The Richmond Virginian., May 14, 1910, CITY EDITION, THE PROGRESS SECTION, Image 7

About The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920

Image provided by: Library of Virginia; Richmond, VA

                
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RICHMOND, VA., SATURDAY, MAY 14, 1910.
i
NATIONAL PIANO
«
MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA
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XMi Excellent Photograph of the Piano Manufacturers Association was Taken Friday Afternoon With the Franklin Street Front of the Jefferson as a Background
GARS OF MS
SOLD EVERY WEEK
Richmond's Trade Best in Any of
South Atlantic
SlLtea.
$250,000 INVESTED
IN BUSINESS HERE
About Eight Instruments Are Sold
in This City Each Day by
Six nourishing
Houses.
Keen competition hu made Rich
mond one of the Ierg*«t dlftrlbutln*
points of pianos in the South Atlantic
States. Kach week about 60 Instru
ments arc sold by local hou«wj* the
larger portion of which arc shipped
into this Slate and .North Carolina.
About 1250.0O0 Is Invested In the
business here, according to the most
authentic information obtainable con
‘•ernlng the combined capital of the
six houses here which sell all of the
well-known makes.
The growth of the piano bu«ines-.
in Richmond has been healthy. Twen
ty-live years ago three houses sup
plied the trade. They were Hyland
and K*«, Walter D. Moses and Manly
B. Kamos. Those doing hurt ness heye
to-day arc Walter D. Moses and Com
pany, Cable Company. Cee Kergusson
Plano Company. Craft's Ptano Com
pany, Stlefr Plano Company and Fer
fuason Brothers.
About Bfty men are "on the road"
for Ktchmond houses, traveling Vir
ginia, West Virginia and North Caro
lina. Many tuners are kept busy in
and out of the city.
Have .Supplanted Organs.
Not many yearn ago. especially
throughout the South, reed organs
were found In most homes. These
hare been gradually supplanted by
pianos. To supply the Increasing de
mand for lnatruments Richmond was
• Ideally situated. With more perfect
manufacturing facilities the price of
piahos has constantly decreased, until
they may now be bought for about
1360. Most or the stock on hand In
Richmond tt cORTpSaed of modern.) e
priced uprights, though a few grands
and baby grands are on hand and are
oocealonafUy sold at price from <1,100
to 11.100
Th
ough all of the piano stores here
eayry stocks of organs, they are not
In evidence to visitor# to the show
rooms Upon asking to see an organ
a proapactlov buyer Is escorted to an
upper floor. As the automobile is tak
ing the .‘place of the horse so is the
piano Ailing the place of the organ.
"We have sold many pianos re
cently for Sunday-schools." said ons
prominent piano dealer, to Illustrate
the passing of the organ. Reed or
gans are now largely confined to small
churches.'
So All Can Play.
With the many Steps forward In the
manufacture of piano* come many
added Improvements which tend to
make piano# desirable In all homes,
although a musician may not be
among the members of the householfl.
Selections from Wagner, Chopin
aad Mosart to rag time melodies from
the latest musical comedy successes
may be reeled off by the yard with
little effort on the part of one's pedal
extremities.
-This has keen brought about by the
advept of planolag. inner-players,
play-pianos and mechanical devices of
various names, adopted by rival manu
instruments are costly and
are seldom found In homes where
there la not a oertaln amount of
luxury- But it is said.tbs-pries of
pptpo plarsnr Is coming down and
_ place them In reach
of the family of moderate means
1*'
Now Hava Baby tinusda. _
■ Che ambitious daughter doting
pare inclined to,buy grands.
s
l.
plainf4
Npt-.ot
SV
magnificent products of the
makers' act era too expensive,
.only thin, the average house will
not aoopmmodata a grand. These
difltajiilUea. have ■ been overcome with
the production of the baby grand,
many of which are on display In
Mahmoud.
a sasall scale pianos were made
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i
SOME FACTS ABOUT RICHMOND’S PIANO TRADE
Fifty plasos u, sold la BlekaMI| each week.
Three carloads of ptaaea arrly# la Wehaaaad sack week.
Value af plasos la stock la Rlchmoad koasea Is $300,0*10,
Approalmately la IsTeSted la Rlcfcasoad’s piano trade.
Fifty traveils* atea froat Rlebmoed sell pianos.
ElfUrdkm faastHee are supported by RJehtaoad'a plaao houses
t» crags price of plaaos sold <a Hlckmoad Is IIW.
»U eatabllshmcBts supply the Serna ad for plaaoa la Hlcbatoad.
PIANO MEN STRONGLY
DENY TRUST REPORTS
Such an Interest m Absurd, They Say, Because Their Interest Are
Too Varied—Four Bills Exchange Jokes at the Jefferson
Other Sidelights Snapped Here and There.
Plano men in session in Richmond i
make itrnnt denial of the report that;
a mammoth piano trust will likely bei
the result of the meeting here. I
"The Idea is absurd." said Mr.
James S*. Holmes. Jr . at the Jefferson
Friday night, "and 1 doubt personally
If such a project could be put Into
effect, even If the piano men desired
It. As a matter of fact, piano men
are temperamentally Incapable of or
ganising Into trusts. Then, too. their
Interests are so varied and different
that such a scheme would be lmpoa-.
slide."
Mr. Holmes la vice-president of the
Llndeman Plano Manufacturing Com
pany of New York, and puts In part
of his time as a traveling salesman,
like many other manufacturers, lie
is accompanied by his son. Mr. Har
old K. Holmes, whom he Introduces
as the boy wonder. Young Mr. Holmes
Is also a piano salesman, and Is a
chip off the old block. Although jus!
past his majority, he has been on the
road for several years, and Is regard
ed as a tip-top salesman. He like
wise denied the report of the for
mation of a trust to control the out
put and price of pianos.
The elder Holmes and his son are
great chums, and one Is almost as
youthful looking as the other. In
fact, the father claims that but for a
few strands of gray hair he might j
give the young one cards and spades
and beat him at the age game.
Four Bills Together.
Four piano men, all travelers, sat
in the lobby of the Jefferson Friday;
evening exchanging jokea Each Went
by the name of Bill, and one of them,
savs for the fact that hla locks are
John F. Nystrom. who now lives at
No. <19 West Main street. Mr. Ny
strom was an expert cabinet maker.
A glance at the history of the
evolution of the piano shows con- i
cluslvely the wonderful progress
which has been made. Ancestry of j
the piano is traced back to the primi
tive drum of savage tribes, which
prod uses the rudest and crudest of ;
tones. To relisve monotony two
drums are generally used, but ad
vanced races quickly discovered that
other substances, besides skin of uni
malt, would produce a definite tone.
One of the oldest, if not the moet
aocjent of instruments known, is
the pien-klng. which was Invented
4,000 or 4,600 years ago. The plen
klng is composed of two hortsontal
bars, from which are suspended six
teen metal platen which are struck
with a hammer and give the tones cf
the scales. These plates ware ulti
mately superseded by a ilnllsr se
ries of bell#, without tongues also
struek by a hammer.
Centre! A inertoa ns have an Instru
ment similar io our xylophpne, con
i dating of a row ?f pieces of wood,
, >f varying stae, with a compass of
a1*out three octaves. . It Is played
with waodeh hammers, sometimes by
sa many as three performers.
• WHh the discovery that musical
tones could be produced by throwing
strings of gut and steel into vibra
tion, a great step was taken and the
pianoforte resulted.
A great variety of stringed instru
ments have been in- use for several
centuries, all of which have exerted
an influence in the evolution of the
rand piano.
AWARD CONTRACT
FOR SPINNING MILL
tSpeoiai to The Richmond Virginian.)
snow white, might have been takeu
for BUI Tuft. He had the same smile
that Taft wears, hi* figure was just |
tut rotund and his features were
strongly similar to those of the Pres
ident. He gave his name as Hill
trough, of New York. Other mem
bers of the quartet were Bill Lincoln,
of Chicago; Hill Plaisted and liiii
Keeley, of New York.
"But don't connect me with the
Keeley cure," Mr. Keeley Jokingly re-!
marked, as the reortor jotted down
his name.
Treasurer Numbered.
The most conspicuous traveler1
among the piano men Friday evening,
at the Je/fersuti was -Mr. W. B. Wll-j
itams, of Derby. Conn., treasurer of
the National Piano Travelers’ Asso-.
elation of America. Tail and impor-!
tng in figure. Mr. Williams circulated
among his brother travelers and de-;
manded dues, refusing to take "no":
for an answer.
"I want every man to do his duty,”,
he would say. "so as to make as line1
a showing as possstble when we get i
together in convention."
Toward the close of the evening Mr.;
Williams reported collections tlno and
he believed ho would be able to make
a record-breaking report.
The treasurer of the travelers wore i
a badge numbered 2J, but he stren
uously denied that he had any inten
tion of skidooing.
"I’ll stick to the boys through1
thick and thin," he said when ask
ed what the number protended.
Mr. Williams represents his com
pany In Mexico, Cuba and a part nf
the United States. He has been on
the road for many years and knows!
the piano game from A to lizard.
tract ce.lls for the erection of a main '
building 600*125 feet, or.© story In
height and constructed of brick; a!
cotton warehouse with four compart- i
meats 60*100 feet each; and forty cot- I
tag**. There were nve bidders and a 1
host of others were here to bid on the
contracts for the materials.
The contract has already been I
awarded for the Installation of the j
machinery, ths contract calling for a
10,000 spindle equipment.
NEW BANK PLANNED
FOR if IDDLEBURG:
LEESBURG, VA.. May 14—Ar
rangement* are under way for the
establishment of a State bank at Mld
dlebury. this county, and a charter win
surely be applied for. This will make
a total of seven hanks in Loudoun
county, beside a number of branches
in various points of the Leesburg
bank. t
8UPT. PIERCE PREPARES
TO MOVE FAMILY HERE
Superintendent W. L. Pierce, of the
Richmond division of the Southern
railway is spending a few days at
his home In Woodstock, Va, making
preparations to move his family per
manently to Richmond.
MANY ORDINANCES ARE
SIGNED BY MAYOR
Mayor Richardson has signed and
returned the following oity ordinances
to Clerk Ben T. August: 2
Appropriating I46.SS0 for the con
atructloa of the proposed steel and
concrete exposition building on ths
State fair grounds; Axing ths salary
of the city walghmaster at |(l a
month; Axing ths salary of the oity
stenographer at MO a month; grant
ing tie Yligiaia Railway and Power
Company tie right to clone certain
HOLD INSTITUTES
IN MHGTIONSi
Schools of Instruction in Twenty
Seven Places in the Next
Two Weeks.
RUN SPECIAL TRAINS
One to Go Over Southern and An
other Over 13. & 0. With
Corps of Lecturers.
Farmers’ Institutes which have
proven of Inestimable value to the
agriculturalists of Virginia during re
cent years, will be held In twenty- j
seven different places In the state
with hi the next two weeks.
The Southern and B. & O. railroads
appreciating the benefits which the
farmers and railroads derive from ,
these outdoor meetings at the rear
end of trains filled with agricultural
exhibits and from which experts in
the various lines of farming and
horticulture lecture, will run Institute ■
trains, under the auspices of Com- i
mission or of Agriculture George W.
Kolner.
The Southern railroad will run its ;
Institute train from Alexandria to
Danville beginning next Monday ]
morning and ending Saturday even- ;
ing. >
The B. * O. railroad will run its
train from Wadesvtlle, Frederick
county, to Lexington, beginning
Tuesday, May 21, and ending Thurs
day, May 26
Southern’s Schedule.
The schedule of the Southern train
follows:
Monday, Burke. Fairfax and Ma
nassas; Tuesday, Nokesville, Jlemlng
ton and Culpeper: Wednesday, Rapt
dan, Orange and Barbourvlllo; Thurs- ;
day, Red Hill, Covesville and Arring
ton; Friday. Amherat. Evlngton and
Franklin Junction: Saturday, Union
Hall and Chatham.
When Commissioner of Agriculture ,
Kolner asked tha Southern to ope- ;
rata the institute train, the high of- i
tlctals aekcd. "-Dean It pay?" arrf-Mr. j
Kolner decided that the best way to !
reply was to ask the farmers what
they thought of the institutes. He j
received hundred* of letters from the
farmers all over the State saying the i
meetings were of the greatest Inter- i
est. Instruction and value to them
and requested him to exert his ut
most effort to having them continued.
These r< plies were sent to the South
ern officials, and M. V. Richards, land ;
and Industrial agent of the railroad,
wrote to the farmers, and they gave :
him the same reply. These letters
of the farmers were shown the high
officials of the road, and they learned
that tho department of agriculture
had done wonderful work with the
trains. Tho official* not only decided
to run the train this year, but to
make It an annual affair.
U. & O. Itinerary.
So much wef« the officials of the |
B. * O. railroad Impressed with the
success of the Institute trains run
over Its system that they not only
decided to continue them, but request
ed the Southern officials to grant
them permission to run thetr next
institute train over Southern tracks
from Strasburg to Harrisonburg, and
It was granted.
The schedule of the B. ft O. train
follows: Tuesday, May 34. Wadcs
vllle. Kemstown and Middletown;
Wednesday, Harrisonburg, Cave Sta
tion and Verona: Thursday, Brooke
wood, Spotswood, Fairfield and Lex
ington.
The coming Institutes have been
widely advertised and doubtless will
attract reevrd-breaking orowds tof
farmers anxious--learn the theory
of soil betterment, Increasing corn
and potato crops without additional
cost -and apple -growing for money.
These will be the principal subjects
discussed by Commissioner Kolner and
the other lecturer* on the trains.
Two- lecture* of forty-five minutes'
duration each wltt fee given at all of
the stations, and the more the speak
ers are lntemi»MH| with questions by
CITY TAKES LEAD
IN REALTY SALES
County is Close Second, However,
According to Transfers
Recorded.
WEST END IS ACTIVE
Considerable Interest Centers,
About Approaching Sale of
Ford Property.
Realty transfers for the week end
ing May 13, according to clearings!
complied by Blanton & Co., sum up
the total of 1037,728.50. compared j
with a total of $284,480 for the pre- ;
ceding week. Of the former amount,
$340,166.50 Is credited to city traus-j
IVrs and $232,246 to tho county. Sub
urbs show' up with a total of $89,- i
888.50 for tho week, while the annex,
or Washington ward, presents a total i
of $15,428.50.
It is thus seen that the city leads j
with more than a quarter of million
dollars registered In exchange of prop- j
erty, with the county a close' second.
Included in the city transfers, how
ever, is the recent sale of the Seventh
end Broad property for $210,000. In
the county the several transactions, in'
which Julien Gunn figured with tho
Virginia Rallwa yand Bower Com
pany and Richmond College, contrib
ute materially to enlargement of tig
urea in the territory outside the city
limits. In one instance, Mr. Ounn se
cured possession of considerable land
in the vicinity of the Three-Chopt
road and Westhampton for $107,000.
Part of this property was transferred
to the College Terrace Corporation
for $35,000. Oolsan * Nash being
agents for tho company.
Development Continue*.
Development of property In the1
Westhampton section continues apace,
and rumors are rife that plans are In
contemplation for greater extension
of the trolley lines in that territory.
It Is even hinted that tho Goulds con
template an early extension of their
railway properties several miles be
yond Greater Richmond College, and
it is understood that one of them was
In Ktchmond a week or two ago look
ing over the situation with several
officials of the street railway com
pany. Nothing positive, however, can
be ascertained at this time. Whether
the Richmond and Henrico Railway
Company intends invading this terri
tory Is a question open to dispute, al
though reports have it that such will
eventually be tho case. This line still
has much work ahead of It in the
city, and It seems unlikely that any
extension work will be undertaken for
the next few years, at the least. In
fact, this company has hardly begun
its city operations.
Rain Interferes.
Rain during the week interfered
with realty operations, while depres
sion of the stock market is believed
to have kept some money away from
sueh Investments. On the whole,
however, realty operators express
themselves as satisfied with the sit
uation. which was considerably shove
the average In many respects. TAier*
was gratifying activity in city lota and
in some cases syeh property changed
hands several times during the weak.
A notable instance was a piece of
property In close proximity to the
Rattle Abbey site. This property
changed hands twice, running the
total amount of money in the bargain
close ti> to $60,000. Names are
withheld for the present.
' Agents Are Reticent. _J_J
A number of realty agents continue
reluotant to give out Information re
garding sales until they are actually
closed and the deeds are recorded.
Otherwise, they say, the deal* might
be blocked and considerable money
lost in commissions
As a general proposition, they say
times are good and prospects are
bright.
Blanton & Co. report business good
In handling such suburban property
as Warwick Place, Monument
Heights, Chamberlayne Place, nearly
a third of the latter property having
been disposed of, they say, , although
on the market but a few weeks.
IVaciJcaBly aU kg Monument
property on the market In the West
End.
Golsan & Nash report nearly a
so.re of sales In the suburban line
and brighter times are ahead, they
cay.
ford Property Going.
In the city line, attention la di
rected to the approaching sale of
the ford property under order of the
court. This property includes Ford's
hotel, Ford's law building on Ninth
street nuar Grace, and the large
tobacco factory and laundry at j
Twelfth and Lelght streets. Rea! es- |
tate auctioneers for this sale, which
takes place next Wednesday, begin- i
ntng at noon, are John T. Goddin & t
Co., E. A. Gatlin and Pollard &
Rugby.
Another sale of intereat which oc
cura at 6:30 o’clock Saturday after
noon la the auction of a dwelling j
and lot containing two acres on Four- 1
qurean'a lane, which la reached by
way of the Highland Park car start
ing at Seventh and Broad streets.
Oreen * Redd are auctioneers for
this sale.
INDUSTRY CENSUS
ENGS WITH COMET
^_
But Work of Tabulating Will Go
on Despite Omens to the
Contrary.
CITY IS SHOWING IT WELL
| Contemporaneous with the arrival
of Halley g comet next Wednesday, the
time limit sot for the taking of the
eenaua of Richmond's manufacturing
Industries will expire. No fear, how
ever, is entertained th%t the advent
of the celestial wonder, or whatever
experts choose to dub It, will seriously
Interfere with tabulating of the statis
tics and getting them in final shape.
This work began the latter part of
February under direction of Mr.
Albert Snape, who has charge of the
eastern district of Virginia. Mr. Otis
K. Russoil and Mr. W. I>. Richardson
have ueeu collecting the data In
Richmond and, while no statement Is
i forthcoming as yet, It Is understood
•that Hithmnnd will show moro tharr
' K00 industries In the census returns.
Information Confidential.
Amount of capital Invested, num
ber of men employed, wages paid and
Inumber of days workmen were em
ployed during the year 1809. are the
salient points in the statistics being
! gathered. The Information collected
[ is strictly confidential, for obvious
reasons. It will be used by the gov
ernment in formulating reports on
various industrial conditions.
In only a few Instances have the
two enumerators encountered any
special trouble in ascertaining the data
desired, they say.
Manufacturers doing business to
the amount of *600 and more during
the year are Included In the census.
Great f aro has been exercised by the
enumerators In differentiating between
a producer and one who does not pro- j
' duce. For Instance, a saw miller is
Included but the contractor who puts I
uj> a house with the material »snu- |
facture.d Is excluded. A plumber 1» j
excluded while the manufacturer of |
plumbing materials Is lneluded.
Mne Sons Help Him.
An Interesting ease In connection:
with the Industrial census received
the attention of one of Supervisor!
Snape'* men near Glen Allen In Hen
rico county, when an enterprising
negro, with a family of fifteen chil
dren, was discovered operating a saw
mill. His help consisted of his nine
sons, all able-bodied men. The father
and sons owned several hundred acres
of land around the mill and to alii
appearances were well off in worldly
goods.
Virginia, It Is said, will show mark
ed progress In the growth of Its
manufacturing industries during the
past decade. ■
Supervisor Snaps has his head
quarter* tn room No. f In the post
office building and he says if any
manufacturer has been overlooked #«
will deem It a great favor If notified
without delay.
Enumerators Praised.
M>. Snaps speak* vary highly of the
work done by Enumerator* Russell
and Richardson.Xr. Russell was
city
the work
Great Exhibition Opens <
dav in Horse Show Bi
INSTRUMENTS NOW Uf
SOUND-PROOF R
More Thau Fifty Million
of Capital ia Reprose
in Association of
Makers.
Music lovers are promised the
of their lives next week. jfj
More than 100 pianos of t)M*l
make are now In readiness ft#
groat exhibit to be held In the:’jl
Show building. Tuners'have bee#
for the past day or two getttai
instruments In A Xo. 1 shape
finishing touches have been pot pi
soundproof rooms and the ltxterii
the big structure. »
There are sixty of these room*
comfortably furnished and pre«
with hugh glass panels, which p
ample light Inside.
Kach exhibitor has mads sum
ments for special players, wap!
be kept busy Angering the tvoHW
furnishing entertainment Iw^J
monders and others from a dM
who will avail themselves of tlM
portunlty to enjoy the most PI
muslcval fest ever held in tbs pi
othe instruments, such as pfg
phones and the like, wlU add ji
enjoyment of the occasion, -ail
Worth a Million.
Some of the pianos on sirhtl
are the most costly mads, and.
estimated that the total nutnbsnl
struments In the building rspfij
a value of #1,000,000 easily.
A special lighting scheme hpK
devised for the exhibition. elnjP
electric fixtures, hung from t$l|l|l
of the auditorium, being MM
with 10,0 Incandescent bulbs, SsHB
design used at the lnaugurnl ;iS|
scheme of the booths end hull)
white and gold.
Each booth Is equipped wl
phone, service being free ta I
wishing to communicate with.;
delegates at the hotels
More than #50,000,000 capUp]
estimated, is represented In the
bershlp of the National Plane.]
facturers* Association of Ameijp
dor whose auspices the exhibit!
held, together with the nation
taller* and traveling salesmen^
Beta tiers tsmsMs ’Tifnisdni
The manufacturers brought^
convention to a close Saturday.’
lng, so as to be able to give tag
tire time and attention to --Cab
preaching exhibition. TTsIatlwm
number of more then l.ftftft.pji
here In ninth annual eeesten’pB
day. but the houre of the AH
have been so arranged- ***** jtW
not conflict with the sesetonmB
convention. Equally satisfiMPlm
rangements have been magibjjr
lng the cessions of the ttnftlfjjH
who assemble in convention^
The exhibition will be i
trade exclusively on May
Itetween the houre of S a
Exhibitors, their repreaaM
it lng dealers and frteads <
admitted during these I
exhibition will be open i
the general public.
Tuaedey evening hea l
nated ee society night. ■ i
carton a musical program
merit will be given by
States Marine Band, torn
end of the building, with
Bostonia Orchestra at tl
end. ’
Saturday. May
Club of Rlchpeal, it
win give an oreterto ft
an.l evening, with UMtr
voices# accompanied* M