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JANUARY 7,
1922
THE MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
Winners of Chickering Essay Contest
Miss Josephine Williams Wins First Prize of a Chickering Grand in Essay Contest Inaugurated Last August by Chickering
& Sons—George F. Cressey and C. L. Peters Win Second and Third Prizes—Total of 245 Essays
' ,
Submitted Indicates Widespread Interest Evinced in the Contest
Last August Chickering & Sons, the old-estab-
lished and prominent piano manufacturing house
in Boston, made the following interesting and
important announcement to their representa-
tives throughout the country:
"In order to better acquaint the salesmen of
our representatives with the history of the house
of Chickering, the general superiority of its
products and its relation to the American Piano
Co., and thus equip them with a knowledge cal-
The prizes were awarded on December 22, the
winners, who were advised by telegram, being
as follows: First prize—Miss Josephine Williams,
McNeil Co., Stockton, Cal. Second prize—
George F. Cressey, Cressey & Allen, Portland,
Me. Third prize—C. L. Peters, Lauerman Bros.
Co., Marinette, Wis.
Theses receiving honorable mention were sub-
mitted by: Dwight L. Gribble, of Taylor Music
Co., Columbia, Mo.; William E. Flint, of John
Wauamaker, New York; John N. Keyser, of
Arthur Jordan Piano Co., Washington, D. C ;
A. J. Steffen, Lauerman Bros. Co., Marinette,
Wis.; C. W. Leonard, of S. Hamilton Co., Pitts-
burgh, Pa.; Arthur Bissell, of Bissell-Weisert
Piano Co., Chicago, 111.; Charles D. MacDonald,
John Wanamaker, New York, and Horace
Palmer Wells, Wells Music House, Denver, Col.
The total number of theses submitted in the con-
test was 245.
Miss Josephine Williams 9 Winning Essay
Jonas Chickering
dilated to greatly increase their earning capacity
by stimulating Chickering sales, we have de-
cided to offer three prizes for the best, second-
best and third-best theses written on the follow-
ing subject:
"Jonas Chickering, founder; his inventions and
improvements contributed toward the develop-
ment of the piano; his identification with and ac-
tivities in music and mechanics; the general
superiority of Chickering products; the home
of the Chickering and its relation to the Ameri-
can Piano Co., and the benefits resulting there-
from." The prizes offered were:
First—Style G mahogany Chickering grand
piano.
Second—$200 in gold.
Third—$100 in gold.
In order that salesmen and dealers could be
thoroughly informed as to Chickering history a
series of bulletins of information were issued at
intervals, the last one going out on November 10.
Those eligible for the prizes were the piano
and Ampico salesmen in the employ of Chicker-
ing representatives. Chickering representatives
who did not employ salesmen, sales managers and
Chickering representatives who are personally
actively engaged in selling pianos and Ampicos.
The contest closed on November 30. The judges
were: John Lee Mehin, of the Federal Advertis-
ing Agency; Herbert Proudfit, of the Butterick
Pub. Co., and Ralph F. Blanchard, of the Nast
Publications.
Behind the Universe stands God, the Creator.
Behind every earthly production stands man,
the maker. Ever since the world first trembled
into being the people have interestedly studied
their conception of the One who gave it origin
and the Universe itself. So with the products of
to-day—we find intense interest in studying
product and the personality that gave rise to it.
Our essay finds its interest in Jonas Chicker-
ing, the company which he founded, and that
supremely artistic and mechanical marvel which
was subsequently perfected—the Chickering
piano.
Now and then the world is the recipient of an
artistic soul, we are made glad with exquisite
song, with masterful use of lovely colors, with
liquid verse or the immortal drawing forth of
music from instruments which to others are
dumb. We give such personages all homage,
placing our laurel branches at their feet. But
is he who hears the music of fairy fingers and
toils to make fiber, metal and wood respond to
the invisible touch not as great an artist?
Before us is the portrait of Jonas Chickering.
We study the deep, dreamy eyes, the kindly,
well-moulded mouth, the high, smooth forehead,
the slender, aesthetic hand, and know that such
a man is he—dreamer, musician, inventor, finan-
cier, philanthropist.
Mason, a little town nestled in the hills of
New Hampshire, was the birthplace of Jonas
Chickering, in June, 1796. However, the lad
early found that his ambitions were too severely
hampered by the -disadvantages of so small a
community, and with the courage of the truly
great he severed his home ties and alone and
quite penniless followed to Boston the beckon-
ing hand of Beauty. Here, of course, he entered
that line of work which made him later the fore-
most piano manufacturer of America.
In appearance Mr. Chickering was short and
slender, and, like most men who have an ideal
and a life's work, most democratic in dress
and manners. Those with whom he was asso-
ciated found him unfailingly punctual in ap-
pointments, kindly and earnest in his dealings,
cordial and warm in friendliness, lenient to un-
fair business competitors, generous to rival
establishments, untiring and optimistic in indus-
try. His mind was one of inventive genius,
although with it was found in rare combination
financial ability of no ordinary degree. Within
the space of some ten years the lad Jonas
Chickering, with the skilled hands, had become
the man of business who counted his dollars in
six figures—dollars gained not for love of dol-
lars, but dollars which came as a reward for
honesty and an earnest desire to give to the
world that with which it might interpret its
raptures and its sorrows into music.
Add to these qualities an endless admiration
and delight in everything musical and a great
love of his fellow-man and one knows Jonas
Chickering as he was known and beloved in
Boston more than sixty years ago. Beloved we
are sure he must have been, since the societies
with which he was connected tendered him their
highest honors. The Handel and Haydn Society,
a musical organization, claimed him as their vice-
president for three years, president for six years,
during which time he performed the duties of
conductor, and as a trustee most of the time after
1831. Not the least of the honors accorded Mr.
Chickering was that of being elected president
of the Massachusetts Charitable Mechanics' As-
sociation, which contained some of the moijt dis-
tinguished gentlemen of the period on its mem-
bership roster.
Three sons were given Jonas Chickering to
aid him in perfecting his beloved piano and to
give the firm an unshakable position in the
world of finance. The first-born, Thomas E.
Chickering, was a man with the keen under-
standing of one who has familiarized himself
with the great minds of literature and knows the
world in which he lives by extensive travel.
He, as did his two younger brothers, early en-
tered his father's factory as an apprentice and,
thus becoming thoroughly acquainted with its
product, was able to greatly enlarge its wholesale
business.
To C. Francis Chickering, the second son of
Jonas Chickering, must go the honor of grasp-
ing to the point of genius the science of acous-
tics. Equipped with a thorough college educa-
tion, supplemented with a complete course in
the Chickering factory, he possessed an energy
that was seemingly exhaustless and an ability
that was a delight to his father. Indeed, the
zeal of the younger Chickering was such that
his health failed and a trip to India was neces-
sary to restore him to his old vigor. However,
several maidens in far-away India felt the profit
of his illness, for tucked into the cargo of the
ship which took him to the East were a num-
ber of Chickering pianos. One may fancy the
joy with which these were received in a land so
distant from the heart of the musical world.
Health having been restored, Mr. Chickering
delved into his work with the old zeal and skill.
His wonderful ability in creating new scales be-
came a source of never-ending comment and ad-
miration among the men who comprised the
(Continued on page 10)
or over 25 years Specialists
in high grade Piano Cases
Paterson Piano
Case Co.
PATERSON, N. J.