Music Trade Review

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MARCH IS, 1924
11
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
Out in the Field With the Dealers
A. Frederick Carter, Field Editor of The Review, Sums Up Conditions in the Retail Music Trade of North and
South Carolina—Merchants in These States Giving Strong Co-operation to the Furtherance of All
Plans for Musical Advancement—Optimistic Over Prospects for Business
REENVILLE, S. C, March 8.—This past
week, most of which I spent in Soutli
Carolina, with the exception of two cities
in North Carolina, has been fruitful in interest-
ing observations, both from a business view-
point and otherwise. An important factor in
summing up business conditions in this State is
always to remember that for all practical pur-
poses it is divided into two distinct sections,
each differing widely from the other both in
industrial conditions and inhabitants.
South Carolina
The first section is the Eastern part border-
ing on the Atlantic with the important port of
Charleston, filled with historic memories. The
people of this city largely belong to the small-
salaried classes and do not offer to the retail
music merchant as great an opportunity to sell
pianos and talking machines as he would have
were their incomes more diversified. However,
according to the dealers there, they arc good
paying clients, if it is always remembered that
the sales possibilities are commensurate with
their incomes and medium and low-priced types
of instruments generally sold. Then, too, a
great portion of the Eastern section of the State
consists of untillable swamp lands, of which
there are lmtny square miles valueless save for
meagre timber growth. The State authorities
are doing invaluable work on the agricultural
experimental farm located not far from Charles-
ton, where hundreds of acres of these lands have
been reclaimed by drainage, the results of which
will eventually bring to this section of the State
a great increase in agricultural prosperity and
activity.
The Western section is no doubt the most
prosperous, as here are vast cotton fields and
also many large cotton mills which have created
a relatively high state of industrial prosperity.
Here I found the cities of Charlotte, Columbia,
Greenville, and Spartanburg, all humming with
activity and all imbued with civic pride, each
trying to outdo the other in growth and pros-
perity. Last year the cotton crop gave the
farmers a handsome income and, in consequence,
the music dealers were able to do an excellent
business with them. This, with the cotton mills
going full time, gave most dealers a highly
prosperous year.
Raleigh, N. C.
Raleigh, this past week, witnessed the opening
of the J. B. Leonard store. It is located in the
Sir Walter Raleigh Building, a modern structure
just completed, and itself is modern in every
sense of the word equipped with the latest con-
veniences for merchandising. Mr. Leonard is
keenly enthusiastic over prospects, and con-
fidently expects that his new warerooms will re-
ceive a hearty welcome from the city's people.
He carries the Kranich & Bach, Jesse French
and Stultz & Bauer pianos and the Victor.
I had a highly interesting interview with W.
S. Thomas of the pioneer firm of Darnell &
Thomas. Mr. Thomas stated that each year is
showing a steady increase in volume of sales
in this territory and. that last year was no ex-
ception to this save that the increase was larger
than usual. He recently completed arrange-
ments in his city with several well-known artists
for their appearance in conjunction with the
Duo-Art, one of them being David Pesetzki,
who will be here next month.
Wilmington, N. C.
In Wilmington, N. C, dealers are very well
satisfied with business conditions during the
past year, and with the prospects for the present
one. Judging from the way they talked it is no
G
wonder they are looking forward to a good year,
since every one of them described at some
length the work he was doing to educate his
public to a greater interest in good music. The
latest acquisition which Wilmington boasts of is
a new radio broadcasting station recently
erected by the local Chamber of Commerce.
The McGrath Co., music dealer, furnishes the
programs in the form of the New Edison pho-
"nograph which it features in its store. It is
using special publicity for this work, and, ac-
cording to it this has resulted in many sales
both of machines and records.
A. II. Vopp, of the piano company of thai
name, is one of those music dealers who are di-
rectly connected with every musical movement
existing in this territory. He is organist in one
of the prominent churches and through this con
nection he has sold practically every church in
the city, in one of them placing not long ago
two uprights and a grand, the latter a Sohmer,
which he features.
(I. E. Murphy, who conducts the Wilmington
Talking Machine Co., handles this instrument
practically exclusively, featuring the Victor line.
In order to catch the negro trade, of which there
is a large amount, Mr. Murphy will shortly open
a new store on Fourth Street near that section.
There he will feature Okeh records.
The Charles M. Stieff, Inc., store was recently
placed in charge of C. A. Stephens, who was
formerly with the Norfolk store. In the short
time he has been here he has made big strides
in developing the business. He came here when
the store moved to a new location on the same
street but nearer the center of the business sec-
tion. The new warerooms are handsomely and
conveniently equipped.
Charleston, S. C.
Rudolph Siegling, of the Siegling Music House
of Charleston, which has the distinction of being
the oldest music house in America, is very much
behind the movement for music advancement.
R. J. Voight, an old member of the Seigling
stall, gave me some very enlightening informa-
tion on the musical life of the city. He is an
accomplished musician himself, formerly presi-
dent of the Charleston Musical Society.
Frederick Jordan, president of the Jordan
Music Co., is certainly a live* wire of the highest
caliber. He has built up a business in the city
and the surrounding country that is truly re-
markable through the medium of concerts
which he gives in schools, clubs, churches, etc.,
the proceeds going to these various organiza-
tions. The artists he presents are always good,
as are the programs, which are prepared by the
secretary of the Charleston Musical Art Club.
This work, which he has carried on for several
years, has brought the firm great prestige. He
states that, at the present time, the prospects
resulting from this work are so great in number
that he has difficulty in taking care of them with
his organization. To this plan he traces the
sales of high-grade pianos to more than ten high
schools, five churches and many other public
institutions during the past year alone. He fea-
tures the Hardman and Estey as his main lines.
Columbia, S. C.
No veteran of the Southern retail piano trade
is more honored or widely known than J. A.
Malone of the Malone Piano House of Co-
lumbia. He is truly an example for fair dealing
in retail piano merchandising and through these
methods has built one of the finest retail piano
businesses in the State. This year he is cele-
brating his fortieth anniversary in the trade, but
though well aloiv,' in years he is still actively
interested in his business and comes to the ware-
rooms every day. I can vouch for this state-
ment, for while he was courteously showing me
the city in his car he stopped at the house of
one of his salesmen to tip him off to some de-
velopment on a piano prospect who was about
ready to be closed. This, I should say, is being
very much on the job.
J. D. Smithdeal is no youngster, either, as he
has been in business in Columbia for some
twenty-five years and has a very high-class busi-
ness. He is well informed on every phase of
conditions in his territory for he is the type of
retail music merchant who concerns himself
with civic affairs and who always plays his part
in the advancement of all worthy movements.
He has done much to raise the musical stand-
ards of Columbia* An interview with a mer-
chant of this type leaves only the best of im-
pressions for his activities could be emulated by
many other merchants to their distinct advan-
tage.
Taking a musical census of Columbia is a
recent accomplishment of J. N. Meyers of the
Edison Shop. He has done this twice in the
past two years. Mr. Meyers' plan is an intelli
gent one. The census is taken by school
teachers who do the work after school hours
and upon Saturdays. This has resulted in many
direct sales. Mr. Meyers has recently taken on
the Knabe and Gulbransen lines which he will
merchandise in connection with his phonograph
business.
Charlotte, S. C.
I had a very interesting interview with
Charles S. Andrews of the Andrews Music-
Store, Inc., who has just recently opened a
new store adjoining his present one, which will
be known as the Knabe Warerooms and winch
will feature the Knabe and the Anipico exclu-
sively. It is one of the most artistic stores in
the city. B. N. Andrews, a brother, who is
secretary and treasurer of the concern, is re-
sponsible for the new store and is virtually a
competitor of the parent one, according to his
brother. The old store of the Andrews house
features the Chickering and the Hardman.
Charles B. Yeates, an old experienced piano
man, has joined the selling forces of the new
store in the capacity of sales manager.
Joins Story & Clark
Robert Bartlett is the latest addition to the
outside- selling force of the N e w Y o r k division
of the Story & Clark Piano Co., a n d w a s se-
lected by M a n a g e r L. Schoenwald, personally.
1880
1924
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