Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-07-31

Attracting Customers and Getting Inyi-
tatiOns to Country Parties.

Attracting Customers and Getting InYi-
tatiOns to Country Parties.
Neao 1ork Sun.
81 want something new in the lancers'
line said a young cOuntrvman as he en-
tered music store the other day.
They're going to have barn warming at
Squire Benton's next week, and | want
the latest thing out. / can't read music,
so l want you to pick out the liveliest set
you've got for me-"
''Could you tell what you want if you
heard it played?'
Hear it played? Why, who's going to
play it? Of course l could tell.''
''Here, Miss Mollie,' called out the
dealer, ''please play these sets three Of
lancers for the gentleman
This way, sir, please said Miss Mol
lie, very pretty and pleasant spoken
young person, as she walked toward
the rear of the store, followed by the
young countryman.
She opened an upright piano and dashed
off one laDcers after another.
'Guess I'll take them all three said
the cOuntryman, land l guess the folks
would like it if you'd come up and play
for them. That is, all but Maria Larkins
would like it. She's to play herself and
it would make her kind of mad like to
have you there. She can't force the turn
dS YOU Gail. DuJ uO ludtIbF ABOUT MARTA,
L guess Benton's folks would be glad to
have you up.'
"Well," said Miss Mollie, II don't want
to hurt Miss Maria's feelings, and Pm
afraid Pm wanted here, but my sister will
be glad Of chance to go. She plays for
parties"
"Can she swoop down on the tune as
steady as you can"
''steadier," said Miss Mollie, with
laugh.
And that's how her sister came to spend
Sunday in the country with Benton's
folks.
care there many dealers who employ
musical clerks to play the piano?' we
asked.
"a good many he replied. ''You see, a
great many customers can't tell a tune by
reading it from the sheet. They have to
hear it,
But wouldn't they take it on your re-
commentator?
''They might. But you see Miss Mollie
has just sold three sets of lancers to that
young fellow. | could have sold him
only one. So it pays to engage some one
to play"
Just then young lady entered the
store.
81 was buying something next door,"
she said, "and heard some one playing
in here. I'd like to buy the tune l heard
Played
"Does that often happen?'' asked the
reporter of the dealer.
every often. So often that when
business is slack | get Miss Mollie to
play on the piano. That attracts custom
ers."
Scan Miss Molle sing?"
''NO, she doesn't sing. It's very diff
cult to find a clerk who can play and sing
too. OF course singing would attract
many more, but | doubt if the profit
wouldn't be eaten up by the extra sum |
would have to pay singer. | think a
pianist more satisfactory"
"Do you pay the clerks who play
the piano larger wages than ordinary
clerks?'
''Oh, yes. That's only Just. There's
Miss Mollie. She's worth at least $40 a
week more than an ordinary clerk. She
used to play for dancing at evening par
| ties. Now she can make almost as much
here without having to be up late at
night. Her sister plays for parties, and
in summer manages to get good many
engagements out of town."
just then somebody asked for waltz,
and the dealer turned to serve him.
This customer had hardly departed when
another entered and said to Miss MOllie:
I'D like the Misery from "FrOya-
tore"
The reporter watched Miss MOllie with
admiration as, without a moments hest
tatiOn or the trace of a smile, she handed
down the 'EMiserere.''
'Do people often make mistakes like
that?"
''Oh, yes" she answered. ''Sometimes
they don't come so near the title. They
ask for the Misery without mentioning
'TrOvatOrei You wouldn't believe it,
but some one asked for the 'COnvicts
Song and they often want the Prison
Tune all of which stand for the Mis-
erere.'"
''DO they ever get the singer or player
mixed up with the compOser?"
'''ve often had them come in and ask
for that pretty song OF COmpanini's' or
Missions, called Coming Through the
Rye But the most ridiculous feature of
the business is that they always seem to
think I've been to the opera the night be-
fore. Can you let me have that song
Galassi sang last night when he put his
head down and butted like bullY That's
question that's often asked. Everybody
who asks wants the ToreadOr's song from
Carmen OF course, they think that 1
saw Galassi at the Academy the night be-
fore"
Don't they sometimes get the keys
wrOng|'
"Wel, should say so. The other day
lady came in here and said: Can you
let me have the first duet between Phyllis
and Strephon in the first act of Iolanthe,
in two fiatsY"
3" i am sorry l replied, "but the duet
is in ID major, two sharps.'"
THAT'S too bad,' she said. 4 can't sing
in two sharps. I've only learned to sing
in two flats"
Il suppose many of your customers buy
only dance musicY
'MOst of them. And it's really re-
markable how rabid these people are.
They think everything ought to be turned
into dance for them. They want Lucia
waltzes, Carmen pOlkas, 'TrOvatOre' Ian
GERS"
''Do you have customers who come in
and expect you to tell what they want
from a vague description of the musicr'
"AnY number of them just ask for the
bird or the bell piece. There are about
three hundred of each kind. We have
Monastery Bells Crystal Bells,' Even
ing Bells;' in fact, all kinds of bells eX-
cept dumb bells. Others really have no
idea what they want. They just come in
and look over the music until they come
across something that strikes their fam
cy. Some people buy piece simply be-
cause they like the picture on the title
| page
just then young man entered and
asked for the song with the picture of ga
fellow and his girl in a boat" and Miss
MOllie was obliged to look through stack
of sheet music.