Music Trade Review

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THE
MUSIC TRADE
FROM PENNSYLVANIA'S MUSICAL CENTER.
REVIEW
already laid plans to balk when the issue
arises.
W. H. Wilson has just returned from a
In Spite of Bad Weather Business Shows Up Fairly Well—Heppe Advertising—Philadelphia Piano Sales-
man's Association to Work for Converts This Fall—Improvements at Kretschmar's—Activity in Estey
very pleasant visit spent at Atlantic City.
Pianos and Organs—Piano Dealers' Association Meet and Discuss Ways and Means—Heavy Wholesale
James C. Miller has began receiving his
Business With Blasius—Chat Here and There.
fall stock. It is coming in fast, and at pres-
[Special to The Review.]
ed again the members are going to make a ent his warerooms contain finer specimens of
Philadelphia, Pa., Sept. 15, 1903.
supreme effort to get into the fold every sales- the Miller product than he has ever before
Half of the first fall month has already man in Philadelphia, and make of this or- had in stock.
passed and the dealers are well satisfied with ganization, the first of its kind in the coun-
P. F. Rice, manager of the Blasius piano
what has been accomplished. This, in spite try, the strongest in the country.
factory, and Oscar Blasius spent several days
of the warm weather, which has not put life
Robert C. Kretschmar, the wholesaler and in New York this week. George D. Baker, a
into business generally. From one end of the
importer of musical merchandise, has about leading representative of the house, says that
street to the other there has been a large turn-
completed the improvements in his new store, the factory is already beginning to feel the
out of prospectors, and naturally a good per
and when finished it will no doubt be the fin- pinch for stock. They have been unable to
cent, of purchasers, and a particularly satis-
est, or at least one of the finest, in the coun- accumulate any stock during the summer time
fying feature is the fine line of goods that
try. He has arranged suitable upright tables on account of the firm's heavy wholesale bus-
are being purchased. Not the most expensive
running crosswise through his store, and on iness, and consequently have no reserve stock
pianos are being sold naturally, nor are the
these tables, covered with green baize, are ar- on hand. A new Blasius catalogue will be
cheap makes finding a market, but good, heal-
ranged specimens of every instrument he out within the next few days.
thy instruments that are going to prove satis-
Tuesday last was the eighteenth anniver-
handles. This gives purchasers an opportun-
factory to the purchasers. The buyers of the
sary
of George D. Baker's employment at the
ity to examine his entire stock without neces-
Very high-priced instruments are still out of
Blasius
house. He is the second oldest man
sitating the removal of the boxed goods from
town.
the shelves. Mr. Kretschmar has just received in point of service in the house, and has filled
Business in musical merchandise has also
an importation of 28 cases of violins and dou- practically every position.
been good, and the dealers are stocking them-
Mr. Githens, formerly at the 1101 store of
ble basses. They are a fine line of goods.
selves well for so early, knowing that by so
J. B. Hafner, traveling representative of the Blasius & Sons, has taken the place of Wil-
doing they can feel the temper of the public
house, is in Youngstown, Ohio, and neighbor- liam Cotter, who recently died, at 1121.
and thereby duplicate orders and not run shy
George P. Bent, of the Crown piano fame,
ing cities this week, and is sending .in some
of stock as was the case last fall. I have never
was in Philadelphia this week; also De Vol-
big orders.
seen the Philadelphia small goods stores
Mr. Markley, manager of the piano depart- ney Everett, representing the Ivers & Pond
look as well as at present, and such estab-
pianos.
lishments as the music-box and talking- ment at Lit Brothers, went to New York this
JVUSOiN & HAMLhN CONDITIONS.
machine shops have been transformed into week to see if he could not hurry shipment
of Gabler pianos, as well as to make a selec-
little palaces.
Orders Coming in Lively—Many Men at Work—As-
Among the visitors here this week was W. tion of other stock. The house will add sev- signees, Not Wanamaker, Back of Harold Bauer.
S. Zittle, representing O. K. Houck & Co., of eral agencies to the list they already have,
' [Special to The Review.]
St. Louis. His mission was the selection of and may drop one or two of their poorest
Boston, Mass., Sept. 17, 1903.
the fall stock of Blasius pianos for his house. sellers.
When The Review called to-day at the fac-
The Knights of Columbus had a big cele-
C. J. Heppe was up from Atlantic City sev-
tory, in Cambridgeport, of the Mason &
bration
at the Grand Opera House last Sun-
eral days this week, and F. J. Heppe made
Hamlin Co., the plant presented a scene of
several trips back and forward from the shore day evening, at which an Estey grand piano activity which was unlooked for.
on his automobile. This Winton touring car was used. In spite of the big addition to the
"Yes," said Henry L. Mason, "we have
was the gift to Mr. Heppe, Jr., by his father. Estey factory, just completed, the local firm forty organ men and eighteen piano men at
The Heppes will remain in Atlantic City until finds itself greatly handicapped for want of work, and we are receiving orders daily—
October i, and will then come up and take instruments to sell. They have already con- and filling them, too. In one day, recently,
tracts promised up to next March. They
rooms at the Walton for the winter.
we received orders for no less than twenty-
have
just completed a very fine Estey organ
The Heppes are advertising extensively the
nine organs.
new Aeolian piano, the agency for which they in the Lower Providence Presbyterian
"I wish you would say from me," he add-
have just taken. This instrument has already Church at Eagleville, Pa., which will be dedi- ed, "that Harold Bauer will play the Mason
met with much favor in Philadelphia, a num- cated at the end of this week. The Presby- & Hamlin grand at the Worcester Festival
ber of them having been sold to prominent tery is meeting there this week, and the in- under the auspices—not of John Wanamaker,
music lovers? It is a piano with the aeolian strument has been greatly admired by all the as stated in another music trade paper—but
erected on the interior, as well as the metro- members. They are also building an organ of the assignees of this concern.
style attachment. It seems to be a particu- for the M. E. Church in Media, Pa. The
"As the arrangements made by me in Paris
Estey pipe organ business has certainly
larly satisfying instrument.
with Mr. Bauer last spring are still in force,
The president of the Philadelphia Piano grown with wonderful rapidity, and fully half he will play our piano, as agreed, backed by
Salesmen's Association has called a meeting of those already sold have been sent out the assignees, who realize the value of our
for this evening in the Blasius piano rooms, through orders from the Philadelphia branch. contract. I have already booked some excel-
The Estey Co. are already receiving some lent dates ahead for Mr. Bauer, which he will
with the object of getting the organization
housed again as soon as possible. There are of the new styles of Estey just gotten out, surely fill.
several locations in view, one of them a suite and are expecting shortly one of the smaller
"In conclusion, let me say that I confident-
of rooms on Walnut street, between Tenth sized pipe organs which they will erect in the ly believe in a reorganization of the Mason
and Eleventh. Mr. Shewell tells me that he organ room, which will give them an exhibi- & Hamlin concern within one month."
has received quite a number of letters from tion of every style of pipe organ the firm
STORM CAUGHT SOHMER WINDOWS.
salesmen all over the country regarding the makes.
forming of local associations as well as a
At the meeting of the Piano Dealers' As-
In the severe storm which swept Greater
national association. He has not replied to sociation last week a number of subjects were New York on Wednesday the large plate
these letters, but now that vacations are over, discussed, and the interest shown indicates glass window in the warerooms of the Soh-
he expects to start in urging the salesmen to that the members of the trade here are alive mer Piano Co., corner of Fifth avenue and
combine in the various cities during the win- to the benefits to be derived from such an Twenty-second street, was shattered. This
ter, and to appoint delegates to meet like dele- organization. It was decided that the mem- was said to be the largest single pane in the
gates at Atlantic City next May, when the bers of the body would stick together firmer city and was valued at $00. It weighed about
half a ton. All the adjoining stores in the im-
National Piano Manufacturers and Piano than ever on all questions that may arise, and mediate neighborhood of the Flatiron build-
Dealers meet, with the object of forming also this was decided upon in a discussion which ing suffered from the storm. Such a whole-
a national association of piano salesmen. arose regarding a certain trouble the piano sale breakage of windows has probably never
When the Philadelphia association gets start- dealers are anticipating and which they have occurred in New York.