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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
of their advertising- matter by which they present their side to the
public.
Now, there can be no question but that all illegitimate schemes
which are calculated to delude the public can have but one ending.
They must disgust the public with a trade which adopts such
methods to dispose of its wares.
These plans must ultimately destroy public confidence not only
in the men who adhere to such methods, but in everyone engaged in
the business of piano vending.
This kind of juggling has been a blot upon the trade for some
time past and the stain still remains.
It will take mighty strong acid to remove it and the question
is, will it sink in so that the whole trade fabric will be indelibly
colored ?
TALL TOWEL.
A significant and gratifying improvement in trade
in the Southern States is reported by piano trav-
elers for the past twelve months.
The South
is in very truth coming into its own. It is no
longer dependent upon King Cotton for its source
of wealth, but the almost magical rate at which the
ct ltivation of corn is progressing in every State
this side of Mason and Dixon's line is the most sig-
nificant Southern omen since the Civil War. The
development is important from an economic stand-
point, because corn, in the fundamental aspects, is
one of the most important factors in the cost of
living and in the material welfare of any people.
It means a source of revenue within itself, and an
added profit when it is marketed, as it soon will
be in the Southern States, in the form of hogs.
This prosperity has a relative influence on the pros-
perity of the piano trade in the Southern States,
and traveling men of keen discernment are already
noting the changed and favorable conditions which
are materializing. One of these gentlemen, in
speaking with The Review last week, said: "The
•irift toward diversified crops and the interest being
given the matter of agriculture these days is pro-
ducing a new source of wealth in the South which
will be reflected at an early date in the purchase
of pianos and other luxuries. For it must be re-
membered that the people of the South are not
only extremely fond of music, but of well furnished
homes. And these tastes incline to a demand for
musical instruments and other essential equipments
of the home. It is not alone in the matter of agri-
culture that the South is progressing, but in the
domain of manufacturing the records for the past
decade show an amazing and gratifying develop-
ment. The time will come when the South will be
able to supply all of its requirements agricultur-
ally, while it is fast acquiring a position of emi-
• nence in the manufacturing field. In my opinion
it will pay business men to cultivate trade in the
South. Of course, it would be foolish to invite or
induce a 'boom.' Development in the South must
be along slow and sure lines, but the evidences of
prosperity already abound."
A feature of the piano trade during the present
holiday season has been the comparatively small
number of piano houses that have kept open during
the evening hours, that is, in comparison to other
years. The reasons given by the houses for not
keeping open are various, but all seem to agree that
the extra amount of business transacted after the
regular closing hour in many cases does not pay for
the heat and light used, to say nothing of the
amount of energy demanded from the sales force.
Some concerns settle the question by encouraging
their salesmen to sell pianos at night when they
can and opening their stores only upon appoint-
ment with a prospect, who is unable to get around
during business hours. Among the other points
raised is that after a strenuous day in handling the
holiday business the salesmen can ill afford to give
up any of the hours that are really needed for
proper rest and recreation if they are to be in
best trim for the following day, and several great
department stores in the larger cities have raised
this same argument. Another point made is that
in the majority of cases the class of trade reached
by remaining open represents the working class, or
that section of it which is not strictly desirable in
a number of ways. Whatever the argument put
forth by the dealer for not remaining open evenings
during the holidays the fact remains that their
business at this season of the year does not show
any ill effects from that cause, especially where the
majority of the dealers in the city take the same
stand. If the prospect really wants a piano during
the holidays he will find the time to visit the store
and make his selection just the same as he would
do at any other season of the year.
Judging from some of the square pianos adver-
tised in special sales by the large department stores
the past week, these instruments are evidently "im-
mortal." It is rather interesting not only to look
over the names of the makers set forth, but on
examining these old squares to find some of them
boasting of the ripe old age of sixty or seventy
years. Their vitality—for some of them still actu-
ally possess considerable life in the way of tone—
is a tribute to the workmanship of the piano mak-
ers of the early days. These sales of old squares
are notable for the number of stenciled instru-
ments advertised, the greater number of them an-
tiques in their way, which emphasizes the old-time
fact anew that the problem of stenciling is not a
modern one. From the days of John Jacob Astor
down it has been indulged in. Another thing
comes to mind in looking over these old squares,
and it is the great contrast in the matter of prices
of pianos in the past and to-day. When these old
squares that are scheduled to sell at from $5 to
$50 were in their prime it was nothing for a sales-
man to make sales of them at $600, while to-day
an excellent upright of reliable tone and construc-
tion can be had for from $350 up. Certainly manu-
facturers in the olden days made a good profit,
even if they did make reliable instruments.
The retail advertising carried by the Cable Com-
pany in the magazines and the daily papers of Chi-
cago, 111., these days, as for months past, is most
admirably coniitiucted. It is conceived along the
right lines—it interests, educates and thereby in-
duces the. reader to visit the Cable warerooms and
make a personal investigation of the various lines
of pianos exhibited therein. The advertisements
are free of the comparative price evil. They do
not assail the methods of others—they are straight-
forward "talks" to intelligent readers and have
been productive of results. The advertising de-
partment of the Cable Company, as well as Man-
ager Jos. T. Leimert, are to be congratulated on
their good work.
*
* *
Well, to resume the thread of the story, the
facts of which only recently came to light, though
known, of course, to the immediate participants
in the same at the time. Mr. Currier is a sturdy
churchman and is very much interested in reli-
gious work, from a sense of duty, inclination and
honest convictions, and has always been a gen-
erous contributor to the funds. The church he
attended was not entirely free from debt; in fact,
the indebtedness amounted to a good round sum.
On the morning in question—a warm Sunday in
summer—the pastor, after the services and before
dismissing the congregation, made a special plea,
asking if some way could not be devised to free
the church from debt. At the close of the min-
ister's remarks, after a painful silence of several
long minutes and no one responding to the invita-
tion, Mr. Currier, whose pew was in the main
body of the auditorium, slowly arose, looked
around calmly and benignly and in that deliberate
manner for which he is known, said clearly, each
word being carefully enunciated: "Though I am
satisfied my ticket to heaven has been bought and
paid for by me many years ago, still I do not
think that relieves or excuses me from any other
contributions I wish to make the church. In con-
nection with what our beloved pastor has just said,
I will assume the entire debt mentioned and pay
it out of my own pocket."
Then Mr. Currier sat down amidst a low mur-
mur of admiring applause. Then as the members
pressed forward to shower him with congratula-
tions for his unprecedented generosity, Mr. Currier
was seen to waver, then topple over in the aisle.
At first it was thought a fatality had occurred; but
in a few minutes he revived—Mr. Currier had
fallen into a dead faint, superinduced by the sur-
rounding close, warm atmosphere. "I tell you that
was a dramatic moment," added the narrator of
the story to The Review, "and when Mr. Currier
came around and became himself in the course of
ten minutes or so there was much rejoicing all
around. The story has never been in print, but
it is a good one, nevertheless."
The projected congress of those interested in
the recrudescence of American merchant shipping,
to be held in Washington, D. C, January 9 and 10,
at the suggestion of the merchant marine com-
mittee of the National Piano Manufacturers' As-
sociation, has been postponed to a later date in
January. It has been found impossible to perfect
plans for the first mentioned date. As soon as
arrangements are definitely consummated the exact
date for holding the congress will be announced.
While W. H. Currier, of the Whitney & Currier
Co., Toledo, O., as an old-time member of the
executive committee of the National Association
of Piano Dealers, is widely known in the trade,
A Swiss watchmaker has invented a watch whkh
he is also highly esteemed at home for his many
splendid qualities, both of head and heart. Withal speaks the time through the medium of a tiny talk-
Mr. Currier is a modest gentleman, even if his ing machine. A very small hard rubber record,
picture is given yearly presentation in the trade upon which certain words have been recorded, is
papers when the annual convention comes around; actuated by clockwork so that at a given time the
and it is always there. In the first place, because machine makes any announcement previously re-
the subject of these few remarks is what the corded with strength enough to be heard twenty
photographers call a "good subject," and secondly feet away. It is expected that the new watch will
and more important, perhaps, is because he is have a high sentimental value, as with such a watch
one of the foremost dealers in the country—though a man can listen to the voice of his wife or child
in semi-retirement—and is a loyal association man at any time during the day when he is away from
home.
of the type worthy of emulation.