information about O. D. Weaver and The McDonnell Piano Co.

from The Music Trade Review:

CHICAGO, ILL., 1905, March 15
Among the visiting dealers the past week were: F. Haseman, Paris, Ill.; N. S.
Baber, Paris, Ill., who is also opening a branch at Mattoon; John McDonald,
Ellsworth, Kan.; J. H. Rehm, manager for R. S. Field, Ottumwa, Ia.

CHICAGO, ILL., 1906, July 30
Owing to the phenomenal success of the Weaver organ method, of which over
50,000 copies have been sold during the last 16 months, the publishers, O. D.
Weaver & Co., 195 Wabash avenue, are now preparing to bring out a
companion book in a new method of piano instruction, which Mr. Weaver
claims will excel anything now on the market. Copy is now in the hands of the
plate maker, and the book will be ready for the trade in four or five weeks.
The success of the organ book, achieved in spite of the large number of other
books on the market, is in itself a proof of its excellence. It has recently been
adopted by a large number of dealers and manufacturers, who, by the way,
particularly commend the unusually clear and concise description of the
different parts of the organ and the instruction for its care and the remedying
of minor organ troubles.

CHICAGO, ILL., 1906, November 14
John McDonnell, the well-known piano dealer of Kansas City, Kan., and U. L.
Means, who has stores at Sterling and Winfield, Kan., have consolidated
their business interests, and will organize the McDonnell-Means Piano Co.
All three stores will be continued by the new company, and Messrs.
McDonnell and Means will both make their headquarters at Kansas City,
Kan. They also intend adding talking machines in a retail way at once, and
will probably become jobbers in this line the first of the year.

NEW YORK, 1907, August 17
John McDonnell has opened a handsome piano store in Kansas City, Mo.,
and has a carload of Cable-Nelson pianos in stock.

CHICAGO, ILL., 1907, November 6
John McDonnell, who recently withdrew from the McDonnell-Means Piano
Co., and opened for himself at 1232 Main street, Kansas City, Mo., is
having a nice trade on Cable-Nelson.

CHICAGO, ILL., 1908, September 1
O. D. Weaver, the well known stool and scarf man, and the publisher of the
celebrated Weaver organ and piano instruction books, visited his old home,
Freeport, Ill., last week and attended the ceremonies there incident on the
anniversary of the Lincoln-Douglas debates.

CHICAGO, ILL., 1908, September 1
Among the visiting dealers the past week were M. Earl Clark, of Monroe,
Wis., and John McDonnell, of Kansas City, Kans.

NEW YORK, 1910, November 26
The Butler & Son Piano Co. have taken over the business of the McDonnell
Piano Co., 710 Minnesota avenue, Kansas City, Kan. The stock in the
McDonnell store is now being closed out at special sale.

CHICAGO, ILL., 1911, July 12
John McDonald, of Kansas City, Kan., is in the city on his way to Canada,
where he will spend a week or so visiting relatives.

CHICAGO, ILL., 1912, August 20
John McDonald, Cable-Nelson dealer of Kansas City, visited the company's
offices in Chicago this week en route to Canada, where he goes to spend
his vacation.

CHICAGO, ILL., 1914, February 17
John McDonnell, of the McDonnell Piano Co., Kansas City, Kan., was a
visitor to the headquarters of the Cable-Nelson Piano Co.

KANSAS CITY, MO., 1914, August 10
F. L. Mooney, formerly with the Frazier-Lo Bello Music Co., and E. B.
Segerstrom, formerly with the Segerstrom Piano Manufacturing Co., have
organized the Mooney Music Co., in this city. The new company has
purchased the stock of the McDonnell Piano Co., and the good will of the
Frazier-Lo Bello Music Co., and will make its headquarters at 1222 Grand
avenue, where a representative line of instruments will be handled. The
McDonnell Piano Co. will continue to operate its store in Kansas City, Kan.

NEW YORK, 1914, November 28
The McDonnell-Segerstrom Piano Co., of Kansas City, Mo., has been
incorporated with capital stock of $10,000. The incorporators are John
McDonnell and Francis L. Monney [Frances L. Mooney].

CHICAGO, ILL., 1915, October 11
Among visiting dealers were: F. Lehmann, East St. Louis; John McDonald,
Kansas City, Mo.; Mr. Middleton, of L. B. Middleton & Sons, Eagle Grove,
Ia.; T. F. Franey, Plymouth, Wis.; A. H. Fitch, Arkansas City, Kan.; D. E.
Wells, Hoopeston, Ill.

KANSAS CITY, MO., 1915, December 13
John McDonnell, of the McDonnell Piano Co., Kansas City, Kan., has
returned from a successful business trip in the western part of the State. The
McDonnell Piano Co. last week sold a fine Cable & Nelson player-piano to
one of the principals of the Kansas City high schools.

KANSAS CITY, MO., 1916, May 29
The McDonald Piano Co., 630 Minnesota Ave., Kansas City, Kan., has
taken over the lease and line of pianos formerly handled by the Mooney
Music Co., at 1222 Grand avenaue, and will conduct the business. In addition
to carrying the same line of instruments, the McDonald Co. will also have
the Columbia and Edison Diamond Disc talking machines. Miss Frances
Mooney, proprietor of the Mooney Music Co., has opened a store at 125
West Eleventh street, where she will carry a line of players and pianos not
yet announced.

KANSAS CITY, MO., 1916, July 10
John McDonnell, who recently opened his new store on Grand avenue, is
very well pleased with the returns. Mr. McDonnell has been trying to
educate the people to the point where they may expect a bargain at his store.
He believes he has succeeded so far.

KANSAS CITY, MO., 1916, July 18
John McDonnell, who has established a second store in Kansas City, Mo.,
spends most of his time in his original store, in Kansas City, Kan.

KANSAS CITY, MO., 1916, July 25
John McDonnell, with a store in Kansas City, Mo., and another in Kansas
City, Kan., is considering the project of moving all his stock to the Missouri
side. However, Mr. McDonnell's fondness for Kansas is well known, and it is
considered doubtful if he could tear himself away from the place where he has
been in business for so many years, especially since Kansas City, Kan.,
seems to be improving as a trade center right along.

KANSAS CITY, MO., 1916, August 12
John McDonnell, 1222 Grand avenue, is beginning to do some serious
thinking. Six weeks from date Mr. McDonnell will have to be out of his
present location. The building is to be torn down and a larger and better one
built. As yet Mr. McDonnell has made no arrangements for moving, although
he is holding a sacrifice sale.

KANSAS CITY, MO., 1916, September 11
The building in which John McDonnell has his Kansas City, Mo., store, will
be remodeled next month; Mr. McDonnell will seek new quarters before
October 1. It is possible that he may return to the present location after the
improvements are made. It will be a two-story building, with terra cotta front,
and is in a desirable location. The company has been holding a sacrifice sale
with excellent results, although the removal feature has not been exploited.
Mr. McDonnell is rather punctilious as to honesty in advertising, and the
chance that he may later again occupy the same location deters him from
advertising a removal. Mr. McDonnell has recently moved his Kansas City,
Kan., store from 630 to 712 Minnesota avenue. The new store is larger, and
in a better building, than the old one, and has a fine large display window. It
is opposite the post office, and in perhaps the best developed business block
in the city, in the western district towards which high class business is more
and more tending.

KANSAS CITY, MO., 1916, September 18
The McDonnell Music Co. has secured the contract to supply the school
system of Kansas City, Kan., with pianos during the coming winter season.
The McDonnell Co. had this contract last year also. By the terms of the
contract the pianos are rented to the schools for an agreed sum during the
winter course. Several of the buildings were remodeled this summer, and as
a result Mr. McDonnell was forced to take the pianos out. He has installed
over twelve pianos in the schools this year.

KANSAS CITY, MO., 1916, September 25
The McDonnell Music Co., is still making minor adjustments of stock in its
new quarters in Kansas City, Kan., for the most effective displays, and
expects a considerable increase of business in the new location.

KANSAS CITY, MO., 1916, October 9
The J. McDonnell Music Co., formerly at 1222 Grand avenue, has recently
moved to 1125 McGee street. The lease on the former building ran out
October 2, and the old building is to be torn down and a new one erected
soon. The McDonnell Co. will return to the new building if the terms are
suitable. Mr. McDonnell, president of the company, is now on a trip to
southern Canada. He will visit in Chicago on his way back to Kansas City.

CHICAGO, ILL., 1916, October 10
John McDonald, the well-known piano dealer of Kansas City, Mo., and
Kansas City, Kan., is a visitor this week.

KANSAS CITY, MO., 1916, October 16
John McDonnell, of the McDonnell Piano Co., has just returned from a trip
through southern Canada by way of Chicago, and says he had a good time as
well as a successful business trip. The new quarters in the Argyle Building at
Twelfth and McGee streets, are undergoing complete redecoration. The store
had one entrance on McGee street, and Mr. McDonnell is now putting in a
new entrance on Twelfth street. This will be a great advantage for the
company, as many street car lines run on Twelfth, and it is a more populous
thoroughfare than McGee.

KANSAS CITY, MO., 1916, November 13
The McDonald Piano Co. has recently made another entrance to its store,
which leads to Twelfth street, the other entrance being on McGee street.
Mr. Berry, manager of the store, reports that he hopes to "catch the people
coming and going" with the two entrances.

KANSAS CITY, MO., 1916, December 18
W. R. Berry, well-known in the piano business in the Kansas City section,
and for the past year manager of the McDonnell Piano Co. in Kansas City,
Mo., is now connected with the Smith, Barnes & Strohber Piano Co. here,
of which T. E. Johnson is the manager. Mr. Berry is an old hand in the game,
having been in the business for himself for a number of years in Kansas City,
and is thoroughly acquainted with the ins and outs of the trade. E. B.
Segerstrom, formerly with the Chase & Baker Piano Co., and more recently
having had charge of the sale of the stock of the old Mooney Piano Co.,
which failed about a year ago, is now with the McDonnell Piano Co. John
McDonnell, proprietor of the McDonnell Piano Co., with houses in this city
and Kansas City, Kan., has just left for a week's business trip in Utah, where
he is interested in closing a deal on a ranch on which he already has a
mortgage.

KANSAS CITY, MO., 1917, March 27
Emil Segerstrom, formerly manager of the McDonnell Piano Co., has
resigned. The McDonnell Piano Co., on the Kansas side, has been
discontinued, the stock now being combined with that of the McDonnell Piano
Co. in Kansas City, Mo.

KANSAS CITY, MO., 1917, May 29
John McDonnell, whose place is on McGee street, made nice sales last week.
One of them was a high class player, another a good piano, the sales being
well divided between the well-to-do customers and the wage-earners.

KANSAS CITY, MO., 1918, April 15
John McDonnell, having closed his Kansas City, Mo., store, is continuing his
retail business from Kansas City, Kan., headquarters on Minnesota avenue,
but finds it frequently necessary to make deliveries to Kansas City, Mo. He
still has many friends on the Missouri side of the State line, and continues
his occasional solicitation of their piano purchases. When street car service
is normal his present store is not much farther by time from residence
districts of either city than the downtown district of Kansas City, Mo. At
present, however, the service is not as fast as it will be in a few months,
when new viaducts will be opened, and when the traffic between the two cities
is increased, with better facilities. The Kansas City, Kan., merchant—who is
alive—has a community of about half a million to draw from, quite as truly as
the merchants in the larger city.

KANSAS CITY, MO., 1919, January 6
The McDonnell Music Co., Kansas City, Kan., had a most wonderful holiday
season. Practically every instrument in stock was sold. One of the principle
stimulating factors in their trade was the street car strike. Inter-city street
car service was very limited, and it was practically impossible for the people
on the Kansas side to come to Missouri for shopping. This fact was a great
stimulus to all lines of business on the Kansas side. John McDonnell, of the
McDonnell Music Co., together with several other business men, is
interested in a proposition to establish a manufacturing plant for talking
machines. He will call his machine "The Donola." During the holiday trade
Mr. McDonnell took in several organs in exchange on talking machines and
pianos. While organs are generally considered an instrument of the past, yet
it is not difficult to move them. Mr. McDonnell finds ample market for his
second-hand organs and they sell at a margin fair enough to allow him to
handle them at a profit.

KANSAS CITY, MO., 1919, May 10
J. C. McDonnell, who recently closed his store in Kansas City, Kans., to
open his new establishment in Kansas City, Mo., at 1217 Grand avenue, has
placed a complete stock of Cable-Nelson pianos in his sales parlors. Mr.
McDonnell is particularly pushing the phonographs, and has placed on the
market the "Donola."

KANSAS CITY, MO., 1919, July 11
J. C. McDonnell, proprietor of the McDonnell Music Co., at 1217 Grand
avenue, recently said: "Business has been exceedingly good during the past
month and I attribute a great deal of the success of the month to the fact
that I have secured a nice quantity of business from Kansas City, Kan." Mr.
McDonnell for many years was engaged in the piano business in that city
and only recently moved his establishment to the Missouri side of the river.
The two cities are connected by trolley and elevated lines.

KANSAS CITY, MO., 1919, July 28
The J. C. McDonnell Music Co., is continuing the work upon its store at
1217 Grand avenue. The company began the assembling of its machine, the
Donola, and installed a line of Cable-Nelson pianos and players, but was so
busy with the new machine that the work of completing the sales floor and
the demonstrating booths was neglected. The interior of the establishment
has now been completely arranged and is being done in white enamel, giving
the store a neat, cool and attractive appearance.

CHICAGO, ILL., 1919, August 5
John McDonald, of Kansas City, Mo.; S. S. Oakford, of Omaha, Neb.;
Frank Howard, of J. W. Jenkins' Sons Music Co., of Kansas City, Mo., and
H. Beck, of Carthage, Mo., were visiting merchants in the city last week.

KANSAS CITY, MO., 1919, August 25
William R. Berry, who for some time was manager of the J. C. McDonnell
Music Co., at 1217 Grand avenue, recently resigned his position there.

KANSAS CITY, MO., 1919, September 22
John McDonnell, of the McDonnell Music Co., declares that the trade has
been exceptionally good during the past few weeks. The carload which he
had long been expecting finally arrived, having been on the road
approximately thirty days.

KANSAS CITY, MO., 1920, March 23
The John McDonnell Music Co. is devoting almost its entire attention to
the new Donola talking machine which the company lately begin to assemble.
Mr. McDonnell, however, continues to devote his attention to the piano
business.

from Presto: