Classic Mode

Music Trade Review

Issue: 1904 Vol. 38 N. 3

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MEW YORKll
PUBLIC LIBRARY]
THE
REVIEW
)EK
fllMIC TIRADE
V O L . X X X V I I I . No. 3. m i M e i Every Sat. by Edward Lyman Bill at 1 Madison Aye., NewYort,
JESSE FRENCH CO.'S NEW STORE
STRIKE AT MOLLER WORKS ENDED.
In Birmingham, Ala.—Many Present at Formal
Opening—A Description of the Many Parlors.
[Special to The Review.]
Birmingham, Ala., Jan. n , 1904.
O. A. Field, president of the Jesse French
Piano & Organ Co., last week visited the
branch in this city, of which J. H. Holcombe
is manager. His visit was timely inasmuch
as the company have just opened their new
store at 2018 Second avenue, in the remodel-
ing, furnishing and finishing of which they
have spent many thousands of dollars. The
beauty and elegance of the new home, how-
ever, recompenses them for the outlay, as it
is unquestionably one of the largest and hand-
somest places of the kind in the South. The'
entrance on Second avenue has been enlarged
by a new vestibule of handsome mahogany
and the front finished in dark olive green.
This floor is used as a general display room
where are exhibited the various makes of
pianos handled. It is beautifully decorated,
the color scheme being cadet blue.
On the second floor are the offices and
piano parlors as well as the main hall. All
of the parlors are reserved for a special make
of piano. The Steinway room is finished in
old rose; the Knabe parlor is of sage green;
the prevailing color in the Starr parlor is
cerulean blue; the Vose room is finished in
embossed silk with a blending of pink and
white ; the Jesse French and Richmond pianos
are shown in one parlor, the general tone be-
ing green.
The last parlor of the series is used for
the exhibition of pianolas, a large line of
which is carried by the company. It is fin-
ished in electric blue with a border of pink.
The Palm room at the rear of this hall and
separated from the man hall by a glass parti-
tion is used exclusively for the showing of
grand pianos. The greater part of the third
floor, which is in delft blue, will be given
over to church organs, orchestrelles, voca-
lions and parlor organs. The entire building
is provided with electric lights and steam
heat. At the formal opening there were spe-
cial floral decorations and a full orchestra.
Manager Holcombe, under whom the plans
were executed for the decoration of this
building, is entitled to congratulations.
The sales forces of Grinnell Bros., De-
troit, Mich., did not hold their annual
banquet this year. Instead there will be
quarterly reunions to discuss the business
plans throughout the year. The first gather-
ing is scheduled to occur this week or next.
Men Voluntarily Give Up the Struggle—Present
Themselves For Employment—About Thirty
Taken On—Places of the Others Have Been
Filled.
[Special to The Review.]
Hagerstown, Md., Jan. n , 1904.
Thirty of the fifty employes of the M. P.
Moller Organ Works, in Hagerstown, who
struck for higher wages several months
ago, have returned to work and the strike is
practically at an end, Mr. Moller having
won. Mr. Moller declared from the first
that he would not recognize the union the
organ makers had organized and he stuck
to his declaration. A number of the
strikers have gone to other cities and ob-
tained employment.
LABOR BUREAUS FOR CHICAGO.
Employers Adopt This System to Restore In-
dustrial Peace.
[Special to The Review.]
Chicago, 111., Jan. 11, 1904.
In a few months three labor bureaus will
be established here by associations of em-
ployers. Complete records of all men work-
ing for members of the organizations will be
kept in these offices and most of the hiring
will be done through them. It is expected
that the system will aid in restoring indus-
trial peace here.
This announcement was made by Robert
Wuest of Cincinnati, Secretary of the Metal
Trades Association. Most of the organiza-
tions, he said, would co-operate in the
movement. Mr. Wuest says similar bureaus
are successful in Cincinnati, Detroit, Cleve-
land, St. Louis and Worcester, Mass. They
have been of great value to employer and
workman, and both look favorably upon
them. He said they are supplanting the
unions in the matter of supplying men with
work.
THE NEW HAMILTON BUILDING.
[Special to The Review.]
Pittsburg, Pa., Jan. 12, 1904.
Contractors Calhoun & Miller have com-
menced remodeling the Standard building,
on Wood street, lately leased by Samuel
Hamilton for a long term of years for a
piano store. The improvements will in-
clude a new front, new floors, new eleva-
tors and a general rearrangement of the
store rooms. The building is on the west
side of the street, between Virgin alley and
Sixth avenue. The plans provide for a
wareroom of rare beauty—-in fact Mr.
Hamilton will have in this new building a
fitting environment for the pianos which
he represents.
Jan. 16,1904.
SINGLE COPIES 10 CENTS.
$2.00 PER YEAR.
FAKE SALE ADVERTISING.
How L. D. Perry Lived Up to the Suggestions of
Chairman Elmendorf and Rid the Local Papers
of Fake Ads.
C. A. Elmendorf, chairman of the press
committee of the Piano Dealers' National
Association, has received the following
letter from L. D. Perry, manager of the
establishment of Ludwig & Co., in Wilkes-
Barre, Pa. It shows what effective work
a dealer can do in eliminating fake sale ads.
from the daily papers in his city. This
communication certainly points the way to
others, and is worthy of emulation:
Wilkes-Barre, Pa., Jan. 7, 1904.
C. A. Elmendorf, Minneapolis, Minn.
Dear Sir: In reply to your circular
letter, "Fake Sale Business," I wish to say-
that single handed I succeeded in driving
fake sale ads. from our local papers. We
use every local paper (four) in this city,
and the proprietors were glad to discon-
tinue these ads. when once they knew they
were frauds. You can not keep these fel-
lows out, though, without a vigilant watch
for the ads., as they are so cleverly gotten
up, and in many cases the fakirs will send
accomplices to insert the notices, which
throws the newspaper managers off their
guard, and the notice is allowed to go in.
L make it a practice to look over these "for
sale" ads. every morning, and everything
which looks suspicious, is immediately in-
vestigated. I have sent my contribution
for the freight bureau. Wishing you suc-
cess, I beg to remain.
Yours truly,
L. D. Perry.
THE FIRST BALDWIN PIANO PLAYER.
[Special to The Review.]
Cincinnati, O., Jan. 11, 1904.
The Baldwin Co. have just shipped the
first piano player made in their factories here.
This interesting fact marks the establishment
of a new and very promising industry in
Cincinnati. The new piano player is built
entirely on original lines and is pronounced
by experts as surpassing in ingenious con-
ception and wonderful capability anything
similar on the market. Many music lovers
inspected the instrument at the warerooms
of D. H. Baldwin & Co., and are enthusiastic
in its praise. The instrument in question is
in prima vera (white mahogany) and was
sold and delivered to one of the prominent
families of this city. The manufacturing of
the new piano player is now well in hand at
the Baldwin factories. And Cincinnati's in-
dustries are marching on.
The Steger & Sons Piano Mfg. Co., and
Reed & Sons Piano Co., both of Steger, 111.,
have become members of the National Piano
Manufacturers' Association.
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
Editor and Proprietor.
EDWARD LYMAN DILL,
J. ». SPILLANE. Mtn^in^ Editor.
EXECVTIVE STAFF:
THOS. CAMPBELL-COPBLAND,
A. EDMUND HANSON,
BOSTON OFFICE :
W. MURDOCH LIND. fen Tremont St.
GEO. B. KELLER,
A. J. NICKLIN,
EMILIE FRANCES BAUER
GEO. W. QUERIPEL.
CHICAGO OFPICE:
E. P . VAN HARLINGEN, 36 La Salle St,
PHILADELPHIA OFFICE:
ST. LOUIS OFFICE :
R. W . KAUFFMAir.
CHAS. N. VAN BUREN.
REVIEW
ELDOM has there been a year in which so many contradictory
and perplexing conditions have been presented in the business
world. They have been so complex that to forecast the result of
the year with anything approaching accuracy was exceedingly diffi-
cult. In fact the view of industrial and commercial conditions
throughout our country has presented a constantly changing pano-
rama. There was the crumbling of many paper edifices reared by
financial magnates, which were formerly regarded as impregnable.
There was a consequent decline in values which not only compelled
the small investor and speculator to curtail, but it seriously reduced
the purchasing power of the wealthier classes and it is surprising
under these conditions that the selling of high grade pianos was
so large.
Published Every Saturday at I Madison Avenue, New York.
Entered at the New York Post Office as Second Class Matter.
SVBSCRIPTION (including postage), United States, Mexico and Canada, $2.00 per
year; all other countries, $4.00.
ADVERTISEMENTS, $2.00 per inch, single column, per insertion. On quarterly or
yearly contracts a special discount is allowed. Advertising Pages $50.00; opposite reading
matter, $75.00.
REMITTANCES, in other than currency form, should be made payable to Edward
Lyman Bill.
THE ARTISTS'
DEPARTMENT
On the first Saturday of each month The Review contains in its
"Artists' Department" all the current musical news. This is effected
without in any way trespassing on the size or service of the trade
section of the paper. It has a special circulation, and therefore aug-
ments materially the value of The Review to advertisers.
MANUFACTURERS
directory
manufacturing firms and corporations
f o The
und o
n a e of piano
P * •» w i l 1 b e o f g r e a t v a l u e a s a « f erence for
dealers and others.
LONG DISTANCE TELEPHONE-NVMBER 1745 GRAMERCY.
IN many of the prominent centers strikes and labor troubles further
* accentuated the business depression, and there was naturally a
considerable shrinkage of trade—a shrinkage which it was believed
would place the total figures considerably less than those of the
preceding year.
But while certain important centers have felt the stress of these
special conditions, prosperity has been general in other sections. The
magnificent crops of the great West brought a monetary harvest to
the farmers which resulted in good business for the piano men doing
business in those favored localities.
NEW YORK. JANUARY lt>. 19O4.
A VAST number of pianos were marketed in the central West
where the farmers were enjoying the fruits of a bountiful
EDITORIAL,
harvest. Then again, the Pacific slope, a country which is vastly in-
creasing by the wealth which it annually draws from ranch and
I T is interesting to note the changes which are constantly being
mine, contributed largely to the prosperity of piano men. The best
* wrought in this trade. It was not so many years ago when posted men are fully aware of these pleasing conditions in the far
Boston, which was the birthplace of the piano industry, was the West, and already many traveling men are on their way to the Coast
most dominant piano manufacturing center. It then changed to
to take orders for the early spring.
New York, which has since held the premier position as a piano
In the South, too, they are witnessing the dawn of a new era.
producing city.
The extraordinary rise in the price of cotton is flinging money with
According to Review estimates the number of pianos manufac-
a prodigal hand into the pockets of men formerly dependent upon
tured in Boston for 1903 falls a trifle short of twenty thousand,
credit for the bare necessaries of life.
while New York and the country closely adjacent reaches eighty
A S the central West was enabled to clear off its mortgages by
thousand. But the most remarkable of all is the growth of the in-
dustry in the West. Careful estimates place the piano output of
* *• a succession of bountiful crops accompanied by higher prices,
Chicago and the factories which are operated in the district adjoin-
so the South has reached a position of unexajnpled prosperity, and
ing and controlled by Chicago men, at nearly forty-eight thousand will not only buy more pianos, but is in a condition to buy better
instruments.
pianos than ever before.
Then to all other sections of the Union we will concede an out-
put of sixty-nine thousand, which places the total for 1903 above the
two hundred and seventeen thousand mark.
O some these figures may seem surprising, but nevertheless they
are based upon actual facts, and while we believed, according to
our early figures that the total number of pianos produced for the past
year would be a trifle below the two hundred thousand mark, yet
our revised figures show the actual output to be somewhat in excess
of the figures first named.
This estimate may be considered authentic and reliable and
shows really a magnificent condition of the industry during the
twelve months just closed.
Piano men have cause for a keen sense of satisfaction in the
figures reached for the past year—a year which was full of problems
alike for the manufacturer and distributor of musical wares.
The general condition of trade for the year is encouraging, and
as we stated in last week's Review, conservative optimism is a good
war cry for the new year. The different sections of the country
were never equipped as well as to-day for the production of pianos,
for during the last year considerable machinery has been added, and
piano making, as a whole, never has been run on as practical and
scientific a basis as to-day.
'"T"*HE figures which we name as representing the total output of
*
pianos from Boston, New York, Chicago, may not be ma-
terially changed for the new year.
The factories in Boston are
practically assured of as large an output, provided business condi-
tions are favorable up to the point of last year. New York manu-
facturers are in a better condition than ever to supply the needs of
their trade, and by no> possible argument can we believe that the

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