
in mind the prestige of the Hardman firm Since last June, when this concern opened
and their determination to maintain the their doors, hundreds of Conover, Kings-
highest standard in everything they under- bury, Cable, and Wellington pianos have
take.
been purchased by Detroiters, who have
expressed the highest appreciation of the
INSTALL PIANO DEPARTMENT.
musical and architectural attributes. In
addition to their establishment here the
Thurman, Overstreet & Boone, one of
Cable Co. have branches in Atlanta, Ga.;
the largest furniture houses in Roanoke, Norfolk, Va.: Cincinnati, O.; Knoxville,
Va., and a concern well and favorably Tenn.; Charleston, S. C.; Minneapolis,
known through the South, have recently Minn.; Jacksonville, Fla.; Birmingham,
installed a piano department. They are Ala.; New Orleans, La.; Newport News,
handling the Knabe, Fischer and McPhail Va.; Richmond, Va.; Toledo, O.; Macon,
pianos, and are developing trade in an en- Ga.; St. Paul, Minn.; Augusta, Ga.; Calu-
met, Menominee and Manistee, Mich.
ergetic way.
TRADE OUTLOOK IMPROVED.
Better Reports This Week From All Sections Re-
garding the Piano Situation, Particularly From
the West.
Within the past week local piano manu-
facturers were considerably encouraged
from the better tone noticeable in road
reports and in the correspondence of deal-
ers. The new note is not so marked in
Eastern as in Western advices, and the
further the distance from New York the
current of trade seemed stronger and the
prospects better.
As a conservative manufacturer summed
it up: "Of course there is an entire ab-
sence of the telegraphic orders, and hurry
up shipments so much in evidence for sev-
eral years past, especially last year about
this time. That is, telegrams are received
for goods in the usual normal fashion, but
the feverish, rush delivery wires are lack-
ing; and for this relief many thanks. Such
business as we and other leading factories
have is of the good, substantial kind, with
all the wind squeezed out. From the ab-
sence of the hysterical wiring for goods,
we judge dealers have sufficient stocks for
immediate needs, and no buying on specu-
lative account—that is in regular trade—is
noticeable. Collections have improved, and
we are of the opinion there are very sat-
isfactory prospects ahead for pianos of
musical character and standing, not mere
mechanical productions."
THAT $1,000,000 BRADBURY BEQUEST.
The daily papers of Thursday contained a
despatch from Ottumwa, la., stating that
"Frank Bradbury, a machinist of that city,
had fallen heir to a fortune estimated at one
million dollars left to him by an uncle in New
York." It is further said that the one million
dollars fortune referred to in the foregoing is
the estate of W. B. Bradbury, founder of the
institution now controlled by F. G. Smith.
Evidently somebody must be playing a hoax,
as the Bradbury estate was long ago settled.
Mr. Bradbury died in 1868.
LITIGATION OVER ORGAN IS ENDED.
[Special to The Review.]
Buffalo, N. Y., Dec. 15, 1903.
Sheriff Kaiser yesterday filed a report with
the county clerk to the effect that he had de-
livered to Viner & Sons an organ which was
originally used in the Westminster Presby-
terian Church. From the papers in the case it
appears that the organ was sent to the firm of
Viner & Sons, organ dealers, to be repaired.
After repairing the organ it was sent by the
organ firm for storage to Sleap's storage
warehouse, and there in some manner several
claims were contracted and the storage firm
refused to deliver the organ to Viner & Sons,
who began suit. As a result of the suit the
organ was returned yesterday. The organ
is valued at $2,500.
A FALLING OFF IN SAN FRANCISCO.
The piano sales in San Francisco for No-
vember were not up to expectation and it
is now expected that the last two months
of the year will show a decided falling oft
from last year's volume of trade, which, it
will be remembered, was of large propor-
tions.