Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
APRIL 5, 1924
THE
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
Employes' Monthly Meetings Prove a
Big Selling Asset With Bush & Lane
Portland Store Makes These a Regular Feature of Their Selling Work—A. S. Draper Opens Store
in aMrshfield, Ore.—G. F. Johnson a Visitor—Sherman-Clay Employes Elect
PORTLAND, ORE, March 27.—The Portland
music dealers were visited last week by Fred
liuell, of San Francisco, Pacific Coast repre-
sentative of the Kohler Industries, and when
he dropped in to the Bush & Lane Piano Co.
the employes were holding their monthly meet-
ing. These meetings are held the middle of
each menth, al which time one of the employes
is selected to have charge of the meeting and
tell what he knows of the construction of the
musical instrument or instruments he is selling,
whether it be a piano, phonograph, band instru-
ment, or what not. Mr. Buell was invited to
address the employes and he took the occasion
to give them a constructive talk on the Welte-
Mignon, which was of great interest to the
employes.
Preparatory to invading the eastern Oregon
territory by an intensive selling campaign,
Serge Holman, manager of the Portland branch
of Sherman, Clay & Co., is at present in that
region looking over the territory and studying
the business conditions.
Sherman, Clay & Co. will have a representa-
tive in the Coos Bay country in the person of
Arthur S. Draper, who is opening up a com-
plete music store at Marshfield, Ore., and will
carry the entire Sherman, Clay & Co. line.
The Portland branch of Sherman, Clay & Co
was visited last week by Messrs. Weeks and
Orr, of Medford, Ore, the Sherman, Clay rep-
resentatives in that thriving Southern Oregon
town, who report business good and growing.
In both the piano and phonograph depart-
ments of the Wiley B. Allen Co. the business
is reported as greatly increased during the past
few weeks. In the piano department, Cliff Neil-
son, who is in charge of both departments, says
that the piano business especially has been
greatly increased lately, the Conover grands
and the Euphona electrics leading in the volume
of sales. The piano sales force has been in-
creased by the addition of C. H. Lister, who
comes to Portland from Minneapolis, having
been connected with the Cable Company, of
that city.
Since the Reed-French Piano Co. obtained
the agency for the Knabe and the Ampico in
the Knabe they are rearranging their roll de-
partment so as to care for a large supply of
Ampico rolls which they have arranged to carry,
this being added to the present large line of
rolls in this department.
G. F. Johnson, of the G. F. Johnson Piano
Co, is now in the East on an extended tour
during which he will visit many prominent
piano houses and factories. He left Portland
by the Northern route and will return via the
Southern route. He is accompanied by Mrs.
Johnson.
An attractive window display was shown last
week by the musical merchandise department
of the Bush & Lane Piano Co, in which were
featured the Triple and Avalon banjos and the
Ace line of stringed instruments of the Henry
Stadlmair & Co. Mr. Stadlmair visited the
Portland store on March 10 and received a
hearty welcome from E. J. Meyer, manager of
the musical merchandise department of the
store. Mr. Meyers has organized a girl's all-
Holton saxophone sextet, the members being
selected from his sixty-piece all-Holton saxo-
phone band. The sextet in connection with the
men's all-Holton octet are practicing hard for
the Portland Rose Festival, which will be held
June 11, 12 and 13, this year, at which time
both organizations will be featured.
The musical merchandise departments of the
city had a visit last week from W. Reed, the
traveling representative of the Andrew Koch,
importers of musical merchandise. This is Mr.
Reed's initial visit to the Portland trade, having
formerly been located in the southern Pacific
Coast district.
The employes' association of the Portland
branch of Sherman, Clay & Co. held its an-
nual election of officers last week and the fol
lowing were elected for the 1924 season: Presi-
dent, Jack Dundore, of the piano department;
secretary, Maud McCauley, of the sheet music
department, and treasurer, Wm. Maxwell, of
Sherman, Clay & Co, wholesale.
Stieff Welte (Licensee)
Used in Baltimore Theatre
Takes Place of Orchestra With Stuart-Walker
Co. Productions at the Academy of Music
Victrola No. 105
$180
Mahogany or walnut
One of the problems of every stock or reper-
toire company has been the cost of suitable
music. In theatrical productions of this charac-
ter music is actually only needed for the over-
ture, between the acts and at the close. At
the present union scale, the cost of an orchestra
has ofttimes made the difference between profit
and loss for a stock company.
In Baltimore this situation has been admirably
solved through a plan put into effect by J. A.
Helprin, publicity director for Chas. M. Stieff,
Inc. Through the co-operation of the Stuart-
Walker Company productions now appearing at
the Academy of Music, a Stieff Welte-Mignon
(licensee) grand has been installed in this well-
known playhouse to provide the incidental
music for the plays which are making such a
hit in the Monumental City. The Stieff Welte-
Mignon is not only satisfactorily taking the
place of the orchestra, but is exciting consider-
able favorable comment as well. This remarkable
reproducing instrument occupies a stage box
upon a specially constructed platform. A large
spotlight is focused upon the entire instrument
when it plays, as well as a smaller and more
powerful one projected upon the keyboard.
There is no attempt to mystify the audience as
the rolls are changed within its view. The elec-
tric switch controlling the starting and stopping
of the instrument is upon the stage and when
at various times this instrument interprets with
true fidelity the performance of various well-
known pianists the effect upon the audience is
remarkable. It is claimed that this constitutes
the first time that the reproducing piano has
been satisfactorily substituted for an orchestra
and its remarkable performance is receiving
much comment from the press of the city.
Victor supremacy
is the supremacy
of performance
Dealers in Victor prod-
ucts experience a high de-
gree of satisfaction in know-
ing the goods they handle
have proved their super-
iority and are recognized
as the s t a n d a r d of the
world.
Victrola No. 400
$250
Electric, $290
Mahogany
Other styles $25 to $1500
The Stieff Welte-Mignon, in conjunction with
the Stuart-Walker & Co. productions, has been
booked for a four weeks' run at the Academy
of Music, and Chas. M. Stieff, Inc., is providing
the theatre with a complete change of reproduc-
ing rolls each week.
Open House at Baldwin Plant
CINCINNATI, O, March 31.—While music super-
visors from all over the country are in town
this week to attend their national conference
they will be taken on a tour of inspection of
the great plants of the Baldwin Piano Co, at
Eden Park. The Baldwin Co. will provide spe-
cial guides each morning at 10 o'clock and each
afternoon at 2 to guide parties of supervisors
through the factory.
Takes Over Entire Building
SAN FERNANDO, CAL, March 29.—Announcement
was made recently by the San Fernando Music
Co. here that the entire building at 1015 Porter
avenue has been taken over for its purposes.
"HIS MASTERjS VOICE "
Victrola
REG U.S.PAT OFF.
Look under the lid and on the labels
for these Victor trade -marks
Victor Talking
Machine Co.
Camden, N.J.