Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW.
From a Traveler's Note Book.
MR. CONWAY S REPLY THE KIMBALL MOVE THE SAME OLD RUMORS TRADE IN CHICAGO
STRAY SHOTS HERE AND THERE WHICH SHOW THE PULSE OF THE TRADE.
HIS week when I asked E. S.
Conway what there was in the
report published that the with-
drawal of the Weber and
Decker interests from the
trade chessboard would cause
the W. W. Kimball Co. to make a rapid ad-
vance on New York, he looked at me in a
semi-quizzical way, and replied:
"Just as much as it has meant heretofore. "
"Then definite plans are not
"
"Existing only in the brain of newspaper
men who have been kind enough to lay out
all the preliminaries for us, thereby saving
us untold annoyance."
And there you are.
Just the same old Kimball rumors that
have been flying hither and thither for the
past thirty-six months.
When news is a little difficult to find, some
of the papers will drag out from the dark
recesses that old Kimball skeleton, polish it
up a trifle, varnish it with some new rhet-
orical flow and set it in motion with an in-
troductory yawp in scare head lines—-"Kim-
ball in the East."
I think some have gone so far as to locate
the wareroom in the Constable Building on
Fifth avenue.
Secure managers, salesmen, tuners and
office boys for them.
Of course, when the great Kimball Co.
really decide to plant their banners on Man-
hattan Island they will first call a meeting
of New York trade editors, tell them of
their plans and invite their criticism of the
move.
It is precisely in keeping with the tradi-
tions of the house.
They have always been prone to emblazon
the doings of the inner councils of the com-
pany upon the outer walls so that he who
runs may read as easily as the ordinary
trade "ped."
It is just like them.
In the meantime it is too bad that they
have slighted New York by passing around
it to the easily conquered town of Provi-
dence, in the land of stall-fed turkeys and
appetizing clam-bakes.
Still New York, our own proud Go'.ham,
lingers on the eastern shore, sleeping under
the benign influence cast by our one and
only Tedrly Roosevelt.
The air of spring is balmy and produces
a somnolescence which soothes, but can not
intoxicate, only on week days.
There is nothing apparently of more than
ordinary conditions above or below, to at-
tract or detract. Chicago has the Metro-
politan Opera Co., but we have her Theo-
dore.
The appearances would seem to bear out
the statement that if all is not well it has
not gone to the dogs.
Ye gods, hear that yell!
It has a sort of a Marco Bozzaris ring to
it. The sleep of the Turk when his slum-
bers were rudely broken as he lay in small
hours of the morning, by the early arrival
of the Greek, was bliss compared with that
howl which now and then disturbs the
slumbers of the Gothamite.
Kimball, he comes, he comes!
What was it? you ask.
Only the regular periodical yawp—yawp
is a mighty expressive word—of the New
York trade editor who is desirous of throw-
ing the trade into spasms over the arrival
of Kimball.
In the meantime W. W. Kimball sojourns
in the land of the festive alligators
where malaria is no respecter of persons or
potentates.
Likewise A. G. Cone.
And E. S. Conway—he of the stalwart
frame and piercing eye-—stands on guard
and plots those deep, dark Kimballian plots
on unhappy New York.
* *
*
Trade. Well, while the retail music trade
in Chicago can not be said to be entirely
satisfactory, the outlook for the immediate
future is encouraging.
With the opening up of navigation, the
drying up of the country roads, which have
been well nigh impassable, and an assurance
of good crops for next harvest, times can
hardly fail to improve.
There is still an enormous amount of
grain to be moved.
The farmers have been holding back for
better prices, but with new crops coming on
they will let go the present contents of the
granaries and money will circulate much
more freely.
Easier financial conditions will prevail.
Let us be of good cheer, and now that
spring is here, let us turn our fancies not
lightly to thoughts of trade, and all those
things of which Tennyson sang will be ours.
Rumors, kindly excuse me, THE MUSIC
TRADE REVIEW is not a purveyor of rumors.
It is our mission to deal with facts and
news rather than to toy with those baseless
reports, the result of which is to instill an
insidious poison which permeates the en-
tire trade system, oftentimes preventing
healthy organs from performing their
natural functions.
How often men repeat an evil report re-
garding this or that firm!
And how frequently they remain silent
when they could disseminate that which
would benefit their co-worker in Life's
vineyard.
Human nature is erratic—singularly so.
*
Story & Clark are to be congratulated
upon the results of their intelligent efforts
in the domain of piano manufacture.
They have evidently worked upon the
idea that but little change has been wrought
in upright piano case architecture.
They have regarded the field plainly as
one capable of development.
With this well in mind, they have pro-
duced radical changes in the appearance of
the upright piano.
No one can make even a superficial ex-
amination of their product without becom-
ing convinced that the Story & Clark is an
instrument built upon advanced and artistic
lines.
In striving to produce case innovations,
they did not forget the equally essential
part—the tone.
Without fear of contradiction, I say that
Story & Clark are innovators.
C. H. Wagener, their London representa-
tive, has been tarrying a few days in Chi-
cago.
* *
*
If you think trade is dull, go into Ste-
ger's, and you'll form quite a different
opinion. I should not give the number,
but
is not a slow day's work—even
for "J. V.," with his "Steger" and his
Singer—is it?
Step across the street to the Hallet &
Davis warerooms, and you will find three
earnest men whose environments would
seem to indicate times were far from slow
with them.
Joe Shoninger smiles in that quiet way,
and says "not rushing," while " J i m " Brod-
erick just winks the other eye.
Charlie Russell is working overtime.
Charlie has worked mighty hard, and to-day
he is controlling a steadily growing trade.
See the organs that Newman Bros, are
sending out. Still, John Newman says
"collections are slow."
Will Bush is laying in a new stock of
stories in the Lone Star State. Incidentally
sending in some good orders.
C. A. Hyde is in town. Mr. Hyde's suc-
cess with his piano is convincing. The
trade are fully able to distinguish a good
thing when it is brought to their attention
in the proper manner.
Harry Raymore, the indefatigable, was
in town Saturday, leaving on the evening
train for Detroit. Mr. Raymore has been
out some weeks, and has been doing some
satisfactory work for the Shaw-—hardly
necessary to say it, because wherever Harry
Raymore directs his course there is demand
for Shaw pianos.
George N. Grass has been visiting the
trade through the West. He will probably
reach New York about the middle of the
month. He has a host of friends, and his
advent in their midst is alwa} T s hailed with
delight. The Steck piano widens its circle
of admirers under the influence of George
Grass.
Charles H. MacDonald, who was recently
elected president of the Chicago Music
Trade Association, has also been honored
by being elected a member of the Board of
Directors of the McKinley Club, an organi-
zation which numbers its members by the
ten thousand.
Verily honors are thickly falling upon the
broad shoulders of Manager MacDonald.
Henry Detmer is fast getting settled in
his new Wabash avenue store. He will have