Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
Exhibit.
Herman Krell is comfortably installed in
his new quarters at the Wanamaker store.
He is now a member of the Wanamaker
staff, and the piano department is practi-
cally in his charge.
Until the permanent piano department
on the fifth floor is completed, the exhibit
of Krell products will remain where they
are at present, in one section of the general
exhibition area on the fifth floor, facing
north.
The following announcement, the first
by the way, regarding the recent piano
move appeared in the Wanamaker adver-
tisement in last Monday's papers:
The Krell Piano Company has closed its
New York store, and we have taken the
entire business. Pending the preparation
of proper warerooms, the instruments are
on sale on the fifth floor, Tenth street, be-
tween the Dressmaking Rooms and the
Picture Gallery.
Why did they happen?
Why, why, why?
We mean the big blizzard, the unpre-
cedented cold, and the greatest number of
fires in the history of New York.
Again we ask why?
Of course the official authorities will ex-
plain it satisfactorily from their stand-
point.
To "the marines" perhaps but not to
the members of the music trade of this
city who know a thing or two.
They know for a certainty that Joe
Mann, the famous Joe Mann of Providence,
R. I., was in town.
He made his appearance in New York on
Friday with a big quantity of zero weather
in his grip, and he no sooner commenced
to diffuse his genial smile around the trade,
than, presto, we had one of the greatest
blizzards of the century, and fire-engines
seemed to be running around every corner.
And this continued almost up to the time
Joe Mann bade adieu to Manhattan.
At once Old Sol apologetically took the
centre of the stage and taking the cue from
the popular "Joe " proceeded to make one
and all feel happier (?) by frying the pearly
snow.
History records that Mann must be "in
it " whether at the blowing up of the
"Maine," the greatest railroad wreck of
season, or anything that is extraordinary.
Why did they happen?
Is it necessary to ask?
Storm Interferes with Business.
Business among the Harlem manufac-
turers is active all along the line, but the
recent heavy storms have blocked traffic so
severely that shipments have been brought
almost to a standstill. In the Harlem
thoroughfares snow is standing in drifts
from four to eight feet high and, even on
the level, is almost impossible fordrayage.
Now that a thaw has set in, wagons are
beginning to move slowly, but a week or
ten days will elapse before normal con-
ditions are again reached.
13
Hugo Sohmer Talks of the Stencil Matter.
One of the most interested listeners at
the meeting of piano manufacturers on
Tuesday was Hugo Sohmer, of Sohmer
& Co. Mr. Sohmer is not at present a
member of the Association, but this does
not stand in the way of a warm welcome
whenever he visits the members individu-
ally or in meeting assembled.
Like many other members of the trade,
Mr. Sohmer is willing to express his opin-
ions freely when asked to do so, but rarely
ventures to address an audience voluntar-
ily. On Wednesday, The Review, when
making the usual round of visits, called at
the Sohmer warerooms and conversed
briefly with Mr. Sohmer concerning the
Redington bill and its chances of success.
Asked to define his attitude in the mat-
ter, Mr. Sohmer said: "My views on this
subject are well known, and it is therefore
hardly necessary to repeat them. I have
no sympathy with stenciling. Of course
there are two kinds of stenciling—one
where palpable fraud is conspicuous, the
other where it is not so conspicuous.
" To my mind there is no excuse what-
ever for the conduct of those dealers who
attempt to deceive their customers. The
stencilled instruments, they may pretend,
are made to their order, but it is not so.
Their only order is to place some name
that suits them on the fallboard. Pianos
are very rarely made to order, and then
they are very expensive.
"There should be a law, and it should be
rigorously enforced, that the name of the
manufacturer of every instrument should
appear on the fallboard. Let the dealer, or
other person who orders the instruments,
give them his own or any other name he
chooses, but under it, in plain lettering,
should appear the name of the person or
firm responsible for the putting together
of the ' box ' or whatever else it may
happen to be.
" That is practically what is most essen-
tial now. The sooner it is done the better.
Nor does it seem to me that much parley-
ing and deliberation are needed.
The
proposition is too simple to call for deep,
profound thought and solemn conclaves.
There are a good many others in this
trade who think, as I do, that more in the
shape of results along practical lines of re-
form should be forthcoming than have
been seen up to this time."
Milton Co. Reorganizes.
Pianos Damaged by Water.
E. M. BOOTHE BUYS OUT WM. F. BOOTHE's IN-
TEREST W. B. CRAIGHEAD, PRESIDENT.
Patrolman Fries, of the Tenth and
Thompson streets station, discovered water
running over the sidewalk at the north-
west corner of Sixth and Thompson streets
at 2 o'clock yesterday morning, and found
that it was flooding the premises of C. J.
Heppe & Son, piano makers. Policeman
Fries went to the Eagle Hotel and aroused
Manager W. H. Jacoby, who accompanied
him to the factory.
They found a pipe had burst, which led
to the workshop on the third floor, and
that the overflow had damaged several
pianos on the first floor. The loss was es-
timated at about $4000. — Philadelphia
Ledger.
Edward M. Boothe, of the Milton Piano
Co., has bought out the interest of William
F. Boothe in the firm. Walter B. Craig-
head, who is now a stockholder, has been
elected president of the Milton Co. and
Edward M. Boothe treasurer. The capital
stock of the company is $10,000, fully
paid in.
Dealers and the Vose.
The Vose advertisement on the cover page
of this issue is as usual interesting. It
will repay careful reading by progressive
dealers who are in the piano business to
make money and reputation.
"The makers of the Vose piano have
studied the needs of the business—they
are continually working with the view of
making the dealer's capital earn larger divi-
dends."
This is a truth which needs little empha-
sis in view of the magnificent propaganda
which Vose & Sons have been carrying on
in the dealers' interest for the past two
years. Turn where you will, in the mag-
azines or in the trade papers, no money has
been spared to place the Vose piano prom-
inently before the reading and purchasing
public. The advertisement well and cor-
rectly says: " T h e dealer who desires to
maintain a successful business will build
the structure of that business upon a good
and permanent foundation," and if any
one should ask how? we would say by be-
coming better acquainted with the superb
creations in piano making which the Vose
people have prepared for the trade this
year.
*
Robert Schlee.
Robert Schlee, who for a long period of
years had been connected with Wm. Knabe
& Co. 's New York establishment as expert
tuner, died on Feb. 15th, at his home in
this city. Mr. Schlee was accompanying
Emil Sauer on his tournee, in his capacity
as tuner, and left for St. Louis on Feb. 9th.
Shortly afterward he was taken quite ill
and it was thought best that he should
return home. He only lived two days
after reaching New York. The funeral
occurred yesterday.
Mr. Schlee was considered one of the
best tuners in this city. He was a great
favorite with Von Biilow, Griinfeld, Sta-
venhagen, Carreno, whom he accompanied
on their tournees of this country. Von
Biilow, especially, who was not an easy
man to please, paid Schlee many compli-
ments regarding his ability as a tuner. A
host of personal friends and visitors to the
Knabe warerooms will miss this modest
and always genial personality.