Scan 34
Musical Courier 1894-08-29: Vol 29 Iss 755, 1894
110 lines. Read by computer on 21 September 2026. Printed page 35. See the scan on archive.org.
1CHICAGO OFFICE OF THE MUSICAL COURIER.
2CHICAGO, August 25, 1894.
4A Parasite.
6THE word parasite is not a very nice one to apply to anyone, but if it is consistently applicable to anyone it is to the head of the concern which calls itself the Swick Piano Company, of the city of New York.
8It seems that a piano was shipped to a customer for one of our largest concerns in this city directly from the factory in the city of New York. The name and address of this customer was probably taken from the address on the box by somebody who is in the employ of the Swick concern. Immediately thereafter one of Swick's characteristic circulars was received by this same customer, in which attention is called to the low price at which the Swick piano can be furnished, and at the head of the circular is written in the unmistakable chirography of the original and only Swick, "You order a sample of our piano, and test it aside the piano shipped you to-day from this city. Ours is much the best. You try ONE."
10Such a method of obtaining the names of dealers cannot be termed anything but dastardly in the worst possible construction of the word. How many men this man Swick deceives with his cheap and nasty instruments it is impossible to tell. It is, however, quite encouraging to the trade to believe that it cannot be many, as so far it is quite certain that Mr. Swick's career has been one of utter failure.
12The name of Swick is a stench in the nostrils of the decent members of the trade now. The trade is too good for that class of people to remain in it. Mr. Swick's days are probably numbered, and the sooner he realizes this fact and gets into some low down business more consistent with his character the better it will be for himself personally. One thing is certain, he cannot succeed in the music business.
14H. Leonard.
16Like all successful manufacturers and merchants, Mr. Alfred Dolge has that peculiar faculty of selecting men particularly adapted for the business for which he requires them.
18Mr. H. Leonard is one of those men. He has been busily engaged for the last two weeks in getting orders from the trade for the various supplies Mr. Dolge is known to manufacture and handle.
20Mr. Leonard is not highly enthusiastic in relation to the state of trade, but he does say, plainly, that business is better and looks well for the future.
22Henry Behning.
24Mr. Henry Behning, Jr., has been in and about the city for a short period of time. He thinks that his concern has a better show for success than the old concern enjoyed, and gives as a reason for thinking so, that the expenses are greatly lessened since they moved to their new factory, and that even the expenses which pertain purely to the manufacturing department have also been considerably lessened. In short, Mr. Behning seems to feel sanguine as to the future success of his new concern, and it would seem as though he had reason to feel well satisfied with his present position and outlook for business.
26A Small Concern.
28Mr. Pres. Osborn, formerly and for many years connected with Lyon & Healy in their sheet music department, but more recently connected with Lyon, Potter & Co., and engaged in selling pianos, has finally determined to start in for himself, and has taken the warerooms on the third floor of No. 211 Wabash avenue. So far, we believe, he has not made arrangements with any particular concern to handle their goods, but at the present time he purposes handling a few cheaper grade pianos as a beginning.
30Making Ads. Attractive.
32The Chicago "Herald" is adopting a new plan to make its advertising columns more attractive for the masses. Its plan is to publish at the head of each of the classified advertising lists a witty picture, with accompanying dialogue which is applicable to the column of which it is placed at the head. For instance, yesterday morning they published at the head of the musical instrument department a picture of two young men conversing with each other, which was originally in "Judge." The dialogue ran as follows:
34Doods—How do you like your new flat?
35Van Pelt—All right, except that the man across the hall is learning to play the flute.
36Doods—You ought to get an accordion.
37Van Pelt—I did; that's why he got the flute—"Judge."
39The Phelps Attachment in Chicago.
41The Phelps Harmony attachment has at last been placed upon a Chicago piano. The attachment had such an effect upon the tone of the instrument that a gentleman who is in the habit of seeing these instruments every day remarked that it was a better piano, and asked the manufacturer, who stood by, why he did not always give them that kind of an instrument.
43There is no doubt of the merits of this attachment. Neither is there any doubt that it is the best forte pedal which has ever been invented for the much abused piano. It takes out of the instrument the noises or foreign tones which almost always appear when the loud pedal is used.
45The best pianist in the city of Chicago is accused of using the loud pedal too sparingly. The facts are that with the ordinary forte pedal, if it is used freely, it is impossible always to eliminate those disagreeable sounds which accompany the free use of the pedal.
47The piano upon which it has been placed is a good one. The Schaaf Brothers Company made it, and as we said previously it is the first piano made in Chicago to contain one of the Phelps attachments. The piano is now on exhibition in Lyon & Healy's warerooms.
49Who Knows!
51"A piano contains nearly a mile of wire."
53The above is a statement that headed an interesting lot of items in a Chicago daily yesterday. It may be true if all the wire were taken into consideration, and the original length of the wire which covers the wound strings must also be taken into consideration, but even with all this, it is doubtful if the statement is a correct one.
55Cowardly Business.
57A week or two ago a certain paper, whose proprietor should certainly know better, attacked the financial standing of two concerns in this city. A short time previously the same paper made use of the name of an old and honored house in order to vent a little petty spite against another manufacturer.
59There is not a reasonable man in the trade who can approve of such a proceeding, and any member of the trade who would sanction it might justly be considered either knave or fool.
61Still Paying His Debts.
63Mr. Chas. A. Gerold is an old and experienced manufacturer of pianos which are remarkable productions.
65The worst that can be said against Mr. Gerold is that he is, unfortunately for him, not the best business man in the world, and has therefore not profited to any large extent by his genius. Nothing can be said against his honesty. He has up to the present time and during many years paid his debts, and is still doing so. It is a dastardly act to try, without cause or provocation, to impeach him or injure his credit.
67Personals.
69Mr. E. H. Sherman, of the Sherman Music Company, of Butte, Mon., is a visitor to this city.
71Major E. C. Kohn, of Des Moines, Ia., is also a visitor to the city, and states that the outlook in his vicinity for business is good. The Iowa State Fair, which is to be held at this point, begins September 1, and Mr. Kohn says that the music trade will be fairly well represented there.
73Mr. Brayton Chase, of Muskegon, Mich., has been in the city this week.
75Mr. P. J. Healy in addition to his other offices has been for quite a number of years the vice-president of the Chicago Directory Company, and from the way he speaks it is more than likely that he gets a very nice dividend out of his holdings in that institution.
77Mr. Wm. E. Lauersdorf of the B. Dreher Sons Company, of Cleveland, Ohio, was in the city this week.
79Mr. Geo. W. Tietz, who has been with Wm. Rohlffing & Sons, of Milwaukee, Wis., for some two years and a half, tells us that he has made arrangements with Messrs. Lyon, Potter & Co. to represent the line of goods handled by this latter company in a general way in the State of Wisconsin.
81Mr. J. V. Steger is back from his fishing excursion, looking and feeling exceedingly well.
83Mr. I. N. Rice is resting quietly on his laurels in the city, and we presume hugging himself on account of the very favorable deal which the Schaeffer Piano Company has just made.
85Mr. A. O. Mueller, of Messrs. Julius Bauer & Co., was at the store bright and early last Monday morning. He arrived in town from his European tour on the Saturday evening preceding. Mr. Adam Schneider, of the same company, who has been away on a fishing and general recreation excursion, is also again at his post of duty.
87Mr. A. L. Jepson, of the Schiller Piano Company, of Oregon, Ill., was in town this week, as was also Treasurer Griswold, of the Shaw Piano Company, of Erie, Pa.
89Mr. C. C. Curtiss leaves Europe on the 31st by the Columbia from Southampton. His last letter was dated the 13th, from Vienna, and was received by Mr. Wright to-day. He probably reached Paris last Saturday, was to be in London last Tuesday and was to spend the remainder of his time there.
91Mr. C. H. O. Houghton, the veneer man, is selling the Chicago piano manufacturers a much better grade of veneers than they have been using. The tendency is for better and more showy cases. Rosewood is coming into favor again, especially the higher and finely figured grades. Otto A. Olson secured some of the finest ever seen in Chicago. It will make some of the handsomest piano cases ever shown in this city. Mr. Houghton's display of choice figured woods in his rooms at the Wellington is the best that has been shown here.
93Mr. John A. Fetterly, with Mr. C. H. Edwards, of Dallas, Tex., is in town. Mr. Edwards is representing the Chickering, Wheelock and other pianos, and the Story & Clark organs.
95Dealer and Teacher.
97IN conversation with a prominent dealer in violins, mandolins and guitars, the question of the attitude of the music teacher to the dealer came up. The subject is by no means a new one and has often been discussed in the trade paper in connection with the commission business and other features incidental to the selling of musical instruments.
99Webster defines a dealer as "one who has to do or has concern with others; especially a trader, a trafficker, shopkeeper, a broker or merchant." It is quite customary nowadays for a teacher of the violin, 'cello, guitar or mandolin to have on hand several instruments more than he is actually in need of for his own use, and which he recommends to his pupil in case one should be needed, instead of allowing the pupil to deal directly with the legitimate shopkeeper or manufacturer.
101The distinction is a pretty close one to draw—accepting the Webster definition—between what is known as the legitimate dealer and the teacher-dealer.
103It has been often said that there are no ethics in the musical instrument business, and that a violin, for instance, is worth every penny that could be obtained for it, without regard to cost of manufacture or cost to dealer or teacher; that there is no accepted standard of either artistic or commercial value from which a fair price could be approximated. Under such circumstances the purchaser, if a novice, would be entirely at the mercy of the seller, who, if unscrupulous, can take a very unjust advantage.
105A teacher, for instance, who has acquired the good will or confidence of a pupil can recommend a violin in his possession at a fictitious value, and if anywhere within the means of the pupil it will be purchased in nearly every instance—that is, providing of course the pupil is not satisfied with the instrument he is using and desires purchasing another.
107The teacher can exert great influence in bringing about an exchange with his pupil, on the plea that the instrument the pupil is using is not suitable in size, tone, &c., recommending one of his own at a handsome cash bonus. While the violins offered by the teacher may be fully worth all that is asked for them, the chances are that they have been picked up in the exchanges and for small sums, in the anticipation of selling them to pupils on his recommendation, which would of course greatly enhance their value.
109No substantial guarantee is possible with a considerable proportion of teachers, from the fact that their business condition is unsettled and their earnings are precarious. They are unstable in their location. Should dissatisfaction occur there would be little chance for redress. It is hardly consistent to suppose that a teacher who is known to be
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