Music Trade Review
Issue: 1920 Vol. 71 N. 4 - Page 7
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THE
JULY 24, 1920
MUSIC
TRADE
REVIEW
PIANO TRADE IN ST. LOUIS SHOWS PLEASING INCREASE
Demand for Instruments Surprisingly Good for the Time of Year, With Players and Small
Grands Leading the Retail Sales—Famous & Barr Sales Staff Holds Meeting—Other News
ST. LOUIS, MO., July 19.—The piano business in
St. Louis is a perverse thing. When it ought
to be good it is bad and when it ought to be
bad it—no, it is not good, but it is better than
it is expected to be. Some of the St. Louis
dealers who were never known to trifle with the
truth say that it is on the increase. The im-
proved demand seems to be mostly for players,
with small grands still going pretty strong for
this time of year.
Two of the department stores, the Scruggs
Vandervoort & Barney and Stix, Baer & Fuller
stores, are trying the efficacy of mid-Summer
clearance sales, with used and shop-worn instru-
ments listed at come-along prices. Manager
Russell Elam, of the Scruggs store, and Man-
ager J. E. Dockstader, of the Stix establish-
ment, say that their advertisements are bring-
ing people in.
All of the department store piano managers
are closely observing the effect of the all-day
closing on Saturday. Manager Elam, anticipat-
ing that some disadvantage will accrue, because
it is a fact that some people like to take up the
piano proposition on Saturday, after the regu-
lar interests of the week have been disposed of, is
speeding up on the night assignments and his
men made enough night sales during the past
week to fairly balance any loss that may appear
on account of the Saturday closing. Manager
J. F. Ditzell, of the Famous & Barr department,
and Manager Dockstader are pinning their faith
to the appreciativeness of the public of the firm's
generosity in letting their employes off from Fri-
day night to Monday morning. They think that
this appreciation will manifest itself in patron-
age which will counterbalance any sales that
may be lost by Saturday closing.
The sales organization of the piano and talk-
ing machine departments of the Famous & Barr
Co. had its second monthly get-together the
other night at the Missouri Athletic Associa-
tion. There was a 100 per cent attendance.
After the dinner they talked shop but had no
music. That would have been too much like
being at work. The members of the organiza-
tion were encouraged to voice their complaints
and their suggestions were invited. Selling and
advertising were discussed.
CHARACTER
"Admirable Quality; Acknowledged Reputation"
—(Standard Dictionary)
PIANOS
Manufactured by
Smith, Barnes
and =
Strohber Co.
have for 33 years
justified their right
to be called
Pianos of Character
FACTORIES
North Milwaukee, Ww.
Chicago, III.
OFFICE
1872 Clybourn Avenue
Chicago, HI.
The Baldwin Piano Co., after several delays,
finally got possession to-day of the next-door
building, which has been occupied by the Arto-
phone Co. The latter was delayed in getting
into its new building at 1103 Olive street. Now
that the Baldwin Co. has possession, the work of
altering the two buildings and making them over
into one will be pushed.
E. W. Furbush, of the Haddorff Piano Co.,
was a St. Louis visitor last week.
Miss Mae Hennessy, after being in charge of
the talking machine records accounts for the
past six years at the Famous & Barr Co., has
taken a position with the Koerber-Brenner Music
Co.
j . E. Dockstader, manager of the Stix, Baer
& Fuller piano department, returned last week
from a three weeks' trip to Portland, Spokane
and Seattle. He spent most of the time motor-
ing and trout fishing.
PIANO MAKING FOR CRIPPLED MEN
Institute in New York Has Found Jobs for Many
Piano Makers—An Important Step Along the
Lines of Industrial Reconstruction
Tables compiled by the Institute for Crippled
and Disabled Men at 101 East Twenty-third
street, New York, show that in the first two
years the Institute has secured jobs for 1,800
crippled men and boys. Among these were six-
teen piano assemblers, all of these being one-
legged men who were trained in the art of piano
making. Out of the number of lame men and
boys placed by the Institute twenty were given
positions as piano makers in various factories
in and around New York City. In speaking of
the work of the Institute and its relation to in-
dustrial life, Miss Gertrude R. Stein, employ-
ment secretary, said:
"When the Institute started its employment
bureau," said Miss Gertrude R. Stein, who is
employment secretary there, "the secretaries
found difficulty in persuading employers to take
disabled men. The whole idea of having crip-
pled workmen was a new one to many. Even
some of the workmen were surprised that the
world expected them to 'carry on* again. Ap-
plicants come to the bureau who had not worked
in ten or fifteen years. Their friends and rela-
tives had treated them as though there was no
possibility of their ever again being among the
employed. It has been gratifying, as the bureau
has progressed, to see the increasing variety
of positions open to the handicapped and the in-
creasing number of cripples who have started
out for a second time on their industrial
careers.
"The fact that the Institute has placed 1,800
men is not so encouraging as it appears," says
Miss Stein. "There are many errors in these
placements. Some of these men would have re-
ceived more satisfactory positions if the secre-
taries had possessed the information they have
since obtained. We are only at the very be-
ginning of this science of rehabilitation."
THE AEOLIAN FOR JULY
Within a Patriotic Cover Latest Issue Contains
Usual Interesting Paragraphs
In a bright cover representing the bursting of
a firecracker and distinctly typical of the July
Fourth spirit, the July issue of The Aeolian car-
ried to its readers the usual budget of live and
interesting news, facts about organization
changes and pertinent paragraphs pertaining to
personalities from the various branches of the
Aeolian Co. in America and abroad. The
Aeolian is one house organ that is really read
by members of the organization, from office boy
to president. A glance at the July issue explains
why this should be so.
"The First Touch Tells"
The advantage
of the
Christman
Piano
is in its TONE.
Tone is the founda-
tion of any good
instrument.
Christman
Pianos
have that true dis-
tinction of genuine
TONE quality mak-
ing them worthy to
compete with the
highest.
Comparison Solicited
CHRISTMAN
Makers of
Quality Instruments
Reproducing
Grands
Players and Uprights
"The First Touch Tells"
Christman Piano Co.
597 E. 137th Street, New York
THE
JULY 24, 1920
MUSIC
TRADE
REVIEW
PIANO TRADE IN ST. LOUIS SHOWS PLEASING INCREASE
Demand for Instruments Surprisingly Good for the Time of Year, With Players and Small
Grands Leading the Retail Sales—Famous & Barr Sales Staff Holds Meeting—Other News
ST. LOUIS, MO., July 19.—The piano business in
St. Louis is a perverse thing. When it ought
to be good it is bad and when it ought to be
bad it—no, it is not good, but it is better than
it is expected to be. Some of the St. Louis
dealers who were never known to trifle with the
truth say that it is on the increase. The im-
proved demand seems to be mostly for players,
with small grands still going pretty strong for
this time of year.
Two of the department stores, the Scruggs
Vandervoort & Barney and Stix, Baer & Fuller
stores, are trying the efficacy of mid-Summer
clearance sales, with used and shop-worn instru-
ments listed at come-along prices. Manager
Russell Elam, of the Scruggs store, and Man-
ager J. E. Dockstader, of the Stix establish-
ment, say that their advertisements are bring-
ing people in.
All of the department store piano managers
are closely observing the effect of the all-day
closing on Saturday. Manager Elam, anticipat-
ing that some disadvantage will accrue, because
it is a fact that some people like to take up the
piano proposition on Saturday, after the regu-
lar interests of the week have been disposed of, is
speeding up on the night assignments and his
men made enough night sales during the past
week to fairly balance any loss that may appear
on account of the Saturday closing. Manager
J. F. Ditzell, of the Famous & Barr department,
and Manager Dockstader are pinning their faith
to the appreciativeness of the public of the firm's
generosity in letting their employes off from Fri-
day night to Monday morning. They think that
this appreciation will manifest itself in patron-
age which will counterbalance any sales that
may be lost by Saturday closing.
The sales organization of the piano and talk-
ing machine departments of the Famous & Barr
Co. had its second monthly get-together the
other night at the Missouri Athletic Associa-
tion. There was a 100 per cent attendance.
After the dinner they talked shop but had no
music. That would have been too much like
being at work. The members of the organiza-
tion were encouraged to voice their complaints
and their suggestions were invited. Selling and
advertising were discussed.
CHARACTER
"Admirable Quality; Acknowledged Reputation"
—(Standard Dictionary)
PIANOS
Manufactured by
Smith, Barnes
and =
Strohber Co.
have for 33 years
justified their right
to be called
Pianos of Character
FACTORIES
North Milwaukee, Ww.
Chicago, III.
OFFICE
1872 Clybourn Avenue
Chicago, HI.
The Baldwin Piano Co., after several delays,
finally got possession to-day of the next-door
building, which has been occupied by the Arto-
phone Co. The latter was delayed in getting
into its new building at 1103 Olive street. Now
that the Baldwin Co. has possession, the work of
altering the two buildings and making them over
into one will be pushed.
E. W. Furbush, of the Haddorff Piano Co.,
was a St. Louis visitor last week.
Miss Mae Hennessy, after being in charge of
the talking machine records accounts for the
past six years at the Famous & Barr Co., has
taken a position with the Koerber-Brenner Music
Co.
j . E. Dockstader, manager of the Stix, Baer
& Fuller piano department, returned last week
from a three weeks' trip to Portland, Spokane
and Seattle. He spent most of the time motor-
ing and trout fishing.
PIANO MAKING FOR CRIPPLED MEN
Institute in New York Has Found Jobs for Many
Piano Makers—An Important Step Along the
Lines of Industrial Reconstruction
Tables compiled by the Institute for Crippled
and Disabled Men at 101 East Twenty-third
street, New York, show that in the first two
years the Institute has secured jobs for 1,800
crippled men and boys. Among these were six-
teen piano assemblers, all of these being one-
legged men who were trained in the art of piano
making. Out of the number of lame men and
boys placed by the Institute twenty were given
positions as piano makers in various factories
in and around New York City. In speaking of
the work of the Institute and its relation to in-
dustrial life, Miss Gertrude R. Stein, employ-
ment secretary, said:
"When the Institute started its employment
bureau," said Miss Gertrude R. Stein, who is
employment secretary there, "the secretaries
found difficulty in persuading employers to take
disabled men. The whole idea of having crip-
pled workmen was a new one to many. Even
some of the workmen were surprised that the
world expected them to 'carry on* again. Ap-
plicants come to the bureau who had not worked
in ten or fifteen years. Their friends and rela-
tives had treated them as though there was no
possibility of their ever again being among the
employed. It has been gratifying, as the bureau
has progressed, to see the increasing variety
of positions open to the handicapped and the in-
creasing number of cripples who have started
out for a second time on their industrial
careers.
"The fact that the Institute has placed 1,800
men is not so encouraging as it appears," says
Miss Stein. "There are many errors in these
placements. Some of these men would have re-
ceived more satisfactory positions if the secre-
taries had possessed the information they have
since obtained. We are only at the very be-
ginning of this science of rehabilitation."
THE AEOLIAN FOR JULY
Within a Patriotic Cover Latest Issue Contains
Usual Interesting Paragraphs
In a bright cover representing the bursting of
a firecracker and distinctly typical of the July
Fourth spirit, the July issue of The Aeolian car-
ried to its readers the usual budget of live and
interesting news, facts about organization
changes and pertinent paragraphs pertaining to
personalities from the various branches of the
Aeolian Co. in America and abroad. The
Aeolian is one house organ that is really read
by members of the organization, from office boy
to president. A glance at the July issue explains
why this should be so.
"The First Touch Tells"
The advantage
of the
Christman
Piano
is in its TONE.
Tone is the founda-
tion of any good
instrument.
Christman
Pianos
have that true dis-
tinction of genuine
TONE quality mak-
ing them worthy to
compete with the
highest.
Comparison Solicited
CHRISTMAN
Makers of
Quality Instruments
Reproducing
Grands
Players and Uprights
"The First Touch Tells"
Christman Piano Co.
597 E. 137th Street, New York
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