Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
. . . SOHE DEALERS WHOM WE KNOW . . .
GLANCES AT SOME OF THE MEN WHO HAVE MADE MUSIC TRADE HISTORY IN FARAWAY TOWNS.
The inducing allurements of railroad lit-
erature anent the sunny South seemed to
me a trifle overdrawn when I passed
through that section last winter. In Mem-
phis and New Orleans and other points
South the cold was intense and New Or-
leans was really a suffering city when I
stopped there over the Mardi Gras last
February. They are so poorly prepared
for cold weather in the South in the way.
of warmly built residences and proper heat-
ing apparatus, that temperature which
would be but ordinary in a northern lati-
tude causes extreme suffering in the cotton
belt.
I recollect the first time I visited the ex-
treme South over fifteen years ago, I
thought it a most beautiful country, partic-
ularly after I had been encountering a
temperature of some forty-eight degrees
below zero in the Northwest. But during
the last few years it has been my lot to
find conditions reversed about somewhat.
I have seen New Orleans paralyzed by a
heavy snow fall, and in the far Northwest
I have seen glorious springlike weather in
mid-winter, weather so warm that even a
light spring overcoat was rather objection-
able on account of the unnecessary warmth
which it created.
It was not until I reached Phoenix and
Tucson that the temperature really began
to approach those agreeable figures where
it is pleasant to lay aside one's oiiter gar-
ments and joy fully note the growing warmth
of the sun's rays.
Texas means a good deal upon the map,
and after you have traveled a few thous-
and miles up and down its vast area, you
will have concluded that it is indeed an
empire in itself. In music -trade affairs
Texas cuts an important figure. It is
rapidly increasing in population and in
wealth, which necessarily means that there
is a growing demand for those home acces-
sories which are inseparably associated
with a higher civilization. While the low
price of Texas' chief staples has material-
ly hampered the prosperity of the State,
yet it can be said that matters pertaining
directly to the music trade have not been
in a languishing condition in that State for
some years.
There are a number of important firms
in Texas, chief among which I may men-
tion the great house of Thos. Goggan &
Bro., with headquarters at Galveston, hav-
ing branches in some eight or ten of Texas'
principal cities. The Goggan concern con-
trol an enormous business, as they carry
everything in music and have the richer
portion of the State well departmentized
so that it is constantly being worked by
their army of salesmen. A great house is
Goggan and one appreciates this fact the
further they travel in the "Lone Star
State." There are many other important
concerns in Galveston, Houston, San An-
tonio, Fort Worth, Austin to which I shall
refer later.
ALEX. HIRSCHFELD, Fort Worth. Tex
Alex. Hirschfeld, the well-known dealer
of Fort Worth, Tex., belongs to that in-
dustrious element of the trade that is mak-
ing itself felt in every part of the country.
Mr. Hirschfeld is still young in years,
having made his terrestrial advent in 1865
in Germany. He early exhibited a strong
talent for music and decided that America
ALEX. HIRSCHFELD.
would offer him better opportunities than
the German fatherland, hence 1884 found
him filling successfully the professional
duties of a music teacher in Galveston.
Being of a commercial turn of mind he
figured that there was money in the music
business, and in 1891 he nailed up his shin-
gle in Fort Worth where it has remained
ever since. It is not liable to be easily
removed, for Mr. Hirschfeld has made a
marked success in his business enterprise.
In pianos he handles the Weber, Behr,
Shoninger, Wheelock, Waldorf, Schiller
and Mathushek. He has also small goods.
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Los Angeles, Cal., is a delightful city
to visit, particularly in mid-winter when
the East is being paralyzed with a multi-
plicity of blizzards. The city is well sup-
plied with music stores, most of which ap-
pear to be in a flourishing condition, and
J. T. FITZGERALD.
with a population that is growing at the
rate of nearly a thousand a month it does
not appear as if there would be a trade
drought in Los Angeles, particularly as
most newcomers bring money, and after
they settle in business either in a city or
upon a ranch, desire to adorn and beautify
their homes, patronizing liberally in this
connection the local stores of Los Angeles.
THE FITZGERALD MUSIC & PIANO CO.
J. T. Fitzgerald, proprietor of the Fitz-
gerald Music & Piano Co., commenced
business in Los Angeles with a very small
capital in 1890. He said: " I have worked
hard and incessantly ever since I com-
menced here, and I feel that my labors
have been fairly rewarded. There is no
one interested in this business besides
myself. If you will accompany me over
my establishment I think I can interest
you in a place which will demonstrate that
the Pacific Coast is not lacking in musical
culture. In my recital hall, as you will
see," he added as I accompanied him
through his elaborately furnished and
elegantly decorated space, with all the
green room accessories, "are given all the
pupils' recitals and local concerts of the
city. You may imagine that I estimate its
advertising value as considerable to my
business."
Mr. Fitzgerald's establishment is cen-
trally located, and he occupies in ware-
room space, in which are displayed pianos,
sheet music and small goods, an area of
some five thousand square feet. I noticed
in his warerooms a well assorted stock of
Knabe, Fischer, Kohler & Co., Blasius and
Albrecht pianos. He is also agent for the
celebrated C. G. Conn Wonder band instru-
ments.
I may say that Mr. Fitzgerald has taken
a warm interest in musical affairs. During
the past six years he has had the local
management of nearly all the musical ar-
tists who have appeared in Los Angeles.
Among those may be included Ysaye,
Ellen Beach Yaw, the Kneisel Quartette,
Rosenthal, the Henschels, Emil Sauer,
Sousa's Band. In every case these enter-
tainments have proved successful from a
financial point of view.
New England Advance.
It begins to look like old times about the
New England Piano Co. 's Boston estab-
lishment.
Last week sixty-five pianos
were shipped from the factory, and prob-
ably the record will be duplicated this
week. Orders are coming in and, on the
whole, the future looks decidedly roseate
for this establishment. Thomas F. Scan-
Ian wears a smile of contentment over the
improved condition of affairs, and will
leave before the end of the month for a
flyer West, going as far as Kansas City.
It is unnecessary to state that Mr. Scan-
Ian will do business on his trip. He al-
ways does, and a further point will be
scored for New England advance before he
returns. Five pianos were sold at retail
from the Washington street warerooms
last Monday. It does not look as if there
was a dearth of retail trade upon Boston's
thoroughfare at that rate.