Music Trade Review

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THE WVSIC TRADE
had already reached a depth of three inches.
There was no time to lose, it needed quick
wit, decided action; but again, Mr. Mann
was equal to the emergency. His first or-
ders were, "send for our men." The ad-
dresses were quickly given, the police tele-
phones were kept busy, as well as the "Pa-
trol," but this time not in the interest of spir-
its (but water), off came coats, sleeves were
rolled up, pianos hustled out of harm's way,
not to be harmed any more than they were.
Within an hour of the first call, the men be-
gan to arrive, and all was a scene of hustle
and bustle. Mr. Mann never, no matter
what happens, forgets his men; hot coffee
and sandwiches were served, and other things
too, "so the boys say," if it was wanted, for
you know it was a very wet morning.
At eight o'clock the salesmen, bookkeeper,
etc., began to arrive. This is the part of the
narrative that struck me most. In they came,
and after a hasty examination, chins were
dropped, long' faces were put on, and such
expressions, "there goes our Xmas business,"
"that settles it," etc. What did "Mann" say,
"Brace up boys, I'm not blue, so you must
not be; we'll be straightened out here in
twenty-four hours, and we'll do the largest
business in the history of the piano business
of Providence." "You can't get ready?''
"We'll see." Telephone call after telephone
call rang up, with each call was something
that meant something. Within an hour the
wareropms presented the appearance as
though a new line of railroad was going to
be built, etc., from the army of men stand-
ing, around waiting for the instruments to
fre all taken out to begin work.
Right here let me say, Mr. Mann did not
forget his advertising ability; the water had
not stopped running through the ceiling, be-
fore this announcement was spread over each
|irge window. "Warerooms damaged by
water." "Closed to-day, open to-morrow."
'''See papers." He knew what he was going
to do, but only he, that wonderful brain of
his that acts quicker than three ordinary peo-
ple can think, was working. Down came
the ceilings, twenty men working at them;
others were putting up a paper ceiling tem-
porarily ; some were doing this and some
that. The workmen were getting the pianos
that were only slightly damaged, in shape.
Mr. Mann, standing on his floor directing
the ranks as a general does his army, for
twenty-four hours without even leaving for
food; sandwiches and coffee were good
enough for him, (although we all know he
likes to live well) at this time. Mr. Mann
was as good as his word, and at 5.50 P. M.
Tuesday, down came the signs, the curtains
went up, and, with the exception of the tem-
porary ceiling, one would not have known
anything had occurred in these tastily ar-
ranged warerooms, where only a few hours
before all had been chaos and havoc.
Such a man is Joseph M. Mann, one in a
thousand. And such is the man Mr. Ar-
nold has been fortunate enough to become
associated with. Mr. Mann simply says in
his quiet unassuming manner: "I guess it's
a mutual thing. I think I know the piano
business; I did need a working partner and
wanted a good family with large connections,
with money, and now I have got both.
REVIEW
tainly I should be satisfied and I am. And
I certainly want to say this, that no man ever
had more kind, considerate and square treat-
ment from the manufacturers, during the
time of severe trials and struggles caused by
unfortunate circumstances over which I had
no control, than myself."
In conclusion I wish to state that no one
deserves or has worked harder to make a
success of his business than Mr. Mann, and
we venture to prophesy that now with an
abundance of capital to further his plans and
ambition, the house of Joseph M. Mann or
Joseph M. Mann & Co., as it will probably
be called, will, within the next five years,
assume proportions second to none in New
England.
M. C. S.
CHANGES IN THE RETAIL TRADE.
NEW STORES.
Anton Zoeper, Camden, N. J.—H. P.
Wells, Leavenworth, Kans.—Hinner's Or-
gan Co., Peoria, 111.—Samuel Greenwood,
Boston, Mass.—A. H. Rintelman, Chicago,
111.—George Foulks, Malvern, la.—Ira L.
Thomas, Oskaloosa, la.—Louis Mohr, Fort
Wayne, Ind.—Mrs. S. Beck, Seneca Falls,
N. Y.—Miss Alice J. Bouchard, Woonsocket,
R. I.—A. B. Ennis, Centralia, 111.—Geo. H.
Davis, Dover, N. H.—Benjamin Whittam,
Adams, Mass.—Bertrand H. Farr, Lancaster,
Pa.
BRANCHES.
C. S. Wolcott, Hillsdale, Mich., in Union
City, Mich,
CHANGES, ETC.
Rose & Saviers have bought the small in-
strument department of the Metropolitan
Music Co., Minneapolis, Minn. The business
of Conigiski & Juelg, Washington, D. C,
will be continued by Mr. Juelg as Juelg &
Co.
J. B. Vaughn has purchased the interest
of his brother in Vaughn Bros. Music House,
Sullivan, Ind.
NORRIS NOISELESS PEDAL ACTION.
Helps Make Sales for the Ooahead
bassador.
Piano Am-
Piano salesmen make use of every point
in talking their pianos to a customer, and
perhaps the latest instance of a salesman tak-
ing up every detail in favor of his piano is
when one of the N orris noiseless pedal ac-
tions sold a piano of Boston manufacture,
when it was in competition with two of out-
side make, but of wide reputation.
He talked about all the other points he
could think of, and then called the attention
of the customer to the fact that there would
never be any trouble from a squeaking pedal
if he bought the piano with the Norris at-
tachment. It made the sale.
Many dealers are beginning to recognize
the value of the Norris patent noiseless pedal
action, in removing one great source of trou-
ble and complaint with the attendant expense
from squeaking, noisy pedals.
The Norris noiseless pedal action does
away with this fault entirely, and a dealer
who handles pianos that contain these actions,
knows when he puts a piano out that there
is one thing that will never cause any trou-
ble with the piano—the pedal action.
Quite a number of dealers are already spec-
ifying with their orders that the pianos must
contain the Norris patent noiseless pedal ac-
tion.
Mr. Norris, the head of the company,
states that the demand for their goods has
been unprecedented of late, so they have been
obliged to have the plant fitted up with elec-
tric lights, and run the factory overtime near-
ly every day, which, in connection with very
large contracts for material, he thinks will
enable them to fill their orders with reason-
able promptness in the future.
EVEREn~GRAND FOR ALLEN.
A concert grand has just been shipped
from the Everett factory to Wiley B. Allen
AN INDIANA INCORPORATION.
at San Francisco, Cal., where it will be heard
The Chute & Butler Co. have filed a cer- in many of the very fine concerts of that great
tificate of incorporation with the Secretary Western metropolis. The piano, which is
of State of Indiana for the purpose of carry- one of the very finest ever turned out of that
ing on the manufacture of musical instru- factory, is of exceptional tone with every
ments at Marion, with a capital stock of attribute necessary to satisfy the most diffi-
$25,000. The incorporators and stockholders cile. Mr. Allen is preparing to present his
are Hiram E. Chute, Thad. W. Butler and stock to San Francisco with* all the energy
and savoir faire which has made his success
Thomas Butler.
proverbial throughout the piano world. He
McPHAIL CO.'S GREAT YEAR.
will undoubtedly surround himself with the
circle
of artists, of which there are many in
Business with the A. M. McPhail Piano
San
Francisco,
and the Everett concert
Co., Boston, for the eleven months ending
December, has shown an increase of about grand will form an important feature at many
eighteen per cent, over that of last year, of their concerts. Mr. Allen will have the
•while the fall trade has increased about hearty co-operation of the exploiters of the
twenty-five per cent. In face of these fig- Everett piano, as their own policy is one
ures, it is unnecessary to say that business which keeps their piano in the eyes of the
is large and satisfactory. The McPhail artists and their artists in the eye of the
house have never been giving as good values public.
as to-day, and they are being fittingly re-
MEETING THE COMPETITION.
warded. That the new year will be for
them one of further expansion is inevitable
The music dealers of Cincinnati have been
in view of the plans which are now being meeting the competition of the department
pursued to that end.
stores in that city in the matter of the small
goods and music by reducing the prices to
J. W. Martin & Bro., of Rochester, N. Y., the same figures. The dealers are standing
have decided to discontinue their branch man to man in this matter, and intend to get
store at Geneva.
their share of trade in these special lines.