Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE
MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
9
TENDENCY TOWARD BETTER BUSINESS IN SAN FRANCISCO
WORKING TO FULL CAPACITY
September Making an Excellent Showing—Demand for Better Class of Pianos—Sherman, Clay
Changes in Portland Store—Japan and China Seeking American Pianos—News of Week
SAN FRANCISCO, CAL., September 14.—Notwith- has been in San Francisco this week visiting
standing sonic very hot weather throughout with Fraser & McConnell, the local agents for
California during the past week, there is a very the line.
general movement throughout the trade. Ship-
Shipping Pianos to China and Japan
ments are going out to the outside agencies,
Harry Marcus, manager of the piano depart-
and there has been going on a general lining ment of the Emporium, is back at work this
up of plans for the immediate future. Piano week after a short but pleasant vacation out-
men back from other parts of the Coast report ing in Yosemite Valley. He is this week ship-
that everywhere the tendency is for a better ping a piano to Shanghai, China. He has fre-
business. This is especially true of the North, quently sent instruments to the Philippines and
where business has been dragging a little for to Hawaii; but this is the first sale direct to
a good many months.
China.
The Emporium has recently con-
cluded an arrangement by which it is expected
Demand for High-Priced Pianos
Manager Frank Anrys, of the Wiley B. Allen to pick up quite a little business in China and
Co., returned this week from his visit to Port- Japan. This is the first business derived by
land Ore., and other points in the North. While the piano department from the new deal.
Marquette Automatic Pianos in Demand
in Portland, Mr. Anrys closed a deal for the
renewal of the company's lease on their present
Peter Bacigalupi reports that the goods of
store. Fie says that while the announcement the Marquette Piano Co. are moving out nice-
of the increase in the price of Mason & Ham- ly, and that prospects are for a very large busi-
lin pianos caused the closing of a lot of sales ness in these automatics as soon as the wet
in August, this boom does not appear to have and dry election is over. W. B. Ackerman, for-
injured the September business. The player merly of Scranton, Pa., who is now in charge
and high grade business has kept up well, in of the Edison business of Mr. Bacigalupi, says
fact, most of the business just now is in good that the demand for the Edison dictating ma-
lines. An indication of the San Francisco de- chine is particularly good.
mand for high grade pianos was shown at an
Hard to Get Out of Piano Business
auction this week, where a Wiley B. Allen
Frank Bowers, formerly of J. T. Bowers &
salesman witnessed some lively bidding for a Son, who retired from business a year or so
Chickering baby grand piano. After the in- ago, is still closing out reverts, etc., and says
strument was finally sold at $500, quite a crowd that he finds that it takes a long time to get
left the auction, having no further interest in out of the piano business completely.
it. Mr. Anrys says that his house will not
Long Beach House in Financial Trouble
put in any stencil grands, though they find a
An involuntary petition in bankruptcy has
good demand for their medium priced grand.
been filed against S. V. Harthorn and D. H.
Larger Space for Sherman, Clay in Portland
Harthorn, former piano dealers of Long Beach,
While in the North F. W. Stephenson, who Cal., the creditors being various piano manu-
has charge of the construction work for the facturers. Among these are: The Schiller
numerous stores of Sherman, Clay & Co., con- Piano Co., Lester Piano Co., and Ivers & Pond.
ferred with J. H. Dundore, the Portland man-
Compete for Pipe Organ Contract
ager of the company, as to the changes and
The following organ manufacturers submitted
expansions of the Sherman, Clay & Co. store
bids for the $25,000 pipe organ, which is to be
in Portland. When the present changes are
installed in the Public Auditorium at Portland,
completed, the Portland store will have ap-
Ore.: California Organ Co., of Los Angeles,
proximately twice as much floor space as be-
Cal.; Hook & Hastings Co., Kendall Green,
fore; that is, about 25,000 square feet. The new
Mass.; Casavant Bros., South Haven, Mich.;
first floor scheme will give added space for
Rudolph Wurlitzer Co., North Tonawanda,
ten large record rooms, two extra large Vic-
N. Y.; Ernest M. Skinner Co., Boston, Mass.;
trola rooms, offices for the manager and cash-
Eilers Music House, Portland; Berry Wood
ier, rest room, telephone booths and ticket
Piano Player Co., Kansas City, Mo.; M. P.
selling booths. A new entrance will also be
Moller, Hagerstown, Md.; and the Estey Organ
provided. The changes will cost upwards of
Co., of Brattleboro, Vt.
$5,000.
Some Trade Brieflets
The Eilers Music House has rented the cor-
ner store of its building at Portland, Ore., to J. P. Loftus, representing the Eilers Piano
a well-known sporting goods manufacturer. House, has leased quarters in Petaluma, Cal.,
The consolidation of the Eilers and Graves in- and will hold a piano sale during the next few
terests at Portland and the acquiring of two weeks.
The Shell Music Co., of Auburn, Cal., is hold-
stores gave the Eilers Co. more space than nec-
ing
a special sale as an introductory move in
essary.
Representative Struthers, of Ivers & Pond, the fall campaign.
W. D. Adams, a piano dealer of Honolulu,
T. H., is in San Francisco this week on his way
home from a tour of the Eastern States.
A. L. Quinn, San Francisco representative
of the Q R S Co., left for New York and other
Eastern points a few days ago. He will re-
main away for about a month.
L. S. Roberts, traveling representative of the
Melville Clark Co., is in San Francisco this
"Music as Actually Played"
week visiting with the Wiley B. Allen Co., the
Pacific Coast representatives of the Apollo line.
HESE record rolls repre-
Mr. Jones, traveling representative of Jacob
sent a true, scientific re-
Doll & Sons, is here this week visiting the
production of piano playing
trade.
as performed by e m i n e n t
Both Mr. Jackson and Mr. Masters, of the
San Francisco office of the American Piano
artists. Made with a respect to
Co., are in the North this week looking after
the ideals of past and present
the reviving business in that section.
composers. Artempo rolls sell
Manager Leatherby, of the Wurlitzer Co., is
on a merit basis only.
now in New York paying his respects to head-
Your proof is in our sample
quarters.
box at $2.00. Ask for it today.
George O. Heine, of Heine's Piano House, is
preparing to start a campaign on low priced
BENNETT & WHITE, Inc.
baby grands, which he will feature under his
67-71 Gobel St., NEWARK, N. J.
own brand.
W. B. Armstrong Tells of Immense Business
Being Done in All Divisions of American
Piano Co.—Factory Working Night and Day
Record Rolls
T
In a chat with The Review this week, W.
B. Armstrong, first vice-president of the Amer-
ican Piano Co., New York, commented upon
the fact that each of the company's divisions
is working to capacity, with every indication of
continuing that way for quite some time to
come.
The Knabe factory at Baltimore, the Chicker-
ing plant at Boston and the mammoth Foster-
Armstrong factories at Rochester are working
day and night to give service to their dealers
throughout the country. During the past year
every factory controlled by the American Piano,
was enlarged materially, but even these in-
creased facilities are being found inadequate in
the face of the remarkable prosperity the com-
pany is experiencing.
LEAVES ON CALIFORNIA TRIP
T. M. McCracken, a member of the sales staff
of the Mason & Hamlin Co., 313 Fifth avenue,
New York, will leave to-day for a six months'
stay, in the southern part of California. Mr.
McCracken will make this trip a combined busi-
ness and pleasure trip, and is planning to spend
considerable time in Los Angeles.
This is a micro-photo-
graph showing a longitu-
dinal section of
No. 18 Perfected
Piano Wire
after the following test:
Placed under a constant, uniform ten-
sion of 1651b. for a period of eight
months; vibrated at frequent inter-
vals by means of electro magnet and
felt hammer; energy applied equal to
that required for about six years ordi-
nary use in a player-piano.
RESULT
Tensile strength increase—500 lb.
per sq. in.
Elongation decrease .1% in 10 in.
Amplitude of Vibration increased
1%.
The micro-structure shows that
no abnormal conditions were
developed.
American Steel & Wire Company
Chicago, New York, Worcester, Cleveland, Pitts-
burgh, Denver. Export representative: U. S. Steel
Products Co., New York. Pacific Coast representa-
tive: U. S. Steel Products Co., San Francisco, Los
Angeles, Portland, Seattle.