Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW.
On the Road
With Ben Janssen.
When you come to think of it, the piano trade
is fearfully cut up, and some new fellow with a
long and sharp knife starts in to do more slash-
ing every day. And then those fellows that
send out those dreadful, horrible, ungrammati-
cal circulars with prices broadcast to the trade,
and sell to every Totn, Dick and Harry. I have
been surprised to see how many reputable
houses have ordered these pianos, and wondered
how they dared to sell them. In one town I
found the same make of pianos stenciled alike
in four stores, and learned that all the other
dealers had a circular price list to show to those
customers who had been to see the pianos in the
other stores. One man had his list framed and
in the window.
But what impressed me most was the number
of good, medium price pianos that are made to
day. How very hard it must be for some sales-
men to explain where the difference in price
comes in. I mean the salesmen that sell high-
priced pianos.
The dealer of to-day is not the dealer of five
years ago. He's run around, has heard some-
thing, seen something, and consequently knows
something.
McKEESPORT, PA.
Milligan Bros. & Larkin are the monopolists
in the piano line in this city, and now that all
the labor troubles are settled in that section, ex-
pect good trade. They are three wide-awake,
active fellows, and have made a big success in
their line.
I heard a good joke on Harry Milligan. He
sent out a whole lot of dunning letters last week.
When Larkln arrived, the morning after they
had been mailed, he was surprised to find a very
imperative demand for a settlement or the return
of a certain piano, signed Milligan Bros. & Lar-
kin. Harry had addressed one to the firm by
mistake.
PITTSBURG.
Crawford & Cox.
I want to pay an honest compliment to a man
that I consider one of the finest salesman in the
trade to-day, Mr. G. Clay Cox, of Crawford &
Cox. I have known him for a number of years
and always considered him clever, but it is only
within the past twelve months that I have had a
chance to observe his work more closely than
heretofore. I have been interested in him;
have felt that interest we always do in a success-
ful and bright man, and am more than pleased
to see how very much he has accomplished.
How wonderful has been the progress of the
house of which he is now a member in the past
six months. No one can gainsay the fact that
this firm is in the front rank ; has established a
reputation in six months that some concerns
cannot get in sixty years, and is phenomenally
successful, and the entire credit almost is due to
Cox. I do not want to " j o l l y " him. No
business relations play a part in this tribute to
him. It is honest, because it is true; not my
fancy, but a fact. I look for no reward, no bou-
quets, not even a "thank you," but I know
that those who have met this gentleman will
appreciate and second all I have said.
C. &. C. are very busy indeed. Their ware-
rooms are a dream. The taste displayed in
fitting up what was originally the least desirable
place for a piano wareroom is simply charming.
They are spending money, but it must all come
back, in fact is doing so now.
H. Kleber & Bro.
What shall I say of this old and well-known
house. I have expressed my admiration for H.
Kleber so often that no words of mine can add
to his reputation. You who do not know him
should hasten to meet him. I know he has no
equal. Although far advanced in years, he is
nevertheless the youngest man really in the
house. A great salesman, composer, literateur,
and artist—an Ai business man and financier.
It is hard to find his equal. I heard his latest
composition ; it's a gem, as he plays it, and I
consider it one of the best things he has done.
How he can argue—his logic is supreme. I am
proud of his friendship, and meeting him is
one of the pleasures I always look to when on
the road.
.The house does not complain of bad times,
and feel that trade must be good from now on.
It is a course of wonder to roadmen, generally,
how many Klebers there really are. No one
seems to know that, but they all do know
that nowhere do they receive a more hearty
welcome from all connected with the house, and
it is known to all the boys, as the Retreat. All
the younger men are workers and the result of
their labors is manifest. Kleber & Bro. head
the trade.
Sam Hamilton.
Here things were fairly good, I was told.
Collections were better and people were again
'' on the buy.'' At all events they had use for
their salesmen.
ALLEGHENY.
Alex. Ross.
Mr. Ross has a fine store in what I consider a
splendid location, and told me that his trade was
quite fair. " I am doing a steady trade ; have
always tried to, and when I sell a piano I know
it is sold for keeps. What do I think of the
future ? Well, Mr J
, that's hard to answer.
I hope for better times, business must improve,
that's the only course it can pursue."
Mellor & Hoene.
This house is doing a good business and has
been for some little time. " We notice an im-
provement all along the line," I was informed.
" A decided improvement, and will not com-
plain if it holds out. Collections have been
slow but are better, and getting better all the
time. We are satisfied, Mr. Janssen."
Geo. Kappel.
" Business with me is slow in the piano line,
very slow, Janssen," Mr. Kappel said. " I
don't know why. I try everything, but it's slow
for all that. Our sheet music trade is picking
up, also our instrument department, but pianos
don t seem to move.'' What a fine store he has,
the best building in the city, and he should cer-
tainly do as well as anyone.
PHILADELPHIA.
Long years ago, when I first made the rounds
of this town, selling silks, etc., I thought it
dreadfully slow, but I've changed my mind since
meeting such fellows as Allen, Swisher, Omns,
Hammersley and Chandler. I knew the time I
wanted to go home as soon as I saw Wanatna-
ker's. How different it is now! Even if I
wanted to I could not. Somebody should make
a present to Allen and the others of his crew of
a lot of red lanterns to warn off innocent and
quiet New Yorkers.
Blasius & Sons.
Here I met Farnham, the only Farnhatn.
You may think you've met "crazy men," but
you are mistaken if you don't know H. G. Farn-
ham. The man that invented the word " Hust-
ler," got his idea after seeing and hearing Farn-
ham.
He told me as fast as he could that Blasius had
sold nineteen pianos in one day at retail, the day
before I called, and three the morn 1 'ng of my visit.
That their factory was running overtime.
That they were again making the Albrecht
pianos. That he knew Al Jacob since he was a
boy. That—well, a whole lot more, and all in
seven minutes. He's a dandy, is Farnham, the
man that is pushing the Blasius for all it is worth.
Heppe & Son
report trade as quiet. Mr. FJorence Heppe, who
did the honors, predicted a quiet winter, but
better times next spring. He complained of
those dealers that are selling on such low terms,
and said they were killing the trade. "An
honest man can't sell those boxes that some of
these fellows sell. They don't care as long as
the case holds together long enough to get it in
the house. I'm honest when I tell you that our
business up to date has been very quiet."
Fleming.
My old friend was improvising on a new piano
that he had just decided to handle, and in a way
that filled me with wonderment. I never knew
he was such a good performer. '' Business,
Janssen, was good up to last week, then it sud-
denly stopped, and I haven't seen any since. I
can't really complain except about collections,
they have been very poor. I think from all I
hear and see that we will do a good holiday
trade, but of course, in these democratic times,
we are never sure of anything."
Fischer.
Mr. Fischer is still in Europe, but the gentle-
man in charge informed me that trade was pick-
ing up, and they were hopeful that the future
would even be better.
Ramsdell.
At Ramsdell's everything was O. K. "We
are holding our own, and as long as we do that,
can't and wont complain. Our sales have been
quite satisfactory, and money is also coming in.
So you see, Mr. Janssen, we can't really com-
plain."
Bellak.
Both the Bellak's were busy with customers
when I called, but after they had both succeeded
in selling to their customers, they hurried over to
tell me that—"we are doing quite a little Jans-
sen, quite a little. Our business of late is pick-
ing up nicely, very nicely, and if it only keeps
up we'll see to it that the city buildings will be
furnished before another year has past."
fl. D. Swisher.
This man is a wonder, and one of the busiest
persons in the city. He had just returned from a
western trip, a very successful one by the way.
Starting in a modest way he has by hard and per-
sistent work built up the largest jobbing trade in
shett music in the country.
A finer, better, more whole-souled fellow
never lived, and if he's your friend, you're in
luck, that's all. Nothing is too good for you,
and no favor you ask too great.
Dearborn.
Who don't know George E. Dearborn, the
greatest character, the shrewdest buyer and the
best financier in the retail piano trade to-day.
He can throw a bigger bluff than any man I
know, and lo to the poor fellow that can't call
him ! He's lost forever, for Dearborn will play
him to a stand still, even though the other
fellow has four aces. I never heard of anybody
getting the best of a bargain with my friend,
and as long as he's in the trade I don't think
any one ever will. An old-time and remarkable
salesman himself, he's naturally up to every
point.
If he likes you, you're all right; if he don't,
you're all wrong. His heart is as big as he is,
and that's saying a great deal, because he's a