Music Trade Review

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THE:
MUSIC TRAD£
Quaker City Trade Well Pleased With the Business for October—Expect Heavy Holiday Trade—
The Lester Co. Exceptionally Busy in All Branches—D. H. Baldwin & Co.'s Handsome Ware-
rooms—Why This Business Has Developed—Heppe Secures Patent for Swinging Action for
Player-Piano—The Ficher Co. Conforming to New Conditions in That Trade—Are the
Kimball Co. Looking for a New Outlet in Philadelphia?—Other News of Interest.
done by the Baldwin Co. They may open a series
of warerooms like the Baldwin Co., or they may
open a regular piano store; that they intend to
do something I have from very good authority;
C. Arthur Longwell, representing the A. B.
Chase Co., was a Philadelphia- visitor this week.
Joseph Allen is displaying a new quarter grand
A. B. Chase that he has just received. It is the
handsomest grand that has ever been received in
this city from that firm. October was a very sat-
isfactory month with the Chase Co.
William H. Poole, of the Poole Piano Co., is ex-
pected in Philadelphia this week.
C. J. Heppe & Son are displaying in their win-
Philadelphia, Pa., Nov. 7, l ( J0u.
dow this week a new style Jules piano, which is
The Philadelphia trade are generally well sat- an innovation in case building. The entire front
isfied with the present conditions. They all panel contains a pretty landscape; it is hand-
affirm that October was an exceptional month, painted in oils back of glass.
and November has started in .in a way to lead
F. J. Heppe has had a patent granted for a
FAILURES FOR OCTOBER
them to believe that last month is going to be swinging action for interior piano-players. The
duplicated. Politics has interfered a little with Auto-Manual Piano Action Co. are increasing the Show a Decrease in Number, But the Liabili-
business the last few days, but with that being force of workmen. They have just received a
ties Are Greater as Compared With the Same
Month of Last Year.
settled and labor conditions in Philadelphia being large consignment of pianos from a well-known
in excellent shape the rest of the year promises New York manufacturer to be fitted with actions,
very good results. The dealers are anticipating in the talking machine department there is much
According to statistics compiled by R. G. Dun
a heavy holiday trade, and are well prepared for interest displayed in the new Victor rendition of & Co., there were 838 failures in the United
it. All the stores and warehouses are stocked the entire opera of "II Trovatore." The Heppe States during October, which amounted to $10,-
with pianos as never before, and no matter what recitals will be resumed on Friday evening of 553,714 in defaulted indebtedness. These figures
compare with 852 failures in the same month last
may come there will be no scarcity of stock.
this week, November 9.
As to the Philadelphia manufacturers, the fac-
Charles G. Warnick, one of the best outside year, in which, however, the liabilities were only
tories have been busy all fall, and they expect salesmen that the Heppe house has ever had, ex- $G,751,992.
Manufacturing failures numbered 250, against
to be rushed all winter. Already the books of pects to locate in the West very soon on account
the Philadelphia manufacturer are filled with of his health. Mr. Warnick has been covering the 237 last year, while liabilities were $5,394,552,
orders for rush shipments, and they are straining New Jersey territory on the Heppe line for sev- against $3,444,815. There were SCO trading fail-
every point to get out these instruments. With eral years, and has been exceptionally successful. ures for $3,361,816, against 592 last year, when the
several of the firms the stock on certain styles
Among the out-of-town visitors in Philadelphia amount involved was $3,03G,631. Other commer-
have been so sold up that they will not accept this week are: William B. Wilson, of the cial failures, including brokerage, real estate, in-
orders for them until after the holidays.
Brewer-Pryor Co.; George N. Grass, of Wm. surance and transporters other than railways,
The Lester Co. have been exceptionally busy. Knabe & Co., and A. G. Swaritz, of the Krell- were 28 in number, against 23 last year, but there
was a large increase in liabilities, to $1,797,346,
Their plant has been greatly enlarged during the French Co.
past year, and even with that they are pushed to
Arnold Somlyo, manager of the eastern depart- against only $270,540 a year previous.
'in addition to the commercial failures, there
the wall. But piano dealers have no need of fear ment of D. H. Baldwin & Co., with headquarters
that anything that the tester may turn out will at Carnegie Hall, New York, was here the past were four suspensions of banks, involving $3,665,-
000, most of which was supplied by a single large
not be of the best, for it is along these lines that week.
the company have built up their excellent repu-
The Charles H. Fischer Co. reports that they failure, yet there appears a favorable comparison
tation, and they would rather lose business than have had an exceptionally good October, and that with losses in the corresponding month last year,
send anything out that* is not entirely satisfac- sales were on a better basis than they have been when there occurred seven banking failures, for
tory. A visit to the Lester factory would con- in a long time. The firm are very active at $5,974,549. With its quarterly settlements the
vince any one that no money has been spared by present on the repossession line. The sales have month of October is usually productive of more
the company in adding • to their plant every been particularly large on the Steger piano. The failures than other months at this season, and
known modern improvement. Even the way the Fischers are doing very little with the player. this year's losses have undoubtedly been swelled
lumber is handled at the Lester factory is an in- Mr. Fischer says "What's the use. Somebody else to some extent by the storm at the South, but
novation, for they have their tracks laid in such already has the cream of that business, and it still more by the unsettled condition of the money
a way that not a piece of lumber is ever handled would be useless for me to spend much energy market, which retarded payments and disturbed
more than once after it arrives at their yards. on that line." E. D. Chaffee, who has bsen for speculation.
The one large banking failure was in no way
Since the Lester Co. have been building their several years manager of the Charles H. Fischer
cases, one of the most interesting of their depart- Co., is no longer connected with that house and attributable to the business situation, but, like
ments is the wood engraving department. All is now looking for another field on his own hook. several others that have occurred this year, was
the carvings on the Lester are actually done at
Before in my letter I spoke of a big firm think- the result of the dishonesty of an official. More-
the plant and by hand, no machinery of any kind ing of adopting the Baldwin idea. 1 referred to over, the large increase in liabilities, as com-
being used in this department. The new line of the Charles H. Fischer Co. I understand that the pared with the same month last year, must be
pianos that they are getting out for the holiday Fischer Co. are thinking seriously of closing their- viewed in the light of the fact that the total was
trade will be perfection, as far as case work is present store and opening a series of piano ware- abnormally small a year ago. Carrying the com-
concerned, and that the quality of the Lester tone rooms on the same plan so successfully conducted parison back to previous years, the losses in Oc-
will be satisfactory is obvious.
in this city by the Baldwin Co. This company tober were not above the average for that month.
I paid a visit this week to the U. H. Baldwin are great believers in branch stores and in sell-
& Co/s piano warerooms, which are presided over ing pianos from general merchandise stores, and
MANSFIELD PIANO CO. INCORPORATED.
by Charles E. Doddridge. Several weeks ago I if they carry out their present ideas they would
spoke about the increasing of floor space by tak- have this series of rooms as a show place and
The Mansfield Piano Co., of New York, was
ing several additional rooms. These rooms have work almost altogether through their branch incorporated with the Secretary of State at Al-
all been furnished to correspond with the other stores and department stores in which the instru- bany, last Saturday, with a capital of $12,000.
rooms, and the floor space of the firm is now ments might be placed controlled by the Fischer Directors: O. Lichtenstein, Brooklyn; S. K.
more than double of what it was when started Co. When Gustave Herzberg moved away from Lichstenstein and Dorothea Mansfield, New York.
about a year ago. This is the best answer to the the Snellenberg store the Fischer Co. would have
critics who thought that piano business could moved in if a satisfactory arrangement could
A YOUNGSTOWN INCORPORATION.
not be done in this way. That it has been a suc- have been made. Mr. Fischer has been in the
cess is recognized by one of the biggest firms in business so long that he ought to know what he is
The Yahrling-Brown Co., of Youngstown, has
Philadelphia, who are now thinking about a about. But would not such a move cause the been incorporated with the Secretary of the State
move in this direction, but of that later.
name Fischer to be lost in the piano business in of Ohio for the purpose of handling musical in-
How has Mr. Doddridge been able to build up Philadelphia? That is why the Herzberg house struments. The capital stock is placed at $25,000,
such a business? I will let him answer in his left the department store, because Mr. Herzberg and those interested are C. H.. Yahrling, J. N.
own words. This is his statement: "The Bald- had built up a large trade, and in the department Brown, John Radcliffe, C. A. Yahrling and C. H.
win adheres to one price. Demands terms large store he was gradually losing his identity, as the Brown.
enough to compel buyer to have an equity. The instruments were advertised under the name
higher the terms the more prompt the pay. Ex- Snellenberg, although Mr. Herzberg's name al-
J. B. BRADFORD ILL.
penses at minimum. Without newspaper adver- ways appeared. Mr. Fischer announces that
tising and canvassers it is a slow but a sure something is going to be done very soon, for he
J. B. Bradford, the veteran piano dealer of Mil-
and permanent process, and it is only a question feels that the piano business in the past' few waukee, Wis., is confined at St. Mary's Hospital,
of time until the line of D. H. Baldwin & Co. years has baen undergoing a great change, and in that city, with an attack of illness. Several
will be put on such a firm basis in this city that he has recognized new conditions and is desirous days ago Mr. Bradford was stricken with what
it cannot be dislodged as long as the firm keeps of conforming to such conditions.
was at first feared was apoplexy, but this was
up its present high quality."
I understand that the Kimball Co. are looking later found to be a mistake. His condition is,
H. C. Pressey, of the Lester Piano Co., is now for some outlet in Philadelphia, and for some however, considered to be serious. He is now
'•••;.
in the South and is doing well in that section.
time have watched with interest the work being eighty-four years of age.
(Special to The Review.)