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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
ence in both the manufacturing and selling ends
of the industry, and who will be an officer of the
company which the firm will form, and will be
personally in charge of the factory. The general
The Selling of Pianos at Retail.from Factories Discussed—Courtesy Pays—Big Crowd Expected
offices and wholesale salesrooms will be main-
at Convention This Year—Is Piano Advertising Too Dignified or "Stiff?"—Chase-Hackley
tained in the present quarters on the seventh
Fire Cause Only Temporary Inconvenience—Captain Parker Convalescent—M. A. Meyers
floor of the Republic building.
of Cable-Nelson Co. Traveling—New Concern in Kansas City—New Factory for Rochford &
H. L. Palmer, of Maynard & Palmer, who has
Co.—R. K. Maynard's Good Trip—Lhevinne
in
Recital—Many
Trade
Visitors—Fine
been seriously ill, is again at his desk, although
Progress With H. P. Nelson Co. Plant—Adam Schaaf Advance—Other Items of Interest.
not entirely recovered. He expects soon to be
able to resume the road.
(Central 414.
the Chicago district the past year, and some of
Review Office:
R. K. Maynard, of the Playola Piano Co., re-
Telephones:
{Automatic 8643.
195-197 Wabash Ave. them give remarkable promise of achieving great turned last week from a successful trip in the
things.
(Special to The Review.)
interests of their product, the Playola (player)
Chicago, 111., Feb. 20, 1907.
Said a dealer the other day: "It seems to me piano. He reports the new style M, which was
In a certain town there are several piano fac- that piano advertising, both of retail dealers in recently made the subject of illustration and de-
tories, and in that town are several dealers. One their local papers and of manufacturers in the scription in this paper, as meeting with a re-
of the latter says he is being slowly forced out trade papers, fails in one of two respects. It is markably favorable reception, resulting in in-
of business because the local factories sell pianos either sensational or demoralizing, or is so bless- creased orders from old Playola dealers, and in
to the inhabitants of the town and the surround- edly dignified that it loses its effect. Now, I be- the establishment of new ones.
ing country at nearly wholesale prices. Now it lieve, advertising should be catchy and bright,
Miss Germaine Schnitzer, the distinguished
may be that the dealer in question is trying to and should be 'different.' I don't know any line
young pianiste, appeared in recital a t Music Hall
make the factory bugaboo the scapegoat for his in which originality is so sorely needed as in the
Sunday, under the local management of F. Wight
own sins, and his store does not give evidence of piano trade. Of course there are notable excep-
Neumann, using a beautiful Baldwin grand piano.
exceptional progressiveness, although the man tions, but they only serve to prove the rule."
At Orchestra Hall, Sunday afternoon, Josef
himself is a pretty clean-cut proposition. If what
The Welte player-piano (in Europe, the
he says is true, however, it would behoove piano Mignon) is attracting much attention at Lyon & Lhevinne appeared in recital, assisted by his
wife, who appeared in several of the numbers
factories to consider whether it is not the best Healy's.
for two pianos. Steinway pianos were used.
thing to protect the interests of the trade at
Fire in the building at 311-313 Wabash avenue
large, and if they must sell "direct" from the last week caused considerable damage to the It promises to be a big year for Chicago and
the Chicago district, not only in the point of
factory, insist upon getting fair retail prices.
Chase-Hackley Piano Co., whose fine warerooms
I went into a barber shop in a town the other and offices occupy all of the third floor, and output but in the production of new piano fac-
day and was allowed to pass the porter and hang brought General Manager Brayton S. Chase over tories.
Among the distinguished visitors last week
up my own hat and coat. Now, I will guarantee from the factory at Muskegon on the jump. Of
that any enterprising barber could open up near course, while causing considerable inconvenience,
that store, give the same service, charge higher the fire will in no way affect the ability of the
prices, and yet get trade from the discourteous company to take care of their customers as usual.
establishment. No one ever has much cause for The stool and scarf house of the Henry Holtz-
complaint of la«k of politeness in a piano store, man & Sons Co., whose Chicago office is on the
as urbanity is a characteristic of the business. fifth floor, suffered only slight damage and in-
True, some people think and say that the average convenience from smoke, etc.
piano store is a good place to get "shaved," but
C. G. Conn, the well-known band instrument
then they wouldn't know a selling cost if they
manufacturer of Elkhart, Ind., attended the auto-
saw it rolling down a greenhillfaraway.
mobile show in this city.
One Chicago piano house which is noted for
Another Chicago visitor last week was F. E.
the artistic nature of its advertisements in the Edgar, representing the Wilcox & White Co., who
daily papers, suffered something of a fall down called on the Chicago Angelus agents, the house
the other day. They had a cut of a young woman of George P. Bent.
seated at a piano. Either because of poor draw-
Capt. W. P. Parker, vice-president of the
THE INSIGNIA OF QUALITY
ing or imperfections in the cut the fair pianist Straube Piano Co., who has been quite seriously
wore an expression as though she was literally ill, has so far recovered that he expects to go
astonished and paralyzed at the tones coming to Eureka Springs next week, although it is
from beneath her magic touch.
barely possible that the gallant captain may not
Such a gathering of piano people as Chicago be in condition to make the trip so soon.
has never seen is promised for that eventful
Vice-President M. A. Meyers, of the Cable-Nel-
week in June. There will be four distinct con- son Piano Co., is on a trip to Missouri, Okla-
ventions—the manufacturers, dealers, travelers homa and Texas. While comparatively a new
and talking machine jobbers—most of the latter man in the business, he has a most impressive
also being large and well-known piano dealers.
personality, and is fitting into the niche made for
And still there are rumors of more player ac- him in the trade, and which seems to be growing
tions and of more player-pianos.
larger all the time. Mr. Meyers' growth is corre-
A few of the Wabash avenue concerns boast spondingly rapid. He is a man who would prove
electric signs which flash out the sign of some an honor to any business with which he might
well-known piano at night-time. It is effective see fit to connect himself, and President F. S.
advertising, and it is rather surprising that more Cable has had frequent occasion for congratu-
firms do not adopt this method of advertising lating himself and his company on the lucky alli-
while they sleep.
ance. George M. Schutz, of the same company,
Quite a few new piano manufacturing con- is on an eastern trip.
cerns have started in what may justly be called
Fred. W. Wood, of the Wood-Berry Piano
Player Co., Kansas City, Mo., was in the city last
week on his way to the East. The new company
have established a factory at Twentieth and
Southwest avenue, Kansas City, Mo., and are rap-
THE BEST IN THE WORLD
idly getting into operation. They will make the
Simple, Durable and Absolutely Noiseless
Euterpe automatic electric piano player. Mr.
NOT AFFECTED BY CLIMATE
Wood is not a new man in the inventive field, as
the Standard electric piano player sold to an-
other concern some time since is also a child of
his genius. The officers of the company are W. P.
Berry, well known to the piano trade, president;
J. F. Campbell, secretary and treasurer, and
F. W. Wood, superintendent.
By the time this paper reaches its readers, T. J.
Annoyance and Expense
Rochford & Co., of this city, will in all probability
Saved Dealer and Purchaser
have consummated a deal for the erection of a
Manufactured and sold only by
factory for the manufacture of the Rochford
MAKERS OF H. P. NELSON PIANOS,
pianos in a town in Indiana and within easy
reach of Chicago. The firm is composed of young
men of experience and ability, and has been fur-
ALBERT F. NORRIS
CLIFTON H. NORRIS
strengthened by the addition of the well-
3 Appleton Street, Boston, Mass. ther
known Frank Buck, who has had wide experi-
(fl I want every piano dealer
to know something about
the "Nelson way."
CJ It will be vividly illus-
trated in some new styles
coming through the factory
as well as on those on
The Standard of America
which this business has been
built up in so short a time.
The
N
ORRIS DATENT
"H. P. N."
PEDAL ACTION
Norris Noiseless Pedal Action Go.
H. R Nelson Co.
Mariana and Herndon Sts.
CHICAGO