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JANUARY 5, 1924
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
San Francisco Dealers Report Increase
in Business During Past Twelve Months
Holiday Demand Proves Uneven but Fairly Good—Ampico Used in Illustrating Lectures of Dr.
Sigmund Spaeth—Philip T. Clay on Trip East—A. S. Deily With Hauschiidt
C A N FRANCISCO, GAL., December 27.—
Business, for the holidays, started late and
this made the rush season somewhat short.
With a good many of the dealers the demand
was somewhat "spotted." Some of the firms
had an unexpectedly brisk demand for phono-
graphs, others found the best demand along
other lines. Speaking of the trade transacted
during the close of the year, and in the pre-
holiday shopping, Shirley Walker, of Sherman,
Clay & Co., said: "Business this Christmas was
not so good as we had hoped it would be,
although it was quite heavy. The year was a
very good one, taken all in all, for Sherman,
Clay & Co."
Hoping for More Starr Pianos in New Year
In spite of the fact that Starr dealers have
had an insufficient supply of Starr pianos, in
proportion to the demand, during 1923, the year
has shown an increased business, according to
J. W. Steinkamp, factory representative, with
headquarters at New Montgomery and Howard
streets. Mr. Steinkamp is very fiopeful that he
will have considerably more Starr pianos during
1924. Grands have been particularly in demand.
Mr. Steinkamp was enthusiastic regarding the
holiday sales of the Gennett Christmas greeting
records. The way in which they were made
up and the Yuletide sentiments of the records
caused a heavy demand from dealers who handle
the Gennett records. The line brought on some
new dealers.
Noted Lecturer Uses Ampico for Demonstration
Dr. Sigmund Spaeth, according to H. T,.
Stoner, manager of the Ampico department,
Kohler & Chase, is expected here to give some
of his humorous and witty lectures before lead-
ing clubs. On January 17 he will speak before
the One Hundred Per Cent Club, his subject
being "Commonsense of Music." Dr. Spaeth is
also scheduled for speeches before other down-
town clubs during his visit. He uses the Ampico
to feature the various artists' characters in their
work. Kohler & Chase will furnish the Ampico
for Dr, Spaeth's lectures. He was formerly
music critic of several Eastern publications, in-
cluding the New York Times, the Evening Mail
and the Boston Transcript.
P. T. Clay Leaves for New York
Philip T. Clay, president of Sherman, Clay &
Co., left on December 21 for New York and
other Eastern cities. Mr. Clay is taking a brief
business trip. Serge Halman, piano sales man-
ager for Oregon for Sherman, Clay & Co., is
in San Francisco, having come South to visit
his family. William Purdy, manager of the
sheet music department for the Portland store
of Sherman, Clay & Co., has also come here
to visit his family during the holiday season.
Back to the Hauschiidt House
A. S. Deily, who left the Hauschiidt Music
House over a year ago and has been traveling
recently for various phonograph houses, has
now returned to the San Francisco Hauschiidt
store. He stated that he traveled recently in
Northern California for phonographs and found
business fairly good, though the unusually dry
Autumn has proved discouraging to farmers.
They hope for a wet January. Mr. Deily is
well known to the trade, especially in the in-
terior cities.
Working on a New Book
Ralph Eliaser, sales manager for the Hanson
Music House, is now devoting his spare mo-
ments to writing a new book which, however,
will not be finished for several months. From
its name, "Saxarmonic," it can be seen that Mr.
Eliaser is writing a guide to would-be saxo-
phone virtuosi. It develops a new system and
is a companion publication to the author's
"Jazzarmonie," which treats of reading the score
for banjo-players, especially those who play in
jazz orchestras.
Well-known Piano Man Killed
Holly Clark, one of the old-time piano men
of this city, was killed yesterday morning about
11 o'clock by a driver who crashed into the rear
of his car and injured him so seriously that
he died later in the hospital. He was with the
Heine Piano Co. At the time of the fatal acci-
dent he was on his way to visit a prospect.
Mrs. Sarah Heine, president of the Heine Piano
Co., said that the deceased was a very careful
driver, but witnesses stated that the man who
crashed into him was driving very recklessly.
He was arrested and charged with manslaughter.
The deceased leaves a young son and a widow.
According to Mrs. Heine, he was an all-round
piano man, salesman and capable piano tuner,
and was the inventor of a player attachment.
Praise for Mehlin Tone
by Radio Broadcaster
Station WOC Director Finds Instrument's Tone
Meets Every Requirement in Use to Broad-
cast by Radio
A letter has just been received by Paul G.
Mehlin & Sons, West New York, N. J., from
Frank W. Elliott, manager of Radio Station
WOC of the Palmer School of Chiropractic,
Davenport, la., which station has recently in-
stalled a new Mehlin grand in the broadcasting
studio. The new instrument, equipped with the
Mehlin acoustically graduated bridge and free
vibrating soundboard, has proved most satis-
factory for broadcasting work in transmitting
a clear round piano tone through the ether.
Since the installation of the Mehlin piano many
radio fans have written to the station praising
the instrument.
~ Mr. Elliott's letter is in part as follows: "I
have personally listened to it at a distance of
one hundred and eighty-five miles from the
studio and there is no question about the su-
periority of the piano and its carrying power.
There is one thing we noticed in broadcasting
work, however, which was that it was necessary
for the player to play firmly and pay no atten-
tion to the amount of volume that on an ordi-
nary piano would choke the microphone. So
we find that the tone is carried through sincere
and sweet. I should be glad to have you listen
in at some time and report from long distance
on the reception of the piano and what your
opinion is and if you can make any suggestion
we should be glad indeed to have you do so."
Lauter-Humana Player-Piano, Style 420.
Mahogany or walnut. Polished or satin.
Lauter Pianos are
Quality Products
"Quality" is very evident in every
detail of a Lauter Piano. Even the
most casual customer cannot fail to
observe this.
Much praise has been sung- about
the Lauter-Humana player-piano and
its wonderfully responsive action, but
there is another feature—and .a very
important one—that is found in all
Lauter Pianos; a clear, true tone that
has been pronounced by artists and
musicians as one of "liquid purity."
Needless to say, this provides the
dealer with an opportunity for some
unusually strong sales talk. Play an
ordinary piano. Then play a Lauter
Piano-—and note the vast difference in
the tonal quality. This one point has
closed hundreds of sales for Lauter
dealers all over the country. We
feature the following instruments:
Lauter-Humana Player-Piano
Lauter Small Grand
Lauter Piano
Lauter Grand, Style
90, in polished or
satin mahogany.
H. Emerson Giles Dies
at Home in Quincy, Mass.
Member of Firm of Giles Bros., Music Mer-
chants, Passes Away After Career of Over
Forty Years in the Retail Music Trade
QUINCY,
MASS.,
December
28.—H.
Emerson
Giles, a member of the prominent firm of Giles
Bros., music merchants of this city, died'at his
home here early this week, following a cerebral
hemorrhage.
Mr. Giles was born in Pennsylvania in I860
and started his business career in the West,
coming to Quincy in 1884, where he joined his
uncle in the piano and music business under the
firm name of Everett & Giles. Three years
later he took over the business with his brother,
Jacob E. Giles, and organized the present firm
of Giles Bros., which has proved one of the
most successful concerns in this section of the
State,
Write at oncj for details con-
cerning the Lauter Agency
LAUTER PIANO CO.
591 Broad St., Newark, N. J.