Music Trade Review

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THE
10
MUSIC
TRADE
REVIEW
KANSAS CITY DEALERS PARTICIPATE IN FASHION SHOW
Piano Stores Decorated in Honor of Annual Exhibit—A. A. Howard Succeeds P. H. Pierce—New
Sign for Henley-Waite Store—Jenkins Now Vice-President of Rotary Club—Other Items
KANSAS CITY, MO., October 2.—Much interest
has been aroused in Kansas City by the fourth
annual Fashion Show held September 25, 26
and 27. This is not only interest manifested
by the dealers and citizens of the city, but by
the storekeepers and inhabitants of the small
towns in the neighborhood. The piano deal-
ers naturally took advantage of the festival oc-
casion to decorate their stores with the purple
and gold colors of the show. A large number
of out-of-town people have visited the stores as
a result. Another factor to which the piano
men have been paying much attention in the
way of advertising and window display is the
presence in the city of a large number of
bankers—members of the American Bankers'
Association. One of the elements of the good
business which the music stores have enjoyed
during the past summer was the presence in the
city of members of different associations. Kan-
sas City made'especial effort to* please the visi-
tors, and the music stores have done their part
along that line.
It became known recently that Edward
Kreiser, the noted piano player and organist of
the city, is contemplating taking a contract to
play a Hope-Jones unit orchestra in one of
the large theatres of Portland, Ore.
U. L. Means, of the Means & Pearson Piano
Co., has gone on a trip to western Kansas,
visiting dealers in preparation for fall business.
This firm caters to country business, and does
not make a special effort to get the city busi-
ness. The objectionable thing about city busi-
ness, W. Pearson, the other member of the
firm, claims, is that the dealer must make con-
tracts and sell pianos on very small terms. With
the country trade this is not practiced. As a
result of this country catering, this firm has
been selling a good number of pianos during
the summer—a number much larger consider-
ing the size of the store than some of the
larger firms have to their credit, it is said.
Arthur A. Howard has been appointed to
fill the vacancy of P. H. Pierce as manager of
the Rudolph Wurlitzer Co., in Kansas City.
Mr. Howard had about three years' experience
under Mr. Pierce, and is expecting to do a
good deal with the business. For awhile Mr.
Howard was acting-manager, but now that he
has been appointed as permanent representa-
tive he will use all his power to bring down
the sales.
The Henley-Waite Music Co. recently had
hoisted in front of its place a new electric
sign, and which, during the Fashion Show week,
placed this company in that group of music
companies which made special decorations in
honor of the event. The interior of this store,
which is on the second floor, has not been
neglected while lights were being installed, and
several electric lamps have been placed through-
out the display room.
T. E. Johnston, manager of the Smith, Barnes
& Strohber Piano Co., has been taking advan-
tage of spare time during the past week to map
out a campaign for the conquest of a large
territory of the State of Kansas. Parts of this
territory are already covered by one of Mr.
Johnston's representatives, but he is desirous of
placing dealers in the rest of the State. The
retail business which this store has had during
the past summer has been far better than Mr.
Johnston expected. Mr. Johnston believed at
first that he would not do much business dur-
ing the summer, but would make a better show-
ing in the fall. He has had a good buisness
all summer.
H. Herman, special representative of the
unit orchestra department out of the Chicago
office of the Rudolph Wurlitzer Co., was in the
city recently.
H. K. Spencer, manager of the Spencer
Piano, Repair and Service Co., has been reaping
a harvest during the past two weeks of cold
weather.
The past month was the biggest
month this company has ever had.
William Eden, representative of the Holland
Piano Co., after returning from a trip through
the West, including Colorado, has gone to
Oklahoma City, from which point he will cover
the Southern territory. Mr. Eden will be gone
about three weeks.
Chas. Spanier, the general traveling represen-
tative of Paul G. Mehlin & Sons, who was
in the city recently, had a good report to give
of the business through this territory.
Fred Grebe, representative of Kranich &
Bach, New York, was in the city recently.
Gustave Behning, representing the Behning
Piano Co., New York, was in the city recently,
The Starr Piano Co., of which W. E. Rupe
is manager at Kansas City, has been getting
orders for Christmas stock from its small deal-
ers throughout the surrounding territory. Ship-
ments of pianos for the fall business have been
88 Separate Units of the
Ludwig Player Action
Most accessible of all player actions. Regulated entirely from
the front. Note space between action and keys, which permits
each key to be removed and replaced without disturbing action.
Easiest action to adjust—easiest to maintain.
The Ludwig Unit System of player construction has put the Ludwig dealer's
player business on a permanent foundation—for a Ludwig Player Piano once
sold—stays sold. Dealers who want to get rid of player troubles should
iddress
"The mark of
tone quality"
Ludwig & Co.
Willow Ave. & 136th St.
New York
coming very promptly, according to Mr. Rupe,
and there are more on the way.
Muck Brassfield, Fort Wayne, lnd., rep-
resentative of a music concern there, was in the
city recently.
George W. Hodges, salesman of the Starr
Piano Co., has gone to Richmond, lnd., to visit
the factory. From there he will go to Tennes-
see, where lie will visit friends for about three
weeks.
The Wunderlich Piano Co. has been advertis-
ing in the local papers in order to stimulate fall
business. Mason & Hamlin and Steger pianos
are being pushed. This firm invariably appeals
to the more wealthy class of trade by placing
emphasis on the quality of the instruments.
After the death of D. D. Mayfield, Wichita,
Kan., an old piano man of this section of the
country, a sale was inaugurated to sell out the
pianos on hand.
Kansas City, Kan., is going to have a new
band and orchestra. The leader will be Charles
Stanard, formerly orchestra leader at Forest
Park.
At the election of officers of the Topeka Co-
operative Club, held at the Troop Hotel in
that city recently, W. F. Roehr, proprietor of
the W. F. Roehr Music Co., was elected as
one of the members of the board of directors.
At the regular election of the officers of the
Rotary Club, in this city, Fred B. Jenkins, of
the J. W. Jenkins' Sons Music Co., was elected
second vice-president.
The music department of the Jones Store Co.
has been getting a large amount of business
from the advertising in the local newspapers.
This advertising usually features Krell pianos,
and specializes on the co-operative sales plan,
which is employed at Jones'.
The W r underlich Piano Co. is featuring in its
announcements that it has been made the ex-
clusive representative in Kansas City and the
Southwest for the Angelus player-piano.
The W. F. Roehr Music Co., Topeka, Kan.,
made a special appeal to the visitors who at-
tended the Topeka Fair, held there recently.
A special "fair" sale was held.
The Starr Piano Co. has been carrying on an
educational advertising campaign, trying to
bring to the readers' consciousness the fact
that Starr pianos are based qn quality. The
advertisements are very expository, even ex-
plaining the process through which each in-
strument goes.
TRANSPOSING PIANO
Patent Covering an Improvement on this Type
of Instrument Just Secured by Benjamin
Fromm, of San Francisco
WASHINGTON, D. C, September 30.—An improve-
ment in transposing pianos forms the subject
of Patent No. 1,199,367, which has just been
granted to Benjamin Fromm, of San Francisco,
Cal.
The invention relates to transpositional pianos
wherein the keyboard is capable of movement
relatively to the action of the piano; and the
objects of the invention are first, to provide
improved means whereby a piece of music may
be played on the keys in the key in which it is
written and be transposed to a different key
through the action of the piano; second, to pro-
vide improved means adapted to automatically
lock the keyboard in any one of several posi-
tions relatively to the action of the piano; third,
to provide improved means for moving the
keyboard of a piano without moving the action
thereof; and fourth, to provide means for tem-
porarily separating the keys from the action
while the keyboard is being moved.
WHY A. E. SCHMALZIGAN IS HAPPY
Congratulations are in order to Sales Manager
A. E. Schmalzigan, of the G. C. Aschbach Music
House, of Allentown, Pa., on the arrival on
September 29 of a pair of healthy twin babies
at his home, a boy and a girl, each weighing six
pounds at birth. The many friends in the trade
will rejoice with Mr. Schmalzigan, who is the
proudest father in the State of Pennsylvania.