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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
DECEMBER 4, 1920
SHERMAN, CLAY WAREROOMS IN PORTLAND REMODELED
HUGHES & SON CO. MAKES CHANGE
Oregon Headquarters of Prominent Pacific Coast Music House Now Among the Most Attractive
in That Section of the Country—Good Business Reported by Local Dealers
Piano House to Cease Manufacturing End of
Business and Become Retailer Only
PORTLAND, ORE., November 27.—Sherman, Clay &
Co. have one of the handsomest music houses
on the Coast since the completion of alterations
in their building. Handsome furnishings are not
the only part of the establishment that appeals
to visitors. It is the excellent arrangements and
accommodations for all departments and for all
connected with the store that impress those
who have gone through this large and most
modern music store. The building is 70 by 100
feet, or 7,000 square feet on each floor, and
every bit of space has been utilized in such a
manner as to entirely modernize and facilitate
the business in each department. Plenty of
light, air and ventilation and conveniences not
usually found* in even more extensively adver-
tised music houses have been arranged for the
comfort and pleasure of the Sherman, Clay em-
ployes. The grand piano rooms, the player-piano
rooms and all the display rooms are furnished
in excellent taste. The Duo-Art room is a model
of quiet elegance. The large, beautifully lighted
halls, the complete offices and talking machine
departments are all examples of what is possible
in modern furnishings and equipment. A con-
cert hall is one of the features of the building
and is used by various societies for practicing
as well as for concerts given by the house. The
lobby, reception room and large display win-
dows at the entrance are among the interesting
details. J. H. Dundore, the manager, is the
recipient of congratulations from the many
friends and customers of the house for the good
taste in which the building has been furnished
and the rapidity with which the alterations were
made.
Ray R. Rugg, who has been with Sher-
man, Clay & Co., of San Francisco, for seventeen
years, is now with the Portland branch and has
charge of the Duo-Art and other player-piano
departments.
Business shows a gratifying increase over last
year, according to Frank M. Chase, of the Wiley
B. Allen Co. "We have to work harder, how-
ever," he said, "to get business, and those not
willing to do extra work will fall by the way-
side. No drop in prices will be made for some
time. The first indications of lower prices will
be in the factories, where eventually the num-
ber of workmen will be decreased, but there is
no probability of that being done for months."
The Wiley B. Allen Co. is taking on the Melo- •
dee rolls and has ordered a large shipment.
Jack Farrar, of San Francisco, visited Portland
and convinced the Wiley B. Allen people that a
player roll department without Melodee rolls
was poorly equipped, as these rolls are becoming
more and more popular. The Q R S and Im-
perial rolls are also found in this department.
The G. F. Johnson Piano Co. has purchased
a new piano-moving van, which facilitates the
delivery of goods. Business has been excellent,
considering the prevailing feeling of unrest and
indecision in regard to prices, but high-grade
instruments are being sold in about the usual
number, and a healthy holiday trade seems
assured.
There is always an appearance of good busi-
ness activity at the Bush & Lane store. H. Ben
Street, a salesman of this house, says that people
make a mistake in waiting for reductions in the
price of pianos and phonographs. It is hurting
trade and reasonable people should know that
a reduction before six months or a year would
OARDMAN
GRAY
Y
IAN0S
ESTABUSHED—IN--183/
ALBANY, N. Y.
bankrupt manufacturers. The advance in price
was comparatively small, but a sudden reduction
would be disastrous. Wages of skilled workmen
can not be reduced now.
J. R. Elliott, of Boosey & Co.'s music estab-
lishment of New York, was in Portland last week
visiting the dealers. Mr. Elliott is not a
stranger in Portland, having been at one time
with the Wiley B. Allen Co.
The Reed, French Co. reports business very
quiet, although there was a revival of trade on
Saturday, that being an unusually good day in
all departments. Harold Wormser, of New
York City, has joined the sales force.
NEW STORE FOR STARR CO.
Indianapolis Branch to Move to New Location
Early Next Year—Dealers Anticipate Good
Holiday Trade and Are Well Stocked
DOVER-Fox CROFT, ME., November 30.—The Hughes
& Son Piano Mfg. Co., which is closing up the
manufacturing part of its business and going
into the retail business entirely, will soon move
into its new store in Union Square. The
Roberts store, which it has purchased, is being
extensively repaired under direction of S. F.
Atwood. When completed, Dover-Foxcroft will
have one of the most attractive stores east of
Portland, and the only music store in Piscata-
quis county. In the rear of the store a hand-
some chimney has been built and a fireplace
faces the main entrance. On the right, further
back, are the main offices. A work-room for
repairing is at the back, and a wide doorway
opening into the salesroom makes an easy en-
trance for pianos. The company will carry a
line of its own pianos with those of other
makes, and the Brunswick phonograph.
ISSUE A BULKY VOLUME
November 30.—After being in
its present location at 138-140 North Pennsyl-
vania street since 1901, the Starr Piano Co. will
move the first of next year to 49-53 Monument
Place. The new store will be in a four-story
building leased for a period of ninety-nine years
from Edson T. Wood and others. The build-
ing fronts thirty feet on Monument Circle and
has a depth of 126 feet to an alley.
The Starr Piano Co. has only one floor at the
present quarters and the floor space will be
more than trebled by the change of location.
It is probable that the work of remodeling the
new building and of adding a fifth floor will be
started within the next year. The new location
will place the company next to the Circle Thea-
tre, the largest motion picture house in the city,
and will make it the only piano house in Monu-
ment Circle.
All the music dealers of the city are stocked
up for a brisk holiday trade and are confident
that business will hold up in good shape, al-
though there is no shouting from the housetops
about business never being better. As a matter
of fact the piano business is slow here now and
every dealer admits it. However, fewer sales
are not spelling pessimism. If they were stocks
would not be so large. The unusual and cheer-
ing aspect of the situation is that every dealer
is seeing in the slowed-up business an indication
of the readjustment that it is believed must
come if business generally is to approach the
stability of pre-war days.
"Business might be brisker," said William
Carlin, of the Carlin Music Co., in commenting
on the situation, "but prospects are good and
so far nothing unforeseen has happened. The
piano business, of course, is probably hit a
little harder than many other lines during this
period of readjustment because of difficulties
being encountered by the piano manufacturers.
As for the dealer, he need not be surprised by
conditions as they now are, for they are working
out just as was expected by all of us who have
given close attention to the trend of things in
the commercial world. It may be another year
at the most before farmers and others agree to
submit to the inevitable, but sooner or later
buying will begin again and we will rapidly build
up trade of a substantial sort."
INDIANAPOLIS, IND.,
INCORPORATED IN OGDEN
November 29.—Articles of incor-
poration have been filed by the Hudson-Meyer
Distributing Co. The purpose of the company
is to carry on the sale of musical instruments,
real estate sales and other activities. The capital
stock of the company is set forth as $50,000,
divided into 50,000 shares of the par value of
$1 per share. The officers of the company are
H. C. Hudson, president; Maude Meyer, vice-
president and treasurer, and E. H. Meyer, secre-
tary and manager.
OGDEN, UTAH,
The 1921 edition of Hendrick's Commercial
Register of the United States for buyers and
sellers is now out. It looks larger and better
than ever and several new features have been
added. The new edition contains over twenty-
five hundred pages of information.
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