The San Francisco call., 1905-02-17
MUSICAL.
BACK UP THERE!
ONLY 81 DAYS
The Old House Must Be
Losing Its Memory.
Do They Mean Anything,
and If So What Is 1t?
Hereafter When Others
Do Something Wonderful
Please Take Notice.

From an advertisement appearing
in the Chronicle of a week ago last
Sunday, over the signature of an old
established music house of this city,
we note the following paragraph:
The opportunity of a lifetime for per-
sons wishing a genuine KNABE, piano to
secure one as O substantial saving from
regular prices.
Cut prices are often offered on. 'cheap.
and even on medium grade pianos but
an opportunity TO secure a high grade
piano at anything below regular prices is
rare indeed 1t IS only on some such oc-
casfon as this, and such occasions are in
frequent In fact, no such condition OF
anairs has ever before prevailed in our
experience, and we have been in the mu-
sic business in San Francisco continu-
ously for tlfty-four years"
Now, in a friendly way, we wish to
take exceptions to that broad state
ment, for it will be remembered our
house-the firm of Clark Wise & Co.
made a tremendous sacrifice sale Of
Weber" pianos not over sixty days
ago, cutting the price on the various
upr1ghts of that make all the way
from S163 to $3.50 below the retail
prices for same, even as they are reg
uIarly retalled for right in the city of
New york, where they are built: and
the Weber has always been considered
nigh grade piano-at least it was so
considered when built by Albert We
per- and while he was on earth it was
played in public concerts, and in
dorsed by many noted pianists, and
even since the ''Webers'' ceased to
build the piano. it has been indorsed
by some celebrated singers; therefore
we consider the Weber high grade
piano still, and we believe the musical
public SO considers it.
We did not claim that the Weber
cost as much money wholesale at the
factory as the Knabe, or the Stein
way, or the Everett, or the Chicken
ing; or that it stood so prominently
before the musical world at the pres
ent time as several of the great artis-
tic makes-leaderS like the Steinway.
knabe, and Everett. which are being
so prominently played in public con-
certss before the world each season,
by such great and celebrated pianists
as Paderewski, d'Albert, Gabrilo-
witSch, Reisnauer, and otherS-but we
did say that the Weber piano cost a
lot of money. and that it was worth
a lot of money; and that it was a
strictly high grade plano.
We believed then, and we believe
now, that the Weber is a high grade
piano; and we know that we made as
great a cut, or sacrifice on high grade
months ago (if Weber is a high grade
piano) as was ever made on high
grade pianos anywhere.
And now comes along this old es-
tablished house with it's ad, and says
that low grade pianos. and sometimes
medium grade pianos are offered in
cut price, or sacrifice sales. but never,
in their experience Of fifty-four years
in the piano business in this city, have
they before known of high grade
pianos being sold at cut prices in a
special sale till they then and there
themselves offered some Knabes
that way-'.Not in fifty-four years.
hah, and since our great sacrifice
sale of ''Webers' for spot cash. il
hasn't been ffty-four days-Well. a
year is but a day with some people.
We feel somewhat aggrieved at the
above paragraph in their ad, from the
fact that we don't know whether they
mean to reflect on our veracity, integ-
rity or Judgment. 1t may be that their
whole ad is a joke, and that it don't
mean anything, but if it does, ii must
mean one of two things-either that
We didn't sell Webers low enough in
that sale to be considered a cut price
sale (and that reflects on both our in
tegrity and veracity, for we said we
did, and we got the money-S387-
and that ought to be low enough for
a Weber to be quite a special sale).
or, IL means lIldl THE WeDeE Is only n
medium grade" piano, and that re-
fleets on our judgment, for we said it
was high grade; but.sif our judgment
should be at fault in that respect-in
regard to the Weber quality-and
that the Weber is in reality only a
medium grade piano after all. then
we are more glad than ever that they
have the weber" agency now, and
that we have the Everett"
The most charitable view we can
take of the above Objectionable para
graph in their ad is, that it was a typo
graphical error-got in there somehow
through mistake in the printing Of
fice-and giving them the benefit of
the doubt, we would suggest that they
cut il out; for we have about twenty
new and beautiful Webers on hand
yet-sixteen of which came in car
load ten days after our great Weber
sale was started. and which were not
unlocked till about two weeks ago, and
which we are liable at any time to Of
fer quite low enough to satisfy any
future agent for the Weber that It's
more than a special sale" we are
making, and one not likely to be for
gotten in fifty-four days.
Clark Wise a Co.