10
PRESTO
tions. It is a question of physical proportions, and a problem of loyalty
to the immediate interests in which a trade paper must work.
Just now leaders in the piano and music trade are exercising them-
selves in the cause of what is termed "betterment" of this special busi-
ness. They are kept busy seeking out refractions of good business
rules, and correcting any flagrant ills of this particular branch of
trade. Were the same gentlemen to attempt to regulate everything,
from the fountainhead of political trickery to the domain into which
Sir Oliver Lodge is leading us, the special betterment of the music
trade would soon be forgotten in the maze of other and probably much
more serious evils.
So that we do not see how much space in a music trade paper can
well be given over to stabilizing the business world at large, or to regu-
lating the affairs of the world or the government. In time of national
stress, such as the late war, music has a large place, and its press
representatives must feel the responsibility of sustaining whatever in
its field of observation may be of assistance. That was the way Presto
felt about it all through the war, and until the little white bird flut-
tered down again upon the window sill of the world and the sound
of guns became still.
Were we putting forth a political newspaper, or a popular maga-
zine, or any other organ of direct and widespread influence in the
thinking world, we would go to Lansing, Michigan, and induce Mr,
Lyons to sign a contract to contribute to every issue of the publica-
tion. We would nail him to an exclusive contract. And the result
would be all that he could desire, or our own loyalty to the sublimest
visions of the new era could suggest.
But, as it is, Presto owes too much to the music trade to make any
change in the application of whatever strength it may possess in the
way of business betterment. And if business can control or influence
the affairs of state and nation, then the trade paper that betters the
business in which it works, and keeps it running along in good order
is doing its full share. If it helps to keep the trade wheels well greased,
and the drivers happy and prosperous, it is doing as much as if it
switched from its accustomed track and became lost in the vastness of
the new era and the maelstrom of the moral upheavals along the
borderlands of Utopia.
OLD=TIME FULL PAGES
We feel safe in saying that very few piano men come so near to
representing a complete encyclopedia of the industry as Mr. Robert
S. Howard, of New York. He is one of the American piano manufac-
turers whose experience in this department of the special activities has
been continuous from boyhood to middle life. It is this that causes us
to prize as a compliment the following from a personal letter which
recently came from Mr. Howard:
New York, January 20, 1920.
Editor Presto; I have your issue of the 15th, and you are wrong this
time. The paper that published the article got the interview from me, and
so far as the page advertising in the music trade papers is concerned, I
quoted facts because I did it. I was under the impression that Mr. Blumen-
berg started the "Courier," but I may have been mistaken in that, but I do
not know that he was proprietor at that time.
SOME BRIEF ITEMS
OF A PERSONAL KIND
Varied Activities of the Men Who Sell Pianos Hero
and There Noted.
Scctt Prowell, piano dealer of Wenatchie, Wash.,
was in Chicago this week.
J. R. Roberts, of Seward, Neb., one of the organ-
izers of the Cathedral Phonograph Company, at
Omaha, who is also in the retail piano business at
Seward, was in Chicago this week and bought
pianos.
H. W. Ramsdell, piano merchant of Moline, 111.,
was another trade visitor at piano manufacturers'
office in Chicago this week.
W. J. Anderson, piano dealer of Fargo, N. D., was
in Chicago Friday. His wife, who accompanied
him as far as Chicago, went on to Rensselaer, Ind.,
while he remained in the city and called on Chicago
piano manufacturers. He expected to order some
goods.
J. M. Wylie, general traveler for the Baldwin
Company, in North Dakota, has been in Chicago
for several days.
E. A. Keiselhorst, president of the Keiselhorst
Piano Co., St. Louis, has purchased a building site
for a residence in Southmore, near Washington
University, one of the most desirable locations in
St. Louis for the purpose.
The sales and office forces' of the Aeolian Co.,
St. Louis, recently made a presentation to James
January 29, 1920.
I think both you and myself are pretty fair encyclopedias of the piano
trade. You, of course, may be better than I because I am devoting myself
to manufacturing and you are in the trade paper business, which naturally
would help you store up information.
If you have any page advertising started before I started it in the Amer-
ican Art Journal in 1882 I would like to see it.
Sincerely yours,
R. S. HOWARD.
The letter, of which that is an extract, was written in answer to
an editorial paragraph two weeks ago, in which it was said that full-
page trade paper advertisements had appeared prior to the year 1882.
And Mr. Howard's letter suggests further interesting comment along
the same line.
It is our belief that page display advertising of pianos had its
beginning in the last of the '70's. We know, beyond a doubt that such
piano enterprise bore fruit in the trade papers as long ago as the year
1880, for in a trade paper of December 15, 1881, the writer of this edi-
torial had prepared a full page advertisement for Decker & Son of New
York. The fine old industry was at that time located at 1550-1554 Third
avenue. In the same year, the Bridgeport Organ Co. ran a series of
full-page advertisements in one of the trade papers, and the Chase
Piano Co.—now the Starr Piano Co.—displayed the same kind of
enterprise at the same time.
There are still piano men who can remember the late Charles
Avery Welles, one of the early trade-paper editors in the music line.
He was a pugnacious publisher and his paper also printed the cheerful
full-page displays. One of the first was that of the same Bridgeport
Organ Co., which employed the big advertisements as far back as
January, 1881. Having copies of the old advertisements in our files,
we are now speaking with absolute knowledge and not from memory.
So that it may be seen that Mr. Howard's recollection of the first
full page piano advertising is not so accurate as his other intimate
knowledge of piano events no doubt is. Nor is this at all strange. No
man who has devoted himself to the practical side of the piano industry
could have absolutely clear recollection of the publicity details of the
business. If we knew as much about piano manufacture as Mr. How-
ard does we would gladly exchange our end of the piano encyclopedia
for one-half of his.
The "Where Doubts Are Dispelled" feature of Presto has be-
come so popular that more questions come than we can find space in
which to answer. But all inquiries will have attention by letter,
even if more of them cannot appear in print. So send in your prob-
lems and let us settle your doubts.
* * *
A witty employe of a piano factory, in speaking of the high cost
of living one day this week, said to a Presto representative: "These
are times when one has to get twice as much as he is worth to live
as well as he ought to."
This promises to be a good year. For a time the prevailing
shortage of stock may perplex the dealers, but production will in-
crease and there should be good profits for every ambitious retailer.
Bradford of the credit department, at his departure
to take a position in Cleveland.
John D. McCarthy is the new manager of the
music department in the B. Peck store, Lewiston,
Me.
W. S. Moore, the Monessen, Pa., furniture dealer,
handles the Edison line.
William M. Luce, the Belfast, Me., music mer-
chant, has been elected secretary of the Belfast
Chamber of Commerce.
Harry Hunter has joined the staff of the Milwau-
kee branch of the Wurlitzer Co. He was formerly
connected with the Chicago branch.
Talking machines are sold by the Prince Furniture
& Carpet Co., Hazelton, Pa.
The Day Drug Company, Akron, O., states it has
"the greatest stock of Grafonolas in Akron."
ORDERS FROM ABROAD.
The demand for American pianos is unprecedented
and comes from foreign countries as well as from
all parts of the United States, the Boston American,
Boston, prints this week. Out of unfilled orders for
2,200 on the books of one New York maker 500
came from abroad. Player pianos are in great re-
quest.
MOVES IN PORTLAND, ORE.
The Schwann Piano Co., of Portland, Ore., has
moved its store to Tenth and Stark streets, the
store formerly occupied by the Reed, French Co.,
before moving to their present location on Washing-
ton street.
SECRETARY AND TREASURER
OF TONK MFG. CO. DIES
Mrs. Max Tonk, Mother of Percy Tonk, Is Victim
of Pneumonia.
Mrs. Marion- Tonk, widow of the late Max Tonk,
who at the time of his death was president of the
Tonk Manufacturing Company, died at her residence,
1429 Catalpa avenue, Chicago, last Saturday.
Mrs. Tonk was a victim of the pneumonia plague,
which is no respecter of persons. In her official
capacity as secretary and treasurer of the company,
Mrs. Tonk kept office hours—three or four hours
each working day at the factory office. She was at
the office as late as Tuesday of last week.
On Friday of last week her bad cold developed
into pneumonia and she died Saturday morning.
Mrs. Tonk was only 48 years old; a good business
woman, a kind and indulgent mother. She is sur-
vived by one son, Percy Tonk, head of the bench,
stool and scarf business built up by his father, and
by two daughters, Mrs. William Bessey, of Chicago,
and Mrs. Hampton Rich, of Detroit, Mich. Percy
Tonk will have the sympathy of the entire trade in
his bereavement.
The funeral services were held at the Church of
Our Savior, 532 Fullerton avenue, on Monday of
this week at 2 p. m.
The average salary of every person who works for
wages in the United States, according to govern-
ment statisticians, is about $1,200 a year.
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