Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW.
From a Traveler's Note Book.
Square, New York. All Mr. Burns' old
time friends seem to be gathering around
him in hearty support of his new enter-
THE WHEEL AGE THE EFFECT ITS USE HAS UPON BUSINESS OF ALL KINDS THEATRE
prise. For a number of years he was on
MANAGERS COMPLAIN OF DULL SEASONS—ATTRACTIONS DO NOT ATTRACT—EVEN
the road, and made extensive acquaint-
BUTCHERS DENOUNCE THE WHEEL THE " STAIB "
A PIANO ACTION THAT
ances,
where his personality made a strong
IS GAINING NEW ADMIRERS DAILV POPULAR PEASE PIANOS AND
element in favor of his success. There
REASONS WHY GEORGE N. GRASS AN ENTHUSIASTIC WHEEL-
MAN THE NEW PRODUCTS OF THE KRELL PIANO CO.
seems to be no cloud on his business hori-
THE NEW SCARF AND COVER BUSINESS OF
zon to interfere with his success. His
F. B. BURNS HIS VARIED LINE.
• a**,.. Jttfng experience in the trade has enabled
him to know fully what the trade needs in
business to a satisfactory point. Now it
everything
in the stool, cover and scarf
HE Wheel Age! W h e e l s - seems that all the younger members of the
line.
His
suberb
assortment and careful se-
wheels— wheels! The des- family take to their wheel and eat their
lection
in
all
these
lines substantiate this
potism of the bicycle is om- dinner down the road at some inn, hence
statement.
nipresent. It is hard to ap- their orders are materially reduced. Again,
proximate the injury i t s there is a line of poorer customers who
vogue has wrought upon busi- purchase wheels on the installment plan,
ness of all kinds. Wherever I travel, there and they have to cut down somewhere, and
is hardly a branch of trade but that its the result is they buy less than formerly."
members are denouncing the bicycle as the
"But I supposed the use of the bicycle
cause of the dullness which oppresses them. was conducive to large appetites," I
There is no doubt but that the prevalence replied.
of the wheel has cut largely into business
"Well, that may be; but I don't know
of all kinds, yet we must go farther back where they eat."
than the wheel to find the real cause of all
* * *
the business ills.
There is a piano action which is steadily
It may be well enough to lay the cause of
looming;
up on the trade horizon, and one
all the dull business to the wheel, and it is
which
I
have
heard frequently commented
really interesting to note how many men of
upon
in
eulogistic
terms in my travels; it is
all lines of trade do sincerely and honestly
the
"Staib,"
manufactured
by the Staib
attribute their own slackness to the univer-
Piano
Action
Co.,
134th
street
and Brook
sal use of the bicycle.
avenue,
New
York.
This
firm
is
composed
A careful canvass of the theatres in all
of
men
who
have
been
indefatigable
in
the principal cities of America brings to
their
efforts
to
produce
an
action
of
real
light the fact that theatrical managers uni-
versally agree upon the fact that the preva- merit, and it seems in this they have been
lent use of the wheel has rendered their successful, judging from their constantly
season unsuccessful. Theatre managers expanding trade.
* *
have vainly endeavored to induce the de-
Braton S. Chase.
*
votees of the wheel to patronize their enter-
Popular Pease pianos. It is seldom that
tainments. The more frantic their en-
RATON S. CHASE is a man with a
the term "popular" is used in a more ap-
deavors the more calmly the cyclists have
host of friends scattered all over the
propriate sense than in the above allitera-
run past the open theatre doors without
tion. Travel in any section of the coun- broad expanse of this country.
even so much as glancing in their direction.
He is known everywhere as a genial
try, wheresoever you will, whether in
Certain managers have railed at the wheel,
Maine, California or from Dakota to the good fellow, and by his close attention to
which was folly; others have made puerile
Gulf, and you will find that the Pease all the detail work incident to piano con-
efforts to placate it by offering to check it
pianos have won a deserved popularity. struction has won an enviable reputation
free of charge in their cloak rooms.
Dealers who have sold them are enthusias- as one of the experienced craftsmen of the
Even our own Oscar Hammerstein, the tic over the results attained, because in trade. He is general manager of the Chase
man who evolves from his busy brain every instance they have not only satisfied Bros. Piano Co., whose magnificent plant
greater and more varied amusement ideas the customer but have made a friend for is located at Muskegon, Mich.
than any man on this continent, admits that their business as well, hence a double
Mr. Chase maintains a personal super-
the attractions of his "Olympia," even reason why they have become popular.
vision over every department of the busi-
Fregoli, have failed to draw as they would
ness. He not only takes great pride in
have if the bicycles were not so common in
building the Chase Bros, piano, but he ex-
the streets of New York.
Geo. N. Grass has become an expert presses himself warmly over the future of
After including in the list piano manu- wheelman, and a more enthusiastic rider the "Hackley," an instrument which is
facturers, furniture men, clothiers, jewelers, than Geo. N. it is indeed difficult to find. made under his supervision, which bears
in fact almost every line of manufacture, His Sunday outing now is a run from New the name of the president of the Chase
we go down to the butcher, and even he York to Yonkers.
Bros, corporation.
* *
complains of the wheel. Here is a little
*
summary of a conversation I had with the
I understand that the new products of
man who provides me with roasts, steaks, the Krell Piano Co., Cincinnati, eclipse
etc. :
THE Needham Piano and Organ Co., of
anything heretofore manufactured by that
"Dull business," said he. "The bicycle concern. That is saying a good deal. New Washington, have just completed an organ
men are doing it all."
Yorkers will have an opportunity to judge which is, without doubt, the handsomest
"Why," I replied, "surely your business as to the excellence of the new Krell pro- and most costly instrument ever turned
is not affected by the bicycle craze. People ducts in a few days, as Geo. Crane advises out of a factory in this State, says the
have to eat, even if they do not have to me that he expects almost daily a large Phillipsburg, N. J., Democrat. Persons
who visited the World's Fair say there was
buy pianos and other necessaries."
shipment from Cincinnati.
nothing that equaled it on exhibition
"Well, it is this way. Here is a line of
there, and it is almost impossible to
families who have been large customers of
mine, and their daily orders were always
F. B. Burns is manufacturing a superb imagine a more artistic or elaborate piece
something which brought up my week's line of piano scarfs and covers at 2S Union of work in the line of organ building.
B