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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
JANUARY 9, 1926
39
IN THE WORLD OF MUSIC PUBLISHING
Conducted By V. D. Walsh
Richmond Invades the Music Stores
of Cincinnati, a Western Music Pioneer
be available, and I know that anyone who knows
Mr. Flagler will gladly recommend him to fill
a high-class vacancy wherever there may be one
in the music line.
Head of the Richmond Music Supply Corp., New York, Tells of the Early History of the Devel-
opment of Music in This City and of Its Position at the Present Day
This well-known music house is owned by
Gustav Schirmer, Jr. Mr. Schirmer, however,
makes his home and office in New York City.
He has a number of able representatives. The
official traveling representative of this firm is
Howard Ardy. I met this peppy individual in
his home town, Cincinnati, Dallas, Tex., and
many other points. He covers all the Broad-
ways and Main streets of the entire West and
South. When I walked into the Willis Music
Co. the fellow I was anxious to see was J. J.
Cranley, who divides his time between the Bos-
ton Music Co. and the Cincinnati concern (the
Willis Music Co.). When I was in Cincinnati
he was in Boston—and when I was in Boston,
he was in Cincinnati. The fact that I keep
chasing Mr. Cranley is no fault of his. Perhaps
on my next trip I will catch up with him,
The Willis catalog needs no introduction to
its high-class material. It has a splendid line of
methods and studies and a carefully selected line
of sheet publications for educational and recre-
ational purposes.
J. C. Groene Co.
J. C. Groene & Co. are at 636 Main street. The
name of Groene (pronounced "Grow-knee" in
Cincinnati) has been known in the music line
for nearly forty years. I still have fond recol-
lections of the time when I first started on the
road. Cincinnati to me was an awfully long dis-
tance away from the "Bean Town." Mr. Groene
was always hospitable. He's the kind of a fel-
low who makes you feel right at home. A few
years ago Mr. Groene closed up his business
and went to Philadelphia. He was associated
with the Theo. Presser Co. for several years, up
to the time when he went back into business for
himself, catering to the teacher, musician and
professional artist of Cincinnati and the entire
surrounding community. He is also making a
bid for mail-order business in standard material.
I had my friend Groene on the telephone just
before I was leaving Cincinnati and he reported
"business fine." He said: "Maurice, I've great
hopes for my little business. Everybody is nice
to me and I'm coming along in great shape."
CINCINNATI, O., January 2.—Cincinnati wel-
^"^ comes the visitor. It is the gateway to the
South and termed by Longfellow the "Queen
City of the West." Cincinnati enjoys a reputa-
tion for its hospitality,
c u l t u r e a n d civic
achievement. It ap-
peals to the student in-
terested in the history
of romance of great
cities. It possesses a
background rich in In-
dian pioneer lore, for it
played a conspicuous
and important part in
the building of the na-
tion. About 1840, due
to t h e disturbances
HMPNH^^^^^I
^Mr ^ B B B B
abroad, there was a
heavy immigration of
Maurice Richmond
Germans composed of
refugees from Prussian oppression. One thing
that influenced German immigration to Cin-
cinnati rather than to some of the other cities
of the United States, which were in the process
of growth, was the fact that the Germans
arriving in Cincinnati wrote back to their kin-
folk across the water informing them that the
Ohio Valley was another Rhine Valley in ap-
pearance and fertility. All of the hills north of
Cincinnati during the 70's and 80's were cov-
ered with vineyards and Cincinnati at that time
was the greatest wine producing center in the
United States. Cincinnati is the second largest
city in the Buckeye State. The last census
showed a population of over 400,000. Among
the largest manufacturing concerns in this city
is the maker of playing cards, another reason
why the Germans settled in Cincinnati. What
would all the pinochle players do without good
playing cards?
John Church Co.
The headquarters of the John Church Co.
(The House Devoted to the Progress of Amer-
ican Music) are located here. The publication
department is headed by the well-known W. L.
Coghill, who is general manager. I have known
Mr. Coghill for many years, many more than I
really care to tell. He makes his office in New
York. When I first started in the music busi-
ness Mr. Coghill made his trips regularly to the
large Eastern cities and I always enjoyed a visit
from him way back when I was located in the
"Bean Town."
That good fellow, E. H. Flagler, who is in
charge of the retail business, I have also known
for more than a quarter of a century. Mr.
Flagler had his early start with Chas. H. Ditson
& Co., of New York, when Tom Moore of the
Crown Music Co., Bob Kaiser (better known
as Robert A. King or Mary Earl of Shapiro-
Bernstein) and Fred Haviland (the music pub-
lisher) were clerks behind the counter. Our
friend Flagler has been associated with the John
Church Co. for twenty-three years. For nine-
teen years he traveled on the road from Cincin-
nati to the West Coast. He's made thirty-eight
trips. Mr. Flagler's visit to the convention
last Summer was thoroughly enjoyable, he tells
me. As far as the John Church catalog is con-
cerned, the sale of its publications has exceeded,
beyond any doubt, the business it expected.
While our friend Flagler enjoys being called
a "granddaddy" and really is one, I don't want
any of you folks to think he is old by any
means. In the many years of his association
with the trade I have never known anyone to
say an unkind thing about Granddaddy Flagler.
He is also what I would term a natural optimist,
which reminds me of the fellow who, while
crossing a busy thoroughfare in a hurry, had his
legs run over by a steam roller. While being
hustled to the hospital, he said smilingly: "My
pants needed a pressing anyway."
Mr. Flagler is a high-class type and can fit
in any dignified, discriminating atmosphere in
any part of the retail music business. He makes
a splendid appearance, has a democratic per-
sonality and he would be an asset to any music
house. It is quite true that clothes do not make
the man, but when a salesman is unknown to a
prospective buyer, his attire will either attract
or detract from the result of the first meeting.
A million-dollar-look does not mean that that
amount is on deposit, but it certainly aids us
toward reaching that goal. You have all heard
the remark "the first impression is lasting."
Mr. Flagler has surely been through the mill
—and I can't say as much as I would like to
in this column of his good qualities.
It is rumored that the John Church Co. antici-
pates giving up the retail part of its business
in Cincinnati. I just want the music trade to
know that such being the case, Mr. Flagler may
Willis Music Co.
Waterson, Berlin & Snyder Co.
The Song Shoppe, located at 26 East Fifth
street, is owned and operated by Waterson, Ber-
lin & Snyder Co., of New York City. In the
terms of the man on the street if is the biggest
counter in the city for popular music—that is
in consumption and distribution. Cameo and
Columbia phonograph records are featured, as
(Continued on page 42)
Song Bits from, the Big Sliou) Hits I
IT MUST,
BE LOVE
r,
Music by
Harlan Thompson Harry Archer
You
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from
*
Florida Girl*
*MERRY°MERRY"
Lyrics by
OH YOU/
can't
Lyrics hy
1
PAUL PORTER and
BENJAMIN HAPGOOD BURT
M.usic hy MILTON SUSKIND
go wrong
with any
THEUMTERK
OF LOVE*
from,
*Castles In The Air*
lyrics hy RAYMOND W. PECK
Music £y PERCY WENRICH
FEIST
song*
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