Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
IN THE WORLD OF MUSIC PUBLISHING
Conducted By V. D. Walsh
Sunny San Antonio, Texas, One of
the Winter Playgrounds of America
SONGS THAT SELL
Maurice Richmond, Head of the Richmond Music Supply Corp., New York, Investigates the
Music Trade There—The Beginning of the Famous House of Goggan
C A N ANTONIO, TEXAS, June 30.—Sunny
San Antonio, a Winter playground of
America. What a glorious picture the name
conjures!
A city of intoxicating sunlight,
haunted by the memo-
ries of a romantic past.
A city of picturesque
contrasts, set in a fer-
tile fruitful valley, a
spot so lovely that old
world nations warred
to own it two hundred
years ago. France and
Spain began the strug-
gle to possess Texas.
Spain wrested the em-
pire from her rival and
when Mexico broke
away from the mother
country, she claimed
Maurice Richmond
San Antonio as one of
the prizes. Less than a century ago, Texas
joined the United States and the Alamo flew the
Stars and Stripes, the sixth flag to wave over its
grey walls. Against the mellow background of
its romantic history stands the Antonio of to-
day, the largest city in Texas, with modern of-
fice buildings jostling its ancient cathedrals and
missions. And to-day as yesterday, men come
to San Antonio to live, lured by the dazzling
glory of its sunshine, the silver radiance of its
moonlit nights, the sparkling purity of its wa-
ters and the delights of its climate. There are
few "overcoat" days in San Antonio. The av-
erage temperature for the Fall and Winter
months is 57 degrees. It is the exhilarating
weather of Spring and of those glorious days
known in the North as "Indian Summer." San
Antonio boasts of fifty-two parks and plazas.
Of these the most famous is Brackenridge
Park, 360 acres enclosing one of the most beau-
tiful and complete municipal playgrounds in
America. Every form of sport conceivable is
to be found in this wonderful spot. Visitors to
Brackenridge Park find delight in the fairy-like
view of the renowned sunken garden, world fa-
mous for its beauty. Side by side on the down-
town plaza, stands a towering office building
and an ancient cathedral, old when Washing-
ton became president.
San Antonio has been an important army cen-
tre since long before the Civil War. Among
the illustrious soldiers who were stationed here
appear the names of Robert E. Lee, Theodore
Roosevelt, Frederick Funston and John J. Per-
shing. It was from San Antonio that General
Pershing was called to lead the American troops
to victory in the World War. Army activities
weave a colorful thread through the tapestry of
San Antonio's daily life for it is here that Uncle
Sam maintains his largest military establish-
ment. Every branch of the service is repre-
sented in the Eighth Corps area of which Fort
Sam Houston is headquarters. The Alamo
City, which is another name for San Antonio,
is home to the famous Second Division and
here also are the army's greatest flying schools
and aviation fields. To know San Antonio is
to know perpetual Springtime.
Thos. Goggan & Bros.
Goggan's sixtieth anniversary sale took place
while I was in the city. During this sale many
large advertisements, anywhere from one-half
to a full page, appeared in the daily papers.
Goggan's is a built-to-order music house and a
modern structure, embodying every feature sug-
gested by many years of experience. Su-
premely appointed, it is a store easy to reach
and easy to deal with, a quality house selling
quality products, built with high ideals. It is
the home of the Steinway, Weber, Duo-Art,
Brambach and many other well-known pianos.
The best lines of phonographs and records, mu-
sical instruments and one of the most impor-
tant sheet music departments in the entire
Southwest may be found here. The House of
Goggan operates a one-price system with clean
methods. Just as its slogan reads, it is the
"Complete Music Store" at Broadway and
Travis street.
Mr. Goggan invited me for an interview in
his spacious and well-appointed private office
on the second floor. I was received in an ex-
tremely cordial fashion. He gave me the fol-
lowing facts, stating: "Our business last year
was splendid, the biggest December we have
ever had since we have been in business. Jan-
nary and February of 1926 are far ahead of
last year. We hope that the manufacturers
some day will be able to control the retail price
without disregarding the Federal Trade Com-
mission. The dog-eat-dog method is obsolete.
The dealer cannot thrive under this course.
There never was anything made but what some-
one else could not make it cheaper and sell it
for less."
While in the office I noticed on the desk an
old day book of sales, partly destroyed. Mr.
Goggan told me this was the first day book
used by Thos. Goggan, Sr. (his father), sixty
years ago. It had gone through the Galveston
flood.
A Landmark
Goggan's may well be linked with the history
of Texas, particularly by the development of
the Goggan family. The first Goggan store was
established in Texas in 1866, the first year fol-
lowing the close of the Civil War. Texas
needed music in those days but had small op-
portunities to gratify its needs. Neither was
Texas educated to the point of recognition of
its need of music. Years of education, genera-
tions of progress in which the Goggans played
a leading role have assisted materially in fur-
thering in Texas an intelligent appreciation of
music. They have made Texas and San Anto-
nio particularly, a musical center, not excelled
by any State in the universe. Goggan's was
founded by a merchant prince and is manned by
his son, a second merchant prince. During my
conversation, Mr. Goggan showed me a brief
biography his father had written. I asked his
permission to reprint it—and it gives me pleas-
ure to have The Review readers know the his-
torical facts of this merchant, who was respon-
sible in such a large way in making music one
of the fundamentals in the State of Texas. It
follows:
At Peace With the World (Irving Berlin)—
New
Always (Irving Berlin)
How 31any Times? (Irving Berlin)—New
Remember (Irving Berlin)
—
Don't Wait Too Long (Irving Berlin)
Venetian Isles (Irving Berlin)
I'd Climb the Highest Mountain (If I Knew
I'd Find You)
When the Red, Red Robin Comes Bob, Bob,
Bobbin' Along (New)
—
—
—
Gimme a Little Kiss (Will Ya—Huh?)
Poor Papa (Has Got Nuthin 1 At All)
Oh!
If I Only Had You—(New)
Say It Again
Oh,
Boy! How It Was Ruining—(New)
In the Middle of the Night
Who Wouldn't—(New)
Blue Bonnet—You Make Me Feel Blue
That's Annabel—(New)
—
—
Put Your Arms Where They Belong
I'p and Down the Eight Mile Road—(New)
Trying to Forget—(New)
I Found a Roundabout Way to Heaven
And Then I Forgot—(New)
Roses Remind Me of You
But I Do (You Know I Do)
Then I'll Be Happy
I Never Knew
That Certain Party
If You Miss Me as I Miss You
Yes,
Sir!
That's My Baby
To-night's My Night With Baby
Oh,
How I Miss You To-night
The Roses Brought Me You
BOOKS THAT SELL
X
New Universal Dance Folio
No. 11
Kdition Extraordinary—Just Out
Peterson's Ukulele Method
—
World's Favorite Songs
Tiddle De
Ikes
Strum It With Crumit
Irving Berlin's Song Gems
Prom the Musical Comedy Sensation
"THE COCOANUTS"
Ting-aling the Bell'll Ring
Why Do You Want to Know Why?
Florida IJy the Sea
The Monkey Doodle Doo
Lucky Boy
-
We Should Care
IRVING BERLIN, Inc.
1607 Broadway, New York
the business of this concern, never looked at
the clock to see if it was time to quit work for
the day (which in my time I have seen so many
clerks do) and when it was necessary worked
at nights. I was fortunate in having a man to
work for who was kind and considerate to his
"In the Fall of '60 I went to work in an office,
clerks, for a better man never lived than Alfred
as, I may state, general utility boy for the firm
of A. C. Peters & Bro., of Cincinnati, O. (at a C. Peters, the head of the firm. J. S. Peters
salary of $2.50 per wtek.) From this, I was was very rarely in Cincinnati, having the man-
raised to entry clerk and afterwards bookkeeper. agement of the St. Louis branch. He took spe-
I surrendered this last position. My brother
cial interest in me and acted, as I may state,
(John Goggan) took charge of the wholesale
the part of a father. He got me to take lessons
department and during the absence of Mr. Al- on violin, piano, also French and writing les-
fred Peters had partly the management of the
sons for which he paid out of his own pocket.
business. I devoted all my time and energy to
He always held out the hope that at some fu-
35