Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
DECEMBER 2,
1922
THE
MUSIC
TRADE
REVIEW
PROSPECTS BRIGHT IN INDIANAPOLIS
PASSING OF GEORGE REICHMANN
CORLEY CO. SUFFERS FIRE LOSS
Heavy Volume of Trade Presages Unusual
Activity at Holiday Time—Costly Reproducing
Instruments Are in Great Demand
Identified With Early Development of Sohmer
& Co.—Connected With Piano Industry for
Almost Half Century—Highly Esteemed
About $150,000 Damage Done to Company's
Stock and Building in Richmond by Fire
Which Starts in Basement—Temporary Quar-
ters Secured by Company to Handle Business
INDIANAPOLIS, IND., November 27.—No extraordi-
nary activity during the last two weeks is dis-
closed by interviews with the music dealers of
this city. Nevertheless the general situation is
found to be good; so good, in fact, that every
dealer is working strenuously and cheerfully
with the confident hope of enjoying a Christmas
business largely in excess of recent years.
"Our business in pianos and players since
the first of the month has been better than
during the corresponding period of the last two
years," T. H. Bracken, manager of the Starr
Piano Co., reports. "Collections are good and
prospects are brighter than I have seen them
in a long time."
Mr. Bracken's report has to do with medium-
priced instruments, many of which are handled
by the Starr Piano Co. His estimate of the
situation as it relates to the average buyer is
in line with reports of other dealers along the
same line.
Dealers handling the costly reproducing in-
struments continue to report an extraordinary
demand which cannot be met because of delayed
deliveries from factories.
Steinway & Sons have begun a removal sale
in preparation for removal of the business the
first of the year to another site in Pennsylvania
street.
It was with extreme regret that the trade
learned of the death of George Reichmann, of
Sohmer & Co., which occurred November 26, at
his home in Brooklyn, N. Y. He had been
ailing for a few weeks, but it did not raise
any apprehensions, as he visited the warerooms
in New York as late as Tuesday before his
demise.
His death terminates a service of more than
forty years. It marks the passing, not only of
a faithful employe, but a loyal friend, and one
who played a considerable part in the develop-
ment of the company. He was identified with
Hugo Sohmer in the early days of the Sohmer
business and was highly esteemed.
He was a genial and warm-hearted friend, a
musician, and a man of wide general culture.
While he had not had any active responsibility
in the business in recent years, he took a keen
interest in its development from day to day.
He was widely known in the trade and promi-
nent in fraternal circles in Brooklyn.
AFRICAN FARMERS LIKE ORGANS
"Dewdads" Rather Than Music Sell Instruments
on the Veldt—Cheap Pianos in Demand and
Phonographs Very Popular
South Africa is a good market for American
organs, according to a report to the Department
of Commerce from Consul Charles J. Pisar,
Capetown, Africa. The farmers buy the organs
for use in their homes and demand a rather
low-priced instrument, preferably very orna-
mental and always with a mirror in the back.
In many instances the ornaments have more
to do in effecting a sale than the tone quality.
Organs retail at £35 to £45.
The English piano is lower in price than
the average American piano and is very much
in demand. It is exceedingly important that
the cases of the pianos should be well finished.
In this particular both the German and the
English pianos excel American instruments.
America has lost some of the market in South
Africa because of the high prices of pianos, but
reductions in prices of American pianos during
the last year, together with lower ocean freight
rates, should make it possible for America to
compete successfully. It is believed a good
medium grade piano selling for about $135
£. o. b. New York, with a mahogany veneer
finish, four foot two inch high, iron frame,
check action overstrung, 7*4 octaves, with ivory
keys, would sell readily.
Player-pianos are enjoying a good market.
Practically all of them come from the United
States. Phonographs are also in great demand.
American machines enjoy considerable prestige.
The German machines are cheaper but inferior
in tone, quality, finish and workmanship.
DEATH OF VETERAN PIANO MAN
LA CROSSE, WIS., November 27.—The recent
death of T. T. Bergh, a member of the Bergh
Piano Co., of this city, marked the passing
of one of the veterans of the piano industry of
the Middle West. Mr. Bergh succumbed to
apoplexy while driving to his home in Spring
Grove, Minn., from this city. He was in his
sixty-seventh year.
The Link Piano Co., of Binghamton, N. Y.,
is planning to construct a building on Water
street, that city.
FIRE ENDANGERSJMLDWIN PLANT
Flames Discovered in Varnish Department by
Watchman Quickly Put Out by Firemen
CINCINNATI, O., November 27.—Pianos for the
Christmas trade at the plant of the Baldwin
Piano Co., Gilbert avenue and Eden Park en-
trance, were endangered last Thursday when a
fire started in the varnishing department.
John Killen, night watchman, was making his
rounds when he smelled the smoke and started
an investigation. He traced it to the varnish
building, located to the rear of the main plant
on the C , L. & N. railroad tracks. He found
that the blaze had started in a pile of refuse
on the first floor. The flames were spreading
to the drying racks.
The watchman, realizing the danger of a fire
in the building filled with paints and varnish,
summoned the fire department. The flames
were confined to the one department and caused
a loss estimated at $2,500.
SOUTH JERSEY STORE ENLARGING
Riggins, Gaskill, Hunt, Inc., Doubling Floor
Space to Better Display Varied Lines of
Pianos and Talking Machines
BRIDGETON, N. J., November 27.—Extensive al-
terations are being made to the store of Rig-
gins, Gaskill, Hunt, Inc. The large stock car-
ried by these piano, Victrola and record dealers
demands more room and the showroom will be
enlarged to more than double its.present ca-
pacity. The present office will be moved to
the rear and the duplicate stock will be moved
to the basement, giving almost the entire depth
of the building to the display of pianos, Vic-
trolas and records. The new record racks,
having a capacity of 10,000, will be finished in
ivory to match the interior decorative scheme.
New demonstration rooms are being added.
The concern is the representative in South
Jersey of the Steinway and the Duo-Art, the
Krakauer, Madison, Milton and the Wurlitzer
pianos. The Victor Victrola, Sonora and Cheney
talking machines are handled.
UTAH FIRM ADDS SCHILLER LINE
PROVO, UTAH, November 27.—Taylor Bros., who
operate one of the largest department stores in
this part of the country, have secured the local
representation of the Schiller Piano Co.'s line
of pianos and players and in the future this line
will be featured in the fine piano department of
this concern. Frank L. Jordan, sales manager
of the Schiller Co., closed the deal during a
recent visit.
RICHMOND, VA., November 25.—The Corley Co.,
Inc., prominent piano and music merchants of
this city and also Victor talking machine whole-
salers for this district, suffered a loss estimated
at $150,000 as a result of a fire which broke out
in the basement of the company's building at
213 East Broad street on Thursday afternoon
and completely destroyed approximately 200,000
records, together with other stock in the base-
ment, as well as causing considerable loss
through smoke and water to goods on the upper
floors.
The fire gave the firemen a stubborn fight,
practically all the apparatus in the city being
called to the scene, and although the flames
were confined to the basement of the Corley
building, it was nearly four hours before the
blaze was under control. The store runs from
Broad to Grace street and the length of the
basement proved a handicap in getting after the
flames.
According to officers of the company, about
twenty rare violins, several of them worth close
to $1,500, were destroyed in the fire.
The Corley Co. immediately opened a tem-
porary office at Third and Grace streets, to
|
be occupied until such time as the burned
structure can be repaired. Additional stock was
ordered from manufacturers and it is hoped that
there will be little interruption of business as
a result of the fire. A temporary store will ,,
be opened in a few days to take care of the *
new stock as it arrives.
**"
The officers of the Corley Co. are John G.
Corley, president; Frank W. Corley, vice-presi-5*" 1
dent and general manager; Horace C. Lukhar,t/t?1$
secretary, and G. William Greener, treasurer "
and assistant general manager.
CELEBRATES FORTIETH ANNIVERSARY*
Will A. Watkin Co., of Dallas, Tex., Passes"
Fortieth Milestone
DALLAS, TEX., November 27—The Will A. Wat-
kin Co., of this city, recently celebrated its
fortieth anniversary with a complimentary con-
cert at the City Temple by Daisy Jean, Belgian
'cellist.
The concern was one of the first music es-
tablishments to be opened in Dallas and has
been in business continuously since it began.
The present officers are: Will A. Watkin, presi-
dent; A. Ragland, vice-president, and Robert
N. Watkin, secretary.
MANY NEW SCHUBERT AGENCIES
A very successful tour in the interest of the
Schubert line of pianos which extended over a
period of three months was recently completed
by M. B. Markham, as his initial trip for the
Schubert Piano Co., of New York. Mr. Mark-
ham's itinerary included the entire South and
stops at Virginia, West Virginia, Tennessee,
Pennsylvania, Ohio and New York on the re-
turn trip. The result of the trip was a number
of substantial orders from many enthusiastic
dealers in this territory.
RETIRED PIANO MAN PASSES AWAY
NEW
LONDON,
CONN.,
November
27.—Death
came last week to Aborn Fanning Smith, one
of the best-known residents of this city and a
retired veteran of the piano business. Mr.
Smith had been in failing health for the past
year.
Mr. Smith is survived by his widow, Nellie
D. Allen Smith, and three daughters.
The Heine Piano Co., of San Francisco, Cal.,
is planning to open a branch store in Oakland.