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FEBRUARY 8, 1919
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
9
PHILADELPHIA RETAIL TRADE SHOWING IMPROVEMENT
Shipments of Instruments Help Increase Business, Though Shortage Is Still Being Felt—Cun-
ningham Branch Store Closed—Stetson & Co. Featuring the Steinway—Other News
PiLii-ADEU'iuA, PA., February 4.—The piano
business in Philadelphia has brightened slightly
the past week, due to the fact that more pianos
have been received in this city, but condi-
tions are anything but satisfactory as yet, owing
to the great scarcity of goods. This situation
is being felt all around and is as striking with
the local manufacturers as with the retailers.
The Philadelphia manufacturers are complain-
ing that they are unable to get sufficient sup-
plies, in the way especially of small neces-
sities, and that is holding them back very much.
All the factories have been able to fill up on
men, and there is generally a full force at work,
but the output is being delayed by conditions,
and the factories do not see any change in the
near future.
The Cunningham Piano Co. closed their Fifty-
second and Chestnut street branch store this
week. Recently Mr. Cunningham stated that
conditions at that point were satisfactory, so
far as customers were concerned, but that if
they were not going to be able to get more
goods from their factory they would be com-
pelled to close it.
Mr. Cunningham's two
nephews ran this branch, Joseph and Alphonse
Cox, and they have both been brought to the
Chestnut street store, as well as Miss Nellie
Cox, who has been added to the Cunningham of-
fice force.
H. M. Sussman, a salesman of the George
Huver Co., who lives at 6205 Pine street, was re-
cently attacked near his home at night and was
so badly injured that he is confined to his bed.
He had alighted from the Sixtieth street car
and was walking home, when a thug suddenly
sprung from a dark corner and struck him over
the head with a black-jack, after which he was
relieved of a diamond ring, a gold watch .and
$150 in money. It was a hold-up exactly like
that experienced by Gene Myers recently, and
their homes are in the same neighborhood in the
city.
The Huver Co. have received word from their
John Powers, who had been in charge of their
talking machine department, that he expected
shortly to be relieved of duty in France, where
he has been serving with the army.
The Cunningham Co. have received an inter-
3 Great Pianos
With 3 sounding boards
in each (Patented) have the
greatest talking points in
the trade.
We fix **one p r i c e d -
wholesale and retail.
The Heppe Piano Co.
PHILADELPHIA, PA.
esting letter this week from Tom Dooley, a for-
mer salesman of the house, from France, in
which he relates some exciting experiences.
C. J. Heppe & Son report that so far their busi-
ness has been fair.
Mr. Hillebrand, of the
Pianola department, has been home ill for a
couple of days with a very heavy cold. Horace
Large, who recently returned from sea, where
he was one of Uncle Sam's navy men, contracted
influenza the first few days he had returned to
work, and was out of the store until Saturday.
N. Stetson & Co. have a fine window display
this week, the feature being the first Steinway
square piano built in 1853. It is an admirably
preserved instrument, and still has a wonderful
tone. The firm report that their business has
been good, and that they have been getting in
a number of pianos, but not as many players
as they need. Among the Stetson visitors the
past week was Ernest Urchs, visiting representa-
tive of Steinway & Sons. Chauncey DeLong,
of the sales force, is at present laid up with the
influenza.
On Friday last was the end of the fiscal year
at the Snellenburg piano department, and they
have their stock down as low as it ever has
been. Among their visitors during the week
were: B. P. Sibley, of the Autopiano Co.; C. A.
Wagner, of the Rythmodik Music Roll Co.; J.
J. Reilly, of the Universal Music Roll Co., and
A. K. Truitt, of the Capital Furniture Co., of
Nobleville, hid.
H. A. Yeager attended the midwinter con-
vention of the National Association of Piano
Merchants held in Chicago last week, and by
way of comment he says: "I really feel that
there was more accomplished at that executive
meeting in the way of concrete plans for fur-
thering the membership of the National Asso-
ciation than at any other meeting that we have
ever held—conventions not excepted.
I at-
tended the banquet given by the Chicago Piano
& Organ Association at the Palmer House, and
I just wish that every piano merchant all over
the country could have been at that dinner and
seen just what genuine co-operation and good
fellowship exists in Chicago among the piano
fraternity.
The auspicious way in which the
fust year of the National Chamber of Commerce
started off under the able direction of C. A. Grin-
nell presages a bringing together of all of the
musical industries under one head, the benefits
for the future of which are undoubted."
Mr. Yeager says that he has the promise for
the Snellenburg department of a couple of car-
loads of pianos within the next ten days. He
says: "The tie-up in New York is affecting our
business because of lack of stock. We have
a great many pianos sold awaiting their ar-
rival."
It is the intention of the Snellenburgs to put
in a complete stock of small musical merchan-
dise in a very short time, in which they will
carry a full line of everything.
Herbert C. Weymann, son of Harry A. Wey-
raann, head of the firm of H. A. Weymann &
Son, returned on Saturday a week from France,
where he had been for more than a year as a
chief yeoman in the navy. He is only home,
however, on a ten-day furlough, and will have
to report back to Pelham Bay, but expects
shortly to be discharged, when he will re-enter
the music business.
Mr. Weymann says their business has been
very good. He says the demand still continues
in all departments far greater than the supply.
His factory is again well filled with skilled
workmen, and he believes that they are begin-
ning to see the turning point. They have been
able to catch up with a number of unfilled or-
ders within the past two weeks. They just
made a large shipment from their factory to
California. During the past week they have
been able to clean up at least twenty-five un-
filled orders held over from 1918.
"X"lctly
As We
Predicted!!
The
Seeburg
(Reproducing Piano)
the Piano for
DRY
Territory Is NOW
the Piano for
EVERYWHERE!!
your Prospect List and
you're sure lo find a num-
ber of G O O D L I V E
O N E S who w a n t an
"X pression at once. Let
those Prospects know you
are on the map. Get those
$
$
$
Write today and
we'll "X"plain
J. P. Seeburg
Piano Company
Leaders in the Automatic Field
Republic Building, 209 South State Street
Factories, Seeburg Building, 419 West Erie Street
CHICAGO