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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
ESTEY TELLS OF SUBMARINE ATTACK
LOCAL ASSOCIATION HOLDS MEETING
Ship He Sailed to Europe on Sinks One and Is New York Piano Merchants' Association Elects
New Committee Members, Endorses Ordi-
Fired on Three Times—First Hand Impres-
nance to Register Removals and Arranges to
sions—Piano Playing Helps Quiet Passengers
Exchange Information Regarding Sales
First hand evidence of submarine activity was
The regular meeting and luncheon of the New
received this week by Col. J. Gray Estey, presi-
dent of the Estey Piano Co., 133d street and York Piano Merchants' Association was held at
Lincoln avenue, New York, from his son, Jos. the Crescent Athletic Club, Brooklyn, on Thurs-
G. Estey, who sailed from New York on the day of last week, July 12. A number of matters
"Espagne" for France with the American Ambu- were discussed and acted upon for the benefit
of the trade in general. After the luncheon
lance Field Service. The letter was written on
June 17, after Mr. Estey had reached Bordeaux, proper the first work was the election of J. B.
and relates as follows his impressions of his Schlosser, of Kranich & Bach, and Berthold E.
Neuer, of Wm. Knabe & Co., as members of the
ship being attacked by four submarines:
executive committee of the association. The
"Saturday, June 17—I don't know whether I
by-laws provided that the committee consist of
can write this so that anyone can read it of
not. This has been the most exciting day I ever the officers and two elected members.
Albert Behning, secretary of the association,
experienced. Got up about 11.30 and started to
play cards. Just about noon a loud report broke called the attention of the members to the ordi-
the silence. We looked out and saw the smoke nance now before the Board of Aldermen and
from our forward gun. We went on deck which if passed will require that truckmen file
and there 2,000 yards directly off our port side with the Commissioner of Licenses a report of
was a submarine tearing through the water at all removals. The passage of the ordinance will
a great rate. We didn't see the first shot land, prove of great assistance to the police in tracing
but our forward gunner claims there were two stolen pianos and talking machines, as well as
I subs and he bagged one on the iirst shot. I other articles and is similar to ordinances now
couldn't believe it was a submarine, but finally in effect in other cities. The association went
I was convinced as I saw a thing which looked on record as endorsing the ordinance, and the
like a broomstick sticking out of the water. members will try hard to have it passed.
The president appointed a committee to draw
' After a little you could see the wake it left
and the way the water fell away from its stern, up plans for exchanging information on sales
which were found to be undesirable, reposses-
it was surely a submarine.
"Right away both of our guns opened fire and sions, bad accounts, etc., and also information
we started going in a zigzag course. All the regarding salesmen and other employes. The
time the submarine appeared to be jockeying committee is composed of Berthold E. Neuer,
ior a position to let fly at us. Our guns cer- Leslie H. West and C. Schultz.
In the matter of repossessions it has been
tainly had her range and gave her some awful
rocks. When she finally did fire you could see suggested that each dealer send to the secre-
the bubbles coming straight for us. We switched tary of the association each month all informa-
our course and the torpedo passed harmlessly tion regarding repossessions he may have had
in the rear. Of course, we were all instructed to during the preceding month, the same to be
forwarded by the secretary to every member of
get our life belts and report at our boats.
"I shall never forget the feeling I had as I the dealers' body.
The association also agreed to place on rec-
ran down after my life preserver. All you folks
ord information regarding salesmen who are
were right before me and it seemed as though
every one I knew was in a huge picture in my undesirable, those who draw salaries without
mind. There was comparatively little wild ex- giving a fair amount of their time to the work
citement. A few women and children began of the house, those who sell prospect lists to
crying. Maurice, a French dancer, acted won- competitors and others who have proven morally
derfully.
He quietly advised every one to deficient or crooked. It is believed that such
hurry, but not to rush, and was cool enough to information will aid in ridding the trade of the
calm anyone. Someone started playing rag time undesirable element and make room for the
on the piano. After half an hour of intermittent better class of salesmen. The association is not
battle and jockeying we saw a shot strike very in any sense working against the salesman who
close to the submarine and she disappeared. acts properly and fairly, and in fact seeks in
Phew! 1 must admit though that it was about every way to encourage that type, by making
it possible for him to join the association as an
( the most exciting sport that 1 have ever watched.
' "Such a reaction when it was all over. To associate member.
Among those who attended the meeting were:
have seen us you would have thought we were
watching a game, all crowded on deck and E. Paul Hamilton, president; Geo. H. Scofield,
cheering as our shots landed nearer and nearer. Albert Behning, Milton Weil, C. Schultz, L. H.
We had a great party to-night to celebrate our West, A. R. Spoerl, Jerome Ackerly, W. H.
Gomes, Berthold E. Neuer, J. B. Cohen, E. Leins
experience."
In a letter written after the foregoing Mr. and Homer deAnguera.
Estey says:
"Our captain made his official report just as SHEARER CO. BUYS MUNN PIANO CO.
!
we docked yesterday. W T e were attacked by four
.subs and got one. There were three torpedoes Takes Over Stock and Good Will of Music
House at Oneonta, N. Y.
fired at us, all of which missed."
. Since these letters were written Mr. Estey has
ONEONTA, N. Y., July 16.—The G. B. Shearer
cabled that he has elected to engage in the trans-
port service instead of the ambulance service. Co. recently purchased the business of the Munn
Music Co., and has just completed a special sale
at
the former Munn warerooms, to dispose of
R. E. BRIGGS IN TOWN
the stock of that concern in order to put in a
R. E. Briggs, of the National Piano Co., of new line of instruments. The new firm will
Boston, called at the piano warerooms of C. H. handle the Knabe, Kranich & Bach, Welte-Mig-
Ditson & Co., 8 East Thirty-fourth street, New non and the Aeolian-Vocalion lines. Carl L.
York City, while on a business trip that will Shearer, of the G. B. Shearer Co., is a brother
carry him probably as far as Ohio. The Na- of H. T. Shearer, who is president of the Shearer
tional Piano Co.'s line is carried by this house. Piano' Co., of New York.
WINTER & CO.
220 SOUTHERN BOULEVARD, NEW YORK
Manufacturers of
MANAGER DINES SALES FORCE
Sales Force of Jesse French & Sons Piano Co.
in Montgomery Entertained at Banquet by
Manager L. O. Parsons—Those Present
MONTGOMERY, ALA., July 16.—In conformity
with his annual custom, L. O. Parsons, man-
ager of the Jesse French & Sons Piano Co.'s
establishment in this city, tendered a banquet
to the salesmen connected with the house at
the Exchange Hotel on Monday, and it was a
most interesting and profitable reunion in every
way. At these gatherings the salesmen report
conditions in their respective territories, and
the interchanging of ideas has not always only
proven an inspiration but instructive as well to
both salesmen and management.
At the banquet Monday more than two-
thirds of the sales force was present. The
salesmen all reported good business in their
respective territories and even predicted for the
next two months an unusually large increase
over the ordinarily dull and monotonous sum-
mer period.
All of these salesmen, without
exception, forecasted a tremendous volume of
business, not only for the Jesse French peo-
ple, but for all firms this fall.
The manager, L. O. Parsons, acted as toast-
master, in his usual characteristic and pleasing
way, and by clever maneuvering brought out
many valuable points from the salesmen look-
ing to the improvement of his business from the
manager's viewpoint.
Mr. Parsons makes it a practice to have his
secretary present on all of these occasions and
the more important suggestions are taken down
and later transcribed for careful review and
consideration by the manager.
The manager of the Jesse French Piano Co.
anticipates, as do his salesmen, an unusually
good business in all of his territory, not only
this fall but for the succeeding several years to
come.
Those present at the banquet were: L. O.
Parsons, manager; Glen W. Moore, Georgia
territory; J. L. Roberts, D. L. Thornton, V. M.
Stovall, A. K. Plant, Tallahassee; A. D. Johnson,
Jno. F. Halsey, T. B. Parsons, J. E. Justice,
Brame Hood, representing the Montgomery
Journal.
INCREASE ASSOCIATION INTEREST
Important Suggestion in This Connection Sent
Out by George W. Gittins, President of the
New York Piano Manufacturers' Association
George W. Gittins, president of the New York
Piano Manufacturers' Association, has sent out
a letter accompanied by an enclosure contain-
ing the membership list of the association, in
which he points out that the letter is sent to
each member of the association in the hope that
he will look over the list, familiarize himself
with the membership and induce some other
manufacturer within his acquaintance to become
a member of the New York Piano Manufac-
turers' Association. He points out further:
"We can do much constructive work by a live
organization and now that labor is being short-
ened up by reason of the selective draft fol-
lowing our entrance into the European war,
action should be taken, perhaps along about the
first of September, to protect our interests
against labor difficulties and at the same time
do the square thing by the men not called to
the front.
"From time to time you will be advised of
pending measures concerning the manufacturing
and retail trade and of such other matters that
may be interesting concerning our field of en-
deavor."
Superior Pianos
and Player Pianos