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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
9
DETROIT DEALERS WELL_SATISFIED WITH CONDITIONS
First Six Months of Year Show Very Pleasing Volume of Business in the Piano Trade—Hudson
Featuring New Melville Clark Player—Will John son Passes Away—Personals and Other News
DETROIT, MICH., July
2.—Another
month
has
gone by and so have the first six months of
1917. Most retailers will be pretty busy in July
figuring up their business for the first half of
the year and making comparisons with other
years. We know for a certainty that there
will not be any disappointments, and that there
won't be a single dealer who will find his total
sales for the six months' period behind that of
a year ago. Business is sure to slow up during
July and August—it would be unusual if it did
not. Piano dealers are willing to drift along for
the next eight weeks, taking vacations them-
selves and letting their employes do likewise,
so as to be in good shape for a strenuous fall
campaign.
Bank clearances for the first six months of
1917 in this city show tremendous increases over
the same period of 1916, which is a good indi-
cation of the financial and industrial situation
locally. The Senate and House of Representatives
at Washington have voted to spend some mil-
lions in dredging the River Rouge in West De-
troit, which is going to mean a tremendous in-
dustrial development on the west side of our
city. Already many industrial concerns from
other cities have bought property along the river
and will begin factory operations as soon as the
dredging is started. The Pennsylvania Railroad
is planning to erect many large buildings on the
west side, which will also mean big development
in the way of new homes. So that when we
consider the setback which the war may have
given us in some respects, we should be optim-
istic when we stop and consider the many im-
provements to be made in our city regardless of
the war. Detroit will not only be a million
population by 1920 but will be considerably
more, accepting the words of bankers and capi-
talists who say the proposed improvements will
bring thousands of new working people to our
gates. These developments should mean great
things for the piano dealers and those selling
other musical instruments.
H. J. Marshall, of the J. L. Hudson piano
store, recently returned from a two weeks' vaca-
tion which he spent in New York and Boston,
combining business with pleasure. Mr. Mar-
shall made it a point to visit most of the leading
retail piano stores as well as a number of the
factories—particularly those whose lines are
Smith,
Barnes
and
Strohber
Company
CHICAGO
Over 145,000 Pianos
in American Homes and
All Giving Satisfaction
MONEY MAKERS FOR THE DEALER
Write for Catalogues and Prices
Smith, Barnes & Strohber Go.
1873 Clybourn Avenue
CHICAGO
handled by the Hudson store. While in New
York he was elaborately entertained by Geo. W.
Gittins, of the Estey Piano Co., Mark P. Camp-
bell, of the Brambach Piano Co., and also A.
Dalrymple, of the Estey Piano Co. Over in
Boston he was entertained by J. T. Sayward,
secretary of Chickering & Sons. "I found every
piano factory busy, some more so than others,
but they all seemed to have plenty of orders
ahead and the managers and proprietors were
very optimistic about the outlook for fall," said
Mr. Marshall. "I got many new ideas while
East. Every firm does things just a little bit
different, and it does not always apply that what
can be done in New York, Boston or Philadel-
phia can be carried out elsewhere. Local con-
ditions are different—each has a different kind
of organization, and of course every firm has
its own original methods and ways of carrying
on its selling. Nevertheless, it does a man good
to get around the country and rub elbows with
others in the same line—and see how far behind
he is in his methods or how far ahead he is of
the others. He broadens out by meeting the
other fellow and seeing other stores. Yes, sir,
I thoroughly enjoyed my vacation."
Will Johnson, for many months connected
with the sales department of both the Grinnell
store and the J. L. Hudson piano store, died
on June 26, and was buried on the 29th. The
cause of his death was tuberculosis. Pallbearers
were Ed. Andrews, Jr., Joseph Rogers, H.
Wright and H. Burns, from Hudson's, and Joe
Gallagher and Jack Johnson, of Grinnell Bros.
Burial took place at Evergreen Cemetery.
Tom Pletcher, general sales manager of the
Melville Clark Piano Co., is expected to visit
Detroit during the current week.
The J. L. Hudson store in its window last
week featured a new model of Ellwood player-
piano, with special case, made by the Melville
Clark Piano Co. It has an empire top, and the
case is of special design for Hudson's Detroit
trade. Of course, Hudson bought a sufficient
number to justify the Melville Clark people to
go to this additional expense. It retails for
$525. Starting Monday, July 2, Hudson's began
showing a Brambach baby grand in Louis XV
Art case to retail at $650. It is a sample of a
special order that is being made up for Hud-
son's by the Brambach Piano Co.
R. K. Wilkinson, of the J. L. Hudson piano
store, is spending his vacation at Bellaire, Mich.,
and writes dQwn that there isn't much fishing
owing to the damp and rainy weather. His
brother, H. B. Wilkinson, also a piano salesman,
left July 1 to join him.
The Hudson store ended its used piano sale
on Saturday, June 30. It was a big success.
The sale lasted the entire month of June.
The American Photo Player Co. recently
opened a factory branch in Cleveland, O., which
is in charge temporarily of Max Arnovitch. He
came to Detroit a few months ago from Cali-
fornia, and opened a factory branch here. For
the next six or eight weeks he will divide his
time between the two cities.
George B. Schulten, formerly Detroit manager
for Rudolph Wurlitzer & Co., resigned some
weeks ago and is affiliated with an organ com-
pany in Chicago.
Wurlitzer organs were recently ordered by
Paul J. Schlossman, of Muskegon, who is build-
ing two new theatres, and J. F. Wuerth, who
just opened a new theatre in Ann Arbor.
A W. W. Kimball pipe organ was recently in-
stalled in the New Elks' Temple Building, De-
troit, which was officially opened last week.
W. C. Heaton, manager of the Chicago branch
of the Kohler interests, was a visitor last week.
He said business was very satisfactory in all
sections.
Mr. Heaton recently buried his
mother at Cincinnati.
The Michigan Music Teachers' Association,
which convened last week at Grand Rapids, with
about 300 in attendance, has decided to hold its
1918 convention in Lansing.
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Victrola XVI, electric, $250
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Other styles $15 to $400
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Berliner Gramophone Co., Montreal,
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Important Notice.
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" V i c t r o l a " i, the Registered Trade-mark of the
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