Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
"No, I am not desirous of being inter-
viewed."
"But, Mr. Steinway," I persisted, "our
readers rather look for some statement
from you concerning the offer of the Eng-
lish syndicate to the Steinway corporation."
" But," he said, "there are no develop-
ments which require extended comment at
present. Certainly if I had anything spe-
cial to say regarding it, I should be pleased
to give it out. Later there may be matters
occurring which may interest the trade."
Then we chatted upon trade topics and
I learned from Mr. Steinway that business
with the Steinway interests in London and
on the continent had been surprisingly
good of late. The great advertising which
followed the talk of the purchase of the
Steinway business by the syndicate resulted
in increased sales from the Steinway Euro-
pean branches.
*
*
* *
Last week I visited a number of points
down East, thus concluding my tour of
New England. In the cities of Providence,
Worcester, Springfield, New Haven, Hart-
ford and Brattleboro, I found evidences on
every hand which were inspiring from a
trade standpoint. Next week I shall pre-
sent a detailed account of my trip and
opinions formed at the different points
which were included in my itinerary.
Boothe on the Coast.
William F. Boothe, who is attending to
the interests of the Gibson Piano Co., in
the West, has just recovered from a serious
attack of pneumonia which confined him
to his hotel in Salt Lake City, Utah, for
several weeks. He is now on his way to
the Pacific Coast, where he will combine
recuperation and business.
The Gibson Piano Co. report a steady
improvement in business. They are pre-
paring a catalogue of their new styles
which will be ready for distribution in a
few weeks.
[Big Needham Business.
• At the Needham warerooms on Wednes-
day, Chas. H. Parsons reported business
brisk and continually improving. As an
illustration, he said that an examination of
the books showed more business from Sep-
tember ist to 15th this year than was re-
corded for the whole month of September
in 1896. New Needham styles in pianos
and organs are in active preparation and
will, as noted in a previous issue of The
Review, include several pleasant surprises
for the trade and for all lovers of music.
Liked the Braumuller Tone.
In a letter recently received at the Brau-
muller warerooms an agent says, among
other things: ' 'The piano arrived all right,
in good condition, and the tone was just
right. A lady was in town from Boulder,
Col., and in passing the store heard the
tone and was so pleased that she bought it
before we had had it half a day." Business
is reported as good all along the line.
facturers who have branch stores in Cleve-
land. This is well enough, but Cleveland
MECKEL BROTHERS OF CLEVELAND SAID TO BE should have headquarters, and not a mere
IN POSSESSION OF THE PLANT AT ERIE,
branch house.
PA., WITH A CAPITAL OF $2OO,OOO.
"Furthermore, this move places us in a
position
to offer pianos as manufacturers
The piano men of Cleveland are evi-
direct
to
the public. The L Shaw piano is
dently wide-awake and taking advantage
well
known
in Cleveland, and is to-day one
of the return of prosperity. At all events,
of
the
so-called
leaders."
one concern indicates that this is the case.
Upon
inquiry
as to the size of the Shaw
For several days rumors were afloat that a
plant,
Mr.
Meckel
stated that it covers two
large piano factory would locate in Cleve-
acres
and
is
equipped
with electric and
land, and that Cleveland enterprise was
other
of
the
most
improved
appliances, and
back of the deal. Nothing of a definite
has
a
capacity
for
building
1,500 pianos a
nature could be found out until the Leader
year,
but
2,000
could
be
made
if necessary.
learned that Mr. Frank Meckel, of the
Mr.
Frank
Meckel,
president
of the Shaw
Meckel Bros.' Co., located on Euclid av-
Piano
Co.,
will
remain
in
charge
of the
enue, had for some time contemplated an
large
warerooms
and
the
business
of
the
undertaking of this kind. Since his return
Meckel
Bros.
Co.
in
this
city,
which
has
from Europe he has closed negotiations
which have turned out to be of very large become an important factor in the retail
piano business in Cleveland, with the as-
proportions.
sistance
of his brother, M. L. Meckel, while
On September 8 Mr. Frank Meckel
J.
A.
Meckel,
treasurer, takes charge of
purchased the entire plant and assets of
the
factory,
with
the assistance of H. J.
the Shaw Piano Co., of Erie, Pa., valued
Raymore,
secretary,
who is known to be
at over $200,000.
one
of
the
brightest
men in the piano
A Leader representative called to inter-
manufacturing
field
to-day.
view Mr. Meckel in regard to this under-
This is another step in the progress of
taking, which brought out some very in-
the
Meckels in handling large financial
teresting facts. Mr. Meckel said: "Since
deals,
which first came prominently before
we have handled the Shaw piano our house
the
public
at the time of the lump purchase
has grown to be one of the principal outlets
of
the
A.
D.
Coe stock of pianos and other
for the product of the Shaw Piano Co. In
assets,
involving
over $60,000 cash, which
fact, some months we purchased half of the
deal
they
carried
to a successful outcome,
product. Our relations were always of the
in
addition
to
their
own extensive and
best. A very prominent piano house of
well-established
piano
business.—Cleve-
the East heard that we contemplated man-
land
(O.)
Leader.
ufacturing pianos and endeavored to in-
terest us. The Shaw house, it seems, dis-
covered that negotiations were on and 20th Century Action Endorsed.
promptly decided to interest us.
The report this week at the Staib Piano
"Cleveland is a large city, but is lacking Action Co. is to the effect that several
in not having a local representative piano important additions have been made to the
house manufacturing its own pianos, list of Twentieth Century Action indorsers.
backed by Cleveland men. Cleveland is The last visitor, a member of an influential
also a musical city, and our entry into the house, and a practical piano man, declared
field of piano manufacturers makes us the the new action to be flawless in every
only establishment in the city making its particular. He announced himself a con-
own pianos. We mean, of course, that we vert and insisted on undertaking mission-
are strictly Cleveland boys, having lived ary work in behalf of what he termed a
here over thirty years. There are manu- "triumph of mechanism."
Shaw Piano Co. Reorganize.
ESTEY
"The King of Organs.
MUSICALLY AND
ARCHITECTURALLY
THE ES1EY ORGANS HAVE
ALWAYS
BEEN KNOWN THE WORLD OVER
AS INSTRUMENTS
IN WHICH IS EM-
BODIED
THE HIGHEST
DEGREE
OF EXCELLENCE
ATTAINABLE
IN
THE ORGAN BUILDERS' ART. WWW
Factories: BRATTLEBORO, VERMONT.