Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
DETROIT TRADEJ^LOSE TO NORMAL.
War Alarm Dying Out and Public Showing In-
clination to Spend Money—Charge Banks
with Hoarding Funds—Recent Trade Vis-
itors—Changes Among the Salesmen.
(Special to The Ueview.)
DETROIT, MICH., October 6.—The piano trade in
Detroit, though greatly improved, still is a little
irregular. Many people continue to hold onto their
money, or to invest it in real estate, because they
iear that some unlooked-for turn in the European
war may involve the United States. This sort of
alarm is steadily dying out, however, permitting a
steady expansion of general business.
September sales in some of the Detroit piano
houses ran ahead of those of September last year.
The houses which were not so fortunate ascribe
the falling off to the fact that in three of the four
weeks there were distractions from business—the
G. A. R. encampment in the first six days and the
State Fair for the ensuing twelve days. All the
houses which had exhibits at the fair assert that
they did well with them and believe that their par-
ticipation in the fair was a primary reason for the
good showing of the month on the books.
While the Detroit banks have indignantly denied
that they come within the select list charged by the
Secretary of the Treasury with hoarding funds, the
business men of Detroit say differently. The
amounts may not be tremendously large, but it is an
undeniable fact that banks are refusing to make
loans for legitimate purposes. This has become so
generally known that people who have $1,000 or so
decline to put it in a bank. This is helping the
piano trade some. People in such circumstances
who want a new piano are apt to think that there
is no time like the present to buy.
A large number of piano trade visitors circulated
through the piano colony this week, though only
three of them were traveling salesmen. The latter
were Lem Kline, of the Weiler Piano Co.; J. Dvo-
rak, of Lyon & Healy, and A. J. Dalton, of the
Wegman Piano Co. Mr. Dalton is the first Weg-
man salesman to Detroit since the fire of some
months ago.
D. J. Nolan, of Cleveland, was over here again
on a still hunt for piano salesmen. Mr. Nolan is
manager of the p : ano department of the May Co.,
and has found Detroit salesmen to be so competent
that whenever he needs an additional hand or two
he comes here to recruit.
W. H. Beach, treasurer of the Rush & Lane Pi-
ano Co., was at the Detroit branch house. The
Bush & Lane Cecilian is making rapid progress to
fame in Detroit. It was first shown at the recent
State Fair, from which exhibition a number of sales
developed directly. Since then many people have
gone to the store, especially to look it over. Ship-
ments are disposed of as fast as they come in, but
as the facilities of the factory are expanded it is
hoped that soon there will be a larger stock on
hand.
Burton M. Collver, of New York, vice-president
and general manager of M. Welte & Sons' estab-
lishments in America, was in Detroit for a few
di.ys. He called at Grinnell Bros., with which firm
he was connected for a number of years.
RUDOLF
PIANOS
are conscientiously made,
good instruments; in other
words, the sweetest things out.
K. \\ Andrews, manager of the piano depart-
ment of the J. L. Hudson Co., went to Grand Rap-
ids this week as a member of the Detroit Rotary
Club, of which he formerly was president. The
occasion was an invitation from the Grand Rapids
club to the clubs of Detroit, Saginaw and Bay City
to be guests at a big banquet. More than a hun-
dred went in a special train.
H. D. Brown, for a number of years with the
Cable Piano Company, has resigned his position
with that establishment, to join the sales force of
the Detroit branch of the Starr Piano Co.
Henry Dreher, of the B. Dreher's Sons Co., of
Cleveland, visited at the Starr store this week. He
is an old friend of A. J. Wathy, city sales man-
ager for the Starr Co.
The Starr Piano Co. has supplied the pianos for
the new Orpheum Theater in Detroit.
BALE OF COTTON WITH PIANO
Offered by the Ludden & Bates Southern Music
House, Atlanta, Ga., Which Has Purchased
1,000 Bales—Other Houses Buy Cotton.
(Special to The Review.)
ATLANTA, GA., October 5.—The Ludden & Bates
Southern Music House, of this city, has taken a
strong interest in the "Buy-a-Bale-of-Cotton" move-
ment, as have many other piano houses, but it has
backed that interest to the extent of buying 1,000
bales and announces that the cotton will be held
for a ten-cent market. The company announces
that it will give a bale free with each piano pur-
chased, provided the purchaser agrees to hold the
cotton for ten cents per pound.
In this connection the Ludden & Bates Co. has is-
sued an attractive post-card, showing two bales of
cotton with a negro boy seated on one and a goat
pensively extracting the contents. The card bears
on its face the offer of the company of a bale of
cotton with a piano and the words "The war
hasn't gotten 'our goat.' " The free-bale offer has
produced excellent results, both of an advertising
and practical nature.
The Cable Piano Co., of this city, has also
bought considerable cotton and has placed a bale
at the entrance of its store to further the "buy-a-
bale" movement. Other local piano men have also
given their assistance to the movement.
Word comes from Valdosta, Ga., that the Auto-
piano Co., of New York, has purchased ten bales
of cotton through Mathis & Youmans, its represent-
atives in that city.
DEATH OF ANTON S. WULFF.
Music Critic and Former Piano and Organ
Manufacturer of Kenosha, Drops Dead.
( Special to The Keview.)
MILWAUKEE, WIS., October 6.—Anton S. Wulff.
a well-known musical critic of Kenosha, Wis., and
formerly engaged in the piano and organ manufac-
turing business in that city, dropped dead at his
home in Kenosha on September 30 at the age of
sixty-five years. He had been a sufferer from heart
disease for several years. Mr. Wulff was born in
Germany and was the son of a banker. He came
to the United States at the age of eighteen years
and shortly after began the manufacture of pianos
and organs at Kenosha. He is survived by his
widow and one daughter.
OPENS McCONNELSVILLE BRANCH.
(Special to The Review.)
MARIETTA, O., October 5.—The Wainwright
Music Co., of this city is having a new front put
in its three-story building at 127 Putnam street,
which when completed will give one of the finest
and up-to-date warerooms in the Ohio valley. This
company is also starting a branch store at Mc-
Connelsville, O.. and looks forward to a big fall
business, not only in that section but in all its
stores.
KINGSBURY PIANOS FOR THEATERS.
RUDOLF PIANO CO.
172 East 137th St.
NEW YORK
The G. C. Aschbach Music House, the prominent
dealers of Allentown, Pa., have recently placed two
Kingsbury pianos in the two theaters operated by
the Allentown Amusement Co. in that city.
Let's all of us fel-
lows making and selh
ing pianos and players
get busy and do busi-
ness.
There's plenty of
money for those who
work to get it.
Any merchant not
satisfied with his pres-
ent line will do well
to look into the merits
of the
Price & Teeple
Schaeffer
and
Pianos and Players
Musically correct.
Quality unexcelled.
Reasonable prices
and terms.
Price & Teeple
Piano Co.
General Distributors
Chicago