Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW.
CHICAGO.
BUSINESS REPORTS CHEERFUL—THE JURY OF
AWARDS IN EVIDENCE—EXAMINATIONS OF
INSTRUMENTS BEGUN—GENERAL FACTS.
CHICAGO,
August 23d, 1893.
EDITOR MUSIC TRADE REVIEW :
My lugubrious plaint of last week, anent the
state of trade, I am glad to say, can with truth
and justice be given a more cheerful aspect this
week. Nearly every house reports prosperous
business and many extraordinary sales.
Chase Bros. & Co. have been exceptionally
busy, and that is saying a groat deal.
Mr. John W. Northrup, of the Emerson Piano
Company, says he sold thirteen high grade
pianos in the past six days at retail, and did a
very fair wholesale trade.
Mr. Charles H. MacDonald, of the "Popular
Pease Piano," is making things lively in this
and all the outlying territory, and says the
Pease is booming wherever introduced.
It is but fair to say that no house on Wabash
avenue has aught to complain of, as all seem
to be sharing in the rejuvenated trade.
Over on State Street, where Lyon & Healy
reign supreme in the trade, of course business
prospers. In fact their trade is a fair index of
the market at all times. If they complain of
dull times you may be sure it is indeed dull, and
when matters brighten you may be equally sure
they are full sharers therein.
The jury of awards on musical instruments
is now actively at work. Mr. George Steck has
arrived and is taking an active interest in the
examinations. In fact, after watching the jury
in the Hardman booth yesterday, and the Chick-
ering to-day, I may say that I think they are
not only making a very critical but an exceed-
ingly painstaking examination. As I saw them
at first Mr. Hlavac was playing for the delecta-
tion of the jury and an attentive outside audi-
ence. Among his associates on the jury who
seemed deeply interested in the intricate mech-
anism of the piano, I noticed particularly
Messrs. Schiedmeyer, Steck, Clark, Carpenter,
Ziegfeld and Pilchau. The jury began with
pianos and organs on Monday, and up to this
evening had looked upon and into and made
notes of the following in the order named:
Lawrence, Guild, Mason & Hamlin, Hardman,
Peck & Co., Mehlin, Jacob Bros., Krell, Schu-
bert, Starck & Strack, Adam Schaff, Bush &
Gerts, Schomacker, Bent, Chickering, Stieff,
BehrBros., Starr, Colby, Wegman, Newman and
Haake.
The instruments exhibited by the Dominion
Piano and Organ Company, of Bowmanville,
Ontario, have elicited no little interested atten-
tion, not only among piano men, but with all
visitors who have seen and examined the
pianos and organs shown by the company. In
addition to displaying first-class instruments,
the company has sent a wide awake man to re-
present it in the person of Mr. George Farwell,
who is thoroughly up to all the most acceptable
and worthy methods of putting the products of
his factory before the public in the most taking
way. He and his booth are popular on all
sides.
Robert Proddow and Mr. Simpson, of the
Estey Piano Company of New York, are here
for a few days.
Lyon, Potter & Co. report a very active de-
mand for second hand Steinway pianos, and,
strange to say, the squares are more sought
after than any other pattern.
Mr. Harry Raymore, of the Shaw Piano
Company, of Erie, Pa., is here to see the Fair
and look after his company's interests for a few
days.
William Knabe, Jr., of the great Baltimore
piano house of Wm. Knabe & Sons, is spending
a short while at the Exposition, and incident-
ally getting pointers at Lyon & Healy's, where
his pianos are sold by the cart and car load.
HARRY MANNING.
0RAUMUUUER PIANOS,
A FEW FACTS WORTH THINKING OVER—WHY
THE BRAUMULLER CO. HAVE BEEN SUCCESS-
FUL—WHAT THEIR PIANOS EMBODY—
A SIGNIFICANT RESUME OF STRIK-
ING POINTS.
opening of the handsome warerooms of
the Braumuller Co., corner of 18th street
and Fifth avenue, on Friday, August 18th, was
the first move to indicate the coming fall season
of the piano trade, and in itself it speaks volumes
for the prosperity of the firm. The Braumuller
Co. have secured a first-class position, and with
such pianos as they manufacture—instruments
of the highest musical excellence, replete with
new ideas of tried worth, and represented by the
principal houses throughout the country—they
cannot fail to build up a large and lucrative city
retail trade.
Regarding the success of the company, here
are some facts:
The Braumuller Co., rewarded by their pro-
gressive and original business methods, and the
intrinsic character of their instruments, found
it essential to retain the services of their able
traveling representative, Mr. Wigand, in the fac-
tory since March.
Why?
Because instead of sending Mr. Wigand seek-
ing orders, orders come crowding in, and it was
found that his valuable offices could be more
effectively employed in the factory for some
time.
This remarkable condition of things was not
the result of a temporary breeze of prosperity.
It has lasted throughout the summer up to
the present, and put them in magnificent trim
for the coming season.
In this era of competition in piano manufacture
the Braumuller Co. have truly effected a won-
derful development.
Beginning a few years ago with a small out-
put, by steady application to business, by
intelligent and progressive commercial judgment
as to ways and means, and by a dominating aim
to produce pianos of high character and indi-
viduality, the Braumuller Co. have written down
an enviable record in the annals of the music
trades of America.
A few words regarding Braumuller pianos :
They almost sell themselves.
Exteriorly
they represent an artistic aim, and their finish,
down to the smallest details, is first-class.
They are built upon the most correct scientific
principles, on scales drawn by a recognized ex-
pert. Consequently the tone is full of character
and individuality, the diapason is even through-
out and devoid of breaks, and from the lowest
point of the bass register up to the extreme
treble they yield a delightful series of tones.
The Braumuller action also fulfills every de-
mand. Adjusted and regulated by workmen of
the first order under expert superintendence,
every Braumuller piano is, in this respect, a
model of excellence and perfection.
Other important features in these instruments
are to be found in the valuable patents they
embody. They consist of a Pianissimo Centre
Pedal, a Dowel System for giving the strings a
bearing on the wrest plank, a Patent Key Bot-
tom Support, a Music Desk, and, in particular,
the Braumuller Harmonic Scale.
Each invention is of high practical value, and
their usefulness is testified to by their popular-
ity among a large body of the best dealers.
The Braumuller representation—beginning
with Lyon & Healy, Chicago, who have found
Braumuller pianos to be excellent sellers—
includes the Jesse French Piano and Organ Co.,
whose branches cover St. Louis, Mo. ; Nash-
ville, Tenn. ; Memphis, Tenn. ; Birmingham,
Ala., and various other leading centres ; Eniil
Wulschner & Son, of Indianapolis, Ind., who
have important branches in Louisville, Ky. ;
Terra Haute, Ind. ; Munice, Ind., and Rich-
mond, Ind. ; and the S. D. Lauter Company, of
Newark and Paterson, N. J., also sell the Brau-
muller.
Meanwhile these are only a few out of hun-
dreds. In all cases the pianos manufactured
by the Braumuller Co. are pushed by dealers
with an earnestness and devotion which spring
from sheer cognizance of their many fine quali-
ties.
At present, after working along steadily
through the summer, the Braumuller factory
has not been equal to the demands. But they
have taken in additional working room, and are
piling up a large stock to meet the additional
business which they will have with the coming
season.
The warerooms are now under the temporary
management of Mr. Wigand, and they contain
examples of piano manufacture of which any
house in the trade might feel proud. The
Braumuller style F, in walnut, with its hand-
some case, tone deflector, music desk, pianis-
simo pedal, and other features, which the writer
recently examined, is especially worthy of
commendation.
Everything done by the Braumuller Co. is
well done, and in everything they have been
successful.
Boardmar; 9 Qray f\\\ f\\q\)l
was a rumor that the firm of Board-
man & Gra} 7 had decided to close the busi-
ness up because of depression in trade and a
general lack of funds. Mr. James Gray, who is
in direct charge of the business, was seen by an
Argus reporter, and said : "The little depres-
sion that exists is only what might have been
expected in the World's Fair year. The talk
about our closing down is premature; still I
think we will cut the force a little. We will
not, however, stop entirely. To tell you the
truth, the piano-making business is always dull
at this time of the year. This year has been a
little worse than others in that respect, how-
ever. I am hopeful and I do not believe that
the shut-down will be at all a permanent one.
The great trouble, to my mind, is not that there
is not plenty of money, but that people are
holding their money back in the hope that
ultimately they will get higher rates of in-
terest. ''—Albany Argus.
CHANCELLOR MCGILL has appointed Chaun-
cey Parker, of Newark, N. J., permanent re-
ceiver for the Huner Piano Co., of Orange, in
place of Chas. B. Phelps, temporary receiver.