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THE
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
13
FROM PENNSYLVANIA'S MUSICAL CENTER.
most a half smaller than the sheets used by
other self-players, and this is a great advantage
to owners of a self-player, in being able to keep
Spring Trade Opens Up Well—Col. Gray's Attitude—Strawbridge & Clothier Organize Chorus—
their music stock in a very small space. In fact
W. J. Street on Vacation—Some Comments on Philadelphia as a Manufacturing Center—
the Claviola sheets to quite a number could be
Heppe House Celebrates Fortieth Anniversary—Activity With Ludwig Co.
kept in the ordinary sheet-music cabinet. These
small sheets have no effect whatever on the tone,
(Special to The Review.)
to bring with him his system of outside organiz-
and as to expression, I have never heard a self-
Philadelphia, Pa., April 5, 1905.
ing, but he remained only a short time with the
player that could give better expression to
The spring piano trade in Philadelphia is mov- Wanamaker house.
classic compositions than the Claviola.
ing along at a very satisfactory late. It was William J. Street, head salesman of the Heppe
The Heppe house is celebrating its fortieth an-
generally supposed by the various dealers that house, has gotten a six-months' leave of absence,
Marc h was a very dull month, yet when the on account of ill-health, and he has gone with his niversary this month. Quite a long life, and quite
figures were computed at its end it was found family to Vineland, N. J., to recuperate. The as interesting one. This firm was started in the
that the March business of most of the firms com- Heppes regret his having to go away very much, most unpretentious way forty years ago at Sixth
pared favorably with other years, and with some as he has been recognized for a number of years and Thompson streets the year the junior mem-
of them that it had run away ahead of last year. as being one of the best salesmen in Philadel- ber of the firm was born, C. J. Heppe. From
Ludwig & Co. say to the extent of 25 per cent. phia. He has been with the Heppe house a long these small quarters the business gradually en-
larged, until the firm found sufficient profit to
The Heppes found an equally large increase, and
time.
open
a store on Chestnut street. This down-
very few firms but showed a good substantial
In many lines of goods, statistics show that
town store, started in a small room, rapidly grew
improvement over last year.
Philadelphia has a good lead as a manufacturing
to the entire building, with a number of added
On Friday of last week the Schomacker Piano city. For some reason or other, it is backward
departments, and within the past few years the
in
the
extent
of
pianos
made
there.
There
is
an
Co. moved out the last of the stock from the
adjoining building was taken. Nor is the Heppe
store in piano row that they have occupied for unexplaiuable reason for this. Ground is cheap
business confined to these stores alone, but for
in Philadelphia, rents are very low, labor is paid
many years, and several days previously opened
several years the firm have rented a large space
smaller wages than in other large cities, because
their new store west of Broad street.
in the Pennsylvania Warehouse Co.'s building
living
is
cheaper,
and
yet
there
is
very
little
Colonel Gray, the president of the Schomacker
at 23d and Race streets, where they always
willing to be invested in the manufacture
Piano Co., is peculiarly constituted. When the capital
have stored a surplus stock of from 75 to 200
1
Philadelphia Piano Trade Association was organ- oi pianos.
pianos, and within the year the firm have opened
ized some years ago he was the only dealer of
This week in the Quaker City the Cunningham a large factory at 9th and Oxford streets. The
any consequence who would not unite with his Piano Co., however, have broken out with an ad- firm is also financially interested in several big
fellows in the trade. When the salesmen's asso- vertising tirade, in which they claim to be only factories located out of the city. In the forty
ciation was started a few years later he would
one of two piano factories in that city. Bad as is years of its existence the firm have handled many
not allow any of his men to join, and he has not the condition there, this is a misstatement that of the first-class makes of pianos, and gradually
only stood out against all local associations, but
must not go unchallenged. The Cunninghams drifted into making pianos of their own, under
he was practically the only Philadelphia dealer
latest ad. says:
the firm name of Heppe, Marcellus and Jules.
of any consequence who refused to join any of
"Although there are many concerns in Phila- Besides these pianos at present they sell the
the national associations. It was very rarely, delphia that claim to be piano manufacturers, in Weber and the Pease. To their handling of the
no matter what was the subject interesting the
reality there are but two, and the Cunningham Pianola, Aeolian, and other instruments of that
trade, that the Colonel was consulted, but I establishment is the larger and better equipped character is to be attributed much of their busi-
understand that during the recent collection of
of these."
ness success.
funds to defeat the legislative bills now pending
This kind of publicity is hardly fair, as it will
at Harrisburg, he was approached, but he refused
not help local buyers in believing that manufac-
to contribute, on the ground that he was no mem- turers in Philadelphia can make as good a piano
NORRIS NOISELESS AXIOMS.
ber of the association, although the bill would be as is turned out in other cities. It is well known
as injurious to his business as that of any of the that the local trade prefer a piano constructed in
No. LIX.
other dealers.
New York to one made in Philadelphia, all other
It was one of the wise men of ye olden days
The Strawbridge & Clothier firm have organ- things being equal, and hence the injurious ef- who uttered the saying, "Search all things and
fect of the Cunningham announcement.
ized the singers of the firm into a permanent
hold fast that which is true," and it applies with
chorus, and under the direction of Herbert J.
It is well known that besides the Cunningham singular pertinence when considering the mat-
Tily they are rehearsing a number of four-part
factory it is not difficult to find the factories of
ter of piano pedals. It would be well for manu-
songs which they will sing at a concert to be the Schomacker Piano Co., the Heppe Piano Co., facturers to "search all things," and we are sure
given before the summer begins. This fall the at 9th and Oxford streets, as well as that of
that they will "hold fast" to the Norris noiseless
chorus will take up a cantata. Walter D. Styer,
Painter & Ewing; while the factories of the Les- pedal actions made by the Norris Noiseless Pedal
hc-ad salesman of the Strawbridge & Clothier
ter Piano Co. and Blasiuts & Sons are concerns Action Co., of Boston, because they are "true."
fiim, gave an organ recital at the Oxford Presby-
of which Philadelphia is justly proud.
The record shows them to be thoroughly satis-
terian Church last Monday. Mr. Styer is not
factory, living up to all requirements and all
Charles A. Ericsson, formerly vice-president of
only a successful piano salesman, but a skilled
the Ludwig Company, visited the local store this claims made for them. If should not be diffi-
organist as well. He was assisted at the concert
week, and was very well pleased with the work cult for manufacturers to differentiate between
by Mrs. F. C. Newberg, soprano; Victor Schert- here. Mr. Ball, of Williamsport, Pa., was also a the noiseless pedals made by the Norris Co.,
zinger, violinist; Owen Fitzgerald, tenor, anil
visitor at the Ludwig house. While the Ludwig which brings such joy and pleasure to the lover
Richard Karl, bass.
of the artistic piano, and the squeaking, nerve-
house is very much interested in the reception of
The Strawbridge & Clothier firm have added to the new styles of pianos that have come from racking pedals which make the piano a nuisance.
their outside selling force Fred A. Martin, a the New York factory, yet the object of their Need more be said?
salesman of considerable experience. Frank But- latest attention is the new Claviola which they
ler, the S. & C. manager, is one of the best or- have just received. There are many self-players
Geo. E. Kemp, who was at one time the super-
ganizers of outside salesmen in this city, and it shown on this market, all of them first-class in- intendent of the McCammon piano factory at
struments, but the Ludwig Claviola is entitled to Oneonta, N. Y., died at. his home in Albany last
is presumed that as the Strawbridge & Clothier
business develops he will have an outside force a first rank, and is interesting in several ways. week. He is survived by a widow and four chil-
None of the self-players sold here are neater, dren.
second to none in this city. It was Mr. Butler
who brought the Heppe outside force to its pres- trimmer in appearance. The thing that strikes
ent perfect condition, and he was selected by the me as most desirable in the instrument is tho
The Kern Music Co., of Jersey City, has been
very small music sheets required. They are al- incorporated with a capital of $50,000.
Wanamaker department to unite with that firm
W RITE
US A
Perforated Music
Perfection
OUT
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WE C A N T E L L Y O U
SOMETHING O f INTEREST
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25 WEST 23d ST., NEW YORK