Music Trade Review

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I
V O L . X L V I I . N o . 6. Published Every Saturday by Edward Lyman Bill at 1 Madison AYC, New York, August 8, 1908.
DOINGS IN THE CHICAGO TRADE.
Code of Ethics Among Publishers—Success of
Thompson Publications—New Songs by O.
L. Frields—Vacation Notes.
(Special to The Review.i
Chicago, 111., August 1, 1908.
How about a code of ethics for the music pub-
lishing business? As it is, if a publisher brings
out a song about "A Man on the Box," his rival
will bring out "A Man and a Fox," as sure as
"shootin'." "I Love My Dear" is dead certain
to be followed by "I Love My Beer," and so on.
It really is a shame, but it is to be feared that
no change will come unless the trade suddenly
sees a great light and experiences a distinct
change of heart. Sad to say, most people think
that the music publishing trade is beyond re-
generation.
During his recent trip East, C. F. Thompson
was pleased to find that in every restaurant and
place of amusement that he visited he found
"I Wish I Had a Girl" on the musical program,
and others had it in stock subject to requests
which seemed to come at regular intervals. At
Genoa, 111., Mr. Thompson was serenaded by the
Oak Park band of twenty-five pieces, who played
several of the well-known Thompson numbers,
including "In the Good Old United States." Mr.
Thompson responded by treating the band to re-
freshments and cigars.
Olive L. Frields, the well-known local song
writer, and who in private life is the wife of
Harry Newman, western representative of Von
Tilzer Music Co., has recently written some new
compositions. Two of them, "Plsfymates" and
"You Are the Sunshine of My Life, Sweet Marie,"
are published by Victor Kremer Co., and "I Love
You More Than Any Boy Loves Any Other Girl,"
by the Von Tilzer Co.
Send Us Your Order For
Come Back
My Sailor Boy
Our Big Navy
March Song Hit.
Any one who hears it will buy it.
Any one who sees it will try it.
Get it and show it and you will sell it.
We have lots of other good, salable things,
vocal and instrumental. Send for list
with prices.
Miller Music Pub. Co.
294 So. Hermitage Avenpe, CHICAGO.
Wm. McKinley, of the McKinley Music Co.,
returned this week from an eastern outing.
While there he visited Asbury Park, Bar Harbor
and Montreal.
Otto Fry, the popular professional man of Wit-
mark's, returned this week from Wisconsin,
where he has been spending his vacation. Two
of the Witmark songs that are starting out good
are "In Grandma's Day" and "Nobody Loves a
Fat Man," while "Since Katie Keith, She Wore
the Sheath," and "The Party that Wrote Home,
Sweet Home, Never Was a Married Man" have
already established themselves among the trade.
Several numbers of the White-Smith Co. that
are doing very nicely are "Blow, Blow, Thou
Winter Wind" (words from Shakespeare), a
song by Percy L. Bryning; and "What Makes
the Thunder Sound?" a song by Elsie G. Phelan.
Harry Newman, western representative for the
Von Tilzer Music Co., returned this week from a
month's vacation in the East.
"THE GIRL QUESTION."
A Musical Comedy in Three Acts—Book by
Hough & Adams—Music by J. E. Howard.
Had "The Girl Question" been christened "The
Nebular Hypothesis" or "Lovelorn Harold" or
"The Waiter's Love Story," no one would have
felt grievously ill-used. Possibly Messrs. Hough
& Adams, who acknowledge responsibility for
the book and lyrics, started out with the laud-
able intention of leaving something to the imagi-
nation of their audiences. They succeeded, so
far at least as the comedy was concerned.
Maybe the writer is prejudiced against the
Chicago musical play (and goodness knows he
has good reason to be, having once spent three
never-to-be-forgotten hours of misery watching
Dave Lewis in "The Royal Chef"), but certain
it is that this latest Chicago importation is not
as good as "The Time, the Place and the Girl,"
nor from all accounts is it as good as "A Stub-
born Cinderella," by the same authors. There
are some remarkably clever lines in the show,
but somehow or other .they failed to get very far
over the footlights.
The music by Joseph E. Howard is light and
pleasing. In fact, the writer is still wondering
whether he is gifted with second sight, or
whether the Howard melodies brought back ten-
der recollections of other and almost forgotten
days. In either case he was humming most of
the songs to himself at least two bars before the
orchestra played them. All of which goes to
prove that in history repeating itself, Charles
K. Harris may have a gold mine, so far at least
as the selling quality of the music is concerned,
a complete list of which was published in OUT
issue of November 30 last.
SINGLE COPIES, 10 CENTS.
$2.00 PER YEAR.
prophecy to predict that their success in the fu-
ture will surpass anything they have done in the
past. Helf & Hager now seem to remain in un-
disputed possession of what was known in its
day of glory as "Tin-Pan Alley."
DEATH OF WILLIS WOODWARD.
The
Old-Time
Publisher Passed
Sunday.
Away
on
It is with sincere and unfeigned regret that
we announce the death of Willis Woodward, the
well-known music publisher, who passed away
at his home, 46 West avenue, Norwalk, Conn.,
on Sunday evening last, after several months'
illness. Although Mr. Woodward had been con-
fined to his bed for some time, the end came
with startling suddenness. A change of scene
had been suggested as being likely to benefit
the venerable publisher, only a few days pre-
vious to his demise.
Mr. Woodward was nearly 60 years old. For
more than 25 years he was actively engaged in
the publishing of popular music, many of the
foremost ballads of the day emanating from his
press, among these being "Grandfather's Clock,"
"Always Take Mother's Advice," "Pretty Pond
Lilies," and "White Wings."
But a little over a year ago Mr. Woodward
relinquished active Interest in his old-established
business, leaving the details in the capable hands
of W. A. Semple, who is now the head of the
publishing house of Willis Woodward & Co. The
funeral took place at three o'clock on Tuesday
afternoon,. a number of relatives and friends
attending the obsequies.
A NEW PUBLISHING HOUSE.
Seeing that dainty little Mignon Ziegfeld has
made such a success of the Great Eastern Music
Publishers, Miss May Leslie, whose only claim
to fame up to the present writing, is that she has
done much to make "The Follies of 1908" famous,
has become a music publisher, and in the
future will be at the head of the Leslie Song
Publishing Co., with offices in Suite 7 of the
New York Theater building. Miss Leslie starts
in business immediately, and it is said that
Misses Elphye Snowdon and Florence Walton
will assist her. Our "Man on the Street" de-
cided to call on the new firm early in the week,
but owing to a sudden fit of uncontrollable- bash-
fulness he crept gingerly past the door and paid
a visit to the Rogers Brothers, whom rumor has
it, occasionally publish music of their own. As
a matter of record, let it be said that the Leslie
Publishing Co. was recently incorporated at Al-
bany with a capital of $10,000. Who says that
there is a stringency in the money market?
YORK MUSIC CO. TO MOVE UPTOWN.
COHAN & HARRIS' MINSTREL TROUPE.
The York Music Co., presided over by Jack
and Al Von Tilzer, will shortly make an uptown
move, having leased an entire floor in the new
Regal building, Broadway and 37th street. The
enterprising brothers take possession of their
new quarters on October 1, and it is no rash
On Monday last, Cohan & Harris presented
their minstrel aggregation at the New York
Theater. The daily papers speak in unqualified
terms of praise of this latest Cohan novelty. A
full review of the musical end of the perform-
ance will appear in our next issue.