JULY 21, 1923
THE
MU SIC
TRADE
REVIEW
13
KANSAS CITY'S FOREBODINGS ARE PROVED EXAGGERATED
ROTH BROS. BUSINESS INCREASING
Majority of Dealers Find First Two Weeks of July With Even Trend of Business-Stewart
Wille, of Blackman Co., to Record for Ampico-S. L. McMickle With Smith, Barnes & Strohber
Sidney M. Mayer, of Mayer Bros. & Bramley,
Talks of Big July Business-Getting Ready
for Fall in Order to Meet Dealers' Require
ments Promptly
---~
KAN~AS
CITY, Mo., July 16.-- W'hile the piano
and JIll"ic:Li instrument dealers in Kansas City
had resigned themselves to the belief that the
first two weeks of July would prove to be
among the dullest weeks of the entire fifty-two
of this year the majority of them found that,
in this particular instance, their prophecies were
"considerably exaggerated," as most of them
report that they are delighted with the even
Irend of business.
A. D. Noll, in charge of the piano department
of the vVunderlich Music Co., pointed out sat
i.,factory sales enjoyed during the past two
weeks and made mention that 70 per cent of it
was cash busi ness. 1 t seems the player busi
]1,,,S is showing a healthier movement now
than any other type.
This is the dullest season in the year, but
sOllle of the dealers have had a very gratifying
spurt in business. For instance, the Kimball
people have placed good marks to their credit
in sales. Nearly all music stores are agreed
Ihal collections arc beller than normal for this
lilile uf year. Everyone is interested and a bit
worried over the low price of wheat, for the
farltlCr and his crop mean so llluch to this
"cetion of the country. Despite this fact there
is not a pes,imislic dealer in the city and all
are looking forward to a brisk Fall. It is ex
pcctul that the heaviness of the crop will, in a
t1tcasure, make up for the lowered price.
Mr. Brodeur, manager of the Rudolph Wur
litzer Co., leaves ll,;s '.'/e('k for a trip in the
Fa'i.. He will touch St. Louis, Ch ica go, Ha r t ·
ford and New York. He will spend some time
at Crescent Beach, Conn., with his mother. Be
fore leaving M.r. Brodeur signed the contract
with the Strand Tl1catre, of this city, for ;1 vVur
litzer Hope-Jones pipe organ.
Arrangements have been made for Stewart
\\ille, who has only recently located in Kansas
City
:lh the Blackman .ivIusic Co., to go to
~~ew York and mdke recordings for the Am
pico re-enacting piano, which is featured in the
famous Knabe. ,'\rrangements have also been
made for Mr. Wille to make accompaniment
recordings for local artists in concert work with
the Ampico. Mr. Wille has appeared in recital~
with such artists as Arthur Middleton, Florence
Hardeman, Reed Miller, Harrison Keller, Mme.
Z en d t an d num e rous others. His 'broad experi
ence and years in concert work have prepared
him for the work which he is now doing. Among
the recordings which he expects to make will be
"Danny Boy," an Irish tune arranged by Percy
Grain~er, and a "German Dance" by Beethoven,
concert etude of Leschetizky. As a pianist Mr.
Wille's success has been achieved through years
of consistent and careful study
He might be
called a home product, having been born in our
neighboring State, Kansas. After completing
his early tnining in this country he spent lhree
years i]1 Europe under the tutelage of eminent
European teachers. Upon his return to this
country he located in Boston, whpre he was
associated for two years with Mr. Heinrich
Gebhart, the well-known pianist and pedagogue.
The Wunderlich Music Co. is made, one
might say, "headquarters" by Maudellen Little
fIeld, supervisor of the Dunning School of Mu
sic, 3309 Troo« avenue, of this city. Last week
Miss Littlefield gave a recital in the "'Vunderlich
music rooms which was quite successful in
drawing people, \vho went away friends and ad
mirers of the Ampico grand and the Dunning
system of music study.
Tviiss Bell Kleckner, the young lady who has
succeeded so thoroughly in piano salesmanship
[or the vYundcrlich i'vIusic Co., is spending her
vacation at her father's resort, established in
lhe Ozark Mountains.
George IV. Condit, formerly of Thos. Gog
,'an 131'05., of San '\ntonio, Tex., is now in
,barge of the band and orchestra repair shop of
lite S. :'1'1. Henley Music Co., of Kansas City.
]. E. Bald\\in, manager of the Smith, Barnes
& Strohber Co., has just returned from an ex
ecutive meeting held at the Chicago offices.
vv hile there Mr. Baldwin engaged a new sales
manager in the person of S. L. McMickle, prob
ably one of the most widely known men in the
piano business. Mr. McMickle was with the
Smith, Barnes & Strohber roo in Milwaukee
and Detroit. In these cities he established an
enviable record [or buildine- up the sales of the
organization Before this he was in the employ
of the Baldwin Piano Co. Lpon hearing of TV[r.
McMickle's success in Milwaukee and Detroit
IvIr. Baldwin ]lut in a bid for his services and
just succeeded in landing him. :Mr. McMickle
arrived in Kansas City July 14 and is now lay
ing plans for organized campaign work during
the rest of the year.
The night of July 1 musical instruments val
ued at $2,270 were stolen from the Charles A.
Nenie :Music Co. The lisl of stolen instruments
includes one old ]."rcnch violin, valued at $6.c;O,
I wo old CCrtltan \-iolins at $700, three Gertllan
violins at $500, t \va English violins, $300, and
Iwo banjos, $60. It seemed the thief was a
vcry foresighted one, as he took six genuine
lealher violin cases valued at $60.
Chas. A. Jermane and P. A. Jermane, of the
bouse of Zimmerman-Jermane, which has
branch houses in Senneca, Kan.; Falls City,
:--.Jeb.; i'vfound City, Mo., and Wetmore, Kan.,
:'topped in this territory en route to the Ozarks,
where they will "pend the vacation time. :Mr.
J ermane stated they were doing considerable
business along the way.
The Zimmerman-J ermane Co. is wholesale
distributor and representative for Hallet &
Davis, Newman Bros. and the Angelus repro
ducing pianos.
OLEAN MUSIC SHOP MOVES
OLEAN, K. Y., July 17.· -The Olean Music Shop
has changed its location from 108 vVest State
street to 117 North Union street, which is the
site formerly occupied by the Piggly-Wiggly
store. Stephen]. Biracree and Fred W. For
ness are pleased with their new store, which is
now doing business, having been suitably
decorated.
The business which has been done by the
Roth TIros. Piano Co., Inc., New York, during
the Summer so far has been very satisfactory,
according to Sidney M. Mayer, of Mayer Bros.
& Bramley, Inc., 417 West Twenty-eighth
street, New York, who are factors for the for·
mer company.
In developing a line of instruments the Roth
Bros. Piano Co. has been careful to produce a
wide variety of models, which include grands,
uprights and player-pianos in several grades.
"This means," said Mr. Mayer to a representa
live of The Review this week, "that we are
equipped to meet the requirements of most any
dealer throughout this and other countries. Be
sides our diversified line we have established a
service to the dealer, so that he is now able to
secure pianos he desires when he desires them.
vVe have found no dullness this Summer so
jar and are shipping instruments constantly,
but we are not losing sight of the fact that there
will be a very stimulated demand towards Fall.
Consequently we are slacking our warehouse
so as to be prepared to take care of any rush
wiJich Illay present itself before the holidavs."
R. L. SEEDS CO. LEASES NEW QUARTERS
CANTON, 0., July 16.- The Robert L. Seeds Co..
one of the best-known talking lIJachine and
record houses in eastern Ohio, now located at
the corner of State and High streets, has taken
a twenty-year lease on more commodious quar
ters at 112 High street.
The property which the Seeds Co. acquires
about September 1 consists of four stories and
basement. After extensive remodeling the firm
will move in and convert it into one of the
best-equipped phonograph and record shops in
Ohio.
RODINE MUSIC SHOP FAILS
DES MOINES, L'I.., July 17.-The Rodine M usic
Shop, located in the Shops Building, is reported
to have failed with liabilities of $6,600. The
assets of the rompany are listed at $1,800.
Musical instruments are handled by it.
.1,0"
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The advent of the smaIl grand, upright and player has been wel
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Willow Ave. and 136th St.
New York