Scan 18
Musical Courier 1892-06-15: Vol 24 Iss 643, 1892
76 lines. Read by computer on 23 September 2026. Printed page 19. See the scan on archive.org.
A town on its own line is one of the directory's headings. That is where the town on a maker's page comes from.
1CHICAGO.
3Latest from Our Chicago Representative.
5CHICAGO OFFICE MUSICAL COURIER,
6226 WARASH AVENUE,
7CHICAGO, June 11, 1892.
9MR. HENRY DETMER'S lease of the second story of the new Schiller Building, at 103 to 109 Randolph street, has been made public. The terms of the lease are for three years at a rental of $10,000 per year, and as the amount of space is given as 2,280 square feet for the locality it seems inordinately high; however, there may be some mistake about the published facts.
11The Rice-Macy Piano Company have moved into their new office at 46 Jackson street. Mr. Rice says the first Schaeffer piano turned out of the new Oregon, Ill., factory is finished and shipped, and instruments will come right along now; he also says the men are delighted with the location of the factory, and they have a good right to be, for he himself is more than delighted with both the location and the factory itself.
13The following cut is an illustration taken from the elegant catalogue of Messrs. Salter & Bilek, who make a specialty of music cabinets in a large variety of styles. I have never seen anything of the kind that quite equals their goods, and it is therefore not astonishing to be assured that this house furnishes all the largest houses in Chicago, New York, San Francisco and New Orleans, and send them to London and Liverpool as well.
15On the first day of this week Lyon & Healy sprung a genuine sensation upon the public in the shape of a "factory display" in their immense State street window. Nothing of the kind has ever been attempted in this city before, and upon first consideration it seems almost impossible to achieve a satisfactory result from huge piles of crude material and partially finished goods, which, mingled with the perfect product, give the window its character. But one glance at the dense crowd of deeply interested people which blockades the sidewalk and entirely obstructs the view of the 50 foot window from early morning until the hundreds of electric lights are extinguished late at night shows that the display completely captivates the popular fancy.
17A glance at the window itself makes even a veteran trade editor marvel at the possibilities of the music business when its showing is arranged by its foremost exponents. It is utterly impossible in the space at my command to give even an outline of the contents of this already famous window, but a few of the objects I heard commented upon, as I worked my way into the front rank of the spectators, will serve perhaps best of all to record the most salient features. First, the three large revolving pieces are in the shape of a six pointed star, the others looking not unlike musical fountains with their glowing upholstery of red, white and blue silk, and various sized tables or disks bearing dainty freight of mandolins, guitars, banjos and fine trimmings. Then the enormous columns of banjo shells, drum hoops, guitar necks and tambourine hoops which form the background excite never ceasing remark.
19The contrast between the magnificent ebony and gold Lyon & Healy harp of to-day and its companion, an exact reproduction of the harp supposed to have been owned by King Brian Boiroinhe in the 11th century, or between a Lyon & Healy upright of the latest and most graceful design and an ungainly and sprawling mahate or great nita, the finest of ancient Indian instruments, is at once noted. The huge rosewood, ebony and snakewood logs with their finished ends also come in for universal attention. It is safe to say that in this city of display windows nothing to surpass Lyon & Healy's present effort in attractiveness and solid interest has ever been devised.
21The S. L. House Company have made a reorganization of their concern and have increased their capital, but I don't know how much. Mr. S. L. House is president, Mr. F. K. Davis secretary, and Mr. E. A. Gage the treasurer of the new company. They have opened a wareroom at 303 West Madison street and are flooding the west side with a card headed with the legend "Cheapest place in Chicago to buy or rent a piano" on one side and "High grade pianos cheap" on the other side.
23The remaining dividend of the Ayres & Wygant concern, amounting to 16 1/4 per cent., is now being paid to the creditors.
25The early closing movement is very generally observed and probably will be, although there has already been some objection made to the action of one particular house in remaining open when it was supposed that the agreement had been signed by this house as well as all the others.
27SALTER & BILEK,
28MANUFACTURERS OF
29MUSIC CABINETS, PORTFOLIOS,
30MUSIC BOX TABLES, &c.
32Send for Catalogues and Wholesale Price List.
3440 and 42 N. Union Street,
35Chicago.
37Mr. Chas. J. Tonk arrived in town this week, accompanied by Mr. O. Pressprich, Jr. The latter named gentleman will, after an extensive trip to the Pacific Coast, have full charge of the branch house of Tonk & Brother, of New York, now located on Wabash avenue.
39Those who have not seen the new Style A piano made by the Sterling Company have missed seeing a good thing. This particular piano was always renowned for having a fine scale. The case is now consistent with the scale, and it must be a good seller, particularly with those salesmen who appreciate its many merits.
41Mr. Joseph Bohmann, the musical instrument maker of this city, offers a reward for the discovery of the whereabouts of about $900 worth of samples which were intrusted to the care of Mr. Paul Pferdner, or some information relating to the present location of Mr. Pferdner. Mr. Bohmann thinks he has reasons to believe that there is something crooked in Mr. Pferdner's actions, as he has not heard from him in about five weeks. Mr. Joseph Bohmann's address is 306 State street, Chicago, Ill. He earnestly requests anyone knowing anything about either Mr. Pferdner or the goods to communicate with him.
43Two pianos just finished in this city by Messrs. Julius Bauer & Co. are certainly worthy of special examination and mention. The case work and the design are both extraordinary, the back being almost as handsomely finished as the front, and the burl walnut veneer is certainly as handsome as any that ever grew. They have one of those famous new Chicago keyboards in these pianos, which this house was the first to introduce (made by Augustus Newell & Co.) and one of the very finest feeling actions I have ever seen in any upright piano. These two pianos may be truly called great instruments, and one of them was made with specially designed panels for Company F, Fistr Regiment, I. N. G., and they are an honor to the city that produced them.
45The Union League Club was last evening the scene of one of the pleasantest gatherings ever enjoyed by the music trade of this city. There were some 50 odd members present, and a good dinner and the customary concomitants were thoroughly enjoyed without a word being spoken relative to trade matters. Speeches were made by Mr. E. S. Conway, Mr. C. C. Curtiss, Mr. Thomas Floyd-Jones, Mr. A. H. Reed and Mr. I. N. Camp.
47A SHAM EMERSON.
49DURING the past 10 years various attempts have been made to stencil bogus pianos with the valuable name of Emerson, and these cases were to some extent recorded in this paper. The Emerson Piano Company, like all other large firms, have to some extent suffered from this impunity, and that reminds us that those firms that have not recognized the value of THE MUSICAL COURIER's campaign against the stencil should for one moment reflect what the result would have been during these 10 years had not this paper so resolutely exposed the fraud.
51Well, the present Emerson case is explained in a letter from Lyon & Healy, of Chicago, addressed to the Emerson Piano Company:
53Emerson Piano Company, Boston, Mass.:
54Chicago, June 1, 1892.
56Dear Sirs—We thought it might be of interest to you to learn that a piano stored with us and offered by the owner who wishes to sell it is stenciled "V. P. Emerson, Boston," and is believed by its owner, Henry Silver, 416 111th street, to be a genuine Emerson piano. He offered to sell it before we had the opportunity to inspect it, and we sent for the piano for the purpose of examining it and ascertaining its value. We find, however, that instead of an Emerson piano, it is a Hale No. 71,615, and was sold some time in December, 1888, by Aug. Gross, a small dealer, 636 Wells street, this city. A close examination of the piano shows that the stencil is evidently the one that was originally put on the piano.
58Very truly yours,
59LYON & HEALY.
61In connection with this we may as well pay a deserved tribute to the constant opposition exhibited by the great house of Lyon & Healy against the stencil. This firm lately went so far as to publish in its advertisements in the daily papers that they handle no stencil pianos.
63None of the large houses now suffer from serious attempts to imitate their own names, either by misspelling or by false initials or otherwise, and a great many houses have taken their firm names into particular consideration by adding to them a device by means of which they could control it through a trade mark.
65THERE is hardly a doubt that after its removal uptown on September 1 the Scharwenka Conservatory of Music will use the Steinway piano.
67VOSE & SONS shipped 76 pianos last week, distributed among 21 agents. Vose & Sons have no objection to the publication of these facts. There is no reason why they should have any.
69FOLLOWING the notice of the occupancy of new quarters by Collins & Armstrong, of Fort Worth, Tex., comes a notice that they have organized the Collins & Armstrong Company with a capital of $500,000 and an additional capital stock of $10,000 for the retail department. The incorporators are Mr. E. J. Anderson and eight others.
71WANTED—A reliable dealer in a thriving town desires to correspond with a piano manufacturer who will furnish instruments valued at about $250 and carry leases. Address "F. C. R." care THE MUSICAL COURIER.
73WANTED—A good traveling salesman acquainted with the musical merchandise trade to handle as a side line an established, good, selling article on commission. Good reference and state territory traversed. Address A. G. S., MUSICAL COURIER.
75WANTED—Live, experienced, middle aged business man, familiar with the piano and kindred trades of America and Europe, desires permanent connection with good American firm. Fine linguist, good talker and writer, hard worker, educated. Best references. Can take an interest. For particulars apply to MUSICAL COURIER Company, New York.
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