Music Trade Review

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THE
CELEBRATES 15TH ANNIVERSARY.
S. A. Liechtenstein, the Able Representative of
the Peerless Piano Player Co., in Reminis-
cent Mood Upon the Anniversary of His
Entrance Into the Automatic Piano Field—
Great Progress of Peerless in Public Favor.
S. A. Lichtenstein, who for several years past
has acted as ambassador for the Peerless Piano
Player Co. (F. Engelhardt & Sons, proprietors),
in such an effective manner, has just celebrated the
fifteenth anniversary of his entrance into the auto-
matic piano field, and rightly considers himself
one of the real veterans in that line. He has seen
the development of the automatic piano from the
point where it was presented in its crudest form
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
year, I become so flustered with piide that I must
go off to some secluded spot to cool off.
"The Peerless organization is just one great big
family with Frederick Engelhardt as the daddy of
them all. Harmony and good feeling prevails in
every department. The same conditions exist
with all our agencies. Disputes are unknown and
every deal has a friendly atmosphere that brings
forth unlimited confidence.
"I predict that the automatic piano is still in its
infancy in spite of the wonderful progress made
within the past few years. The improvements in
the Peerless line have been wonderful, still we are
only just starting and next year we will be so far
ahead of the band wagon that we can afford to
stand still for a long time, but standing still is
not the Peerless method and we will continue to
progress as long as F. En-gelhardt & Sons own
the company.
Mr. Lichtenstein's long experience with auto-
matic pianos throughout the various developments
in that line, has stood him in good stead and has
contributed greatly to his success with the Peer-
less. He is still a very young man with a clean
cut personality thrt has won him a host of friends,
all of whom do not hesitate to predict a brilliant
future for him in his chosen field.
P. S. Wick Co. to Concentrate on Manufactur-
ing and Wholesale Departments—Displays
at State Fair—Segerstrom Co.'s New Store
Opened—W. J. Dyer & Bro. Make Good Re-
port—Many Visitors to Fair.
(Special to The Review.)
Chicago, 111., Sept. 10, 1912.
The board of directors of the American Guild
of Piano Tuners held a meeting at the Interna-
tional headquarters in the Postal Telegraph build-
ing yesterday. There were present Emil Koll,
president, Cincinnati; E. H. Bacon, Logansport,
Ind., second vice-president, and W. B. White, Chi-
cago, secretary and treasurer.
It was reported that the guild had been incor-
porated under the law of Illinois in accordance
with previous authorization by the association.
The board examined and passed the accounts of
the treasurer for the past year.
At the convention in Cincinnati the board was
authorized to draft and adopt certain amendments
to the constitution and by-laws. This was done
at yesterday's meeting. A uniform method of ex-
amination has been decided upon. An initiation
fee of $5 is established for all members admitted
hereafter. The annual dues remain at $5, but in
future will be payable semi-annually on January 1
and July 1 of each year.
The board ordered the publication of a booklet
containing a list of members, the constitution and
by-laws, a history of the guild, the report of the
last convention, and a special list of members who
are player experts.
Within the next thirty days the president will
visit the branches in northwestern Ohio and at
Toledo, the first vice-president will call on the
Detroit branch, the second vice-president will tour
northern and central Indiana, and the secretary
and treasurer will visit Detroit.
F. B. BAUMER'S SPLENDID DISPLAY.
LEAVES ON TWO MONTHS' TRIP.
(Special to The Review.)
C. C. Conway, treasurer of the Hallet & Davis
Piano Co., New York and Boston, left Monday
for a two months' business trip across the coun-
try. He will be on the Pacific Coast in a couple
• of weeks, where he and J. L. Cotter, Western
sales manager, will concentrate their efforts on
that territory.
Hold Session at Chicago Headquarters and
Handle Business That Has Developed Since
Convention—Provides for Initiation Fee—
President to Visit Branches.
(Special to The Review.)
S. A. Lichtenstein.
RETIRES FROM RETAIL FIELD.
Minneapolis and St. Paul, Sept. 11, 1912.
The P. S. Wick Co. will close its retail store in
St. Paul and concentrate its efforts on the manu-
facturing and wholesale departments. While no
announcement of the change has publicly been
made the Wick store at 15 East Sixth street
has been despoiled of its pianos and virtually has
ceased to exist. "The store has accomplished the
purpose for which it was opened, which was to
introduce the Wick piano to the Northwest trade,"
said F. W. Beecher, an officer of the company,
last Monday. "We have made arrangements with
one of the* principal piano dealers of St. Paul to
handle our instruments and we are satisfied that
there will be as many sold as though we operated
an independent store, for we have created the
market."
The Wick company had a fairly large display
?.t the State fair last week and found the invest-
ment profitable. Many sales were made, but the
real advantage of the exhibit according to Mr.
Beecher was to attract the country dealers. More
than a hundred visited the booth and everyone
was taken to the factory in North St. Paul by
automobile.
The automobile service is pro-
nounced "courrier."
The only other piano display at the fair was
that of the Cable Piano Co., which showed the
entire Cable line of instruments, the Cable, Con-
over, Kingsbury and Wellington pianos, the Eu-
phonia and Kingsbury Innerplryers. The booth
which was under the management of A. P. Ed-
wards was a • little #old mine from the manner in
which the staff sold pianos during the week.
The Segerstrom Piano Manufacturing.,. Car—has
formally opened its new store at 407 Nicollet av-
enue ?.nd it looks as though the move will prove
a fortunate one.
W. J. Dyer & Bro. closed the first quarter
of its fiscal year last week with a most satis-
factory balance of trade. President Dyer states
that the volume of trade was far in excess of that
of last yenr. Much of the increase is due to the
machines. It is growing all out of bounds and the
house hardly can keep pace with the demand. At
the same time the house is doing an excellent
business in pianos. The retail trade has not kept
pace with the jobbing end but is looking finely.
Something like 400,000 visitors attended the
Minnesota State fair, decl.-red to be the greatest
annual exposition in the world, and it brought
business to the piano men of the twin cities. It
brought more dealers to the cities than ever be-
fore, but hardly as many buyers as had been ex-
pected. However, it developed numerous pros-
pects and with the general outlook is roseate.
E. D. Jordan, of the Smith, Barnes & Strohber
Co., was among the peripatetic members of the
piano guild to wander into the twin cities this
week.
TUNERS' GUILD OFFICERS MEET.
and full of embarrasing faults to a point where
i( has become a recognized and respected factor
in the piano trade.
In speaking of his experiences, in the automatic
piano field this week,. Mr. Lichtenstein said to The
Review:
"I started with the Automaton Piano Co., who
manufactured one of the first interior electric
player mechanisms, when little more than a boy.
This player consisted of steel fingers operated with
heavy cardboard perforated tune sheet effecting a
number of wooden shoes dropping on a large re-
volving roller.
"The Automaton Co. changed its name to the
Adek Manufacturing Co. and later to the Piano-
tist Co. The officers were A. D. Klaber, presi-
dent; E. D. Ackerman, vice-president, and my-
self secretary. Mr. Ackerman withdrew and
formed with myself, the Ackotist Player Piano
Co. Some capitalist of Fall River, Mass., pur-
chased this concern and retained me as general
manager and traveling representative.
"The number of instruments we sold, consider-
ing the merit of the player, was surprising. We
were so busy hiding the bad defects, that we could
spare no time to demonstrate the good points.
"I joined the Peerless Piano Player Co. in Janu-
ary, 1910. It was such a relief to sell rn instru-
ment that was all merit and no defects, that I
would talk my head off at every opportunity, and
the most pleasing part is, my hearers were always
interested. I am more enthusiastic now about the
'Peerless' line than ever before ?.nd when I think
of the good things the firm is preparing for next
11
Wheeling, W. Va., Sept. 9, 1912.
During the past week the F. B. Baumer Co., of
this city, made special arrangements to entertain
visitors to the local fair, and its warerooms at
1416 Market street were crowded all the week with
visitors, who displayed the greatest interest in the
large and fine line of Steinway, Weber, Steck,
Wheelock, Stuyvesant and Stroud pianos and
Pianolas shown in the various rooms.
WINTER & CO.
220 SOUTHERN BOULEVARD, NEW YORK
Manufacturers of
The Wilkinson Piano Co., Streator, 111., has
leased new quarters at 303 Main street, that city.
Superior Pianos
and Player Pianos