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AUGUST 10,
13
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
1918
SAN FRANCISCO DEALERS ANTICIPATE HEAVY FALL TRADE
Summer Business Has Been of Larger Proportions Than Formerly, and Local Piano Men Are
Confident of Excellent Demand in the Fall—Prominent Personages Dined—News of the Week
SAN FRANCISCO, CAL., August 3.—July business
in the San Francisco music houses has been
quieter than the preceding months of the year,
but no more so than is always the case in the
principal vacation month. The fact that busi-
ness has shown such wonderful advances for
the entire year to date makes the proprietors
feel that the let-up is only temporary and that
with the opening of the fall trade the demand
for musical instruments of all sorts will again
take a spurt and place 1918 at the head of pros-
perous years. This confidence is based, not
only upon the experience of the earlier months
of the year, but also on the process of pure rea-
soning. The Government is employing more
men than ever and plans for enlarging the ship-
yards and allied industries make the employ-
ment of many more thousands certain both in
San Francisco and Oakland. All these men are
getting better wages than they ever drew be-
fore, and they are spending them freely in satis-
fying the longings for music which in previous
times they were unable to gratify.
Kohler & Chase's Great July Business
While it is true that music houses found busi-
ness quieter in July as a whole, there were ex-
ceptions. For example, Kohler & Chase report
the July sales well up with those of previous
months and far ahead of the average July. The
small goods department of Sherman, Clay & Co.
also reports a remarkable record of sales for
the month, while Byron Mauzy, with his new
agencies and the bringing to the first floor of
his talking machine department, finds that July
has been one of his busiest months, perhaps not
in actual sales consummated—this has not yet
been calculated—but inquiries have been so
numerous that every employe has been worked
to the limit to wait on customers.
Sherman, Clay & Co. Activity
Speaking for his own branches in Seattle, Ta-
coma and Portland, L. C. Sherman, of Sherman,
Clay & Co., says that business is booming in
those centers. He estimates that his branch
houses in the Northwest are doing just about
double the normal business and says that a great
deal more could be done if a sufficient stock,
especially if enough Victrolas, could be secured
to satisfy the demand. This flood of sales is
attributed to the same reasons for the good
business about San Francisco Bay, i. e., ship-
building and immense pay rolls.
Install American Robert Morton Organ
The "T. & D." Theatre at Sacramento, one of
the chain of motion picture houses in the cir-
cuit conducted by Turner & Dahnken, has just
had a reopening performance after being reno-
vated and equipped with a Robert Morton organ,
built by the American Photo Player Co. The
premier performance of the organ was greeted
v/ith enthusiasm and the press of the city was
a unit in praise of its exceptional tonal qualities.
M. J. Samuels, vice-president of the American
Photo Player Co., is spending the end of his
vacation at Santa Cruz, Cal., preparatory to re-
turning to his activities on the Eastern Coast.
Alfred Dolge Entertains Some Notables
Alfred Dolge, one-time felt manufacturer and
now representing the Haddorff piano with head-
quarters in Covina in the southern part of the
JANSSEN
The Most Talked About
Piano in the Trade
BEN H. JANSSEN
Manufacturer
82 Brown Place
New York
Slate, visited San Francisco this week, stop-
ping at the St. Francis Hotel. While here he
gave a private dinner to some of his friends,
and especially in honor of Leopold Godowsky.
Beside Mr. Dolge, his son William and the guest
of honor the other guests were Ernest Urchs,
the representative of the Steinway piano who
is making a trip on the Coast and Fred Stephen-
son and Leander S. Sherman, of the Sherman,
Clay & Co. organization. Phil Clay and Fred
Sherman, of the same company, we're invited
but were unfortunately out of town at the time.
The dinner was given at Solari's and is said
to have been a feast such as is seldom served
in this city.
Winter Reopens Store
F. W. Winter, who owns the Maze Music Co.
at Petaluma, Cal., came to San Francisco and
reopened the music store which he formerly
conducted at 731 Polk street under the name of
F. W. Winter & Son. He says that business
is very good at Petaluma and that he now be-
lieves that he can make a success with two
stores with his son to assist him. He expects
to spend part of his time in this city at the
Polk street store and the rest at Petaluma.
Mr. Nathan Leaves for Australia
Reginald Nathan, manager of Nicholson & Co..
Ltd., Sydney, Australia, sailed for his home the
early part of this week, accompanied by his
wife. Mr. Nathan is optimistic over the fu-
ture of business in the Southern Continent and
says that the relations between America and
Australia will be very close after the war comes
tc an end.
Benefit for Marine Band
Major W. M. Ringen. in charge of band in-
struments and small goods for Sherman, Clay
& Co.. says that he is going to pull off another
benefit about August 17 in Oakland for the bene-
fit of the Marine Band. Good progress is be-
ing made in the program and the major is con-
fident that he will raise the balance of $5,000
needed to equip the band.
'Personals
J. Kalver, representing Jerome H. Remick &
Co., has completed his visit to San Francisco,
where he introduced his new hit "Smiles" to
every orchestra and has gone to Portland to
popularize the production in that city.
G. W. Fraser, of Fraser & McConnell, has
been drawn on the Federal Jury. This is the
same jury on which Andrew G. McCarthy, of
Sherman, Clay & Co.. is now serving, and on
which L. S. Sherman has just completed his
term of duty.
Grace L. McKee, a well-known coloratura
singer of the East, is now working with the Fisk
Music Publishing Co., introducing some of the
songs recently published by this house.
W. F. Tatroe, manager of the player-piano de-
partment of Sherman. Clay & Co., is taking his
much-needed annual vacation. He announced
before it started that he expected to stay in San
Francisco, as he needed a rest rather than an
outing.
E. C. Wood, of the Werner Industries, who
has been visiting San Francisco in the interests
of his house, left this week- for a trip through
the Northwest.
Fred Sherman, of Sherman. Clay & Co.. is
preparing to leave with a party of friends for
the Yellowstone Park. The party intends to
make the trip through the park on foot, carry-
ing their supplies on pack mules and camping
where night overtakes them.
L. J. Frances, manager of the Ellis-Marks
Music Co., at Marysville, Cal.. was a visitor to
San Francisco during the week. He made the
rounds of the various stores, making his head-
quarters at the local Q R S Co. Mr. Frances
says that business in his section of the State
was never better and that the demand for music
rolls makes them the easiest things to sell that
he handles.
COINOLA
The Coinola
About ninety
per cent of
our customers
are regular
piano dealers.
A trial prop-
osition will
make you
one of them.
Let us tell
you w h y .
OPERATORS
PIANO CO.
LOUIS M. SEVERSON, Prei.
16 South Peoria Street
CHICAGO, ILL.