Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
J. B. BRADFORD CO. OPENS NEW BRANCH IN MILWAUKEE
Old-Established Piano House Dedicated Branch Store Last Week—Dealers Report Good Summer
Business, and Anticipate Lively Fall Trade—Association Meeting May Be Postponed
MILWAUKEE, WIS., August 14.—.The outstand-
ing event of the past week in the Milwaukee
trade was the dedication by the J. B. Bradford
Piano Co., 411 Broadway, of its new South Side
store at 596 Mitchell street, near Sixth avenue,
on Saturday. In appreciation of the establish-
ment of a permanent store by this old and widely
known house in the heart of the southern half
of the city, business men all along Mitchell street,
from First to Eighth avenues, sent floral trib-
utes and messages of greeting. The Bradford
concern presented each visitor with a cut flower
as a souvenir and what had been considered an
ample supply was exhausted long before closing
time. Hugh W. Randall, vice-president and gen-
eral manager of the Bradford Co., spent a large
part of the day in the new store to assist Theo-
dore Heaton, manager of the branch, in receiv-
ing friends and patrons.
The new store, which virtually is a copy of the
handsome main house, contains a splendid stock
of all styles of the lines carried down-town,
and includes grands, uprights and players of
the Mason & Hamlin, Melville Clark, Cable,
Shoninger and Sohmer make. There also is a
large talking machine department, featuring the
Sonora exclusively. The furnishings throughout
the store are elegant in their simplicity.
Quite early in August, 1917, the Bradford Co.
carried out an idea by opening a temporary
store on the South Side, mainly to facilitate the
distribution of used and shop-worn instruments.
This was located at Sixth avenue and Mitchell
street. The store proved to be such a success
that it was moved to new quarters in the Juneau
Theatre Building and new instruments were
made the distinct feature rather than used goods.
The South Side responded so well that the
Juneau Theatre store was quickly outgrown,
and the present permanent store at 596 Mitchell
street is the result of these developments.
The main store also has been improved in
recent weeks to provide more space for the dis-
play, demonstration and sale of Victrolas, rec-
ords and other supplies. S. F. Patchin recently
was appointed manager of the Victrola depart-
ment and is embodying some original ideas with
respect to displaying and demonstrating goods
in the changes now being completed.
Piano trade at this time is, for the most part,
regarded as satisfactory, although this is the
dullest season of the year in this part of the
country and no dealer expects to encounter any
degree of briskness in business during the hot-
test of all periods. Nevertheless, some good
sales are being made every day and no complaint
is heard. It has come to note in recent days
that purchases are being made at this time in
anticipation of a possibility of heavy taxation
under the new war revenue bill, although such
buying does not appear to be broad.
Fall trade will open up within three or four
weeks' time, and dealers look for an active sea-
son. People will be coming back from the in-
terior by the middle of September and will be
more willing to talk of pianos and phonographs
than of vacations. In the meantime plans are
being laid for an active and aggressive campaign
for new business. The talk of curtailing Christ-
mas buying this year is regarded as a fallacious
economy argument when it refers to such neces-
sities as pianos, talking machines, wearing ap-
parel, etc. In the words of one leading dealer,
this argument is akin to cutting off one's nose
to spite one's face, or words to that effect.
The regular monthly meeting of the Mil-
waukee Association of Music Industries is
scheduled to be held next Thursday, August 15,
but may be postponed for one week because of
the fact that the July meeting was held only
AUGUST 17, 1918
so long ago as July 24, a week later than usual.
Committees are working hard on a number of
important subjects, among them the organiza-
tion of a State association of the music indus-
tries, and the proposed dinner at which the
salesmen of the various member-houses will be
the guests of the employers, to give opportunity
for a heart-to-heart talk. Edmund Gram is
chairman of the special committee on State or-
ganization and is doing effective work along
these lines in connection with his position as
State captain of the Music Industries Preserva-
tion Fund campaign. Wisconsin's quota of this
fund is $1,000, but Mr. Gram hopes to see a con-
siderable oversubscription, like in the matter of
Liberty Bond sales and war work fund dona-
tions. To the music merchant the Preservation
Fund is in truth a "war work fund."
PHILADELPHIA MUSIC DEALERS PREPARING FOR THE FALL
Summer Lull Gives Them Opportunity to Get Things Ready for Brisk Business to Come—J. W.
Schiller on the Way to France—Weymann Factory Busy—Personals and Other News
PHILADELPHIA, PA., August 13.—The piano
business has lost somewhat of its "pep" the last
ten days, the excessive heat having the tendency
of taking the public's attention away from music,
and, in fact, everything but how to be com-
fortable. It is only a temporary suspense, how-
ever, and dealers are expecting things to loom
big again in the course of a few weeks. There
is every indication that the fall business in
pianos and musical instruments in general will
begin with a rush shortly after the first of Sep-
tember, as money is so plentiful and the desire
for music is constantly on the increase.
The war is continuing to make inroads into
the local forces. The past week Jacob W. Schil-
ler, the Lester's traveling representative, was
very quickly transformed into an American
soldier. It was undoubtedly the quickest trans-
formation that has come to any member of this
trade.
Mr. Schiller already has two brothers in the
service who are in France. He made up his
mind suddenly to get into the service, and on
Friday last he received a dispatch from the Ad-
jutant-General's department in Washington ask-
ing him to take up some work in France. He
went immediately to Washington, took the phy-
sical examination, and at two minutes of one on
Saturday he was on his way to Governors
Island to await transportation to France. Jake
always did do things in a hurry—note the rapid-
ity with which he was able to dispose of Lester
pianos.
George Miller does not intend to take any
extended vacation this summer owing to his son,
who is an officer in the Lester Piano Co., having
gone into Government service. Mr. Miller is
spending all his week-ends with his family at
the seashore. George Davis, Mr. Miller's right-
hand man, is musical to his finger-tips and is the
trombone virtuoso of the Sewell, N. J., band.
C. J. Heppe & Son report that their August
business, thus far, has been better than it was
last year. They have just been fortunate enough
to get in several large shipments of high-grade
pianos they handle. Among their recent visitors
was Paul J. Stroup, manager of the Universal
Music Co.
BOSTON.
PIANOFORTES
Established 1863
Henry F. Miller & Sons Piano Co.
395 Boylston Street
BOSTON
MASS.
Horace Morton Large, at present the leading
military man at the Heppe store, the past week
turned from soldiering—when he was compelled
to don his uniform to suppress the race riots—
to fireman, when his Home Defense unit was
called upon to put out a fire near his home the
past week.
The "Ike Walton" Club of Heppes are arrang-
ing their second outing for Island Heights to
be "pulled off" in a very short time. It will be
under the auspices of George Witney, the Cook
Tourist of the "Ike Waltons." Mr. Hildebrand
heads the commissary department, and feeds the
fishes. George Haly is the lexicographer of the
party, who prepares the cuss words previous to
starting, to be used if the fish refuse to do as
desired. Mr. Ziegler is in charge of the soft
goods department.
J. Lewis Cohan, of the Heppe force, has en-
listed in the regular army and left for camp
on Monday of last week.
H. A. Weymann & Son note that "We have
been extremely busy in the factory. In fact,
the orders have never piled in so thick and
fast for Keystone State instruments in the past
twenty years as they are coming in at present.
We are making every effort, however, to take
care of our dealers' requirements. The Victor
business—while machines and records are only
coming in partial shipments—keeps us busy
looking after our dealers' interests."
H. W. Weymann has received letters from
both of his sons who are now in France, and
they report that they had a wonderful trip over
and met with no mishaps. Mrs. Weymann has
been at the Chelsea Hotel for the summer. She
has been ill for the past two weeks, and Mr.
Weymann has spent considerable of his time
with her.
Several more of the Weymann men have gone
into the service: Le Roy Hoegerle, of the Vic-
tor department; Elmer A. Naylor, of the sheet
music department, and Albert Hyde, of the
wholesale phonograph department. These men
have been replaced.
Gustav Herzberg & Son have moved to their
new store a few doors to the west on Chestnut
street of their former store, 1717 Chestnut street.
They have a very much more attractive store
and report that their business has been most
satisfactory all summer, especially in the Kra-
nich & Bacli and Mehlin lines.
"(iimbel Brothers began their August sale on
Monday of this week, and the first day they did
considerably more business than ever before on
the opening day of an August sale. The visitors
to the department this week were Ashley B.
Cone, vice-president of Hardman, Peck & Co.,
and John H. Parnham, president of the Milton
Piano Co.
Albert Simmons, of the sales force, and Miss
J. E. McCurdy, of the office force, have just re-
turned from their vacation. G. Wurtel, in charge
of the talking machine department, is spending
the present week at Atlantic City, taking a
much-needed vacation.