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THE MUSIC TRADE
12
REVIEW
NOVEMBER 1, 1919
\ GOLD HARP FOR BELGIAN QUEEN
W
E are building Bjur Bros.
Pianos and Player-Pianos
to Endure.
Our Dealers find this so
Ask them
Makers of
Bjur Bros. Co.
Bjur Bros, and
Gordon & Sons Pianos
and Player-Pianos
Southern Boulevard
near 156th Street
NEW YORK
EXPRESS AND FREIGHT EMBARGO FELT IN DETROIT
Shipments of Pianos and Players Held Up by Railroad Administration Order—Detroit Orchestra
Hall Opens With Concert by Symphony Orchestra—Howes Made State Commissioner
DETROIT, MICH., October 28.—Detroit music deal-
ers are keeping in close touch with the various labor
and industrial problems with a view of being able
to take the right action at the right time. The most
serious phase of their business today is not selling,
but getting goods. To cap the climax, last week
the railroad administration ordered an embargo on
all shipments into the city in less than carload lots.
The result is that dealers who have less than car-
load shipments of pianos coming in by freight are
going to have a poor chance of getting them. Up
to a few weeks ago dealers did not seem to fear a
piano shortage and many of them declared they
were being well taken care of by their factories. But
the situation now is totally different; it is not a
question of whether the factory ships out merchan-
dise ; the thing is to get it into the city and into the
hands of the dealers. If the worst comes, the big
music dealers, such as Grinnell Bros., Hudson's,
Ling and others, can call in their used instruments
out on rental, repolish them and sell them at a good
Mu.'.ic Merchants. Mr. Howes will continue as he
has in the past to increase the membership of the
national body and to appoint city commissioners in
various sections of the state.
In the player roll department of the J. L. Hud-
sou music store Manager Hartwell says the current
hits are "Mandy," '"Some Beautiful Morning,"
"Patches" and "I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles."
The McLogan-Pierce Music Co. has opened a
branch store at 317 Quincy street, Hancock, Mich.
I. G. Pearce, business manager of the company, was
in Detroit recently, getting new ideas for the store
and securing merchandise.
BUY NEW "WORLD" FACTORY
Local Concern Purchases Building in South Chi-
cago—Gives Greatly Increased Production
CHICAGO, October 28.—Ernest G. Cook, sales man-
ager of the World Phonograph Co., announces that
a large additional factory has been purchased in
profit.
A. E. Trebilcock, of the Detroit Music Co., says South Chicago for the manufacture of World talk-
that business itself is all that he could ask, but that ing machines. The new plant comprises over 150,000
he is beginning to feel the pinch of not being able square feet of floor space in a building of four
stories. It is not expected that actual manufacture
to get new player-pianos.
The Apollo and the Brambach baby grand came of machines will be possible until early Spring, as
in for a good share of the Hudson piano advertis- extensive remodeling will be necessary. However,
when the addition is ready, an output of at least
ing the past week, as well as the Sonora, Victor and
Cheney lines in talking machines, all of which are 200 World instruments per day is expected.
The rapid growth of the World Phonograph Co.
sold at the Hudson retail store.
The new Detroit Orchestra Hall at Woodward and since its entry into the talking machine business a
few years ago has convinced Mr. Cook of the ne-
Parsons streets opened officially last Thursday with
a recital by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, direct- cessity of the present move. His action gives the
ed by Ossip Gabrilowitsch. Every one of the 2200 lie to the calamity howlers who fear that with the
coming of the new year will arrive also the long
seats was taken. Although the decorations were not
entirely completed for the first concert, the audi- predicted breaking of the present prosperity in the
ence went away with the consciousness that Detroit trade. Mr. Cook, like most of the manufacturers,
feels that the business will continue at the pace of
has what is the finest orchestra hall in the country.
the past two years and that next Fall will be a
The Mason & Hamlin grand piano, furnished by
the Cable Piano Co., of this city, will again be used repetition of this Fall. He sees shortage ahead and
exclusively by Director Gabrilowitsch for the De- has prepared for it by the purchase of a new plant.
This expansion is in accord with the World Co.'s
troit Symphony Orchestra concerts.
Detroit music dealers have offered their efforts, policy of meeting the requirements of their dealers.
their stores and their windows and will gladly co- Of course, during the present Fall, the demand for
operate in every way they can to further the suc- talking machines has increased to such an enormous
cess of Orchestra Hall. As C. A. Grinnell says: extent that practically none of the manufacturers
"The success of Orchestra Hall means greater things has been able to keep up with it. After the first
few months of the new year, however, this concern
and greater success for music."
Arthur H. Howes, manager of the piano depart- expects not only to be able to take care of all their
ment at Grinnell Bros., has been reappointed state present dealers in the best of shape, but to put new
commissioner from Michigan by Acting President men out upon the road to the end of establishing
additional agencies.
E. Paul Hamilton of the National Association of
Royal Visitor Presented With Wurlitzer Harp
Made Specially for Her—Greatly Pleased With
Handsome and Valuable Instrument
PITTSBURGH, PA., October 27.—When Queen Eliza-
beth of Belgium left Pittsburgh Thursday night she
carried with her as a token of the esteem of Harry
K. Wurlitzer, dean of American musical instrument
makers, the most beautiful harp ever turned out by
his concern.
The presentation was made by H. P. Shearer,
the firm's manager in the Pittsburgh district, at the
behest of Mr. Wurlitzer, in the Queen's private car
in the Pennsylvania Station just before her train
pulled out for New York.
"Is this beautiful harp really mine?" the Queen
exclaimed, when the shining gold instrument was re-
vealel to her in its special case. She was so pleased,
she told Mr. Shearer, that she plans to make imme-
diate personal acknowledgment of the gift to Mr.
Wurlitzer.
The harp, which was made especially for the
Queen in the company's factory in Chicago, is the
most elaborate instrument ever turned out in this
country. Its mate, an exact replica, will be pre-
sented to Cardinal Mercier upon his visit to Pitts-
burgh this week. Cardinal Mercier will place the
harp in Louvain University.
The Queen's gift is a model made for women mu-
sicians and the shaft is of 22 carat gold and of
Gothic design. The sounding board is of elaborate
design and inlaid with gold of the same composi-
tion.
An engraved plate, not finished in time for the
presentation, reads: "Presented by Howard E.
Wurlitzer to Elizabeth, Queen of Belgium, October
23, 1919." Mr. Shearer left for New York to at-
tach the plate to the instrument.
Mr. Wurlitzer during the war sent 100 Victrolas
and 3000 records to Belgium for the soldiers.
W. F. FREDERICK CO. ANNEX
New Store Planned for Greenburg Concern—Lo-
cated in Heart of Business District
GRKENBURC, PA., October 27.—Having outgrown its
present location on West Second street, the W. F.
Frederick Piano Co. is planning to open a new store
at 205 South Pennsylvania avenue, which will be
known as the W. F. Frederick Annex and will be
a part of the main organization. The new store
will feature player-pianos and music rolls and will
carry a large stock of both. The new location is in
the best business section of this city and the open-
ing of an addition to the present establishment marks
a step which will mean considerable expansion in
the policy of the W. F. Frederick Piano Co.
NOW IT'S "JUDGE" KLIPFEL
Frank Klipfel, secretary to George W. Pound,
general counsel of the Music Industries Chamber of
Commerce, is being hailed by the title of "Judge"
among his friends these days, owing to the fact that
he has just completed a month's jury service in the
Court of General Sessions. So many cases of grand
larceny, burglary and highway robbery, to say noth-
ing of homicide, came before the court, that Klipfel
feels that he is fully competent to act as a criminal
lawyer in competition with his boss.
At the New York offices of the A. B. Chase Piano
Co., 9 East Forty-fifth street, models of the various
pianos are now on display. Considerable difficulty
has been experienced in getting fnstruments, but
now an attractive collection is being shown, among
them the Style W baby grand and the player grand.
For over 25 years Specialists
in high grade Piano Cases
Paterson Piano
Case Co.
PATERSON, N] J.