Classic Mode

Music Trade Review

Issue: 1924 Vol. 79 N. 20

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
NOVEMBER 15,
1924
THE
MUSIC TRADE
49
REVIEW
IN THE WORLD OF MUSIC PUBLISHING
Conducted By V. D. Walsh
Doings in the Sheet Music Trade in
Cities of Dallas and Houston, Texas
Maurice Richmond, of the Richmond Musical Supply Corp., New York, Sums Up Conditions in
These Cities in the Lone Star State—Written Exclusively for The Review
"TVALLAS, TEXAS, November 1.—Cotton,
^*^ cotton, cotton everywhere! Most people
wonder where it all comes from. It is really
a fact that most everyone uses cotton in
some form or another.
This, of course, does
not interest the people
who are engaged in the
music industry, for they
being of a prosperous
type are more familiar
with silks and wool.
While traveling on the
Interurban line from
Ft. Worth to Dallas,
for miles and miles a
tremendous amount of
Maurice Richmond
white caps was notice-
able in the fields and that is the way cotton
actually looks upon its maturity. Forty-four
per cent of the cotton raised in the State of
Texas grows within a radius of 100 miles of
Dallas.
Dallas, a city without malice, is built like a
palace. Dallas, "where men are looking for-
ward," organizes for big business. Dallas in
1871 showed a population of 5,000; in 1923 over
232,000. It is one of the very few real jobbing
and distributing points of America, and the
heart of the Southwest. Such firms as Butler
Bros., Sears-Roebuck & Co., Marshall Field &
Co., and many other large distributors are lo-
cated here. It has some of the most gorgeous
and tallest and most practical buildings in the
country. In musical circles it supports twelve
piano houses, among which three handle sheet
music as well. Dallas has a true appreciation
of music through its study of music which is
included in all the schools and colleges through-
out the State. The Music Industry Association
here shows an annual distribution in this line
in excess of $10,000,000.
The "Hell and Maria" of the music business
who can smoke more cigars a day and also
uses more strong language than any man in
these parts is none other than E. G. Council,
"The Music Man" of Dallas and everywhere.
He is located in the piano house of Brook-Mays
Co., 1005 Elm street, leasing a space for his
compact and most interesting stock of every-
thing in the real "highbrow" lines of music.
He is a strong advocater of advertising his
business. He explains it in these words: "Fools'
names like fools' faces are always seen in pub-
lic places." He runs ten-inch three-column ad-
THEWALTZBALLADBEAUTIFUL
vertisements in two of the Sunday papers and
also a representative advertisement in four
daily papers. It is called "The Shop with a
Soul." E. G. Council gives lots of "counsel"
to anyone who is seeking the musical way, for
he is certainly well qualified, being a musician
by birth. What beautiful songs he sang in
his cradle! One of his favorites he still re-
members; it was entitled "Buy low—Sell high."
He has a splendid musical education which
he is rather modest about and can play the
works of the masters just as readily as "I've
Got a Pain in My Sawdust."
His history in the music business in Dallas
goes back to 1910 when he blew down with
a cyclone from the Northwest on the border
of the Twin Cities. He broke all records when
he took charge of the Bush & Gerts music de-
partment. He had increased it over 400 per
cent. E. G. Council, just like "Topsy," grew
up in Kansas in the hamlet now known as the
city of Topeka. His first job in the music
business was with the E. B. Guild Music Co.,
of that city, in 1893, a short time after the
landing of Columbus. His opportunities came
to him not through his own choice. He had to
decide whether he would go to college and
forget that he was an athlete or open a shoot-
ing gallery, for he always craved excitement.
Instead, he turned to his natural instinct, which
was musical.
May I present some real data that Mr. Coun-
cil gave me as to the amount of standard
material he is really using which proves that,
while he is located in a city that most of the
country knows little about except that it is in
Texas, he surely is doing a wonderful business,
due to the co-operation given him by the pub-
lishers combined with his ability, determination
and knowledge of the music business. He has
actually sold since September 1 to schools and
colleges the following publications: 350 each
of Czerney Op. 299, Burgmuller Op. 100, and
Streabog 63; over 200 each of the following:
Bach Part 2 and 3 Inventions, Peter's "Modern
Piano Method," Bilbro's "Happy Half-Hour,"
Bilbro's "In Melody Land" and many others
that he told me, but on account of lack of
space I will not quote them; 100 each such
works as Beethoven sonatas, Baltzel History,
Hamilton's "Musical Appreciation" and "Home-
phonic Forms." Every copy of his merchandise
is for his own retail trade and mail order busi-
ness. To quote his own words: "It is all due
to the musical awakening of the South." Any-
thing is done for service; phones and telegrams
are constantly in use. He is now celebrating
his second anniversary, and is sending a mes-
sage of gratitude and thankfulness to the music
teachers and lovers of good music for the co-
operation and opportunity that has been af-
forded to him. His service is equal to any in
America.
Mr. Council is a strong believer in the net
price markings on music. He claims they are
the salvation of the dealer and the clerk, and
bound to simplify the music business. He
surely is coming to the front fast and furious.
He reports his sales averaging between $250
and $300 per day, and hopes to reach pretty
close to the hundred thousand dollar mark
for the year. Another good line he uses in
his business is "Put us to every test you can
think of—Prove to yourself that the 'Music
SONGS THAT SELL
All Alone (New) by Irving Berlin
What'll I Do?
Charley, My Boy
Driftwood
When I Was the Dandy and You Were
the Belle
Red Hot Mamma
Lazy
I Can't Get the One I Want
Oh, Baby (Don't Say No—Say Maybe)
She's Everybody's Sweetheart
Old Familiar Faces
Nobody Loves You Like I Do
—
—
Nobody's Child
Main Street Wasn't Big Enough for Mary
Indiana Moon
Morning (Won't You Ever Come 'Round)
(New)
No One Knows What It's All About
(New)
Come Back to Me (When They Throw
You Down) (New)
Superstitious Blues (New)
Dance Folio No. 8
X Universal
Special 1925 Edition
Peterson's Ukulele Method
World's Favorite Songs
Lundin's Tenor Banjo Method
—
Song Gems from Irving Berlin's Third Annual
MUSIC BOX REVUE
An Orange Grove in California
The Waltz of Long Ago
Little Butterfly
Learn to Do the Strut
Outstanding Song Hits from
TOPSY and EVA
Rememb'ring
I Never Had a Mammy
IRVING BERLIN, Inc.
1607 Broadway, New York
Man of Dallas' is here to serve you with the
best in Music and Service."
The D. L. Whittle Music Co. has been lo-
cated here over twelve years, occupies its own
building, and is a first-class institution known
throughout the Southwest as the "House of
Reliability and Square Dealings." The Mason
& Hamlin is the feature piano. It employs
forty in help, and carries a most complete
stock of musical instruments, featuring the
Conn and two of its own makes in brass and
wind instruments. In a most interesting inter-
view with A. M. Belsher, the manager of the
musical instrument department, he gave me
some valuable information just how the firm
has been able to promote its musical instru-
ment business so successfully and on such a
large scale.
It publishes the Whittle Musical Review, a
monthly publication with a circulation of 7,500
through this, section of the country. In actual
figures its business in the musical department
(Continued on page 50)
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
50
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
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The Lone Star Sheet Music Trade—(Continued from page 49)
exceeded $125,000 for the last twelve months.
In the months of June and July it did over
$10,000 each, most remarkable for the Summer
season. A good deal of that business was
handled through the mail. What it is doing is
actually selling the idea of using brass instru-
ments in each town, hamlet or village, the form-
ing of municipal bands, factory bands and
school bands. It goes about it through an agent
whom it calls a band master or a director. The
idea, of course, must be sold first before it
can proceed. Some of the talking points bring
out the following facts: It helps to discipline
the younger generation; music helps in an edu-
cational way, furnishes splendid entertainment
to the younger element, and above all has a
tendency of keeping the youngsters out of mis-
chief. This concern has often taken an organ-
ized band of young people and sent it out to
various points, booking the concerts as a means
of creating enthusiasm among the people of
the community. At one of its recent concerts
nearly 5,000 actually attended. This helps to
promote a happier spirit in the community.
What Shall I Give My Pupil?
To Strengthen the Weaker Fingers—To Develop the Legato
Touch, or the Staccato Touch—To Use as a Study in Wrist Work,
Octave Work, Left Hand Melody. Crossing the Hands—and
Dozens of Other Problems?
You Will Find the Answer in the List of
MUSIC CLASSIFIED
ACCORDING TO
PIANO TECHNIQUE
From the Newly and Thoroughly Revised
M
LVAM d u WBWZWITSTMEI
EDITION OF
"°™ STANDARD "~™
TEACHING MUSIC
Selected by
STURKOW RYDER,
Celebrated Teacher, Composer and Concert Pianist,
and HENRY S. SAWYER,
Well Known Music Critic.
EDITORIAL STAFF of the McKINLEY PUBLICATIONS
Frederick A. Stock (Editor-in-Chief "Music in the Home"
Edition), Anne Shaw Faulkner (Music Chairman, General
Federation of Women's Clubs). Sturkow Ryder, Victor Gar-
wood, Allen Spencer, Clarence Eddy, Arthur Olaf Andersen,
Allen Ray Carpenter, Henry S. Sawyer and Others.
Send for Catalog of "One Thousand and One" Piano Selections.
McKINLEY MUSIC CO.
1501-1515 E. 55th St.
CHICAGO, ILL.
Copyright, 1921, by McKinlt>y Music Co.
Miss Laura Markle, a proud Hoosier from
Terre Haute, Ind., is the lady who is managing
the sheet music department so extremely well.
Since Miss Markle has taken charge, the music
business of this firm has improved a great deal,
due partly to the fact that she has had many
years of experience in this line in other parts
of the country. She is of a very friendly type,
such as the real Hoosier is, with an open mind
and always trying to learn something new. In
the music department, it is safe to state the
firm has a representative stock of all the best
American publications, including classics, stand-
ard, popular, also the most used of foreign
things. The building extends from Elm to
Pacific streets.
One of the well-liked music boys was in Dal-
las during my stay in this city—the well-known
H. R. Adae, representing the Willis Music Co.,
of Cincinnati. "Howard" is some popular boy.
That is the opinion in the territory he covers.
His trip has been very successful through the
South and Southwest, and he reports splendid
business on the following publications in the
Willis catalog: "March of Major C" by Bilbro;
"Three Majors" by Blake; "Pollyanna Waltz"
by Hannah Smith; "Peter's Modern Piano
Method"; "Bilbro's Happy Half Hour in Mcl-
odyland," and "Blake's First Melody Book."
There is an unusual demand for many other
publications in this catalog. It is really diffi-
cult to conceive the true value of the Willis
copyrights.
The Bush & Gerts Piano Co., of this city,
occupying the Bush Temple of Music, appeared
to be quite busily engaged throughout the insti-
tution. I tried to locate Mr. Swan, who is the
active figure in this firm now, but unfortunately
was unable to during my stay. In a few mo-
ments' interview with Mrs. T. Petty Leonard,
in charge of the sheet music department, she
stated that in view of the fact that she has just
recently come with this firm she could not say
a great deal at this time as she is busily engaged
getting her stock in shape. But she hopes very
soon to have things running real smoothly.
Houston, Texas.
Houston really deserves a lot of boostin'. In
1837 Sam Houston, in command of the Texas
forces, won a decisive victory over the Mexi-
cans just outside of what is now called Houston,
and the city was named after that hero who
gave Texas her independence. In 1880 the pop-
ulation of Houston was 16,500; in 1923, 195,000.
Houston welcomes the world, where the cooling
breezes every hour scent the air with the mag-
nolia flower. Home life is very attractive here.
It possesses the atmosphere of a large city,
with pretentious buildings, a splendid adminis- '
tration and a peppy Chamber of Commerce.
Houston is known for its genuine hospitality.
It is a fast growing port, fifty miles from the
Gulf of Mexico, with a channel properly
dredged, making it possible for the largest
steamers to come right in. 1,000,000 bales of
cotton have actually been shipped from this
port within the last year.
A certain firm claims that at Houston's back
door money is growing on trees. I hope to
get a few of these plants for my back yard.
After close examination, I find they are only
nature's pecans under cultivation.
Thomas Goggan & Bro. have been doing busi-
ness in the city of Houston for over a half-
century. Their slogan is "Fifty-nine Years of
Faithful Service, the Music House of Texas."
It was my extreme pleasure to meet George N.
Copley, the vice-president and treasurer of this
firm. Mrs. John Goggan is the president but
is not active. The headquarters were originally
in Galveston. After John Goggan passed on,
they were removed to Houston and the Gal-
veston house is operating successfully as a
branch. The Chickering and Ampico are their
features. They also handle the Victor and
Brunswick lines in phonographs, Conn brass
instruments and the Gibson and Vega in string
instruments. Mr. Copley is very enthusiastic
about local conditions in business. He reports
the month of September, just past, the largest
in sales since a year ago last May, excepting
last December, being the holiday month, and
their business in October was Al. One of the
reasons why Houston and vicinity is so pros-
perous is due to the fact that it is a wonderful
field for oil. The Texas Company, also the
Humble Oil & Refining Co. operate on a very
large scale here.
The music department of The House of Gog-
gan is a very important one. Robert Fischer
is manager and has many assistants who are
constantly on the run, taking care of the re-
quirements of the teacher and pupil, as well
as the public. What a tremendous stock of
music this house carries! "If you can't find it
at Goggan's—you will eventually conic back to
Goggan's." That's what "Bob" Fischer says.
It would be unfair to pass without remarking
about the very attractive and artistic window
display that appeared during my stay at Hous-
(Continued on page 51)
BROKEN
DREAMS
THE
WALTZ BALLAD
OF ENCHANTING
BEAUTY AND CHARM
I HEARST MUSIC PUBLISHERS.
I
OF CANADA
LIMITED

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