Music Trade Review

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VOL XXI. No. n
Published Every Saturday at 3 East Fourteenth Street. New York, October 5,1895,
In The West.
AFTER C. C. RUSSELL—COLLECTIONS SLOW.
THE
GABLER PIANOS IN CHICAGO A NEW
SCALE REED PIANO TRADE IN THE EAST.
GEO. P. BENT BACK FROM HIS FISHING
TOUR—WICKHAM, CHAPMAN & CO.
ENLARGING THEIR PLANT
THE
STRAUCH ACTION—OTTO MEHLIN
IMPROVING—BUSINESS
;
., '..; . OUTLOOK.
T is evident from the action of the labor
organizations in connection with the
case against C. C. Russell for alleged viola-
tion of the alien contract law, that they
will leave no stone unturned to make the
matter as uncomfortable for him as they
possibly can. To any one who has studied
the facts in the case it seems outrageous
the way authorities are following this mat-
ter up. There is one thing Mr. Russell
can feel certain of, and that is he has the
entire sympathy of the trade in his efforts
to combat a conspiracy gotten up by dis-
gruntled workmen.
I hear many complaints about collections
in this city. They are unusually slow; I
understand they are fully 50 per cent, be-
low what they should be. This may be due
perhaps to the fact that the crops have not
begun to move as freely as expected. In
a week or so a change for the better is
looked for.
A piano which Clayton F. Summy speaks
highly of is the "Gabler," which he has
recently added to his stock. In design of
case and quality of tone it is very satisfy-
ing, and a big trade is going to be built up
for these instruments in the West. By the
way, Mr. Summy has been down in Boston
on a business trip.
A; Reed & Sons will have a new scale
instrument ready for the trade early in
November. It will be built on the "Reed
principle," which has commanded such
favorable notices in all parts of the coun-
try. It will be called the "Style E." The
Reed factory is now under the personal
supervision of brainy and clever John W.
Reed.
I was talking to a well known piano man
who recently spent some time in the East,
and whose opinions are of weight. When
asked about the condition of business, he
said: "The conditions in the East are ex-
I
cellent. There is a marked improvement
in the tone of business talk in all lines,
especially among the manufacturers, as
compared with a year ago. So far as the
East is concerned, the era of depression is
over. The great manufacturing houses
are not asking themselves how little they
dare to sell, but how much. The experi-
ence of the last two or three years has de-
veloped an unusually conservative feeling
among all classes, and the only apprehen-
sion I found among them was the fear that
possibly the recovery might be too rapid
and vigorous for commercial health."
Geo. P. Bent, of "Crown" fame, had his
usual success as a fisherman during his re-
cent vacation. He made quite a record,
but I do not care to give minute particu-
lars as to the number and size of the fish
he caught—)'ou would not believe the story
anyway. Things are booming along at
the Bent factory, and they are working on
some new and attractive styles of "Crown"
pianos which will make these instruments
more popular than ever.
The Piano Salesmen's Association of
this city is an assured success, judging
from the membership roll and the enthusi-
asm displayed at the meetings. They have
changed their place of meeting from Kim-
ball Hall to the Steinway Recital Hall.
Wickham, Chapman & Co., Springfield,
O., the great Western piano plate manufac-
turers, are fast completing extensive addi-
tions to their plant. Their business has
grown to such proportions within a recent
date that this step was rendered impera-
tive. Wickham, Chapman & Co.'s wares
are highly esteemed by manufacturers.
They give general satisfaction.
I was pleased to notice the return this
week of J. K. Rapp to the Steger ware-
rooms, from which place he has been ab-
sent for a couple of months owing to ill
health. The Steger business, wholesale
and retail, is excellent.
During Albert T. Strauch's sojourn in
our midst he booked large orders, not only
for the Strauch action, but for keys and
hammers as well. Manufacturers here are
a unit in praise of the Strauch action,
hence Mr. Strauch's success is not surpris-
ing.
I was pleased to learn by way of Minne-
apolis that Otto Mehlin, son of Paul G.
Mehlin, who was seriously injured several
weeks ago, is rapidly improving, and his
*j.oo PER YEAR-
SINGLE COPIES, IO CENTS.
recovery is now certain. In a few weeks
he will be removed to Mobile, Ala., where
his sister resides.
The seasonable weather which we are
now enjoying has helped business some-
what, but it is not really as promising as
it was three weeks ago; yet it is only tem-
porary calm before the storm of better
trade, I hope. The majority of manufac-
turers have all they can do for a long time
to come, but they are anxious for more.
Among the visitors to Steinway Hall last
Monda)? was Samuel Nordheimer, of A. &
S. Nordheimer, Montreal, who returned on
the steamer "Trave" from an extended
tour of Europe. As we mentioned some
time ago, Mr. 'Nordheimer was one of the
distinguished foreigners who was in atten-
dance on the Emperor in connection with
the festivities at the opening of the Baltic
Canal.
THE business of the late Samuel Pierce,
of Reading, Mass., whose death is record-
ed elsewhere in this paper, will be con-
tinued under the management of T. R.
Todd, who was connected in a confidential
capacity with the late Mr. Pierce for near!)'
twenty-four years.
GEO. C. CRANE, of the Geo. C. Crane Co.,
Eastern representatives for the Krell Piano
Co., Cincinnati, is meeting with much suc-
cess on his present trip through New York
State and Pennsylvania.
Madagascar boasts a musical public. Ac-
cording to a London paper, there are hun-
dreds of pianos in native houses in the isl-
and, to say nothing of domestic harmoni-
ums and American organs.
THE Piano Manufacturers' Association
of New York city and vicinity, will hold
their first regular fall meeting on next
Tuesday, Oct. 8th. ..
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