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A Splendid Tribute to the
Late Richard W. Lawrence
A testimonial booklet has just been
issued by the YMCA of the City of
New York entitled—"In Memoriam" for
Richard W. Lawrence, the late chairman
of the board of the Aeolian American
Corp., who was since a boy vitally in-
terested in the development of the
YMCA and at times raised as well as
donated money for its support.
The pamphlet contains not only a
foreword by the president, Frank M.
Totton, but also the resolutions of the
Board of Directors of the YMCA of the
City of New York, the resolutions of
the Board of Trustees of the YMCA of
the City of New York, and a tribute by
the Dr. Ralph W. Sockman, minister
of Christ Church Methodist, New York.
In the foreword, President Totton
states—"The memory of Richard W.
Lawrence will always be green. When
this outstanding leader died, the City
of New York lost one of its finer citizens.
A deep shadow is thrown across its
religious, civic and business institu-
tions."
"The Young Men's Christian Asso-
ciation local, state and national will all
mourn his untimely death. His alle-
giance to this organization spanned his
youth and manhood. His leadership
in the association was dynamic. He
gave of himself and his means was
devoted unselfishly."
"His interests were so widespread
that branch boards throughout the city
have adopted resolutions expressing
their sense of loss."
"This booklet is published perma-
nently to record the affection he en-
gendered in the hearts of those who
followed him as a friend and leader;
and' to pay tribute to the memory of
a man whose life was dedicated to his
fellow men."
A full-page photograph, the most
recent one taken before Mr. Lawrence's
untimely death, is reproduced on the
fourth page of the brochure.
"Weekends With Music" Promoted
by Standard Oil Co., of N. J.
An illustration regarding what other
industries are doing to interest people
in music is manifested in the promotion
of the Standard Oil Co. of New Jersey,
which conducts "Weekends with Music".
Every Friday three students nominated
by high schools of the nation as their
most able musical spokesmen are
brought to New York by the Standard
Oil Co. The weekend includes atten-
dance at such events as the opera, con-
certs, ballet, theatre rehearsals end
broadcasts, and also personal inter-
views with celebrated artists backstage
and in their homes. In the January
issue of the magazine "Seventeen" there
was a 2-page story regarding "Week-
ends with Music." The story was built
around the experience of a 17-year old
girl. It shows pictures of her at the
Sunday broadcast of the New York
Philharmonic symphony over the Co-
lumbia Broadcasting System, accompan-
ied by two young men who were the
guests of the Standard Oil Co. also
over that weekend.
Other pictures show other teenagers
visiting the studios of various promi-
nent musicians as well as ballerinas
and musical comedy stars. All of this
carried out in the interests of music.
Act of Kindness Leads
to Music Store Purchase
Believe it or not, the main character
in the heart-warming Cinderella story
is really not mythical. Since Charles
Perrault penned the historical legend
of this little "miss", her counterpart
pops up in real life someplace every
once in a while.
Take Martha Culbreth, for instance.
A pretty 19 year old girl on two weeks'
vacation in Myrtle Beach, S. D., last
summer.
As Martha was walking through the
lobby of the resort hotel on a hot sum-
mer afternoon, an elderly lady asked
her if she would mind getting her a
glass of water. Martha not only fetched
the water, but also a goodly portion
of kindness and further considerations.
The lady's name was Mrs. Baker. They
soon became fast friends and, as the
vacation ended, both promised to keep
in touch with each other.
A few months later when Martha
was tidying up the showroom of the
music store, a young man walked in
and announced himself as Thomas M.
Baker and that he was looking for
Miss Culbreth. After she introduced
herself and they exchanged the usual
chit-chat, he told her that his mother
had asked him to personally deliver
a "little" present.
It was a check for $7,500. At first,
Martha thought it was some sort of
joke, particularly when Mr. Baker asked
her if there was anything else she would
like. Further flabbergasted, she pointed
to a Jesse French & Sons piano stand-
ing nearby. The gentlemen said, 'Con-
sider it yours". He then asked Martha
if she would like to own the store in
which she worked. Still feeling her
visitor was joking, she said she would.
Immediately Mr. Baker sought out
Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Tola, owners of
the store, the Carolina Music Company,
and made arrangements to purchase
the firm with himself and Miss Cul-
breth as partners. It all came to pass.
Martha is a very happy girl, and that's
the end of another "real" Cinderella
story.
"Gramercy Graphic" Exploits
the Janssen Piano Co.
In the December issue of the "Gram-
ercy Graphic", a local paper published
in the Gramercy Stuyvesant section
of New York, there appears an article
by Lorraine Sherwood entitled—"Our
neighborhood was a great piano cen-
ter."
Miss Sherwood points out that it is
interesting to note many pianos were
manufactured in the Gramercy-Stuy-
vesant area at one time. "Many famous
pianos," she says, "now no longer
made, came Snto being right here
on our own streets; their names bring
echoes of childhood and our grand-
mothers' homes! Brainard & Ogden,
for instance, had a factory in 1859 at
73 East 23rd Street. Haines Bros, pro-
duced their instruments in a plot at
21st St. and Second Ave. and ultimately
occupied both corners. Horatio Wor-
cester's big factory was at 117 Third
Ave. corner of 78th St. The year 1863
left other famous names in Gramercy
including Ernest Gabler located at 271
East 22nd St.; Thomas H. Chambers
at 108 East 25th St.; eight years later
Sigmund Drucker was at 15 East 18th
St.; Frederick KnaufT at 228 Third
Ave.; Manhattan Mfg. Co. at 229 East
22nd St.; and F. Sugar at No. 87 on
the same street."
The story then leads up to the es-
tablishment of the Janssen Piano Co.
at .237 East 23rd St. and it is illus-
trated with photographs showing a
group which toured the Janssen piano
factory to see how pianos were made.
This group included mothers and chil-
dren from the Gramercy-Stuyvesant
district who were personally conducted
through the factory by Webster Jans-
sen, president of the company, who is
also shown in one of the pictures.
In another picture, Col. Robert L.
Johnson, vice-president, tells the group
how a piano is strung. On the inside
there are photographs of various oper-
ations in making the Janssen piano,
as well as two models taken in the
Peter Cooper Village apartments.
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW, MARCH, 1949