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10
TH
BUSINESS IN THE BRONX
Up to Expectations for the Season—Factories
Running Full Time—Visiting Dealers En-
thusiastic Over Trade Outlook.
The general status of business among the piano
manufacturers in the Bronx district in this city
appears from their reports to be all that could
be expected or desired for this season of the year,
and, as a rule, they state that it is considerably
ahead of former years. Collections have been
exceptionally good, as a whole, and dealers are
less insistent about having all summer in which
to pay for their purchases. Several cases have
been reported where they have taken advantage
of the cash discounts. There was an unusual
number of callers, although most of them were
from the suburban towns and nearby cities. They
all regard the business so far this year as excep-
tional, and most of them have worked off their
left-over stock, and are ordering for immediate
delivery. The supply men are running their fac-
tories on full time, and report all of the orders
that they can conveniently take care of. There
have been an unusual number of supply salesmen
from out of town trying for a share of the trade
in their commodities, but the New York firms
seem to have the advantage by being on the
ground at all conceivable times. A rumor that
a new case factory is to be started in the Bronx
is current, but who is at the head of the enter-
prise is shrouded in mystery. It is reported,
however, that one of the large veneer concerns in
the city is an interested party.
RENOVATIONS AT LUDWIG & CO.'S.
Offices
Enlarged
and
Remodeled—Spring
Orders of Great Magnitude.
Ludwig & Co., of 9G8 Southern Boulevard, have
been completely remodeling and decorating their
business office, and now it looks like another
place. In doing so they have utilized considerable
space that has previously been waste room, and
have been able to add quite a number of square
feet to their factory. The entrance now is at the
southern door, instead of the middle door, as for-
merly. A new private office has also been fitted
up in a very artistic manner. Spring orders of
considerable magnitude have already been putting
in an appearance, and the firm is making ample
preparation to get a good stock ahead, so that no
one will be disappointed, but at the same time
they are advising their dealers against waiting
until the last minute.
BUSY TIMES WITH RICCA.
H. J. Groeneveldt, the traveling representative
for Ricca & Son, of 889 Southern Boulevard, left
on Monday for an extended trip through the Mid-
dle West and South. He accompanied A. Ricca,
a brother of Luigi Ricca, who is in very poor
health, to Martinsville, Ind., where he will spend
some time in recuperating in one of the large
sanitariums in that city. Mr. Ricca says that
the new piano factory is progressing rapidly, and
if there are no set backs, it will be completed on
time. The demand for the pianos bearing their
name is daily increasing, and he has in his pos-
session a large number of highly complimentary
letter from dealers, representing every State in
the Union, stating the general satisfaction that
they are giving to the purchasers.
J. G. LAFFARGUE'S ROAD TRIP.
J. G. Laffargue. of the Laffargue Co., of 134th
street and Southern Boulevard, New York, left on
Wednesday for his annual tour of the States, and
said to The Review, just before leaving: "I antici-
pate the most successful trip of my business ca-
reer, and can see nothing but good prospects
ahead. The orders that are coming in unsolicited
are indicative of what is to be gleaned by making
an active campaign. I shall keep the factory busy
during my absence."
MU3IC
TRADE
REIViEW
circuit occurs in a device having a high-potential
current circulating through its several parts,
tnen the increased sparks occurring at the paper
Messrs. Rick Recently Organized With Head-
note-sheet are sufficient to ignite the latter and
quarters in Dallas Visiting New York Manu-
may cause the destruction of the sheet and in-
facturers—Desire Wholesale Representation.
strument.
This invention not only greatly reduces the
Four representatives of the Rick Piano Co., of
Dallas, Texas, have been in the city during the cost of the magnets, but also entirely obviates
past week calling on the various manufacturers all danger from sparking at the note-selecting
in regard to the purchase of stock. This is a cor- contact-fingers and permits the utilization of
poration recently formed, whose idea is to carry alternating currents for operating electromag-
on the piano business in a wholesale way in that netic musical instruments, which to my knowl-
State, having retail stores in the principal cities. edge has never heretofore been practicable.
MUSICAL INSTRUMENT. Amandus M. Krueger,
The members of the company here were: Lewis
Rick, president; A. C. Janke, of Janke & Co., Bellville, Tex. Patent No. 812,049.
The invention relates to stringed musical in-
Oalveston, treasurer; Mr. Gleason, com. agt., of
the Rock Island Railroad Co,, secretary, and Mr. struments of the lyre type; and its object is to
England, former traveler for the Strohber Piano provide a new and improved musical instru-
Co., of Dallas, Texas. Their proposition is to ment which is simple and durable in construc-
cover the State for the New York manufacturers, tion, very light, of high resonant qualities, and
saving them the expense of sending salesmen into arranged to permit convenient manipulation of
that territory, and make their profits by obtain- the strings without the player touching the
ing their purchases at a slight discount from the soundboard with the fingers.
MUSICAL INSTRUMENT. Wm. B. Fleming, South
regular prices. It is stated that they have capi-
Pasadena, Cal. Patent No. 811,912.
talized for $100,000.
This invention relates to mechanical musical
instruments in which perforated sheets of paper
LATE PATENTS OF TRADE INTEREST. are used in combination with a series of air ducts
1
or passages leading to musical reeds, pipes, or
(Specially prepared foi The Hevlew.)
other sounding devices or to mechanism for
Washington, D. C, Feb. 14, 1906.
operating the sounding devices which are caused
ELECTRICALLY ACTUATED AND CONTROLLED SELF
to sound by the exhaustion or pressure of air
PLAYING MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.
Geo. Howlett
Davis, West Orange, N. J. Patent No. 812,117. or by electrical contacts in the well-known man-
This invention has relation to new and useful ner; and the object thereoi is to produce mech-
improvements in electrically actuated and con- anism to cause two or more perforated music-
trolled self-playing attachments for pianos and sheets each operating a separate and independent
other keyed musical instruments, and more par- musical instrument to run synchronously, where-
ticularly to self-playing attachments which em- by all the musical instruments will play together
body in their structure a plurality of key-actuat- •p. unison.
ing devices, which are controlled by electromag-
netic means to strike the keys of the musical
GOOEL IS MAKING PIANOS.
instrument.
The primary object of the invention is to Bought Steinmetz Stock and Intends to be
Factor in Trade—Mr. Steinmetz Will Travel
provide an improved and efficient means for
for the House.
supplying the electric current to the various
electrically operated devices embodied in the
L. F. Gooel, who purchased the piano business
attachment and also for supplying the power
of
S. Steinmetz, located at 108-110 Bast 129th
necessary to impart rotat'on to the several
street, New York, at receivers' sale a little over a
rotatable elements included therein.
week ago, is running the plant full time, filling
A further object is to construct, in combina-
orders that were on hand at the time of Mr. Stein-
tion with aa electrically operated attachment,
an electric machine which may be energized by metz's failure. Mr. Gooel is also making up a
a current from a battery or other source to new line, and has engaged Mr. Steinmetz to rep-
serve as a motor for the moving parts of the resent him on the road. He said to The Review:
attachment, and also to provide for dispensing "While not a practical pianomaker myself, I am
with the batteries and transforming the electric enough of a business man to see how work
machine into a generator to supply electric cur- should be conducted, and I am aware that a man
cannot attend to the factory and at the same
rent to the key-actuating means.
A further object is to so arrange and con- time be looking after the outside business, and as
struct the motive and generative powers of the Mr. Steinmetz has a large acquaintance in the
attachment that they may be satisfactorily, effi- trade, I concluded it would be better to let him
ciently, and safely operated by a direct or c!c the selling while I took charge of the business
alternating commercial circuit of any voltage and manufacturing end."
or phase.
COL. TREACY'S SUCCESSFUL TRIP.
A further object is to provide a field piece
or casting for the electric machine which will
Colonel Daniel F. Treacy, of the firm of Daven-
also serve as a part of the supporting frame for port & Treacy, who has been recently looking over
tiie rotating parts of the attachment.
the situation in New England, returned to this
Before particularly describing the elements city last week after a very successful trip. When
and combinations of elements for accomplish- eeen at their factory at 1905 Park avenue, by The
ing the above-stated objects of this invention Review, he said he regarded the outlook as ex-
it is stated that heretofore the employment of ceptionally bright, and that the month of January
high-voltage commercial electric circuits for had been the best in the history of their firm.
actuating electromagnetic piano-players has
proved expensive, unsatisfactory, and dangerous,
B. H. JANSSEFS LONG TRIP.
owing to the fact that the excess of potential
B.
H.
Janssen, the well-known piano manufac-
causes the contacts to spark when broken or
turer
of
1881-1883 Park avenue. New York, who
separated by the music-sheet, which sparks char
the sheet and have been known to ignite the is making an extensive tour of the country, was
same and cause disastrous conflagrations. By last heard from in Mexico, where he was meeting
the means to be hereinafter set forth the com- with good success in placing his popular product.
mercial current is expended upon a prime motor When he leaves the land of the Aztecs he will
which drives a generator creating a current of proceed to California.
sufficient potential to properly energize the key-
CALLERS ON THE TRADE.
actuating means, but not as great as the current
of the commercial current. The winding for,
Among the callers on the manufacturing trade
say, sixty-five magnets, with or without ex- i 11 . the Bronx district during the past week were
ternal spark-reducers, of sufficiently high re- J. P. Caulfield, of Baltimore. Md.; M. B. Lamb, of
sistance is expensive when compared with mag- Worcester, Mass., and F. A. Briggs, of Washing-
nets which are wound for only four volts, as in ton, D. C. Rumor has it that they left several
my present device. If the slightest cross or short good-sized orders behind them.
VISITORS £ R 0 M TEXAS.