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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
A "LIVE WIREPIN LOWELL.
HOWARD'S PISCATORIAL OFFERING.
Victor Achin Building Up a Good Piano Busi-
ness and Maintains Attractive Warerooms
on Merrimac Street—Handles Newby &
Evans, Janssen and Pflueger Instruments.
Entertains Friends at Friars' Club with Mess
of Black Bass, Which the Piano Manufac-
turers Caught the Day Before.
The famous Friars' Club, 107 West Forty-fifth
street, New York, was the scene of a most enjoy-
able luncheon last Thursday, July 31, when R. S.
the most
enterprising dealers in the city is Victor Achin, Howard, president of the R. S. Howard Co., 33
who, although a young man, has built up an en- West Forty-second street, New York, entertained
viable
business a number of his friends. The bill of fare was a
through his pro- splendid example of the art of the Friars' Club
gressive
meth- chef, but the principal and most enjoyable item on
ods. Mr. Achin the luncheon program was "black bass" which had
has a large store been caught the day before by Mr. Howard at
at 747 Merrimac Cayuga Lake, where his summer nome is located.
street, where he
Fresh water black bass cannot be purchased in
displays a most New York City, so this lunch of Mr. Howard's
c o m p rehensive was a real treat to his guests. Under the deft
line of pianos manipulation of the Friars' Club chef the bass was
and
p l a y e r - served "just right," and the luncheon was voted by
pianos.
He is those present one of the most pleasant events of
o n e of those the summer season.
live dealers w.ho
Mr. Howard returned to his summer home,
presses the auto- "Union Springs," last Saturday, to be away for
mobile into ser- the month of August, and promises to repeat his
a n d
h a s
luncheon if he has as good luck this month as he
Victor Achin in H i s W a r e r o o m . v i c e
closed
many had in July. At his beautiful summer home Mr.
sales by using this machine. He makes frequent Howard has a sturdy eighteen-foot steel motor
trips to near-by towns and villages and brings his boat which is ideal for trolling for bass and pick-
prospect to the city, it being very seldom that one erel. Last Wednesday he landed six bass in about
gets away without buying. Among the pianos two hours, which made fifty for the month of July.
which Mr. Achin successfully handles are the Comment on this record of Mr. Howard's as a fish-
Newby & Evans, Janssen and Pflueger instruments. erman is hardly necessary, as he seems to be meet-
He has done an extensive business in player-pianos ing with the same success in landing the finny tribe
as he is meeting with the sale of R. S. Howard
and music rolls during the last year.
grands, players and uprights.
(Special to The Review.)
LOWELL, MASS., August 4.—One of
(Special to The Review.)
WASHINGTON, D. C , August 4.—Representative
Mann has introduced a bill authorizing the Depart-
ment of Commerce to make original investigation
and research concerning forms and processes of
manufacture. The bill reads as follows:
"That the Secretary of Commerce is hereby
authorized by the Bureau of Standards, or any
other bureau now under the Department of Com-
merce, or which may be hereafter created in said
department, to make original investigation and re-
search .concerning forms and processes of manu-
facture and needs and methods of improvement in
manufacture, both generally and specially; but no
process or device which may be discovered or in-
vented by any person while employed in or by said
department in accordance with the provisions of
this act shall be patented for the use or special
benefit of any person, but the same shall be open
for the general use of all. For the purposes herein
indicated the Secretary of Commerce may employ
such experts, special agents, clerical assistants
and other help as may 'be authorized from time to
time by law."
Bjur Bros. Co. Traveler Makes Pleasing Report
After Tour of State—Strong Representation
for the Bjur Bros.' Products in Territory.
(Special to The Review.)
H. B. WALTERS WITH STULTZ BROS.
MADISON, WIS., August 2.—The business pros-
pects in this State from a piano man's point of
view are distinctly encouraging, according to the
report of R. H. McKenzie, who has just finished
a two weeks' trip through the State in the interest
of the Bjur Bros.' line of pianos and player-pianos.
"While Wisconsin is chiefly a dairy State," said
Mr. McKenzie, "a goodly proportion of the revenue
is secured from general farming, and the weather
conditions have insured an excellent crop of farm
products during the coming months. Wisconsin is
a great Bjur Bros. State, and the prospects for
the sale of a large number of Bjur Bros.' instru-
ments during the balance of the year are most
promising.
"Since the first of the year we have established
five new and strong agencies for Bjur Bros.' pianos
and player-pianos in addition to those already es-
tablished, and as a result the State is well cov-
ered."
The Struve-Lemay Co., of Bloomer and Chip-
pewa Falls, is going the limit with both the Bjur
Rros. and Gordon lines. The W. H. Aton Co.,
with stores in Madison and Baraboo, are also
among the active representatives in Wisconsin, Mr.
Aton, who is in personal charge of the main store
in Baraboo, being enthusiastic over the Bjur Bros.'
line and its selling features.
Mr. McKenzie, who also sells Bjur Bros.' pianos
and player-pianos at retail, in his homo, city of
Litchfield, Mich., recently took an extended trip
through the Middle West with most satisfactory
results.
Resigns as Secretary of E. Gabler & Bro.—
Will Be Superintendent in Stultz Factory.
WASHINGTON PIANO MEN ANNOYED.
TO IMPROVE MANUFACTURING.
House Bill Proposes Federal Search After New
Processes—Will Interest Manufacturers.
PROSPECTS GOOD IN WISCONSIN.
H. B. Walters resigned this week as secretary
of E. Gabler & Brother, Inc., and relinquished his
supervision of the factory at 347 Rider avenue,
New York ( to S. Goodman, who, as announced ex-
clusively in The Review, last week, has been ap-
pointed superintendent. Mr. Walters is now con-
nected with Stultz Brothers as factory superin-
tendent.
The piano merchants at Washington, D. C, are
up in arms over the action of the railroads enter-
ing that city, who will withdraw free freight de-
livery privilege on September 1. Efforts will be
made to influence the Interstate Commerce Com-
mission to take some action in the matter.
C. A. Widing has resigned as vice-president of
the Tryber Piano Co., South Bend, Ind.
BERMUDA AS A FIELD FOR AMERICAN PIANOS.
F. J. Bayley, the Detroit Dealer, Declares That There Is a Strong Market for Pianos of Quality
in Bermuda and Southern Countries—Other Detroiters on Vacations.
(Special to The Review.)
DETROIT, MICH., August 5.—Frank J. Bayley, sec-
retary of the Detroit Music Trades Association,
returned from a three weeks' vacation in Bermuda
this week, with an idea for the extension, in a slight
degree at least, of the American market for pianos.
"Instead of flooding the American market and
then trying to force sales by schemes that are not
strictly legitimate business, they ought to go after
the trade of Southern countries, of which Bermuda
is a sample," he said to The Review. "It would
MAYER PIANO CO/S NEW BUILDING cost
them less money to export than to buy page
In San Antonio Will Be Three Stories and Well
advertising in the dailies, give away music lessons
Equipped for the Business.
for a year, cut prices or to do any of the other
freak things that have been advertised. Appar-
(Special to The Review.)
SAN ANTONIO, TEX., August 4.—Work will be ently American manufacturers never think of for-
commenced this week on the new building for the eign trade. Counting the sales cost many of them
Mayer Piano Co., at Travis and Soledad streets, indulge in, they could export at a better profit than
they can sell at home, notwithstanding various
which when completed will be one of the finest of
its kind in the State. The building will be three tariffs.
"Good pianos are so scarce in Bermuda I couldn't
stories and basement and built of reinforced con-
crete throughout. It will cost about $32,000. The find one. England sends her poorest commodities
to Bermuda, and her pianos are a specimen. They
first and second floors will be devoted to the piano
are old-fashioned, undersized and undertoned. They
business, while the upper floor will be used for
studios for music teachers. The Mayer Piano Co. sound like the tinkling of a dulcimer. The poorest
of the American pianos is better, according to my
was recently incorporated with a capital stock of
$25,000.
notion. Bermuda isn't very large, of course, but
WINTER & CO.
220 SOUTHERN BOULEVARD, N E W YORK
Manufacturers of
it is big enough and prosperous enough to furnish
an entering wedge to the Southern export trade.
Germany and England are furnishing everything
to Southern countries now and are furnishing their
poorest.
"Pianos for that trade would have to be made a
little differently, but not more expensively. They
would have to have more screws and less glue, in
order to withstand moisture. It's only a question
of American piano manufacturers getting down
there after the business."
Vacations among piano men are numerous now.
With Mr. Bayley on the ocean was his father,
Volney P. Bayley, still active in the piano business,
though one of the Detroit pioneers of the trade.
A. H. Howes, city sales manager of Grinnell Broth-
ers, is in Mackinac for two weeks. C. A. Grinnell
is still touring the Northwest. A. R. Volkmer, of
the Starr Piano Co., is en route to London for
several weeks' visit with his mother. F. J. Lister,
of the same company, has just returned from some-
where, and James Sims has hied away. A. J,
Wathy, of the Starr, spent his two weeks fishing
. near Port Huron, and brought back a photograph
of himself and forty-five bass alleged to have been
snared by him in one day. The photo is proof that
anyhow they were snared.
Superior Pianos
and Player Pianos