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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
NEW PROBLEMS OF MERCHANDISING GRINNELL BROS. HELP LIBERTY LOAN
Piano Dealers in Oil Territory Are Confronted
With Some Unusual Conditions
Directors and Staff of Concern Subscribe for
$50,000 Worth of Bonds—More to Come
KANSAS CITY, MO., June 4.—The oil boom in
Oklahoma and Kansas is creating new condi-
tions, and bringing new problems of merchan-
dising before the communities. The chief ele-
ment in these changes is the transition of the
farmers from the rural districts to the towns.
The fast spread of the field is causing an enor-
mous amount of leasing. Farmers do not make
much out of the leases, unless the companies
drill, and strike oil. But when oil is struck, the
farmers commence to gather in large revenues,
and they get ready to move to town. Their
first step after getting a dividend in the shape
of royalty payment is to buy a diamond, it is
said. Then it becomes a question of whether
to buy a piano or talking machine for the old
home, or wait until the family moves to town.
Usually the family does move—after, perhaps,
buying an automobile, which can be transferred
easily from the old location. A musical in-
strument must then be purchased, usually both
a piano or player and a talking machine.
Even the leases, however, yield enough "ready
money" beyond the farmer's expected revenue
to make a substantial payment on a musical in-
strument. They run from 50 cents to $2 an acre,
now; in the earlier days many a farmer leased
his entire place for a couple of dollars, with lit-
tle hope of getting revenue from the roseate
promise of an eighth or some such royalty.
DETROIT, MICH., June 4.—Grinnell Bros, em-
ployes and directors met in the Victrola recital
hall of their building Saturday morning to con-
sider the Liberty Loan, and the meeting not only
roused remarkable enthusiasm, but practical re-
sults were accomplished to an unusual degree.
C. A. Grinnell, vice-president of the House,
addressed the employes, telling of the impor-
tance of the loan and the value and advantages
of the bonds; and when opportunity was given
the employes to subscribe, so prompt and lib-
eral was the response that within a few min-
utes they and the directors had pledged them-
selves to take $50,000 of the bonds. This was
at the headquarters of the firm alone, and there
is no doubt their numerous other stores will
respond in equal measure in purchasing Liberty
Bonds as every one realizes their importance
as a means of financing the war.
The campaign for the raising of Detroit's por-
tion of the Liberty Loan is being handled by
the Board of Commerce, one hundred teams of
ten men each being assigned the work of cover-
ing the city. C. A. Grinnell is captain of one
of these teams.
Detroit's share of the war loan is $33,000,000,
and there seems little doubt that this will be
speedily raised if the energy and results shown
by Mr. Grinnell's team give indication of the
effort of the other Detroit teams engaged in
this great work.
MacCRACKENJWITH ALLEN CO.
Los ANGELES, CAL., June 4.—Thos. H. Mac-
Cracken, formerly associated with the New York
warerooms of the Mason & Hamlin Co., has
joined the sales force of the local store of the
Wiley B. Allen Co. This company handles
the Mason & Hamlin line as its leader, and Mr.
MacCracken will concentrate his activities on
developing the demand for this famous piano.
NEW INCORPORATION
A certificate of incorporation has been is-
sued to the A. Fiore Piano Co. for the pur-
pose of manufacturing musical instruments. The
capitalization of the .concern is $2,000, the incor-
porators being Antonio Fiore, Selic Meinhold
and Alexander Meyer, of New York City.
LESTER DEALERS REPORT EXCELLENT DEMAND FOR PIANOS
B. S. Porter & Son, Lester Representatives in Ohio, Tell of Healthy Trade Conditions in Their
Territory—Manager O'Harrow Prominent in Tuners' Guild, and Well Known in the Trade
FINDLAY, O., June 2.—Chass O'Harrow, man- and best known piano concerns in Ohio, operat-
ager of the B. S. Porter & Son store, this city, ing stores throughout the state. Mr. O'Har-
is a commercial optimist if the accompanying row, who is a native of Ohio, has been in this
SCHUBERT PIANO CO. FAILS
Old New York Piano Manufacturing Concern
States Liabilities of $500,000 Against Assets of
$200,000—Action Precipitated by Judgment
A petition in bankruptcy was filed last Friday
against the Schubert Piano Co., 1 West 139th
street, New York. The liabilities are given as
over $500,000, while the assets are listed as
$200,000. The creditors named are Peter Duffy,
over $400,000 for money loaned; Peter S.
Duffy, over $15,000, and Harold B. Williams
$1,500. Judge A. N. Hand appointed Arthur F.
Gotthold, William D. Sporborg and Peter Duffy
receivers. Mr. Duffy is to serve without com-
pensation, while the others are not to receive
more than the compensation for one receiver.
It is understood that the bankruptcy petition
was precipitated by a judgment which was ob-
tained against the company on May 28 for
$19,000 in favor of Charles L. Ament, out of
which the execution to the Sheriff was threat-
ened. The Schubert Piano Co. has been estab-
lished for thirty-five years, having been founded
by Peter Duffy, and was incorporated in July,
1885, with a capital stock of $3,000, which has
never been increased. It was formerly inter-
ested in retail branches in Brooklyn, Philadel-
phia, Buffalo, Cleveland and Parkersburg, W.
Va., and conducted a retail store in New York,
at 45 West Thirty-seventh street, which has
now been taken over by the Bell Talking Ma-
chine Corp., which is acting as national distrib-
utor of the Schubert pianos and player-pianos.
SIXTY-THREE FACTORIES IN BRONX
New Directory Issued by Bronx Board of Trade
Also Gives 5,048 as Employed in Piano Fac-
tories in Borough—Valuable Information
The Bronx Board of Trade has published a
guide for the Bronx, which includes interesting
statistics regarding that borough, also industrial
aspects of the Bronx. An interesting feature
points out that the number of factories manu-
facturing pianos, organs and musical instru-
ments of the Bronx are sixty-three and that
there are 5,048 employed.
Other items which are given include the
freight depots, transportation facilities, public
buildings, civil and police courts, police station
houses, fire companies, post-office stations,
armories, banks, hospitals, asylums, elementary
schools, universities, churches, parks and park-
ways, cemeteries and newspapers.
There are also figures given showing the
growth of the borough since 1890 as well as
other items which go toward making up a most
complete directory.
COMBINATION PJANO=PH0N0GRAPH
Patent Granted on Means for Installing Phono-
graphs in Pianos
Carload Shipment of Lester Pianos
photograph is any indication of what he thinks
business is going to be in his territory in the
immediate future.
This shipment of Lester pianos was unpacked
in front of the Porter store on May 15 last.
Mr. O'Harrow has no doubt of his ability to
keep them moving on into the homes of cus-
tomers. The Lester Piano Co. has been doing
business with this firm for some years, but this
is the largest order ever shipped to the Findlay
store.
B. S. Porter & Son are the pioneer piano
dealers of Lima, Ohio, and one of the largest
WASHINGTON, D. C, June 4.—Charles S. Burton,
Oak Park, 111., has been granted Patent No.
1,227,579 for a combined piano and phonograph
which he has assigned to the Melville Clark
Piano Co., Chicago, 111.
The purpose of this invention is to provide
Recently Received by Porter & Son
territory for 28 years, and with Porter & Son an improved construction for embodying within
for 18 years. He took charge of their Findlay the case of a piano a complete phonograph, or
store as manager on January 1 last. He is sound-reproducing device of that general char-
also the first vice-president of the American acter, the specific purpose of the invention be-
Guild of Piano Tuners. He is now serving his ing to adapt the phonograph to be completely
second term in this office and is considered one inclosed within the piano case of ordinary
of the best technical piano men in the United dimensions in front of the hammer action, and
States. It is the good fortune of the Lester to accommodate in working position a record
Piano Co. to number among its enthusiastic of the largest size commonly used, notwithstand-
friends some of the best tuners in the country, ing the diameter of such record exceeds the
famous among them being Mr. O'Harrow, who distance from the vertical plane of the hammers
although he carries a large and representative to the inner surface of the forward side of the
case.
line of pianos, is very fond of the Lester.
WINTER & CO.
*
220 SOUTHERN BOULEVARD, NEW YORK
Manufacturers of
Superior Pianos
and Player Pianos