Music Trade Review
Issue: 1897 Vol. 25 N. 22 - Page 10
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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
1 2
That Piano Trust.
PHILADELPHIA DEALERS AND MAKERS DON T
FAVOR IT ' T I S N ' T FEASIBLE, THEY SAY
PIANOS ARE NOT LIKE BEER AND
NAILS.
There doesn 't seem to be a great amount of
favor among members of the piano trade
in this city for the proposed piano trust.
According to them it's one thing to form
nails, beer, whisky, sugar and cigarette
trusts, but it's a vastly different matter to
put a piano trust on legs that won't wobble
or bend at the knees.
A dispatch from New York this morning
said that the formation of a trust is under
way and that besides several good-sized
piano houses a couple of bankers of inter-
national reputation had been interested.
Alfred Dolge, of the great piano supply
house which bears his name, is said to be
one of the prime movers in the formation
of the concern. It is not a new scheme by
any means, Mr. Dolge having advanced it
as a project some years ago, and been at
work on its details for a long time back.
The idea is to get the principal piano-mak-
ers of the country together in a pool, with
a capital of no less than $50,000,000.
Houses would be bought up only to be
closed. Branches of the trust would be
located in each of the big cities for the
sale of instruments; manufacture would
probably be confined to several big factor-
ies, and only four grades would be turned
out.
Philadelphia members of the trade are
inclined to pooh-pooh the idea of the trust.
The majority opine that it isn't feasible,
and they give reasons for it that are ap-
parently exceedingly weighty ones.
Said Colonel H. W. Gray, of the Scho-
macker Pianoforte Co.:
" I do not think much ot the trust. Why? Well,
if a maker makes a good instrument that the people
know by reputation as a good piano, pays his debts
and stands on his own legs, so to speak, he hasn't
any use for the trust. I've been in the piano busi-
ness for forty-three years, and I have yet to see
the time I would enter such a pool. I don't think it
will prove a success. There have been two or three
attempts to organize one and—well—you haven't
heard of a successful one yet, have you ?"
Col. Gray's blunt, straightforward state-
ment of the case seemed to be a summing-
up of opinion in general.
P. J. Cunningham, secretary and treas-
urer of the Cunningham Piano Co., is an-
other one of those who do not think much
of the reported pool.
" It cannot be possible," said he. "You can't
make pianos in a pool like nails or beer. As Hugo
Sohmer, of New York, says, • A piano is an artis-
tic creation.' There are big makers whose repu-
tations are their businesses."
People want this or that piano, or a
somebody's or somebody's else. That's
the piano they want, and that's the one
they'll buy. A pool of little fellows or
small manufacturers might get together
and do business, but it would hardly pay
sufficient returns for a big investment up
in the millions. And it wouldn't hurt old
established and well-known men.
James C. Miller, resident-manager and
treasurer of the Henry F. Miller & Sons'
Piano Co. in this city, also doesn't think it
feasible. His firm, to his knowledge, has
not been approached. Neither has the
firm of C. J. Heppe & Son. Florence
Heppe told an Item man to-day that his
firm wouldn't go into the trust if it was
asked. "We can make more money out-
side of it," was his excellent reason. "A
trust cannot hurt established and well-
known makers. They would hardly go
into it under usual business conditions.
Even if all the big makers and good peo-
ple were brought in, little mushroom
makers would spring up constantly. It
isn't practical."
Such is Philadelphia's opinion of the re-
ported proposed trust.—Item, Philadel-
phia, Nov. 23.
Dible Not Found Guilty.
[Special to The Review.]
A Strong Testimonial
FOR THE MASON & HAMLIN PIANOS—ONE TO
FEEL PROUD OF.
The following communication received
by Mason & Hamlin of this city, dur-
ing the past week speaks for itself:
New York, Nov. 18, 1897.
Messrs. Mason & Hamlin, New York.
Gentlemen:—When the steamships
"New York" and "Paris" were built by
this company we furnished them with
pianos of your manufacture. They gave
such satisfaction to those who used them
that later on we furnished several to the
Red Star Line, and more recently to the
"St. Louis" and "St. Paul" when they
were outfitted. Our experience with your
instruments has been so satisfactory that
we had no hesitation in placing our order
with you for the four pianos necessary for
these two ships.
In response to your request, it now
gives us pleasure to state that this entire
equipment of pianos on our steamers is
giving complete satisfaction both to our-
selves and our patrons. Yours very truly,
J. S. Bennett,
for International Navigation Co.
Allegheny, Pa., Nov. 23, 1897.
W. J. Dible, music dealer of Braddock,
was found not guilty of larceny this morn-
ing at the Criminal Court. The case was a
peculiar one, and grew out of the granting
of a traction franchise to operate on Corey
avenue in Braddock, for which the company
pai8 into the treasury $5,000. A certain
number of the property holders wanted
the company to pay for paving and signed
a petition to that effect.
The charge was made by John Howat,
Dolge Hose Co.'s Fair.
city engineer, that Mr. Dible, whom he al-
leged to be interested in blocking the im-
The Alfred Dolge Hose Co. No. 1, of
provement, had gotten hold of the petition Dolgeville, N. Y., held a most successful
and finally made way with it. He was ar- fair at Turn Hall last week. It was in-
rested charged with larceny. The case tended that the fair should be opened by
was not sustained, however, and the jury Mr. Dolge, but he was unavoidably de-
became satisfied that the paper had been tained by business in New York and in his
lost by accident, so Mr. Dible was dis- stead the Hon. E. A. Brown officiated. A
charged, the cost being assessed on the pro- letter, however, was read from Mr. Dolge
secution.
which abounded in good wi hes for the
company and the success of the fair. The
The Popular Pease Piano.
last issue of the Dolgeville Herald contains
an excellent half tone of the Alfred Dolge
At the Pease factory and warerooms
Hose Co. Among the "boys" we notice
business is active. The following an-
the face of Mr. Dolge.
nouncement of the firm, recently repeated
with marked emphasis, is having a marked
effect:
Behr Pianos in Demand.
" Our pianos are all manufactured from
It was a happy thought on the part of
the best of materials. We use only thor-
oughly-seasoned and kiln-dried lumber\ em- Behr Bros. & Co. to prepare a number of
ploy none but the very best of workmen, and their special Louis XV. style uprights in
superintend in person every department of mahogany for the holidays. Since the an-
their manufacture.
The tone is rich and nouncement to this effect was made to the
powerful, and the construction perfect. 7 hey trade, they have been kept busy at
contain all the latest improvements of merit the factory filling orders for special
or value, and every piano is fully warranted styles. The instrument is the same
size as the Behr Bros, style F, and,
by us for five years."
The above is a simple statement, and as is already well known, has been sup-
adds nothing to what has been fully known plied in gold and white and gold to the
of the Pease products from the start, but Waldorf and other prominent hotels.
This week's report at the Behr Bros, fac-
the fact that itsrepublication has been pro-
tory
is very satisfactory. All the Behr
ductive of good results shows that the
styles
for 1897-98 are in demand. Out-of-
standard of manufacture cannot be too con-
town
representatives
are sending in good
spicuous in these days of keen competition.
orders.
Mr. B. M. Robinson, the Pease representa-
tive in the West, has been making a great
Business is brisk at the Weber-Wheelock
record of late. On his last trip he had
factories
and warerooms. Mr. Wheelock
phenomenal success.
has rested at his country home since his
Geo. C. Pearson of Indianapolis, Ind., return, but will soon start in again on a
has taken the agency for the "Crown" vigorous business campaign for the winter
season,
piano,
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
1 2
That Piano Trust.
PHILADELPHIA DEALERS AND MAKERS DON T
FAVOR IT ' T I S N ' T FEASIBLE, THEY SAY
PIANOS ARE NOT LIKE BEER AND
NAILS.
There doesn 't seem to be a great amount of
favor among members of the piano trade
in this city for the proposed piano trust.
According to them it's one thing to form
nails, beer, whisky, sugar and cigarette
trusts, but it's a vastly different matter to
put a piano trust on legs that won't wobble
or bend at the knees.
A dispatch from New York this morning
said that the formation of a trust is under
way and that besides several good-sized
piano houses a couple of bankers of inter-
national reputation had been interested.
Alfred Dolge, of the great piano supply
house which bears his name, is said to be
one of the prime movers in the formation
of the concern. It is not a new scheme by
any means, Mr. Dolge having advanced it
as a project some years ago, and been at
work on its details for a long time back.
The idea is to get the principal piano-mak-
ers of the country together in a pool, with
a capital of no less than $50,000,000.
Houses would be bought up only to be
closed. Branches of the trust would be
located in each of the big cities for the
sale of instruments; manufacture would
probably be confined to several big factor-
ies, and only four grades would be turned
out.
Philadelphia members of the trade are
inclined to pooh-pooh the idea of the trust.
The majority opine that it isn't feasible,
and they give reasons for it that are ap-
parently exceedingly weighty ones.
Said Colonel H. W. Gray, of the Scho-
macker Pianoforte Co.:
" I do not think much ot the trust. Why? Well,
if a maker makes a good instrument that the people
know by reputation as a good piano, pays his debts
and stands on his own legs, so to speak, he hasn't
any use for the trust. I've been in the piano busi-
ness for forty-three years, and I have yet to see
the time I would enter such a pool. I don't think it
will prove a success. There have been two or three
attempts to organize one and—well—you haven't
heard of a successful one yet, have you ?"
Col. Gray's blunt, straightforward state-
ment of the case seemed to be a summing-
up of opinion in general.
P. J. Cunningham, secretary and treas-
urer of the Cunningham Piano Co., is an-
other one of those who do not think much
of the reported pool.
" It cannot be possible," said he. "You can't
make pianos in a pool like nails or beer. As Hugo
Sohmer, of New York, says, • A piano is an artis-
tic creation.' There are big makers whose repu-
tations are their businesses."
People want this or that piano, or a
somebody's or somebody's else. That's
the piano they want, and that's the one
they'll buy. A pool of little fellows or
small manufacturers might get together
and do business, but it would hardly pay
sufficient returns for a big investment up
in the millions. And it wouldn't hurt old
established and well-known men.
James C. Miller, resident-manager and
treasurer of the Henry F. Miller & Sons'
Piano Co. in this city, also doesn't think it
feasible. His firm, to his knowledge, has
not been approached. Neither has the
firm of C. J. Heppe & Son. Florence
Heppe told an Item man to-day that his
firm wouldn't go into the trust if it was
asked. "We can make more money out-
side of it," was his excellent reason. "A
trust cannot hurt established and well-
known makers. They would hardly go
into it under usual business conditions.
Even if all the big makers and good peo-
ple were brought in, little mushroom
makers would spring up constantly. It
isn't practical."
Such is Philadelphia's opinion of the re-
ported proposed trust.—Item, Philadel-
phia, Nov. 23.
Dible Not Found Guilty.
[Special to The Review.]
A Strong Testimonial
FOR THE MASON & HAMLIN PIANOS—ONE TO
FEEL PROUD OF.
The following communication received
by Mason & Hamlin of this city, dur-
ing the past week speaks for itself:
New York, Nov. 18, 1897.
Messrs. Mason & Hamlin, New York.
Gentlemen:—When the steamships
"New York" and "Paris" were built by
this company we furnished them with
pianos of your manufacture. They gave
such satisfaction to those who used them
that later on we furnished several to the
Red Star Line, and more recently to the
"St. Louis" and "St. Paul" when they
were outfitted. Our experience with your
instruments has been so satisfactory that
we had no hesitation in placing our order
with you for the four pianos necessary for
these two ships.
In response to your request, it now
gives us pleasure to state that this entire
equipment of pianos on our steamers is
giving complete satisfaction both to our-
selves and our patrons. Yours very truly,
J. S. Bennett,
for International Navigation Co.
Allegheny, Pa., Nov. 23, 1897.
W. J. Dible, music dealer of Braddock,
was found not guilty of larceny this morn-
ing at the Criminal Court. The case was a
peculiar one, and grew out of the granting
of a traction franchise to operate on Corey
avenue in Braddock, for which the company
pai8 into the treasury $5,000. A certain
number of the property holders wanted
the company to pay for paving and signed
a petition to that effect.
The charge was made by John Howat,
Dolge Hose Co.'s Fair.
city engineer, that Mr. Dible, whom he al-
leged to be interested in blocking the im-
The Alfred Dolge Hose Co. No. 1, of
provement, had gotten hold of the petition Dolgeville, N. Y., held a most successful
and finally made way with it. He was ar- fair at Turn Hall last week. It was in-
rested charged with larceny. The case tended that the fair should be opened by
was not sustained, however, and the jury Mr. Dolge, but he was unavoidably de-
became satisfied that the paper had been tained by business in New York and in his
lost by accident, so Mr. Dible was dis- stead the Hon. E. A. Brown officiated. A
charged, the cost being assessed on the pro- letter, however, was read from Mr. Dolge
secution.
which abounded in good wi hes for the
company and the success of the fair. The
The Popular Pease Piano.
last issue of the Dolgeville Herald contains
an excellent half tone of the Alfred Dolge
At the Pease factory and warerooms
Hose Co. Among the "boys" we notice
business is active. The following an-
the face of Mr. Dolge.
nouncement of the firm, recently repeated
with marked emphasis, is having a marked
effect:
Behr Pianos in Demand.
" Our pianos are all manufactured from
It was a happy thought on the part of
the best of materials. We use only thor-
oughly-seasoned and kiln-dried lumber\ em- Behr Bros. & Co. to prepare a number of
ploy none but the very best of workmen, and their special Louis XV. style uprights in
superintend in person every department of mahogany for the holidays. Since the an-
their manufacture.
The tone is rich and nouncement to this effect was made to the
powerful, and the construction perfect. 7 hey trade, they have been kept busy at
contain all the latest improvements of merit the factory filling orders for special
or value, and every piano is fully warranted styles. The instrument is the same
size as the Behr Bros, style F, and,
by us for five years."
The above is a simple statement, and as is already well known, has been sup-
adds nothing to what has been fully known plied in gold and white and gold to the
of the Pease products from the start, but Waldorf and other prominent hotels.
This week's report at the Behr Bros, fac-
the fact that itsrepublication has been pro-
tory
is very satisfactory. All the Behr
ductive of good results shows that the
styles
for 1897-98 are in demand. Out-of-
standard of manufacture cannot be too con-
town
representatives
are sending in good
spicuous in these days of keen competition.
orders.
Mr. B. M. Robinson, the Pease representa-
tive in the West, has been making a great
Business is brisk at the Weber-Wheelock
record of late. On his last trip he had
factories
and warerooms. Mr. Wheelock
phenomenal success.
has rested at his country home since his
Geo. C. Pearson of Indianapolis, Ind., return, but will soon start in again on a
has taken the agency for the "Crown" vigorous business campaign for the winter
season,
piano,
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