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14
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW, OCTOHER, l'J',1
of Stone & McCarrick sales promoters for
piano dealers. For several years before
joining the Everett Piano Co. Mr. Stone
was with Kohler & Campbell Inc. He is
Announcement has been made by Al- survived by a son and a daughter living
fred L. Smith, executive vice president of in New York.
C. G. Conn, Ltd., Elkhart, Ind., of the pur-
chase by that company of the name,
goodwill and physical assets of Straube
Pianos Inc., Chicago Heights, Dl. It was
also announced that the Straube pianos
will be sold through the Continental
Retail piano sales clinics will be held
Music Co., Chicago, 111., who has acted
as sales representatives for the company in fourteen cities next year it has been
for the past two years "with P. E. Mason as anounced by Lawrence H. Selz, publicity
counsel of the National Piano Manufac-
sales manager.
Straube Pianos Inc., occupies a modern turers Association. The first session will
factory in Chicago Heights, to which it open in St. Paul, Minn, on January 19th
moved last year and which comprises ap- and the closing date will be at Boston,
proximately 60,000 square feet of floor Mass, on March 18th. The dates are as
space. The vice president and superin- follows:
January 19
tendant of the company is Charles H. St. Paul, Minnesota
January 22
Bartholomee who will remain in charge Omaha, Nebraska
Cleveland, Ohio
January 26
of manufacturing.
January 30
The Conn Company also owns the Chicago, Illinois
Cincinnati,
Ohio
February
2
Haddorff Piano Co., Rockford, 111.
New Orleans, La.
February 9
San Antonio, Texas
February 12
Los Angeles, Calif.
February 17
Tuner Unity
San Francisco, Calif.
February 27
{Continued from. Page 10)
February 23
"Now as to the problems arising from Seatle, Washington
March
9
the third fact—the worsening economic Jacksonville, Florida
March 12
situation. It is not our business here to Baltimore, Maryland
March 16
go into an analysis of its causes. Suffice New York, New York
March
18
it to say that we are faced with a fact Boston, Massachusetts
and our task is to meet it squarely and
effectively so that our incomes can be
protected and perhaps even improved.
The big problem is the isolation and lack
of unity existing today in the ranks of
the tuning profession. This is the root of
Ubert Urquhart, former president of the
all our troubles. Isolation and lack of Hazelton Piano Co. of New York, and
unity make for unclarity, aimlessness, later, until he retired in 1929, an associate
competition, confusion, distrust, ill-feeling, of the Aeolian Co. for some years, died
and, consequently—insecurity.
during his sleep, of heart disease on Sept.
"For this state of affairs, tuners have no 23rd at his residence, 60 West Tenth
one to blame but themselves. And as long Street, New York. He was 64 years old.
as this state of affairs exists, just so long
Mr. Urquhart had occupied himself in
shall we be floundering around in the recent years with the construction of rows
morass of competition and insecurity.
of books, or, rather, the backs of books,
"NAPT has struggled without let-up for for display on the stage and screen and
greater tuner-organization, knowing that in store windows. Examples of his work
this is the only answer to the many ques- in this field have been seen in several
tions that confront us. No individual tuner motion pictures, and in Broadway stage
can effectively fight his battle alone. Our productions, including "Lady in the Dark."
individual problems can only be solved
Mr. Urquhart leaves a widow, the
jointly, in common effort through organ- former Charlotte Root; two daughters,
ization and unity.
Mrs. Samuel A. Witlow and Mrs. John J.
"That many tuners approve of organ- Murray, and two sons, Noel and Russell
ization in principle but distrust each other Urquhart.
in practice is true, but that also is nothing
new. That does not prove the impossibility Reinhardt G. Kneupfer Passes
of organizing the majority of tuners.
Conn buys Straube
Pianos Inc.
14 Clinics to be
Held next year
Former piano man
dies suddenly at 64
(To be continued in November)
O. C. Stone Succumbs to Long
Illness
As the Review goes to press word has
beer? received of the death of O. C. Stone,
former vice president of the Everett Piano
Co., South Haven, Mich., after a long
illness. Mr. Stone, who was in his late
70s at the time of his death, was well
known throughout the industry and in
his early days was a member of the firm
A. Dimmock formed the firm of which he
was head when he died. He was also
very active in Masonic circles and was
a 32nd degree Mason. He is survived by
four sisters, one brother Alvin F. Kneupfer
of New York City and several nieces and
nephews.
Funeral services were held on Septem-
ber 23 and interment was at Bellevue
Cemetery.
Knabe windows
attract throngs
Fifth Avenue pedestrians in New York
during the last week in September had
their attention focused on the new front
of the palatial piano wareroom of Wm.
Knabe & Co. on the northeast corner of
47th Street. For months workmen have
been installing two convex invisible glass
windows behind a temporary -wooden
shed. On September 24th this was re-
moved and revealed to the public the
entire artistic wareroom with such visi-
bility that the side walk was crowded
with admirers most of that day and has
been every day since.
New lighting effects in addition to the*
beautiful crystal chandeliers has been
provided. The pastel paneled walls are of
green and gold hung with oil paintings
and tapestries. The floor is covered with
rich rose broadloom and the spa-
ciousness of the wareroom combined with
its high ceilings and a well arranged dis-
play of Knabe grand and console pianos
presents a picture seldom, if ever, seen
even on New York's swankiest retail
business thoroughfares.
The Knabe headquarters occupy four
floors all of which have been entirely re-
decorated, recarpeted and artistically re-
furnished.
Bert J. Hinckley
Treasurer of NAPT for Five Years
ancl Wife Pass Away
Bert J. Hinckley, for the past five years
treasurer of the National Association of
Piano Tuners and for five years previous
to that a member of the executive board
passed away at his home in Kalamazoo,
Mich., on September 18th, just 48 hours
aftei the death of his wife Mrs. Mildred
Hinckley. Mr. Hinckley had been in ill
health for sometime and the loss of his
wife, to whom he had been married for
47 years, proved a fatal shock. For many
years Mr. Hinckley serviced the pianos in
Away in Lawrence, Mass. the public schools of Kalamazoo and had
Reinhardt G. Kneupfer of Kneupfer & built up a large private following. He also
Dimmock, for many years in the piano sold Baldwin pianos in that territory. Both
business in Lawrence, Mass., passed away he and Mrs. Hinckley had been vitally
on September 21st at his home in that interested in the welfare of the NAPT and
city after a lenghty illness. He lived only had always been prominent at the con-
two months after his wife who passed ventions. He was associated with the in-
dustry for over 50 years and was also
away on July 13th.
Mr. Kneupfer was bom in Germany very active in Masonic and Church circles
and came to America at the age of seven. in his home city.
They are survived by a son, two
He opened his first piano store in 1896.
He was also an accomplished musician daughters and six grandsons one of whom
and tuner. Some years later he and Reed is serving in the U. S. Navy.