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THE
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
FLORENCE J. HEPPE HONORED
By the Employes of C. J. Heppe & Son in Celebration of His Thirty-ninth Birthday—Many Interesting
. Addresses and Hymns of Praise—A Handsome Loving Cup Presented Which Was Followed by a
I Banquet—Aftermath of Recent Trade Gathering—Preparing for the Convention—Visitors to t z
j City—Activity With Estey Co.—Great Demand For Estey Organs.
[Special to The Review.]
Philadelphia, Pa., Feb. 16, 1904.
Business in Philadelphia continues some-
what flat, but there seems to be an inclina-
tion to break into more activity as soon as
the weather is a little more agreeable. All
of the houses are well stocked with pianos,
probably better than at this time in a num-
ber of years.
The leading event of the week, since my
last letter, was the banquet given by the
employes of the Heppe house to the junior
member of the firm, Florence Heppe, in
honor of his thirty-ninth birthday. It was
given on Wednesday evening last. It was
one of those delightful affairs which are too
infrequently held as showing the good will
between employer and employe.
Mr. Heppe was not aware of the work
of the men to honor him on this natal day,
but in order that their plans should not
miscarry, he was asked to come to the store
in the evening for the purpose of discuss-
ing some new piano case designs. He was
met on his arrival by the various depart-
ment managers and escorted to the offices
through the auditorium, which was in
darkness. The moment Mr. Heppe en-
tered the lights were turned on and revealed
his father and mother, wife and nearly two
hundred employes gathered to greet him.
An address of welcome was then begun by
John S. Stratton, a member of the Heppe.
Company, after which the boys all started
to sing an "Ode to F. J. Heppe," the words
of which were written by Robert Stultz,
author of "The Sweetest Story Ever Told/'
and other songs. Mr. Stultz adapted his
verse to the tune, "Tramp, Tramp, Tramp,"
and had the song signed "Sunny Jim," a
name by which he is familiarly known
about the Heppe house. The words ran as
follows:
F. J.'s thirty-nine to-day,
So we'll raise our festal lay;
He's the man that every fellow does admire.
He is little, but O my!
You can't match him if you try,
He's a worthy offspring of a worthy sire.
Shout, boys, shout for F. J. Heppe!
Shout on this his natal day!
Every man in his employ
'&#
Knows that ''Florence is the boy,"
""''
So let every heart to-night be light and gay.
On this anniversary night
• '*
Loyal hearts as one unite
In good wishes to the one we all admire,
And the burden of our song
Is that he may live as long
As his much respected and illustrious sire.
So we'll every one agree
Here to pledge our loyalty
And to stand by " F . J.," whom.we all esteem;
If each one will act his part, • "'••>"
Labor both with head and heart,
There'll be "something doin' " 't eleven-seventeen.
This was followed by still other songs,
which included one written originally for
the occasion by Harry B. Ewing, a sales-
man of the Thompson street store of the
Heppes, which was sung by all those pres-
ent to the tune of "Bedelia," and which ran
as follows:
Tell me have you heard the latest thing
That's going round the town?
It's about three sounding boards
That's making Heppes world renowed.
It's the greatest thing invented,
And is paramount to all;
It has reached the highest point
And cannot fall. It has pushed all other ideas to
the wall.
CHORUS.
The Heppes are great inventors,
Their ideas are quick and bright;
Their idea of the tone jury
Has brought things from dark to light.
Their name will live forever,
When other names are dead.
Oh, the Heppe, Heppe, Heppe!
Let it be forever Heppe,
That is always up at the head.
Can you tell why the Heppes
Are successful in the trade?
It's because the boys all hustle
And of work are not afraid.
All the men outside rush business in,
The inside rush it out.
And together hand in hand they work about,
And all the time one thought shines clearly out.
CHORUS.
The Heppes are first at all time,
They're always found in the lead;
Their business goes marching onward,
'Tis forging ahead with speed.
The gates are flung wide open
Business comes pouring in.
It keeps pouring, pouring, pouring,
And the Heppes keep on soaring
From the business we always win.
Mr. Stratton keeps a tally
On the money end of "Biz;"
Mr. Bradshaw keeps an eye
On all the work that he calls his.
There is Butler and friend Doddridge,
Better fellows you can't meet,
And it's hard to match a man like Billy Street;
Hillebrand and Elwell, too, we like to greet.
CHORUS.
There's Romig and Smith and Parker,
And Harper and Wolsieffer,
And Collins and our friend Lehman,
The greatest of managers.
Jim Lynch, our peerless shipper,
Works hard to get goods out,
While the rest of us all hustle,
Keeping business on the bustle
And for Heppe keep on the shout.
After the entertainment was over,
Mr. Heppe was asked to arise,
when he was presented with a hand-
some
loving
cup, Mr. Lehman of
the Thompson street store, making the
presentation speech, in which he called ai-
tcntion to the wonderful success of Flor-
ence Heppe, which could not have been
otherwise following in the steps of his il-
lustrious father. Mr. Heppe made a neat
speech upon receiving the gift, and other
speeches followed, closing by one from C.
J. Heppe, in which he thanked the men for
their loyalty and their interest in the busi-
ness.
After this an elaborate banquet was
served which was flavored by a number of
toasts, the loyalty shown expressing the
enthusiasm which accounts for the steady
and healthy growth of the business of C. J.
Heppe & Son. Every employe of the
house works as though he felt personally
responsible for the success of the business;
and affairs of this kind engender the cordial
relations between employer and employe,
11
which are bound to accomplish mutually
profitable results.
George Woodford spent several days in
town this week, and while it is known
that the Heppes will take the Weber and
Wheelock pianos, as yet none have arrived
at their store.
William P. B. Bacon, superintendent of
the Heppe factory in New York, was also a
Philadelphia visitor the past week.
Slowly the subjects 6i the discussion at
the last trade banquet are leaking out. It
seems the local dealers fully discussed how
they would entertain the visiting delegates
on their entertainment day at Atlantic
City. The chairman of the committee has
about decided to at least have o*|r big
vaudeville entertainment on'the* steel pier,
as it was generally voted that the most suc-
cessful thing given wheir; the convention
met in Baltimore was the vaudeville enter-
tainment. It has also beell*suggested that
the yachts at the resort would be chartered
for a part of the day; that one of them
would be made the flag ship, and carry the
officers, and the other craft would follow
with the members and their ladies, thus
making a formidable fleet that could put
out to sea on an agreeable little yachting
trip. The subject was also taken up as to
the move to be made by the dealer s*re1gard-
iug the recently orgarfized tuners' associa-
tion. Lrit one of their members, who was
in a position to know, affirmed that this^ as-
sociation had evidently not been formed
for coercive purposes, and that until such
coercion became evident, it was not
apropos for the dealers to take up the sub-
ject whatever.
J. D. Howey, one of the oldest and most
prominent piano salesmen in New Eng-
land, has signed with the Heppes to look
after their business in Western Pennsyl-
vania.
H. B. Todd, local manager of 'the Jacob
Brothers, was in New York several days
this week. He reports everything at the
factory as being quite satisfactory. They
have an exceptionally fine business for the
Jacob Brothers Colonial upright, which is
a plain but artistic piano both in case work
and tone. Their best seller in the
Mathushek & Son is the Style 20.
Ben H. Janssen was in Philadelphia on
Lincoln's birthday to attend a dinner given
at Lansdowne, Pa.
A very fine Estey piano was presented
this week to the lodge rqom of the Ottawa
Tribe of Red Men in C/amde'n, located at
Morgan Hall. One of the style 20, golden
oak. An Estey pipe organ was opened in
St. Stephen's P. E. Church, Bridesburg, on
Wednesday last and on Thursday, Febru-
ary 18, an Estey pipe organ will be opened
in the .Media "M. E." Church, Media, Pa.' The
Estey forces are also installing a pipe organ
in the Fifth Moravian Church of German-
town; in the Laurel Avenue Presbyterian
Church, Johnstown; the Fjrst M. E.
Church, Hollidaysburg; the M'. E. Church
of Athens, Pa., and the Grace M. E. Church
of Catasauqua, Pa., all of which will be
opened during the coming week. The
Estey Co. have also taken contracts for
organs for the M. E. Churches at Ooalport
and Bedford, and large double-bank reed
organs have been sold by the Esteys to the
Crozierville M. E. Church of Lenni, Pa.,
and the M. E. Church of Hatboro, Pa., and
the M. E. Church of New London, Pa.