Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE
11
WERLEIN ON^SOUTHERN^PROSPECTS.
STEGK PIANO COMPLIMENTED.
'WHY BE PFSSIMIST1C?
The Prominent Piano Man of New Orleans Sees a
Year of Great Prosperity Ahead—Why the
Crescent City is Forging to the Front—Secures
the Agency for the Weber Piano.
Forms an Important Element in the Success of
the Liederkranz Concert at Syracuse on Monday
Night.
Read the Following Facts and Rejoice That the
Members of the Industry Have to Provide 15,-
000,000 Families With Pianos.
[Special to The Review.]
One of the musical functions of the year
Boston, Mass., Jan. 25, 1904.
Philip Werlein, the prominent dealer of
in Syracuse, N. Y., is the Liederkranz con-
Francis H. Owen, treasurer of the Mc-
New Orleans, has been spending some
cert which occurred last Monday evening Phail Piano Co., is an optimist regarding
days in the city on his way home from
in that city. The quality of the pro- the future of the piano business, and he
the meeting of the executive committee of
gramme offered, the reputation of the three backs this point of view with some facts
the National Piano Dealers' Association,
artists engaged for the occasion and the which are exceedingly interesting and
which was held in Cincinnati. He is en-
well-known excellence of the work of the which should bring cheer to piano men.
thusiastic about the business outlook in the
Liederkranz, drew to the Alhambra an au- He says:
South, and looks forward to a year of great
dience which in point of size and enthusi-
"Reliable authorities estimate that there
prosperity in the piano trade.
asm was a great compliment.
have not been over 3,000,000 pianos made
Mr. Werlein's connection with leading
In a lengthy review of the concert that in the United States.
commercial institutions in New Orleans
excellent paper, the Post-Standard, said:
"The population is estimated at about
equips him admirably for sizing up the situ-
"One of the important elements in mak- 90,000,000.
ation. Mr. Werlein believes that the Cres-
ing the Liederkranz concert an artistic
"Statistics show there are five persons
cent City has a greater future before it than
success last night was the Steck piano to the family.
any other American city, and his opinion is
which was used exclusively. The tonal
"We have, therefore, 15,000,000 families
not based upon mere sentiment, but upon
qualities of this superb instrument were to provide with pianos.
substantial facts.
never more fully revealed than when used
"It will take 50 years to supply them,
"New Orleans is in a better condition
in accompanying the magnificent voices of manufacturing at the rate of 300,000 per
than for many years," said Mr. Werlein,
Miss Rio and Mr. Everard Calthrop. In year.
"It is enjoying a substantial boom, and as
accompanying that peerless artist, Karl
"At the end of that time there will like-
an indication of what is being done and
Grienauer, it showed that even with so ly be 120,000,000 more people or 24,000,000
has been done I will enumerate a few
sympathetic an instrument as tht 'cello, it famlies.
things. The bank clearings of the city in-
did not over balance it in the least, but
"Why shouldn't we all be optimistic?
creased $260,000,000 last year, and the
blended perfectly, even in the softest Keep up your courage! The good old Mc-
banking capital has doubled during the
pianissimo passages. One can well un- Phail is going to get its share—just what
past five years. The population is in-
derstand why that master of masters, we hope for everybody."
creasing at the rate of 30,000 per year, and
Wagner, used it in composing that much
to-day we have a city almost as large in
talked about opera—-"Parsifal"— as it is the 528 PIANOS ORDERED IN ONE DAY
size as Cincinnati. The city is building
one piano to respond to every demand.
very rapidly. A new postoffice is being
Messrs. Andrew J. Speich & Co., can well From the Smith & Barnes Piano Co.—Proves
built which will cost $2,500,000, two new
How Unfounded are the Stories of Dull
be congratulated on being the representa-
theatres which will cost $300,000, two new
Times.
tives of such an artistic piano."
hotels which will cost $1,500,000, a new
[Special to The Review.]
We may say in this connection that in
courthouse at a cost of $1,000,000 and
Chicago, 111., Jan. 27, 1904.
the Syracuse papers of Tuesday last, An-
various other buildings at a smaller cost.
It
is
a
positive
fact that when one person
"Last year we shipped 2,300,000 bales of drew Speich & Co. carried a very clever- decides to cry "hard times" others thought-
cotton from the city. We have the second ly worded ad. bearing on the triumph of lessly pick up the cry and pass it along.
largest port in the United States, and the the Steck piano at the Liederkranz concert It does not seem as though times were very
port tonnage from January 1 of last year —which they say 'was another complete bad with the Smith & Barnes Piano Co., of
to July 1 amounted to 8,000,000 tons, and illustration of the high esteem and even this city, when, in one day, last week, that
2,677 ships entered and cleared the port. reverence that the Steck is held by all the progressive and energetic Western house
The total value of trade for the year to great artists.' "
recorded orders for 528 pianos.
July 1 was $1,575,000,000. The Frisco,
There are several lessons to be learned
THE BEHR PIANO PLAYER
Rock Island and Southern Railway are
from this fact in addition to the one which
building terminals in the city now which, Made With Every Care and Skill—The Interesting teaches that "hard times" is largely a manu-
Process of Player Making.
when completed, will cost $1,500,000. The
factured condition. The principal lesson to
Louisiana
Railroad
and Navigation
It is interesting, in going through the var- be gleaned is that Smith & Barnes produce
terminals are being built there at a local ious departments for piano-player manufac- pianos that make it an object to their deal-
expense of $3,500,000. The bulk of the ture at the Behr Bros. & Co. factory, 292-298 ers to buy, and the large number consumed
fruit from the Ohio and Mississippi Valley Eleventh avenue, to note the infinite pains proves that the public have found a piano
goes through the port of New Orleans. Last taken to insure a perfect product. Every which, for the money, is one of the best
year 2,500,000 barrels of rice went through Behr player, besides being made under the instruments on the market to-day.
careful supervision, is thoroughly tested
our ports. We are spending $18,000,000 most
The growth of the Smith & Barnes con-
and inspected before shipping from the fac- cern
has been astonishingly rapid. The in-
for sewerage and drainage to make the city tory, so that carelessness of workmen and
and active exploitation with goods
healthy.
many of the needless discrepancies and weak- telligent
that are able to meet what is promised for
During Mr. Werlein's stay in New York nesses that result when the supervision is lax, them have made this firm one of the strong-
he consummated arrangements whereby he if not altogether lacking, are guarded against est in the country.
will hereafter have the representation of effectively. The Behr player has met with an
Geo. F. Hughes, of Crawfordsville, Ind.,
the Weber piano for New Orleans and excellent reception at all points. The esti-
mated product for 1904, based on actual has taken his son into the business, and in
vicinity.
investigation and actual orders, will far excel future the concern will be known as Geo. F.
all piano player records.
Hughes & Son.
MONDSCHIN CO.'S GOOD BUSINESS.
At the annual meeting of the Mondschein
Piano Co., of Milwaukee, held in New
York, last week, the following officers were
re-elected : President, Hugo Sohmer; vice-
president, Joseph Kuder; secretary and
treasurer, S. A. Mondschein. The report of
the year's business was an encouraging
one, the volume of trade being largely in-
creased.
BEHR BROS. & CO
PIANOS,
29th Street and I Ith Ave., NEW YORK.
HIGHEST STANDARD OF EXCELLENCE.