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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
9
THE PERSONALITY OF PIANO STORES
REMODELINGJHAUS STORE.
Dicussed by C. A. Grinnell Before the Detroit Music Trade Association—Gives Interesting Re-
view of His Impressions of Business Conditions in the Far West, Gleaned During His Recent
Tour—Pays High Compliment to the Influence of the Steinway Piano.
When Remodeling Operations Are Completed
the Lima, Ohio, Piano House Will Have
Finest Quarters in That Section of State—
H. P. Maus Now Sole Proprietor of This
Business Owing to A. D. Maus' Retirement.
(Special to The Review.)
Detroit, Mich., Oct. 15, 1912.
C. A. Grinnell, of Grinnell Bros., was the prin-
cipal speaker at the meeting of the Detroit Music
Trades Association, October 15. It was the first
meeting of the winter season. Mr. Grinnell's topic
was his impressions of the business conditions in
the Far West, gleaned during his vacation journey
to St. Paul, the Yellowstone Park and the Pacific
Coast cities.
He dwelt at length upon the characteristics of
the piano stores and of piano stores in general.
"Everywhere in my travels I have noticed what
might be called the personality of piano stores.
But never have 1 noticed it to the extent I did on
the Pacific Coast. By personality I mean that
indefinable something which perhaps you all have
noticed, which identifies a store with the style and
policies of the proprietor, or the power higher
up, if it be a corporation."
Mr. Grinnell declared that such "store person-
ality" was so marked that if he were acquainted
with the main store of any piano house, and
should go into a new branch store of the same
house blindfolded he would know at a glance,
when the blind was removed, to whom the store
belonged. The style of the salesmen, their man-
ner of approaching patrons, the stock they carry
and the manner of its arrangement, the store
decorations, the general atmosphere of the place
all are distinctive of the tastes and policies of the
proprietors.
The type of salesmen indicates the proprietor's
style of going after business. Some will -be cor-
dial, some dignified, some jocular. If the cordial
man should have a dozen stores he would have the
same style of salesmen in all; so with the dignified
man or the jocular man. All may be hustlers and
they may get an equal amount of business, but
they go after it in different ways. Each gets the
business of the people who like his style. Some
stores have stylishly dressed salesmen; some have
well educated men; some rate education as a mat-
ter of secondary consideration provided the men
are smart; some are sticklers for conscientious-
ness; some permit trickery. Mr. Grinnell likened
the conditions to the German farmers and their
dogs.
"Every German farmer has a big dog around his
house," he said, "and generally one can tell by
the reception the dog gives a traveler what sort of
reception the farmer will hand out. So it is with
salesmen. The sort of reception a salesman gives
patrons informs the visitor what he may expect
from the head of the house.
"That is why we manufacture our salesmen in-
stead of hiring them from other places. The
salesmen who desire a change of scene may be
able and energetic, but, having been educated in
their business under other auspices, they would
not be of our style. They would not reflect the
Grinnell policies."
The speaker mentioned the different atmosphere
of the stores in the Canadian Northwest, remark-
ing that the character of those stores was notice-
ably different as a class from American stores.
But that difference was one of a larger scope than
the differing personalities of stores, he said. So
also was the distinctiveness of the agencies of
well-known piano manufacturers.
Mr. Grinnell spoke in a most interesting way of
the Steinway agencies he visited. Grinnell Bros,
carry the Steinway in Detroit and in their twenty-
seven branch stores in Michigan. A Steinway
seems to make its presence felt in any store in
which it is placed, he said. There is an air of
dignity about it which attracts attention. Other
pianos also have their distinctive atmosphere,
which they take into the various agencies with
them.
BENJ. CURTAZ FORMS NEW COMPANY.
With Wife and Sons Organizes Benj. Curtaz & Sons, and Will Conduct General Piano Business
in San Francisco—Some of the Lines to Be Handled.
(Special to The Review.)
San Francisco, Cal., Oct. 11, 1912.
Benj. Curtaz, one of the sons of the founder ot
Benj. Curtaz & Son, and formerly one of the offi-
cers of that company, but who sold out his interest
in the old house some six years since, has now
formed a copartnership with his wife and sons under
the firm name of Benj. Curtaz & Sons, for the. pur-
pose of conducting a general piano business. Mr.
Curtaz has for some weeks been in the employ of
the Lucore Co., of this city, and from the names
of the instruments which the new partnership pro-
poses to handle it is surmised that it will act as a
retail connection for the Lucore Co. Mr. Curtaz
states that he will probably include in his lines the
H. P. Nelson, the Smith & Barnes and the Decker
& Son.
The exact location and date of opening of the
new piano house are still matters for the future.
At present Mr. Curtaz is still with the Lucore Co.
and is conducting a sale for that house in the
"Mission" district of this city.
OPENING CONCERT A SUCCESS.
BIG ORDER^OR KIMBALLS.
Patriotic Musicale in Honor of the VisFt of the
United States Fleet Largely Attended.
F. M. Tiller, Louisville, Ky., to Receive 150
Pianos of That Make Before Holidays—Fea-
tured in Newspaper Contest.
The opening concert in the new piano depart-
ment at O'Neill-Adams Co., Sixth avenue and
20th street, New York, was held last Saturday in
honor of the Atlantic fleet assembled in New
York harbor. It was essentially a "Patriotic con-
cert," and the advertisement in the daily papers
was arranged so attractively that favorable com-
ment was passed on it by many advertising ex-
perts. The music salons were crowded to full
capacity when the first number, a patriotic melody,
was announced. The performance was thoroughly
enjoyed by all present and was voted an emphatic
success. The Autopiano and the Kohler & Camp-
bell piano were used,' and the program was ren-
dered excellently by the artists who participated.
F. M. Tiller, the progressive piano dealer of
Louisville, Ky., recently placed a single order for
J50 Kimball pianos to .be delivered in three
monthly shipments, and all before Christmas. Mr.
Tiller's business has proven excellent, and the
prospects were such rs to influence him to stock
up strongly. He recently sold four pianos to the
Louisville Herald as prizes in a contest being
conducted by that paper, and naturally gained
much good advertising out of the deal.
ESTEY ORGAN CO/S POWER PLANT.
The Estey Organ Co., Brattleboro, Vt., has just
placed in operation the new electric power plant
recently erected by the company and claimed to be
CLOSE OUT DEPARTMENTS.
one of the finest and most complete of its kind in
II. Kleber & Bro., Pittsburgh, Pa., have closed the country. The plant is located in a brick build-
out the last of their stock of sheet music and ing 100x50 feet, separated from the rest of the fac-
small goods rnd will confine themselves in the tory, and is sufficient to supply enough power for
future to the sale of pianos, player-pianos and the factory at all times and provide a liberal mar-
Victrolas.
gin of excess.
(Special to The Review.)
Lima, Ohio, Oct. 14, 1912.
Work is progressing rapidly on the remodeling
of the building occupied by the Maus Piano House,
at 406-8 North Main street, this city, and when
the improvements are completed the quarters will
be among the finest devoted to the display and sale
of pianos in northwestern Ohio.
The wood-work will be finished in mahogany
and white enamel, the walls and ceilings highly
decorated and the floors will be polished, while
the best electric lighting system will be used
throughout, making it possible to observe the stock
of instruments by night as well as by day.
The north room, the larger of the two, will con-
tain private sales rooms, where a customer can re-
pose in a parlor and easy chair while the salesman
demonstrates the merits of the piano.
A new feature will be added in the way of a
child's playroom, something entirely new in this
section of the country. The room will be fur-
nished with amusements for the little ones and so
arranged that no danger can come to them while
the mother or father is absent in some other part
of the building.
A balcony will be constructed in the rear of
the room, which will be used for the displaying
of benches, music cabinets and player music.
The basement will also be overhauled for the
storing of stock and entire new fronts will be
built on the buildings. H. P. Maus is now in sole
cfiarge of the business following the resignation
of A. D. Maus recently, the latter going to
Arkansas to enter the lumber trade.
BIG INCREASE INJHILERS TRADE.
Spokane Branch Reports Thirty-three Per Cent.
Increase in Business During Year, and at
Reduced Cost wit.h Improvement in Prospect.
(Special to The Review.)
Spokane, Wash., Oct. 11, 1912.
Upon a recent visit of Hy Eilers, head of the
Eilers Piano House, to this city, he stated, in an
interview, that the business of his house had never
been better and that the local branch had increased
its business more than 33 per cent, during the past
year. At the same time, according to Mr. Eilers,
the running expenses had decreased over 8 per
cent., and still further improvement is in sight in
both directions.
HARKS JOINS B. DREHER SONS CO.
(Special to The Review.)
Cleveland, O., Oct. 15, 1912.
Martin J. Harks, who for the past twenty-five
years has been with the J. T. Wamelink & Sons
Piano Co., has joined the forces of the B. Dreher's
Sons Co., 1028-30 Euclid avenue, this city. Mr.
Harks is the organist of the Holy Trinity Church
<°nd widely known throughout the world.
RUDOLF
PIANOS
are conscientiously made, good
instruments; in other words,
the sweetest things out.
RUDOLF PIANO CO.
721 East 137th St.
NEW YORK