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MAY
30, 1925
THE
MUSIC TRADE
155
REVIEW
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against him, providing he would keep in touch
with them in the future.
Mr. Smith's store occupies a space that is
rather unique, being fifteen feet in width and
125 feet long. I was really amazed and sur-
prised to note that every fixture in the entire
lay-out was made of the finest type of solid
mahogany, which, of course, lends a real high
grade atmosphere to the store.
During my short interview with him, he dis-
played a great deal of optimism and satisfac-
tion in being located in Tampa. For him, busi-
ness is going along splendidly, although there
are set-backs in Florida as well as elsewhere.
While he does quite a large instalment business,
a good deal of his volume is strictly cash. I
was also let in on the secret that Mr. Smith
is a Floridan by adoption only, being like myself
a Bostonian by birth. He is very proud of it.
Mr. Smith is a graduate of the New England
Conservatory of Music in Boston.
Sketching Mr. Smith, I would say he is a
kindly type of fellow and that really accounts
for his success. Putting it in the words of a
philosopher, "Kindness is the night dew that
saves the flower of friendship from day to day."
This evidently is Mr. Smith's guiding thought.
While directing some of the work in the store,
I heard Mr. Smith say to one of the boys:
"Don't be a turtle." This being a new phrase
to me, I asked him just what he meant by that.
He said he often expressed himself in this man-
ner when he wanted someone to get busy and
stay on the job until it was finished. It was
told to him when a youngster, and this is the
story:
Among the tall fir trees in the backwoods of
Massachusetts (this may have been a fable, Mr.
Smith said, but he thought I would enjoy it)
two bullfrogs were sitting on a log, sunning
themselves. "You don't look well to-day," said
one bullfrog to the other. "No," said his
friend, "I have a terrible headache." "That's
too bad, I wish I had some aspirin to give
you." Just then a turtle whizzed by—you know
how turtles do whiz. He waddled himself up
to where the sick bullfrog was sitting and said:
"I'm sorry you have a headache, I'll go and
get you some aspirin." The bullfrog was very
grateful and the turtle disappeared in the direc-
tion of the village drug store. Five years rolled
by—they were five long headachy years for the
bullfrog. One day his friend turned to him
and said: "That turtle never showed up with
the aspirin." "No," said the sick bullfrog. "You
never can depend upon a turtle." Just then
the turtle stuck his head out of the water near-
by and said: "Just for that dirty crack, I won't
get the aspirin at all."
Turner Music Co.
The Turner Music Co., with headquarters at.
608 Franklin street, operates branch stores in
Miami, St. Petersburg, and Orlando, all in
Florida. The head of the firm, J. A. Turner, is
a man well known to the entire industry. This
firm carries the Knabe, Packard, Mathushek,
Marshall & Wendell, Brambach, Turner, Am-
pico, Story & Clark pianos, Victor, Brunswick
and Edison phonographs and records, Vega and
Washburn mandolin lines, and Lyon & Healy
and Gretsch band instruments. It also has a
modern sheet music department.
Unfortunately, during my stay at Tampa, Mr.
Turner was out of the city, visiting his other
branch stores. Nevertheless, I was very cordi-
ally received by T. I. Geyer, the manager of
the Tampa branch, who was delighted to show
me through the Turner building, which consists
of three floors, the approximate space of each
floor being 3500 square feet.
The interior of the entire building is attractive
and very cleverly laid out. Each department
is trimmed in splendid form to make it as al-
luring as possible to the consumer. The sales
studios are located on the mezzanine floor,
where there is a very elaborate display of grand
pianos. A great deal of thought and care is
given to the windows. Attractive signs call
attention to the new releases on the phono-
graph records; they can't help but catch the
eye of the window-shopper.
This concern has a very competent repair
department, consisting of six factory trained
men, qualified and capable in the repairing of
pianos, string and wind instruments, or even a
pipe organ. Mr. Geyer stated there were thirty-
six people in the entire Turner organization,
all displaying efficiency.
I was given to understand that Mr. Turner
was very active in civic affairs locally. He is
Past-Vice of the Rotary Club of Tampa, a mem-
ber of the Shrine—and that he was of the home-
loving type. He recently built a fifty thousand
dollar home in which he installed a ten thou-
sand dollar pipe organ.
Mr. Geyer made it clear to me that he was
promoted to his present position of manager,
by the faith Mr. Turner placed in his ability.
He was in the repair department for five years
and gradually worked himself up to this mana-
gerial position. It can easily be seen that Mr.
Geyer is the type who possesses a lot of good
qualities. First of all, being a young man, that
is a great deal in his favor. He certainly dis-
plays a lot of grit—in fact he said: "Grit is
excellent everywhere—eyes excepted." Results
are the only things that count in success. Ef-
ficiency is an old scheme and the theory of
it sounds well but results tell whether you
have actually put your efficiency to work.
Mr. Geyer also said: "While it is quite possible
for many of us to exist quite comfortably with-
out an appendix, having a conscience is im-
portant—although many get on without both
in spite of the fact that they were given to
them by birth. Unless a man links what he
thinks with the everlasting service of hard work
he will stop not far from where he started.
Do what you are doing better each day and
some day they will single you out as a success
at what you are doing. From this point on,
the tide is with you."
M IMSHJL l O U
(And III Hade Someone
After You're Gone)
Fox Trot Si
When I first entered the store, I made a
direct bee-line for the sheet music department
and was immediately met by a lady with con-
siderable fascination and charm. This lady is
the manager of the sheet music department—
Mrs. Ethel Pragg—just modest, doesn't bragg.
She is the type who is always alert, capable
and dependable. It was quite evident that this
department is well stocked with standard ma-
terial, Schirmer Library, Fischer Edition,
Theodore Presser edition, Black and White
Series, Carrie Jacobs Bond songs, Boston Mu-
sic Co. line, Century Edition, and popular music
very attractively displayed, with racks nicely
scattered throughout the store.
To Mrs. Pragg dependability means doing a
thing when it should be done. "You may be
ever so capable but ability without action is
an engine without speed. Postponers are sel-
dom promoted, delayers get the gate. Promises
are like debts incurred. If not promptly met,
they soon become incriminating evidence
against us." The success of the Turner music
department, Mrs. Pragg claims, is due to the
fact that it has overcome the long step in sell-
ing to the consumer, particularly the new cus-
tomer. Many are lost between the first and
second sales, for the first sale can always be
termed a trial. The repeat sale can only come
through merit which must be given by the sales
person or merchant in order to build up his
business.
From general observation and from what Mr.
Geyer had to say, it is very evident that Mr.
Turner is the type of individual who keeps his
entire organization in a happy frame of mind.
He is said to be exceedingly kind toward his
people and particularly interested in their hap-
piness. He has made their surroundings very
pleasant and agreeable, quite different from
many other institutions who are only interested
in what they can get out of their employes.
This organization feels as they rise each day
that there is a sort of joy in their hearts, a
sense of contentment which comes as a reward
of work well done and appreciated.
"Red" usually means danger in traffic, on a
man's nose, a bull's eye and on a woman's lips.
But the setting of the red sun in Tampa was
unusually soothing to me as I watched it go
down into the horizon.
Richard Powers in the East
Richard Powers, Eastern representative for
Sherman, Clay & Co., has been one of the fea-
tures at the New York Hippodrome during the
past week, where, with Frederick Kinsley, the
organist, he has rendered the Sherman, Clay &
Co. publication "On the Oregon Trail." Mr.
Powers sang through the organ pipes of the
Hippodrome's mammoth organ.
Consult the Universal Want Directory of
The Review. In it advertisements are inserted
free of charge for men who desire positions.