Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
WULSCHNER-STEWART CO. STOCK SOLD AT AUCTION.
Closing Out of Stock and Fixtures of Old-time Indianapolis House on Saturday Quite a Surprise
— T h e Future Plans of William T. Woodley, the Proprietor, Not Announced.
(Special to The Review.)
INDIANAPOLIS, IND., July 28.—Auction
of
the
stock and fixtures of the Wulschner-Stewart Music
Co., 229-231 North Pennsylvania street, was begun
here Saturday morning, July 26. The announce-
ment that the entire equipment of this company
was to be disposed of at auction came as a sur-
prise to some dealers, while others intimated they
knew such a movement was being contemplated
lor some time.
William T. Woodley, recently of Chicago, who
bought the store from Alexander M. Stewart a
year ago last May, said he was not ready at this
time to say what his plans were for the future,
except that he expects to remain in Indianapolis.
He also said he would dispose of the lease for the
building and that the Wulschner-Stewart Co.
would not go out of existence. Mr. Woodley said
he would make a full announcement of his plans
later. He was engaged in the real estate business
in Chicago before he came to Indianapolis.
The Wulschner-Stewart Music Co.'s store has
always been held in the highest regard by the pub-
lic of Indianapolis, and many expressions of regret
have been heard since the announcement that the
company would sell its stock at auction. The
building occupied by the company was* erected
especially for the Wulschner-Stewart Co., and it is
adapted for a music store. It has four floors, with
a large basement which was formerly used for
the talking machine department. The Wulschner-
Stewart Co. leased the building for twenty years
3bout three years ago. This lease was taken over
by Mr. Woodley when he bought the stock.
The Wulschner-Stewart Music Co. is one of
Indiana's oldest and largest music houses. Shortly
after Mr. Woodley took charge of the company's
affairs the branch stores in Lafayette, Kokomo
and Terre Haute were closed and the stock was
brought to Indianapolis. At that time it was stated
that the company intended to centralize its efforts
in Indianapolis.
The value of the stock is placed at $250,000 by
the company. The stock includes, according to the
company, 500 upright pianos and player-pianos and
200 grand pianos and player-grands. The instru-
ments of the following makes were offered for
sale: Steinway grands, Chickering uprights, Chick-
ering grands, Vose pianos, Apollo players, Hume
grands, Stodard pianos, Behning pianos, Cam-
eron pianos, Wulschner pianos, Stewart pianos,
Steinway Welte players, Chickering players, Vose
players, Wulschner grand player-pianos, Angelus
players, Hallet & Davis grands, Knabe pianos,
Stodard players, J-ewett pianos, Wulschner grand
pianos and Stewart players.
The entire musical department, which includes
instruments of all kinds made by the leading man-
ufacturers of the world, was offered also. Sheet
music valued at $25,000 was placed under the ham-
mer. Michael Tauber & Co., of Chicago, were the
auctioneers.
Charles M. Udell, the general manager of the
company, resigned the day before the sale began.
.Mr. Udell has not announced what he will do in
the future. He was with the Wulschner-Stewart
Co. for a number of years.
Otto F. Mueller, of the sales department, says
he has not decided whether he will stay in In-
dianapolis or go elsewhere.
*
DEATH OF JOSEPH KUDER.
Partner and Associate of the Late Hugo
Sohmer Passes Away After a Long and Hon-
orable Career—A Practical Piano Man Who
Contributed Much to the Development of
the Piano—Funeral Held on-Sunday.
Joseph Kuder, one of the founders and a mem-
ber of the well-known piano house of Sohmer &
Co., died at his home, 76 West Eighty-sixth
street, New York, on Thursday of last week. Mr.
Kuder had not been in good health for some time
past, and had failed rapidly since the death of his
friend and associate, Hugo Sohmer. In fact, at
the funeral of the latter he had to be assisted to
his home after the 6crvices, he. was so overcome
with emotion.
Mr. Kuder was a native of Wolsdorf, a small
Bohemian town, and in his boyhood went to
Vienna, where he learned piano making in the
shop of Johann Hertzmann. In 1854, when he
was twenty-three years of age, he realized that
the New World offered a greater scope for rys
talents and industry, and he sailed for New York.
Spillane's "History of the American Pianoforte"
relates that Mr. Kuder's first experience in the
metropolis as a piano maker was in the shop of
Steinway & Sons, then on Walker street. After
about a year he entered Lighte, Newton & Brad-
bury's employ, where he became a department fore-
man, his specialty being grand and square regula-
ting and finishing, but owing to the depression
and a general feeling of inertness that followed
the panic of 1857, Mr. Kuder returned to Vienna
in 18(51, where he re-entered Hertzman's shop.
Like all persons who have lived in the invigorating
atmosphere of the United States for any time, Mr.
Kuder turned his face westward once more and
arrived in New York in 1864. After his arrival
he took a position witli Marsdiall & Mittauer, with
COLUMBIA FOR_MARKS CO. STORE. was placed this week by Mr. Robinson, and he ex- whom he continued up to their dissolution in 1871,
pects to close an excellent business with the Colum-
Attractive Talking Machine Establishment to
and continued with J. H. Boernhoeft, their suc-
bia line in his department.
Be Opened by C. M. Robinson in Cleveland's
cessor, up to tlie time he joined Mr. Sohmer in
Well-known Department Store.
forming the house of Sohmer & Co., which be-
INCREASING OUTPUT OF GRANDS.
came successors to Boernhoeft, and commenced
(Special to The Review.)
manufacturing on Fourteenth street and Third
The Brambach Piano Co., of New York, whose
CLEVELAND, O., July 28.—One of the most im- specialty is small grands, reports a steadily in- avenue in 1872.
portant recent acquisitions to the lists of repre- creasing demand for these instruments, thus demon-
Mr. Kuder was a thorough piano maker of the
sentatives of the Columbia Graphophone Co. is C. si rating the accuracy of its contention at the time old school and an improver and inventor who has
it established the business, that there was a special
M. Robinson, of this city. Mr. Robinson will open
had many patents to his credit. He was one of
place in the trade for the small grand of reliability
in. the very near future a large and handsomely
those "'silent workers" whose labors were repre-
decorated talking machine department in the new U- be sold at the right price. The 4-foot 8-inch sented in the perfected instrument which left the
^rand made by this company is an especial favor-
department store recently opened by the Marks
Sohmer factory and which added so much to the
ite, and the weekly output is steadily increasing.
Co., of this city. An unusually large initial order
reputation of the house. He was closely attached
to the late Hugo Sohmer, and was beloved by all
his associates, who sincerely regret his passing.
Mr. Kuder leaves a daughter, Mrs. Bernard
Arrangements Made Last Week Not Satisfactory and a New Discussion on the Manner o f Collect-
Ziegler, and a grandson, Joseph Ziegler.
ing Instalments Under the Contract Leases Arises with a Better Understanding Resulting.
The funeral was held Sunday morning in Arion
(Special to The Review.)
to collect under a duplicate lease, Mr. Bradner
Hall, Fifty-ninth street and Madison avenue, New
NEWARK, N. J., July 26.—After another lengthy
said that that would be time enough to bring the
York. In addition to a host of personal friends
discussion among attorneys representing creditors matter into court for adjudication.
and acquaintances, there were present a number
of the Edisonia Co., concerning the manner of
Mr. English asserted that, as nearly all the
of members of the piano industry and many em-
collecting instalments under the contract leases, it leases were duplicated, it would mean "running to ployes of the Sohmer factory. Mr. Kuder was a
has been determined that all collections should be court all the time."
prominent member of the Arion Society, and the
made as heretofore, and, in the event that any
George H. Pierce, of Pierce & Hoover, counsel services Sunday were beautiful in their simplicity.
oi the parties interfered with the collections of an- for the trustee, said the agreement between the
other, that either should have the right to apply to Nelson Co. and the trustee, by virtue of which the
PIANOS AND "TALKERS" AS PRIZES.
the court for an adjudication upon two days' notice. Nelson Co. was making its collections, was dif- Offered by the New York Morning Telegraph
The matter came up following the refusal of the ferent from that of the other creditors, inasmuch
in a Contest for the Most Popular Actor and
Nelson Piano Co., through its counsel, Frank E. as the Nelson Co. had turned over $22,000 worth
Actress on the American Stage.
Bradner, to join in the general agreement entered of the disputed leases to the trustee.
In a popularity contest that the New York
Mr. Bradner complained that Walter F. Austin,
into last week whereby the trustee, Frank W.
Morning Telegraph has just started a number of
Long, was designated to collect upon all disputed collecting for the Union National Bank, had in
pianos and talking machines are offered as prizes
claims. Mr. BraJner said that he had a specific one instance settled a claim of $500 for $250 and
for the most popular actors and actresses on the
agreement with the trustee whereby the Nelson receipted the lease held by the bank, whereas the
Co. was authorized to collect on the leases in its Nelson Co. had a duplicate which was unsatisfied. American stage and to motion picture players. In
"In such cases as these," Mr. Bradner contended, the contest for actors and actresses the second
possession, a bond of $50,000 having been filed by
"the purchaser holds a receipted lease just like the prize is a handsome Sohmer concert grand piano,
the concern to protect other claimants.
the third prize a Jacob Doll & Sons' player-piano
William H. Morgan, representing the Mercan- one we hold against him."
Referee Adams wanted to know at this point and the fourth and fifth prizes Regent and Baby
tile Security Co., of Baltimore, and Conover Eng-
lish, appearing for the Union National Bank, what difference it made who made the collection Regent models, respectively, of Columbia Grafo-
pointed out that their respective concerns had also so long as all the claimants were protected by the nolos.
In the motion picture players' contest the first
filed a bond with the trustee and were making bonds put up by the leaseholders.
Mr. Pierce said that if the collections were made prize is a Doll & Sons' Boudoir upright piano and
collections subject to a later adjudication of the
the third prize a Nonpareil model of Columbia
as now, he thought the referee should make an
priorities.
Mr. Bradner suggested that the matter of col- order to be agreed to by the claimants so that the Grafonola. This contest is being advertised ex-
lecting be allowed to stand as it is, and upon dis- trustee would not have to sue under the bond. No tensively, and the instruments featured are thereby
receiving considerable publicity.
covery that other leaseholders were endeavoring action was taken, however.
CREDITORS OF EDISONIA CO. AGREE ON COLLECTIONS.