Music Trade Review

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VOL. XVIII. No. 37.
Published Every Saturday.
TRADE IN
"THE HUB."
+
ffeu/ Yor\[, flpril 7, 1894
ence and intimate knowledge of men and affairs
which Mr. Furbush possesses will largely aid in
making the Briggs piano a stronger factor than
ever in the piano trade of this country.
* -*
*
Manufacturers Busy—Quiet at the Ware=
rooms—A Big Month for the Chicker-
ings—Furbush with Briggs ^ T r a d e
with Hallet & Davis—Large
Sale of Miller Grands— The
Busy Vose Concern—
P. H. Powers
Absent.
Harry Lowell Mason at the Helm—Happy
Charlie Cummings—Karl Fink and a
Story—John Merrill is Doing Well
—The Supply Suburbs of
Boston—Towers—Seaverns
—Standard—Dashes
""* •
Here and There.
Will all Leases be Renewed?
the retail trade in Boston has suf-
fered in a like degree with other cities,
the wholesale trade may be truthfully said to
have maintained a greater activity than in some
other cities. I believe to-day in Boston that it
may be said of manufacturers that they are run-
ning their factories a number of hours per day,
and with a force of men which approximates
nearer the normal condition than the trade in
almost any other manufacturing city in the
piano line of this country.
Mr. C. H. W. Foster, of Chickering & Sons,
stated to me that the output of the Chickering
factory for the month of March exceeded that of
March, '93, by a considerable number.
The Chickering piano need not rest upon past
traditions. It is, however, a piano not only of
history, but it is a piano of to-day. The reor-
ganization of this old concern, and the infusion
of new blood have been felt in a beneficial way
both in the systematic manner in which the
Chickering affairs are conducted and on the
advanced lines which marks the progress of this
house. This business is in the hands of men
who are thoroughly alive to the exigencies of
the times—men who realize that this is the age
of evolution.
* * *
When I entered the office of the Briggs Piano
Company, at their desks were Mr. C. C. Briggs,
Jr., Mr. F. B. Irish and Mr. E. W. Furbush, who
as was announced in these columns last week,
had joined the forces of this concern to further
emphasize among the dealers of this country
the excellence of the Briggs product. I really
can't say that Mr. Furbush looked perfectly
natural to me in his new position, having for
years seen him in the office of the Vose Piano
Co. I am frank to admit that his position seem-
ed to me somewhat odd. There is no doubt,
however, that a man with a large trade experi-
In the office of the Hallet & Davis Co., when
asked the condition of affairs with them, Mr. E.
N. Kimball. after removing his cigar and gently
blowing a cloud of smoke toward the ceiling,
responded with, " I don't suppose that my state-
ment would differ materially from others en-
gaged in piano manufacturing. While the out-
put of this concern has not been as large as we
probably could desire, yet it has been, consider-
ing prevailing trade conditions, satisfactory.
Our trade has remained comparatively normal
in nearly all States with the exception of Penn-
sylvania, where, owing to the labor troubles
existing in that State, our sales have naturally
lessened.
Mr. E. N. Kimball, Jr., has just returned from
a trip down to Florida, and had to remark, con-
sidering the cold wave that we were then ex-
periencing, that it would have been well for him
to have remained there and avoided the chilly
bretzes of this climate.
* *
•x-
Henry F. Miller said, " Trade with us is ex-
cellent. In fact it is decidedly brisk just now."
"Facetiously or seriously? " I enquired.
" I will show you," he responded.
And very soon as I was listening to the tones
of a superb Miller grand, he supplied me with
documentary evidence as to the seriousness of
his remark. I saw in black and white convin-
cing proof of the fact that the Henry F. Miller
pianofortes were in lively demand notwithstand-
ing the depression of the times. The sales of
grands with this concern have been very large.
The Henry F. Miller piano is a favorite with
the artist and student.
#
At the warerooms of Vose & Sons I found
everyone in a happy frame of mind. Mr. Willard
Vose said : " Yes, business is looking up a good
deal. In fact last month we made larger ship-
ments than we had anticipated." Here is a
concern that never cry dull times. They are
manufacturing a piano to-day which is meri-
torious, and the dealers know it. Result: The
Vose concern are always busy.
While sitting in the office Mr. James W. Vose,
the honored founder of this house entertained
me with some exceedingly pleasant reminis-
cences of the early days of piano manufacturing
in " The Hub." Mr. Vose has been engaged
actively in piano manufacturing since 1851 and
can look back with much pride and pleasure on
a successful business cireer. In the early fifties
two or three pianos per Week was the a'verage
output of the Vose factory ; wh of the later years they have shipped one hundred
pianos per week. Truly a marvelous business.
Regarding a successor to Mr. Furbush, the
firm had nothing to say for publication.
$3 00 PER YBAR.
SINGLB COPIES, 10 CENTS.
For the first time in many years when I called
at the business head quarters of the Emerson
Piano Co., I found Mr. P. H. Powers absent.
Possibly with the ordinary individual there is
nothing in this, but after visiting a place for a
number of years and always seeing the chief in
one position at his desk naturally it seemed a
trifle odd to me. Something was lacking to
complete the Emerson circle. However, young
Mr. Fred Powers, who. by the way, is now in the
best of health, and Mr. Edward Payson did the
honors in a very cheering manner.
Young Mr. Powers is a very popular member
of the piano trade in Boston. The years of care-
ful business training, which he has had under
his father, are apparent. " I am confident,"
said he, "that we are receiving orders which
will compare favorably with any other concern
in this trade. If I should tell you that our
business was booming, it would hardly be true.
We are maintaining a fair output, and there is
every evidence of a continued increase."
The senior Mr. Powers was absent on a trip as
far South as Washington, visiting Baltimore
and Philadelphia. He will probably be in New
York to day. This is the first trip that Mr.
Powers has taken for many years. It was not a
business trip, but Mr. Powers will probably not
refuse any orders that he may receive for the
Emerson pi-mo en route. Mr. O. A. Kimball is
now in the Southwest.
* * *
Mr. Harry Lowell Mason who, by the way,
has given evidence of the possession of execu-
tive ability of the first magnitude in his suc-
cessful management of the great interest of
Mason & Hamlin during his brother's absence
in Europe, is a very busy man. He said : " To-
day we have advance orders sufficient to run our
factory at its fullest capacity." Mason & Ham-
lin's interests are assuming greater prominence
in New York, Boston and Chicago. The im-
portant changes which they are making and
have made in their establishments in these three
cities show that their policy will be more ag-
gressive in the future. The president, Edward
P. Mason, sails from Europe to-day.
#
Charlie Cummings is one of the most opti-
mistic of men. He says: " I find our whole-
sale business is unusually good. In fact we
have not five pianos in the world, and have or-
ders for at least two months ahead. This, I
suppose, will be gratifying, but I would very
much rather have a wareroom full of pianos and
no customers than have customers and no
pianos. However, I hope to get in better con-
dition in the course of a month. My own pianos
I have been doing very well, indeed, with, al-
though I have not been using any efforts to push
them."
Regretting that I could not accept Charlie's
invitation for a spin behind one of his trotters,
(Continued on page S,)