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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
NOVEMBER 22,
1924
IN THE WORLD OF MUSIC PUBLISHING
Conducted By V. D. Walsh
What the Sheet Music Merchants Are
Doing Way Down in the Crescent City
SONGS THAT SELL
AH Alone (New), by Irving Berlin
What'll I Do?
Charley, My Boy
Driftwood
When I was the Dandy and You Were
the Belle
Morning(Won't You Ever Come Round?)
I Can't Get the One I Want
Old Familiar Faces
Red Hot Mamma
She's Everybody's Sweetheart
Nobody Loves You Like I Do
Lazy
Maurice Richmond, of the Richmond Musical Supply Corp., New York, Sums Up Retail Condi-
tions in the Sheet Music Trade in New Orleans—Written Exclusively for The Review
X J E W ORLEANS, LA., November 12.—New
- ^ Orleans, a city of means, with untitled
kings and queens, was named after the Duke
of Orleans, and founded in 1718 by the famous
Frenchman
Bienville.
In July, 1803, Louisiana
was purchased by the
United States of Amer-
ica from France. The
population at that time
was about 10,000, most-
ly Creoles. To-day New
Orleans is the metrop-
olis of the South and
the Mississippi Valley.
It now has about 450,-
000 inhabitants, mostly
Maurice Richmond
Americans.
It is the
largest coffee, banana, sugar, cotton, rice, nitrate,
sulphur and salt, as well as oyster, center in the
United States. It has a large number of French-
speaking inhabitants. Socially New Orleans is
delightful—cosmopolitan. It is famous for its
cuisine and Mardi Gras. It is one of the Winter
resorts of the South. Some of the points of
interest are the French Market, the old Ab-
sinthe House, the old St. Louis Cathedral, its
many beautiful public parks with flowers bloom-
ing the year 'round. The races bring many
visitors to this peaceful city during the Winter
meets. To boast of its residential qualities New
Orleans advertises "It costs less to live in New
Orleans than in any other large city in the
United States."
The well-known house of Philip Werlein, Ltd.,
was established in 1842. It occupies a fine
frontage on Canal street. Its leaders are the
Chickering and Anipico pianos and it handles
many other well-known makes of pianos. In
phonographs it features a complete Victor line,
and in instruments, Ruescher, and a complete
line of musical merchandise.
In a personal interview with the head of the
firm, Parham Werlein, he stated there had been
a noticeable resistance in buying for several
-lonths, but nevertheless the firm has had the
largest Ampico sales for some time. Mr. Wer-
lein said he was looking forward to a big busi-
ness during the holiday season. Philip Werlein,
Ltd., also enjoys a splendid mail-order business.
Before entering the store I particularly
noticed the large corner window. It featured
a very clever display of the Victor talking ma-
chine products, from Victor needles right
through the line to records and Victrolas. The
TH EWALTZ- BALLAD • BEAUTIFU L
window to the left had an artistic display of
the Ampico line.
Mr. Werlein is a great advocate of newspaper
advertising and ranks as one of the largest ad-
vertisers in the music industry. Philip Werlein,
Ltd., uses regularly a full page in the news-
papers. While on a sightseeing tour through
New Orleans I particularly noticed some very
attractive signs on St. Charles avenue, which
displayed the wares of the Werlein house in the
form of large billboards, gold lettered. They
read "Werlein's for Music—Largest Music
House in the South." These billboards are scat-
tered throughout the city.
The sheet music department is efficiently
managed by Mrs. Alice Corbitt Gelpe. This
lady just recently married. There are hardly
any boys in the music trade who don't know
Alice Corbitt, but she saw fit to enter the matri-
monial stage, and I don't blame her a bit. The
music department is well stocked and features
the Wood edition in classics. A complete stock
of standard, vocal and instrumental music, as
well as studies, methods, etc., is on hand at all
times. The music shop is well appointed,
spacious and affords a lot of service to the
general public of New Orleans. Assisting Mrs.
Gelpe in the department is Miss Rita Vinton.
She is one of those sweet individuals always
trying to give the best she has in service.
While trying to explore the historical alleys
of New Orleans I found it just as hot there
as on Canal street. Just then 1 noticed Mr.
Gelpe coming out of the rear entrance to the
Werlein house loading a great big truck with
a lot of deliveries, phonographs, musical instru-"
incuts, etc. It looked as though the firm was
going to open a branch store, but Mr. Gclpe
assured me it was nothing but a lot of goods
that had been sold that day, due to a full-page
advertisement that had appeared in the hading
newspapers the day before. I complained to
Mr. Gelpe about the extrme heat and he whis-
pered very softly: "Come around at about 5.30
and I'll sec what I can do to kill that thirst
you have." Well, you know the rest. I was
there at 5.30, right on the spot, and I certainly
got a real thrill. It took me back to the days
when I lived in Boston, the back alleys, the
nice long bar, sawdust on the floor, free lunch
and a railing. Mr. Gelpe and myself stepped
on the rail, leaned on the bar and held up the
steins. I've forgotten how many I had, for 1
stopped counting after the first hour.
The Louis Grunewald Co. first opened its
doors in 1852. This company has lived through
three generations. At the present time Ben.
Grunewald is the president. It features the
Steinvvay, Sohmer and many other lines of
pianos. The Victor, Brunswick and Radiola
are featured in the phonograph lines. In an
interview with O. D. Swanitz, the manager, he
reported business quite satisfactory. He was
very much pleased with the outlook for the
coming season. The firm occupies an entire
building in the busy part of Canal street.
G. Schirmer Stores, Inc., of Louisiana, oper-
ates the music department of this store, cover-
ing an entire side of its front, or a space of 100
feet in length. The house of G. Schirmer needs
no introduction. The best of everything in
sheet music is carried in stock. ) . Leslie Oil-
worth, the blue-eyed, keen-eyed, smiling-eyed,
all around music man, is the general manager
—
Nobody's Child
Main Street Wasn't Big Enough for Mary
No One Knows What It's All About
Come Back to Me (When They Throw
You Down) (New)
Superstitious Blues (New)
TIDDLE DE UKES — Comic Songs fo»
the Ukulele
Universal
Dance Folio No. 8
X 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
Tunelul Melodies from
DIXIE TO BROADWAY
—
Mandy, Make Up Your Mind
Dixie Dreams
I'm a Little Blackbird
Looking for a Bluebird
Outstanding Song Hits from
TOPSY and EVA
Rememb'ring
I Never Had a Mammy
IRVING BERLIN, Inc.
1607 Broadway, New York
for the House of Schirmer in New Orleans
He is the manager locally and representative of
G. Schirmer in the South and Southwest, look-
ing after the trade for the tremendous Schirmer
catalog and taking care of the schools and col-
leges in promoting the Schirmer educational
material. Just at present Mr. Dilworth has
quite a task on his shoulders, rearranging the
entire stock, systematizing it, so that in due
time anyone will be able to handle the stock
without difficulty. He is installing a card sys-
tem for the wholesale stock and a record of
the retail wrapper with a perpetual inventory
on the shelf cover. In spite of the hardships
that Mr. Dilworth is going through tackling
this job, he d : splays the most wonderful energy
and was just bubbling wilh joy over what he
hopes to accomplish before a great while. It
will make the G. Schirmer Co., of New Orleans,
the greatest music emporium of the South.
Our high-brow friend, J. Leslie Dilworth, has