Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
AGRICULTURAL CONDITIONS PLEASE DETROIT DEALERS
Heavy Rains Improve Crop Prospects, and Music Trade Will Benefit Thereby—Grinnell Bros.
Hold Annual Sale—Fall Opening at Hudson Store—Talking Machine Men Meet
DETROIT, MICH., October 3. -Heavy rains of
the past week have been of vast benefit to
crops throughout central and southern Mich-
igan. Corn and potatoes have been helped
along, and it has been these crops which have
caused the greatest concern. Good crops al-
ways mean a good fall business for those deal-
ers who go after the farmer's business.
Harry Zickel, president of the Detroit Music
Trades Association, was the principal speaker
at the fall opening session of the Detroit Talk-
ing Machine Association, Monday evening, Sep-
tember 25, at the Hotel Charlevoix. Mr.
Zickel is connected with the Cable Piano Co.
store, which handles players, pianos and Victor
and Columbia talking machines. Mr. Zickel
emphasized the great importance of not only
co-operation, but actually doing something. "I
understand that this association has been in
operation now for something like a year—and
yet what have you actually accomplished?
Now, I would like to see something tangible
result from this meeting to-night. For once
and for all, I would like to see the subject of
interest thoroughly discussed and some action
taken. Our concern is charging interest, but
if other dealers downtown not charging inter-
est prefer to continue such a policy then we will
also abandon the interest charge and advertise
the fact. It is absolutely ridiculous for any
dealer to not charge interest; if prices are to
be maintained then the interest charge should
be maintained because both are a part of the
selling end. It is not fair for one concern to
charge interest and one not—all are selling the
same product." A motion was made and car-
ried requesting the president to appoint a com-
mittee of seven to call on every member of the
association at once and to get the dealers to
sign a petition agreeing to charge interest on
and after a certain time. The committee will
work on it during the coming week, and make
a report at the next meeting of the association
October 9. The above meeting had an attend-
ance of fifty active and associate members.
Grinnell Bros, started their annual "summer
resort" sale of used pianos on Monday, Oc-
tober 2 at all of their Detroit stores, as well
as twenty-four branch stores throughout the
State. It is the firm's biggest annual event,
and, of course, necessitates a great amount of
preparation and the co-operation of the entire
selling force. The cities in which Grinnell
P.ros. operate branch stores are: Adrian, Ann
Arbor, Bay City, Escanaba, Flint, Hancock,
Highland Park, Jackson, Kalamazoo, Lansing,
Port Huron, Pontiac, Saginaw, Sault Ste. Marie,
Traverse City, Ypsilanti, Chatham, Ont, and
Windsor, Ont.
Elaborate preparations are being made in
many Michigan cities to celebrate Edison week,
Artemjm
Record Rolls
"Music as Actually Played"
HP HESE record rolls repre-
-*• sent a true, scientific re-
production of piano playing
as performed by e m i n e n t
artists. Made with a respect to
the ideals of past and present
composers. Artempo rolls sell
on a merit basis only.
Your proof it in our sample
box at $2.00. Ask for it today.
BENNETT & WHITE, Inc.
67-71 Gobel St., NEWARK, N. J.
October 16 to 21, inclusive. These prepara-
tions include special newspaper copy, store
decorations and window displays.
The Cable Piano Co., Grand Rapids, is con-
ducting a big sale of discontinued styles and
used pianos at its annex, 16 Fulton street.
It would do well for piano dealers to keep
their eyes focused on Flint. This is one of the
fastest growing towns in the United States,
owing to its motor car industries. It is the
home of the Chevrolet, Buick and other suc-
cessful concerns. Homes are being erected by
the hundreds, and yet there is a tremendous
scarcity, and right now the town could use
2,500 homes at the very least. Flint is a town
where wages are high.
The Wurzburg dry goods store in Grand
Rapids has been conducting a special sale of
Francis Bacon pianos and players. The in-
struments were on display during the last fur-
niture exhibition.
The J. L. Hudson Co., of this city, held its
fall opening September 27 and 28. The piano
store windows were attractively arranged in
rich colorings. In one window an Angelus
player and music cabinet, both in mahogany,
were shown, while three Victrolas were shown
in the other window. Smart cards in each
window made known the fact that it was "Our
opening."
"We are extremely busy keeping after our
State Fair prospects, as well as those we have
had right along," said President Ramsdell, of
the Detroit Piano Co. "The results are really
showing up to good advantage, and we are do-
ing better than a year ago at this time."
It is reported here that John T. Bowers will
assume charge of the player-piano department
of Grinnell Bros, .on October 15, succeeding
Charles H. Kesler, who resigned the first of
September. Mr. Bowers, up to recently, was
in charge of the Mason & Hamlin retail store
in Boston.
"The piano business is never spectacular,
neither is it ever extremely dull," remarked a
local dealer. "It is not a fluctuating business
like other lines of trade, and simply requires
that dealers keep right after those who have
not a piano or player-piano because most of
them are sure to give an order some day. When
things are breaking bad for one family, some
other family is reaping the benefit, and is in
a position to buy, so that there.is always some
business, somewhere, some of the time. If any-
thing the piano business is more staple and more
steady than most other lines of trade."
Billy Sunday is still with us, talking to some
20,000 people daily in his tabernacle. He is
making a deep impression on Detroiters.
DEATH OF 0LD=TIME PIANO MAN
Francis Taylor, a retired piano manufacturer,
and in his younger days well known in piano
trade and musical circles, died on Sunday, at
his home, 25 South Portland avenue, Brooklyn,
in his ninety-fourth year. Mr. Taylor was born
in Norwalk, Conn. Mr. Taylor sang in the
choir of the Church of the Ascension at Tenth
street and Fifth avenue, Manhattan, for twenty-
one years, and was one of the quartet that sang
campaign songs in the Freemont campaign in
1856. This quartet, which consisted of Henry
Camp, Joseph Mather, Bezaliel Warner, and
Mr. Taylor later became known as the White
Top Quartet, all being between seventy and
eighty years of age. Mr. Taylor was for nine-
teen years senior warden of Christ P. E.
Church in Brooklyn. He is survived by three
sons, Francis, William C, and Arthur, and three
daughters, Grace, Mary C, and Alice W. Tay-
lor.
The Canton Music Co. has succeeded to the
business of the F. L. Bennett Music Co., in
Canton, 111. Cecil Goose, formerly with the
Bennett firm, is the new manager.
11
PROSPEROUS
CONDITIONS
IN DENVER
Music Stores Report Very Successful
Staffs Greatly Increased
Year—
DENVER, COLO., October 2.—The music stores in
this city report, without exception, a very pros-
perous summer season, and anticipate a still
more profitable fall trade. The Denver Music
Co. has increased its business approximately
30 per cent, during the present year, and its staff
of employes has been increased 15 per cent, dur-
ing the same time. H. B. Dillard, of the Mc-
Kannon Piano Co., stated last week that his
concern has enjoyed the best business year so
far in 1916 that it has had for the past three
years. Business with this firm has increased
50 per cent., and it is employing a largely in-
creased sales staff. Clarence Campbell, of the
Knight-Campbell Music Co., reports a 40 per
cent, increase in business, the force at this pop-
ular store having been greatly augmented dur-
ing the present year. The Baldwin Piano Co.
has six more people on its staff than it had at
the beginning of the year, and has transacted
a larger business this year than ever before in
the history of the firm. Conditions in Den-
ver have been generally prosperous, and the
music stores have profited to a very large ex-
tent thereby.
Sturges & Hardin will open a music store
at Antlers, Okla., in the near future.
This is a micro-photo-
graph showing a longitu-
dinal section of
No. 18 Perfected
Piano Wire
after the following test:
Placed under a constant, uniform ten-
sion of 165 lb. for a period of eight
months; vibrated at frequent inter-
vals by means of electro magnet and
felt hammer; energy applied equal to
that required for about six years ordi-
nary use in a player-piano.
RESULT
Tensile strength increase—500 lb.
per sq. in.
Elongation decrease .1% in 10 in.
Amplitude of Vibration increased
1%.
The micro-structure shows that
no abnormal conditions were
developed.
American Steel & Wire Company
Chicago New York, Worcester, Cleveland, Pitts-
burgh, Denver. Export representative: U. S. Steel
Products Co., New S'ork. Pacific Coast representa-
tive: U. S. Steel Products Co., San Francisco, Los
Angeles, Portland, Seattle.