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8
THE
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
Business Steadily Advancing With
Music Merchants in the Mound City
Most of Sales Being Made to Prospects Who Delayed Their Holiday Buying—Many Manufac-
turers' Representatives Making the Rounds of the Local Dealers' Warerooms
C T . LOUIS, MO., January 18.—Business is
' convalescing from the after-holiday depres-
sion and the cold wave, which came with it, but
recovery is slow. The situation generally w r as
somewhat better last week than the week before
and in spots it was considerably better. Hut in
other spots it was not so good. It is remarked
that talking machines have not been affected as
much as pianos. In fact, the talking machine
demand seems to be a little better than is
usually expected at this season. That is en-
couraging as far as it goes, and gives rise to
expectancy that pianos will come in for their
turn soon. One thing that has been helping the
piano business somewhat has been the gathering
in of prospects who put off buying until after
the holidays. There have been quite a number
of these, persons who preferred to buy other
things for Christmas and leave the purchasing
of a piano for decision in a less hurried season.
Herman Weil, dignified member of the Leh-
man Piano Co. sales organization, submitted in
the Bok peace competition a suggestion for
world peace which was commented upon very
favorably by the friend to whom he showed
it. His plan included immediate reduction of
standing armies to 20 per cent of present num-
bers and ultimate abolishment; conversion of
battle craft into commercial carriers; prohibi-
tion of military training in schools; dismantling
of all coast defenses; submission of a declara-
tion of war to referendum; establishment of a
tribunal to be known as the "International
Stewardship of Safety"; creation of interna-
tional peace day; erection of an international
peace monument, and a covenant binding all
nations to peace and punishment by isolation
of any nation that violates the covenant.
Investigation has disclosed the cause of the
fire that damaged the building at 1103 Olive
street, occupied by the A. C. Thiebes Co. and
the Artophone Corp. It was found that in
wiring the building after the previous fire a
cable had been run from the basement to con-
nect with the cable in the basement of the
adjoining building on the west, instead of pass-
ing it through the aperture provided for the
purpose under the sidewalk, and that no fuse
was installed. Little damage was done to the
Thiebes piano stock, but 150 Artophone ma-
chines were partly or wholly destroyed. Adjust-
ment of insurance is being made and it will be
about a month before the entire establishment
is running smoothly again. E. M. Alch, a well-
known local salesman, has joined the Thiebes
sales organization.
W. C. Griffith, of the Chicago Talking Ma-
chine Co., was here last Monday visiting W.' P.
Geissler, manager of the Famous & Barr Co.
music department.
Manager Hosier, of the Scruggs, Vandervoort
& Barney piano department, has been conduct-
ing a used-piano sale with good results.
William Allen, of the Brambach Piano Co.,
New York, was here Monday and left for the
South.
George Mansfield, of C. Kurtzmann & Co.,
Ruffalo, N. Y., passed through here to-day on
his way South.
Gust. Ad. Anderson, of the B. K. Settergren
Co., Bluffton, Ind., was in St. Louis during the
past week.
C. F. Lippman, who has been manager of the
talking machine department of the Field-Lipp-
JANUARY 26,
1924
man Piano Co., left to-day for Sedalia, Mo., to
take charge of the company's store there.
Thomas J. Mercer, sales manager of the
Gulbransen-Dickinson Co., Chicago, and W. J.
Eden, Middle West traveler for the same com-
pany, stopped here last week on their return
from Springfield, 111., where they attended
the annual sales meeting of Gulbransen deal-
ers in that section. From here they went to
Keokuk, la.
Thomas W. Phillips, formerly of the Baldwin
Piano Co., to-day joined the Kieselhorst Piano
Co. sales organization as head floorman. Mr.
Phillips was originally brought to St. Louis by
the Kieselhorst Co. from Pittsburgh, Pa., four-
teen years ago and was with the company then
for three or four years.
E. W. Furbush, of the Haddorff Piano Co.,
Rockford, 111., came here last week from Kansas
City and after spending a day here departed
for Rockford.
P. A. Lehman, president of the Lehman Piano
Co., returned Saturday from a business trip
to Chicago.
The Lehman Piano Co., Eleventh and Olive
streets, has been conducting a fire sale the past
week, disposing of instruments slightly dam-
aged by smoke and handling in the fire which
started in the basement of the Thiebes store
next door.
A settlement is to be made of the suit of
Mrs. Ella Kunkel against the estate of her de-
ceased husband, Charles Kunkel, of the music
firm of Kunkel Bros., in which she sought title
to the firm's place of business at 3750 Lindell
boulevard. She claimed that the property was
purchased with her money, but that Kunkel
placed title in himself and his son. It is an-
nounced that Mrs. Kunkel is to be paid the
amount that she put into the building. In his
will Kunkel, after giving the residue of the
estate to his wife, attached a codicil cutting her
off and giving it to the son.
New Peerless Actions
Win Trade's Approval
Secretary Lorini States Through Standardiza-
tion of Product Factory Is Now Able to
Render Instant Service on Orders
Sell This
Player
Roll
Cabinet
Here is a cabinet of goodly size—will hold 156 player-piano rolls.
Splendid construction—beautiful finish—in keeping with the
highest UDELL standards. Louis XVI design, mahogany or
walnut top and front. Priced to please your customers and your
own cash register. Write for catalog of this and the complete
UDELL line.
The UDELL WORKS
28th Street and Barnes Avenue
INDIANAPOLIS, IND.
The Peerless Pneumatic Action Co., New
York, has worked out a very definite policy
for the coming year in taking care of the trade
in so far as Peerless player actions are con-
cerned.
The new models recently produced by this
company have won instant approval, according
to M. Campbell Lorini, secretary of the com-
pany, who stated to a representative of The
Review this week that he was very much pleased
with the reception which they have had.
"The numerous inquiries which we have re-
ceived and the business we are now doing," he
said, "show that the Peerless pneumatic action
is fast becoming a factor in the player action
industry in this country. This success naturally
pleases us, as it is a splendid tribute to the
ability of our president, Talbot F. Cheek, who
not only created the action, but is now giving
his personal attention to all the manufacturing.
"Through the standardization of this product,
which has been developed to the highest point,
we are able to render unusually prompt service
in shipping which is not only pleasing our cus-
tomers, but is becoming a big factor in securing
new business. All indications point to a banner
year for the Peerless player action."
New Music Store in Neenah
NKF.NAH, WIS., January 21.—A new music store,
carrying a full line of pianos, phonographs and
records, will be opened here this week by Jane
Pierce, who has leased the former grill of the
Menasha Hotel building. Miss Pierce is organ-
ist at the Neenah Theatre and is well known in
musical circles,