The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-12-03

NJ EW YoRK.-That music has M charms to loosen the purse
 strings and chatelaine bags or shoppers was discovered eight years ago
 by the head of q department store, says
 an exchange. He wanted to get the public
 to visit his big grocery department ana
 engaged a string orchestra of four or fVe
 pieces to play on a certain day, and ne
 advertised the fact in the newspapers. The housekeeping public read the adYer-
 tisement and descended on the groceries
 or rather on the free music, incidentally
 dropping good many dollars in other de-
 partments before leaving the store. That
 was practically the beginning of free mu-
 sic in department stores.
 The custom of providing music in de- partment stores, so far as can be learned is restricted to this country, and to New York
 In New York total of between $l5OOc
 and SlO0,O00 is spent every winter by the proprietors of ten or a dozen department
 stores in treating their customers to Tree
 vocal and instrumental concerts. Several
 of these stores include a regular music room concert hall
 The programmes rendered extend from
 coon songs to classical compositions. AS
 a result of all this there are hundreds ot
 women whose daily routine includes sev- eral hours in the shops.
 The proprietor of one department store
 told an inquirer the other day that there were women who frequently spent the
 whole day in his store, being attracted
 chiefly by the free music.
 How does 1t happen you are so well up
 on all the popular airs of the day?' asked a busy woman of housekeeper, who can't afford to frequent shows which must be paid for
 .I hear them at Blanks department store,' was the answer. I go there often
 of an afternoon, get pot of tea for dime and make that an excuse to sit and
 listen comfortably to a piano and violin
 stationed just outside of the Japanese tea room. They play almost any piece of music asked for by customers A few months after the introduction of a string orchestra to the tea, coffee, sugar spices pickles, and plum cake department of the concern referred to a second de- partment store adopted the free concert idea with enthusiasm. Not content with giving an almost continuous performance of piano and organ music in one part of the building, the manager has in the last two years arranged two or three evening concerts at which celebrated orchestras, aided by celebrated vocal soloists. have entertained a company of more than 6OO persons. who obtain tickets by simply applying for them to the firm either by letter or in person.
 But this is not all
 During the holiday season last year. at time when 1t would seem as If the crowds in all the stores were dense enough to satisfy the most ambitious pro | prietors, this store furnished as an extra attraction solos and duets sung by well known artists During the intervals of | this programme instrumental music by | piano and organ was performed. S In one department store the mid winter
 musical features which will soon begin | keep three orchestras going-one com posed of mandons only. In order to
 reach all the shoppers in different parts of the huge building none plays for more 1 than one hour in one spot. The store | schedule states at what spot and when each may be heard in turn.
 | Not far away from this building Is an- | other which includes music room fur | nished with rows of chairs, a piano, and many shelves containing piles of sheet music-musc grave and gay, appealing to | any nationality, which is for sale.
 | Any one curious to know how certain | piece of music sounds before making up | his or her mind to buy need only hand it | over to the musician in charge, who plays | 1t on the plano-pays it well. too All | afternoon long this room is filled with l women. An occasional man strays in | looks embarrassed and edges out again. l 1 he piano is seldom silent
 l Almost without exception. proprletors | of stores who furnish free music say that l the practice Is increasing in favor every | day instead of becoming less popular and | that 1t is only a question of time when | even the most conservative of New York s | department stores will fall into line. But | they do not agree as to the reason for | supplying expensive free musical enter tainments along with dry goods. | Hard-headed business men, who every | time they handle a dollar expect to in- | crease 1t. are certain that a big propor- l ton of the New York public wants to | shop to an accompaniment of ragtime or | classic music. Nevertheless, they are not willing to assert that the attempt to grat-