Music Trade Review

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MUSICAL MERCHANDISE
Conducted By Thomas W. Bresnahan
New York Band Instrument Employes
Tender Dinner to Walter Gretsch
Gathering at Fifth Avenue Hotel, Last Week, Surprises Mr. Gretsch Just Before Sail-
ing for Europe on the S. S. "Mauretania"
EARLY fifty employes of the New York
Band Instrument Co., New York, gathered
at the Fifth Avenue Hotel recently for a bon
voyage surprise dinner to Walter Gretsch, who
sailed last week on the S. S. "Mauretania" for
Europe. It was indeed a great surprise to Mr.
Gretsch and the event was cleverly handled. A
beautiful Malacca wood cane was presented to
Mr. Gretsch by his employes as a mark of their
esteem.
The guest of honor was brought to the hotel
and asked to enter a pitch dark room. He hesi-
tated to do it, but after a little persuasion he
followed and much to his amazement up went
the lights and the air was filled with a popular
refrain "Hail, Hail the Gang's All Here." For
several minutes he was speechless.
Music played by the talented members of the
New York Band Instrument Co. filled the air at
the dinner table. Additional courses brought'
more entertainment. Ned Lutz played several
solos on the saxophone and William Holley
presented several numbers on the banjo, later
accompanied by one of the office boys on a
banjola. Joseph Petri tickled the keys of a
saxophone and made a tenor banjo send forth
beautiful strains of popular musical selections.
Shortly after the last dish was served Nick
C'ortez played the piano accordion, while
Charles Ferrara strummed a few numbers on
the guitar. Arthur Vaubel acted as toastmaster
and master of ceremonies.
The feature of the evening's entertainment
was a comedy playlet by Ned Lutz, imperson-
ating three characters in a court room before a
judge.
Several interesting speeches followed and Mr.
Gretsch sounded the keynote of bigger and bet-
ter business ahead and discussed many aspects
of the future of the band and orchestra musical
instrument industry. He also pledged himself
To" the members of the firm to lend a helping
hand and to work in closer co-operation with
his fellow men.
York Announce New
Catalog of Line
the direction of 1\ P. McCormick, and was
99 per cent "Bettoney" equipped.
Two boys of the Fostoria High School
Band, twice winner of the annual contest, won
New Volume, Which Will Be Off Press Shortly,
Will Describe Entire Band Instrument Line
Made by House
GRAND RAPIDS, MICH., May 26.—The York Band
Instrument Co., maker of the well known York
Band Instruments of this city, has a new cata-
log on the press which it is announced will be
one of the finest printed band instrument cata-
logs ever published by this house.
The new all-purpose bugle, the Legion Spe-
cial, which has been recently created, will be
introduced among other new items. Heretofore
bugles have been in either Bb or in G and F.
But this desirable model, however, is built in
Bb, G and F, thereby meeting all bugle require-
ments.
Some very large York shipments have just
been made to the Army Quartermaster and also
to the Navy Quartermaster. Instruments also
have been shipped direct from the York factory
to the United States Navy Band and the United
States Marine Band.
Substantial recent shipments of York instru-
ments have been made to Graslitz, Austria;
Copenhagen, Denmark; London, England, and
Honolulu, Hawaii, practically circling the globe.
Metal Clarinets Score
at Ohio Band Contest
Cleveland Best Technical High, the Winner,
Was 99 Per Cent Bettoney Equipped in That
Section
The adaptability of metal clarinets for school
use was demonstrated at the annual State band
contest at Columbus, O., recently, when 60 per
cent of the clarinets used by the six bands com-
peting for final honors were metal, and 90 per
cent of these were "Bettoney" instruments.
First place in the contest was taken by the
Cleveland West Technical High School, under
first places in the individual contests. Indi-
vidual merit alone counted in the contest. Each
band was allowed two instruments with no re-
strictions as to kind. Brass and reed, however,
were the only kinds of instruments entered.
Thus with two first prizes the Fostoria Band,
which is 100 per cent Bettoney equipped, will
go to the national contest.
Bacon Banjo Go. to
Exhibit at Commodore
The Bacon Banjo Co., Groton, Conn., will
have an elaborate exhibit of its "Silver Bell"
banjos, Super Strings, Webfoot bridges, and
various other specialties in Room 803, of the
Hotel Commodore, during the music industries
convention next week. Frederick J. Bacon,
president of the company, David L. Day, treas-
urer and general manager, and other members
of the organization will be in attendance.
Grover Banjo Bridges
Walter Grover, head of A. D. Grover & Son,
Inc., manufacturers of patented specialties for
musical instruments, Long Island City, N. Y.,
announces that his company is featuring three
new tenor banjo bridges, the Professional,
which retails at 25 cents, the Leader, which re-
tails at 35 cents, and the Patrician, which retails
for 50 cents. Dealers everywhere are reporting
good business on these bridges.
Samuel Buegeleisen Strongly Urges
Music Merchants to Attend Convention
A yfUSIC dealers arc strongly urged to attend
^-'A the coming annual convention of the music
industries at the Hotel Commodore, New York,
the week of June 4, by Samuel Buegeleisen,
head of Buegeleisen & Jacobson, New York
musical merchandise jobbers, who thinks that
this annual visit of the merchant to the market
is what stamps a dealer as a progressive busi-
ness leader.
"Who ever heard of a department store allow-
ing its buyers to remain away from the big
New York, Chicago or European markets, as
the case may be?" asked Mr. Buegeleisen, in
discussing this subject with The Review re-
porter before sailing for Europe. "These buy-
ers go to visit the big wholesale houses and
the markets in good times and bad.
"Take the furniture people. They're as pro-
gressive as any bunch of business men you will
find anywhere. Every January and every June
regularly you will find them headed for Grand
Rapids or Chicago just as regular as clock
work. Why? To get merchandise? Yes, of
course, but more important to get ideas. To
talk shop with other live business men in the
same line and to assimilate new sales wrinkles
and pep along with the new styles.
"But what is not generally realized and what
to me is more important is that these trips take
the merchant away from the idea-dulling daily
grind and give him a new perspective, a keener
slant on things. He's away from his business
and yet he is not, for he is with a bunch of
substantial business men that talk his language
and give him ideas while they are absorbing
his."
B R E T (or S E H
Trade
Mark
MUSICAL MERCHANDISE
MUSICAL INSTRUMENT MAKERS
SINCE 1883
The Fred Gretsch Mfo Co.
6 0 Broadway BrooWyn.NY