Scan 27
Musical Courier 1896-09-16: Vol 33 Iss 863, 1896
106 lines. Read by computer on 20 September 2026. Printed page 28. See the scan on archive.org.
1piano business (and we believe we are entitled to our opinions, particularly when we pay for the difference), yet we will say, without any aroma of equivocation in the expression, that Mr. Steinert, Sr., has understood how to make first-class, high grade piano salesmen out of his sons. There is not to-day another piano salesman of such matured and ripe gifts as Henry Steinert, and it makes no difference in the handling, whether it is a Steinway or a medium or a cheap piano to be disposed of, he understands the treatment of the case to perfection. In fact he is a piano doctor, just as is his senior; in fact all the Steinerts are salesmen par excellence.
3Scales 4 and 5 of the Cunningham pianos are particularly brilliant instruments and are sold without trouble if the salesman does not kill the sale. Of course, frequently the salesmen do disintegrate a transaction, but at Cunningham's this is not apt to occur. The catalogue of the company refers to the Prince of Wales as one of the great fashionable celebrities who does not own a Cunningham piano. Well, he is very foolish. He can find the address of the company in this paper among the advertisements.
5Bellaks are delighted with their bicycle trade, and if it keeps a-rolling they are apt to throw pianos in to close sales. The Bellaks have no wheels in their heads. They have secured a new agency in Reading named Thompson & Allen, who will push the Sterling particularly.
7S. A. Gould, manager of the Estey houses in Boston and Philadelphia, was at the latter warehouse this past week. He makes semi-monthly trips now. Mr. Gould deserves great credit for what he has accomplished in recent times.
9What a bad idea it is to put low grade, common goods in your sales window so that everyone can observe how cheap you can sell. Your competitor, who sees this too, will at once twist every customer the other way when the customer comes from your store by stating that you are a cheap concern and proving it. Why don't you put pianos in your windows, fine looking instruments, and mark them $1,000, $1,500 apiece? Everybody will then stop and look at them and remark it. But cheap figures are used only in comparison with other cheap ones.
11Mayer to Knabe.
13IT is reported, though the rumor cannot be definitely either confirmed or denied, that Mr. Ferdinand Mayer, who returned from Europe a fortnight or so ago, will accept the position of manager of the New York branch of Wm. Knabe & Co., and that within a few days he will be found in charge of their Fifth avenue ware-rooms to take up his part of the aggressive campaign which the Knabe house will inaugurate at the beginning of the fall season, that is to say next month.
15The other moves they have made, which are up to the present time in form for announcement, consist of the acquisition of young Mr. James E. Healy, who, it is said, will make his headquarters hereafter in Baltimore, in which city he will shortly wed a daughter of Mr. Chas. Keidel, and the engagement of Carreto to play the Knabe piano during the concert season soon to begin.
17Mr. Mayer, it will be remembered, at one time managed the New York warerooms with marked success, and only severed his connection with the Knabe house to accept the position of manager of the New York retail warerooms of Chickering & Sons. He remained at Chickering Hall until the expiration of his five years' contract, which ran out last spring, and then went to Europe for rest and to wind up some affairs connected with the estate of his mother.
19F. H. Mayer, a son of Ferdinand Mayer, who was retained by Chickering & Sons after his father left, has resigned.
21The Sutro Business.
23A NOTICE appears in the music department of this issue stating that Miss Ottillie Sutro, a daughter of the late Otto Sutro, of Baltimore, is dangerously ill in London.
25It may not be generally known that Mrs. Otto Sutro, accompanied by her two talented daughters, Rose and Ottillie, the remarkable ensemble pianists, left the United States more than a fortnight ago to seek much needed rest and to absent themselves from the surroundings of their lamented father's death, which must have been doubly unpleasant to them because of the fact that his demise occurred while Mrs. Sutro and her daughters were abroad on the very threshold of an exceptional artistic career of his children. Since Mrs. Sutro's return and the readjustment consequent upon the death of her husband she has been industriously occupied in the business affairs of the concern, which it will be remembered is a stock company, and the appointment of Mr. Walter D. Moses as its manager will be also remembered.
27It is now reported that Mr. Moses resigned his position on September 1 to rejoin his house at Richmond, Va. No appointment has been made to substitute him, and the ultimate outcome of the affairs of the late Otto Sutro is at present not made public.
29CHICAGO OFFICE THE MUSICAL COURIER,
30220 Wabash Avenue, September 12, 1896.
32NOTHING astonishes one nowadays; therefore it was no surprise upon visiting the town of Van Wert, Ohio, to find that the new concern, the Anderson & Newton Piano Company, has made a few pianos already which should rank with others of older make.
34Reaching Van Wert early on the morning of Wednesday the town was found in holiday garb. It was Anderson & Newton day not only in the town itself, but the concern was for that day the owner by right of purchase for so many shekels of the entire receipts, from whatever source, that the Van Wert County Fair Association should gather in, and that in order that the day might prove attractive to as large a crowd as possible Messrs. Anderson & Newton had not only advertised far and near that on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday a piano would be given away by lot to those who purchased tickets for their day at the fair, but that there would be a reunion of all the brass bands in that section of the country also. And they were there, as one very quickly discovered, fifteen of them in a row, and as fast as one band ceased to play another began. The morning was rather threatening, but about 25,000 people were on the ground, and in the afternoon the first piano was drawn for and won by a schoolboy of one of the neighboring towns.
36The instruments that were given away were all oak cases and the plainest that the company makes, but they were all truly elegant pianos, and should be appreciated by the lucky winners. The above facts are given because the manner of advertising was decidedly unique and enterprising.
38As to the pianos which they are displaying, the material is without exception of the best that can be procured—strings, action, hammer felt, and all. The scale is the production of Gust. Ad. Anderson, the eldest of the three brothers, and that is saying enough, as none of the Andersons ever turned out a poor one; on the contrary, they are all good, and this one to which reference is now made is up to the standard.
40The action is well set and well regulated, the tone is fine, and the case is an original design of Mr. Anderson's, which ought to be surety for that part.
42The concern has a good brick factory with modern equipments, and is out of debt, and purposes to keep as near that point as possible.
44Mr. Newton is one of the most popular men in that section of the country. The local Fair Journal thus announces the affair.
46To-day will certainly mark a great day to go down in the history of the Fair Association.
48The Anderson & Newton Piano Company have given their time, money and three pianos of as fine a make as can be purchased anywhere, to make this a day long to be remembered by the inhabitants of this and surrounding counties.
50The instruments to be given away are fully equal, and in many respects superior, to makes of older firms, and cannot be surpassed in finish or tone. Their factory is filled with men, every one of whom is a skilled mechanic, as their work testifies.
52Mr. Anderson, superintendent, has been in the piano business all his life in connection with the largest and best manufacturers, and is fully qualified for the position he fills.
54That the piano company is liberal goes without saying. Nothing on so large a scale has ever been attempted before, especially in so small a town, and the persons who hold the lucky numbers will certainly be well repaid for attending the fair.
56The company also furnishes the music for the day. In the neighborhood of twenty bands will be present from surrounding towns, so nobody will be slighted in this respect.
58The drawing of the pianos will be in charge of the Fair Association and will take place on the grounds at 4 o'clock p.m. The tickets will be inclosed in a barrel and thoroughly shaken up, and a man, selected by the committee appointed by the association, will be blindfolded and he will draw the lucky numbers from the barrel.
60The company has been to a big expense and is certainly deserving of success.
62A large house in this city which keeps a daily record of "extensions asked for" reports an improved condition in this respect.
64In relation to the doings of the different houses here there can be nothing said that is particularly interesting. The Mason & Hamlin Company has renewed its contract for the use of the Mason & Hamlin piano in the Chicago Conservatory, which has been in doubt up to this week.
66Lyon, Potter & Co. are selling quite a number of pianos, both high grade and cheaper, with a tendency to dispose of more of the former than the latter.
68Assignee Louis Dederick has nothing more to say in relation to the action which may be taken as to a dividend by the Manufacturers Piano Company.
70Mr. E. S. Conway says the W. W. Kimball Company is doing business right along and making money.
72Mr. J. V. Steger is out on the road, but we know his concern is fairly prosperous, even in these unfavorable times. They are all waiting for the political excitement to subside, and hoping that after November business will resume its usual course, and that there will be nothing to further interfere for another four years anyway.
74Personals.
76Mr. I. N. Rice is back from his Eastern trip, and feels that something has been accomplished. He hopes now that the affairs of the Schaeffer Piano Company are in a fair way of being adjusted, and that business may be resumed by October 1.
78Mr. E. E. Walters, one of the trusted representatives of the Chicago Cottage Organ Company, is visiting the home house.
80Mr. John W. Northrop left this week for Boston, and is still there.
82Mr. Thomas Hume, of the Chase Brothers Piano Company, of Muskegon, Mich., was in the city this week.
84Mr. John Evans, of Newby & Evans, of New York, was in town. He says he is out more for fun than business, but hopes to secure a little business also.
86Mr. John A. Norris, representing the Mason & Hamlin Company, was again in town and was expecting to go further West, but has gone East instead.
88Mr. George P. Bent returned to Chicago on Thursday evening after an Eastern trip. There is a future for Mr. Bent, as anyone must acknowledge after a four hours' conversation, and it was a pleasure to meet him at Fort Wayne on the same train. Mr. Bent has his eye on the world at large for business, which he proposes to accomplish in spite of all barriers. Mr. Wm. Steinway did it first, Story & Clark were next, and Mr. Bent is third.
90—C. A. Stewart has secured a judgment for $93.30 against the Automaton Piano Company.
92—Mrs. E. R. McCaa, Lancaster, Pa., has been attached for $5,000 in favor of the Ephrata National Bank.
94—Three chattel mortgages, aggregating $600, are recorded against Geo. R. Colbraith, Alpena, Mich.
96PERSONAL—We will pay $10 for authentic information as to the address and present occupation of one T. H. Smith, a piano salesman who was employed some years ago by R. Dorman & Co. and Jesse French, of Nashville, Tenn.; H. G. Hollenberg and E. Witzman & Co., of Memphis, Tenn., and Thos. Goggan & Brother, of Galveston, Tex. Address Legacy, care THE MUSICAL COURIER, New York city.
98Novelties in Music Furniture.
100"The Mozart" Patented Combination of Violin Case and Pulpit.
101MADE BY
102PALMER & EMBURY MFG. CO.,
103185 & 187 Canal Street, New York.
104A Full Line of VIOLIN STANDS and MUSIC FURNITURE.
105Send for illustrated Catalogue and Prices.
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