Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
From a Traveler's Note Book.
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wSurprising changes have been made in
the establishment of the Bollman Bros. Co.
CONSERVATISM
TRADE IN ST. LOUIS
A GREAT BUSINESS POINT — A VISIT
since my last visit to St. Louis. The sec-
TO THE VARIOUS MUSIC TRADE HOUSES, AND WHAT WAS SEEN
ond floor has been transformed into a series
AND HEARD—RICHMOND, IND. — THE STARR PIANO CO.
of beautiful parlors in which are tastily dis-
WICKHAM, CHAPMAN & CO.—THE BIG PLATE
MAKERS AT SPRINGFIELD—THE STEVENS
played a stock of the various instruments
BUSINESS AT MARIETTA.
carried by this distinguished house. Each
room is arranged with different mural ef-
...•-'- * HERE is no mistaking the fact the wheel still remained in the window. The fects, so that the visitor has before him a
that the South is steadily look- tenth day a man walked in the store and series of pleasing surprises.
Oscar A. Field was on jury duty at the
ing up in an industrial sense. deposited $35.00 and said " I ' l l take that
time
of my call, so I did not have the
Since writing you my last let- wheel."
pleasure
of exchanging business views with
ter from New Orleans I have
The story may be best appreciated when
him.
visited a number of points I state that it was not a Southern man who
E. A. Keiselhorst, who can, I believe,
south of Mason and Dixon's line, and have made the purchase, but a Vermonter; so
lay
claim to the title of being the youngest
been impressed with the material evi- that, while the Northern man lost the bet,
dences of prosperity which is everywhere yet it did not prove that Southern conser- dealer in the music trades of this country,
brightening up the new South. The vatism was so easily overcome. So I may takes rather a hopeful view of the business
piano business, to quote that oft used ex- further emphasize the fact that the cut- outlook, and he imparted the news to me
pression, has not been over done in the rate, slaughter-prices, fake business will that he was conducting a very satisfactory
South. I doubt if that ever will become one never obtain a firm footing in the regions trade. He handles the Blasius, Kimball,
and J. F. Cook pianos.
of the essential drawbacks to business in south of the Ohio River.
The Balmer-Weber Music Co., aside
the South. Surely it will not during the
*
*
* *
from
doing a large piano business, conduct
life of those at present on the stage. There
St. Louis is one of the most important
is a certain conservatism which cannot be points in the Union in a commercial sense, a steadily growing trade in music publish-
easily overcome. Auction sales and slaugh- and one of the great distributing points for ing. In chatting over the work of the great
ter prices will not go in this section. The pianos and organs. It is the commercial St. Louis cyclone with Mr. Unger and Mr.
people would look upon all such methods key, as it were, to the great Southwest, Balmer, the latter invited me to accompany
with distrust and suspicion. Neither will and aside from being a magnificent point him on a short trip over near the hospital
the door bell methods obtain in this for retail trade, there are a number of firms grounds, where the work of the cyclone
locality. Furthermore one must be in here who ship pianos all over the South- was still uneffaced. I accepted his invita-
tion. I have seen the partial destruction
business here at least a decade to gain the west.
real confidence of the Southern people.
To show the importance of St. Louis as of two cities by cyclones, and even though
To illustrate my statement that slaughter a retail city, I may state that the records months had elapsed since that tremendous
prices would not become popular here I will show that a greater number of people in St. storm which devastated St. Louis, its
quote a little incident which occurred in a Louis own their own homes than is proved strength and power is still visible, showing
by statistics in any other city in the world. the tremendous forces which are under
vSouthern city very recently.
A party of gentlemen were discussing Home population furnishes always a strong control of Nature when in her wildest
Southern conservatism in a well-known support for the distribution of those wares mood.
W. T. Bobbitt tells me that in his new
club. There were present some men from which beautify and adorn the homes. In
quarters
just off from Olive street, he is
towns
where
a
great
proportion
of
the
the North who were rather inclined to
carrying
on a good business. The mate-
people
own
their
own
homes
there
is
always
doubt the existence of overdue conservatism
rial
reduction
of expenses in the matter of
a
magnificent
business
carried
on
in
the
in the South. The result of the discussion
rents,
etc.,
gives
him many advantages ac-
home
accessories.
was one of the young Southerners made a
cording
to
his
statement
over his former
statement that if the latest model of a
Statistics prove that Philadelphia is a
locality.
W.
T.
Bobbitt
carries
the Deck-
Columbia bicycle were placed on ex- magnificent town for the distribution of
hibition in a show window and ticketed musical instruments; likewise Brooklyn. er & Son, and by the way speaks very en-
$35.00 that it would not find a purchaser And one of the essential reasons is because thusiastically of the merits of the Deck-
inside of ten days. The Northerners were the vast nuniber of people who reside there er, the Story & Clark, and the C. Kurtz-
man pianos as well.
inclined to laugh at the proposition and are owners of homes.
immediately a bet was made.
Jesse French, accompanied by his son, Mr. Koerber, of the Koerber Piano Co.,
One of the latest patterns of Columbia as I wrote you, will leave on the 13th for who handles the Fischer, Kroeger, Singer,
wheels was purchased and placed on exhibi- Geneva, to be absent a number of months. Leckerling and Schiller pianos, has one of
tion on a prominent street and in a well- With John Lumsden and Jesse French I the handsomest show windows on the
known show window. Over it was sus- passed a most enjoyable hour discussing street. Remarking about that he replied
pended a placard "absolutely new 1897 matters which not only affect home trade, the former window was crushed by the cy-
Columbia wheel, price $35.00." People but our conversation drifted into channels clone, and that the pianos which were stand-
who pass.ed by occasionally stopped to note which affected the prosperity and welfare ing therein were considerably damaged at
the beauty of the wheel, and the price of the nation, and to me it was interesting the time.
The Thiebes-SteirlinCo. Here's a young
thereof. They, however, wagged their to listen to gentlemen as well posted on the
firm
who have been steadily forging to the
structural
conditions
of
our
Government
as
heads suspiciously and passed on without
front
in the St. Louis trade. Their store
the
gentlemen
referred
to.
making a purchase. Nine days passed, and
STEADY IMPROVEMENT REGARDING
.
ODS NEVER
WILL
OBTAIN
SOUTHERN
THERE—A
TRADE CONDITIONS—SLAUGHTER
WHEEL
INCIDENT
SALE METH-
WHICH SHOWS SOUTHERN