10
PRESTO
February 26, 1920.
WHERE DOUBTS ARE DISPELLED
REBUILDING PLANS OF
THE CHUTE & BUTLER CO.
Under This Head Presto Will Answer Any Question Pertaining to Pianos, or
Other Subjects of Direct Interest to the Trade and Musical Public
Operations on New Structure to Be Begun When
Weather Permits.
Inquiries must bear the signature and address of
writer in order to receive attention. Answers thought
to be of general trade interest zi'ill be published. If an
answer is not of general interest it will be mailed pro-
vided stamp is inclosed.
HOLLAND WANTS AMERICAN ORGANS.
Amsterdam; Holland, Jan. 20, 1920.
Editor Presto: While in New York the writer
ordered two copies of your Presto Buyers' Guide of
the piano trade, and not receiving them asked for
them again and got them promptly delivered. Upon
his return to Holland he finds that the original
order was promptly executed by you, but sent to
the home office instead of to New York. Conse-
quently we have four copies now, and in payment
beg to enclose our check for $1 in payment of the
two extra copies.
At the same time we want to ask you to let us
have a list of the U. S. manufacturers of reed or-
gans. We are looking for a connection for the
importation in Holland of this line, and are ready
to place a trial order of one carload at once, pro-
vided we can get the representation of a reliable
and representative manufacturer.
We had just finished arrangements and ordered
a trial carload from the R. S. Hill Company, when
these people inform us they have gone out of busi-
ness.
With the right line and the right prices we can
sell 500 to 800 organs a year, and you would oblige
us very much indeed if you could see your way to
specially recommend a few of the names of your
list, we agreeing not to use your name in connec-
tion with such recommendation.
Yours very truly,
N. V. M. WITSENBURG, JR.
As you no doubt know, there are not many reed
organ industries still active in this country. The
list includes the following:
S. N. Swan & Sons, Freeport, 111.: Williams Piano
& Organ Co., Chicago; Estey Organ Co., Brattle-
boro, Vt.; W. W. Putnam Co., Staunton, Va.; A.
L. White Mfg. Co., 215 Englewood avenue, Chi-
cago.
The last named industry makes a specialty of
portable reed organs. They are very popular in
this country, and perhaps you have already sold
some of them. You will find them advertised and
illustrated in Presto, page 18, of this week, copy
of which we mail you.
DECKER AND MUSIC ROLLS.
Morgantown, Ky., Feb. 3, 1920.
Editor Presto: Enclosed find $1.00 for which
please send me two copies of the 1920 Presto
Buyers' Guide.
I want to know if the Francis Bacon piano isn't
a high-grade? I am selling that piano and I want
to know what about it; and could you please let me
know of some place to buy the music rolls for the
playerpianos at wholesale prices.
Yours respectfully,
MRS. MAUDE ELBERMAN.
And I want, also, to know what grade piano the
Decker Bros. is. I don't see anything about it in
the Presto Buyers' Guide, though I do see the
Decker & Sons in the Guide. There are several of
the Decker Bros, here and want to know about
them, if you please.
The Francis Bacon piano is a high-grade instru-
ment and it has a history dating back to almost
the beginning of the industry in this country. To
give you the pedigree of the Bacon piano, it would
be necessary to follow successive houses from the
beginning of the last quarter of the eighteenth cen-
tury to the present time. During all that time
there has, we understand, been some member of the
Bacon family associated with the instrument. The
original owner of the industry, which is now the
Bacon Piano Co., was John Jacob Astor, America's
first piano merchant, who came to this country
from England and established a store on Broadway,
New York. The late Francis Bacon was an expert
piano builder, and his son is now the president of
the. company.
We believe that you are safe in recommending
the Francis Bacon piano to your customers in the
belief that it will give the utmost satisfaction.
About music rolls; there are a great many first-
class manufacturers at this time. We might recom-
mend most of them, but just now the following are
in the ascendency:
Imperial Co., Chicago; Universal Music Co., 29
W. 42nd street, New York; Republic Player Roll
Corporation, 651 W. 51st street, New York; Ryth-
modik Corporation. 23 W. 38th street, New York;
U. S. Music Co., Chicago; Q R S Music Co., 25
E. Jackson boulevard, Chicago.
Any, or all, of the industries named will be sure
to meet with your requirements.
About the Decker Bros, piano; there is quite a
history associated with that name. The original
Decker Bros, instrument was manufactured in New
York for a great many years, and the manufac-
turers retired something like fifteen years ago.
Soon thereafter a Decker Bros. Co. was established
in Chicago and controlled by the Goldsmith Piano
Co., 1223 Miller street. Mr. Goldsmith now con-
fines his activities to the Goldsmith and the Hart-
ford pianos and players.
The Decker & Son industry is quite another
affair. It is controlled by F. C. Decker and his son,
and it is strictly a high-grade industry whose origin
dates back to 1856. The Decker & Son industry is
at 699-703 E. 135th street, New York.
*
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BOOK OF PHRASES.
Worcester, Mass., Feb. 11, 1920.
Editor Presto: Please recommend a good book
of strong, powerful words, or phrases, for effective
composition.
Yours truly,
FREDERICK B. HARLOW.
About a book of phrases, suitable for composers,
would suggest that if it is for the purpose of song
composition the ''Scranton School of Correspond-
ence, Scranton, Pa." publishes a work of that kind.
The same institution issues a monthly magazine
in which there is considerable attention paid to the
encouragement of song writers.
We are not sure that we understand what it is
that you want, but we believe that you will be
helped by addressing the Scranton School.
* * *
THE "BECHER & SONS."
Bienville, La., Feb. 3, 1920.
Editor Presto: I wish to get the address of the
people who make the Becher & Sons piano. In
other words, I have a playerpiano which has
"Becher & Sons, New York," on action and cabi-
net, both. The action number is 42122. This piano
is not giving satisfaction now. The rotary valves
are leaking.
Yours respectfully,
N. A. CULBERTSON.
If you have spelled the name of the instrument
correctly, we can assure you that there is no indus-
try doing business under that title. There is a
very good piano made by a New York industry
under the name of Becker Bros. There is also a
fine old New York industry which bears the name
Decker & Son. We are quite certain, however, that
there is no such concern as "Becher & Son," and
the name is one that too closely resembles the high-
class "Decker & Son.
If you can give us any further information con-
cerning the instrument in which you are interested,
we will be pleased to try and assist you in locating
its origin.
M. SCHULZ CO. IS DOING WELL.
"The playerpiano demand for our line is very
brisk,' said Mr. Hewitt of the M. Schulz Company
to a Presto representative on Wednesday of this
week. "In fact, there is a market for all the com-
pany can make. Our rather new styles T piano and
player are very good sellers, while all other styles
arc going well also." Otto Schulz, president of the
company, is a very busy man these days. The Na-
tional Piano Manufacturers' Association, of which
he is president, is counting on his leadership; his
neighbors look up to him to continue leading in
civic affairs as he has been doing for several years,
and then there are his great factories to look after.
He gets through his busiest days with a minimum
of worry, because he attends to everything systemat-
ically.
The new piano factory of the Chute & Butler
Co., Peru, Ind., to replace the old one burned down
February 6, will be built just as soon as the
wenther will permit. If plans now being consid-
ered are put into effect the plant will have twice its
former capacity.
Heretofore the aggregate floor space was 30,000
square teet. The new buildings will have double
that amount. The old main building had three
floors. The new one will have five floors, and in-
stead of having sixty-five employes as formerly,
the company will employ double that number. It
is hoped that the new buildings will be ready for
occupancy by the middle of summer or the fall at
the latest.
The company now has its offices in rooms over
the Peru Trust Company. The business of the
Chute & Butler Company has been very large in late
years. There has been a big demand for the pianos
and playerpianos of this concern from every state
in the Union, and also abroad. Because of unfin-
ished orders the company made plans before the
uiins of the burned factory were cold to resume
the manufacture of pianos and players just as soon
as the necessary arrangements could be made.
The company will occupy buildings which were a
part of the old Indiana Refrigerator Manufactur-
ing Company.
REMARKABLE EVIDENCE OF
A. B. CHASE CO. PROGRESS
Succession of Notes from Presto's Representative in
New York Concerning Famous Piano.
President W. C. Whitney, of the A. Jl. Chase Piano
Co., visited Boston recently and on his return to
New York expressed himself as being delighted with
the handsome up-stairs establishment of the Hume
Piano Co. in the former city. Mr. Whitney was
especially pleased with the display of A. B. Chase
pianos.
Walter Belcher, manager of Lowncy's great
chocolate, industry of Boston, bought an A. B. Chase
sirnll /jrand from the Hume Piano Co. recently.
Wellesley College, Wellesley, Mass., also purchased
an A. B. Chase oiano recently for the Conservatory
of Music of that famous institution. A. B. Chase
pianos are the official instruments nf the "Music
Lovers' Club'" of Boston, said to be the largest and
most influential organization of its kind in America.
The John Church Co., Cincinnati, has added the
A. B. Chase pianos to its line and will carry it in the
branches at Portsmouth, O., and Columbia, S. C.
Turner Music Co., Tampa, Florida, has added the
A. B. Chase pianos and will push them vigorously.
Mr. Turner was a former president of the National
Association of Piano Merchants.
At Elkhart, Ind., the recent opening of the Boyer
Music House was a real event. The Boyer Music
House is one of the finest in the Central West and
the leading piano is the A. f>. Chase. Mr. Boyer is
also secretary of the Conn Band Instrument Co. of
Llkhart.
The Bartlett Music Co., Los Angeles, Calif., fol-
iowed the sale of 30 style C upright A. B. Chase
pianos to the Los Angeles High Schools, by deliver-
ing two additional A. B. Chase parlor grands to the
high schools of the same city.
W. E. Jones, Mansfield. Ohio, has just sold an A.
B. Chase concert grand to the high school of that
city; also two A. B. Chase uprights to the Crestline,
O., high school. These pianos were selected by the
supervisor of music. One of the high schools has
had an A. B. Chase piano for 25 years. There could
be no better testimony to the A. B. Chase than the
choice of a grand a quarter century later for use
in the same institution.
DANIEL KRAKAUER IS DEAD.
HEAR AMERICAN SONGS.
Daniel Krakauer, aged 54 years, who at one time
was well-known as a piano manufacturer, died Feb
ruary 14 at his home in Mount Vernon, N. Y., a
northern suburb of New York City. He was a
musician in his youth, and played with the Theodore
Thomas Orchestra, which Chicago organization was
noted for its symphony concerts. Twenty years
ago Mr. Krakauer was forced by ill-health to re-
tire from Krakauer Bros., piano manufacturers,
whese present great factory is at Cypress avenue,
East 136th and 137th streets. New York. He was
the last of the four brothers who were the found-
ers of the famous New York piano which bears the
name.
Washington's favorite song was a feature of a
loyalty music program at Marshall Field's retail
store, Chicago, Monday at 10:30 a. m. It was a
commemoration of Washington's Birthday, which
fell on Sunday. Mrs. Anne Faulkner Oberndorfer,
Western Representative of the Bureau for the Ad-
vancement of Music in the Music Industries Cham-
ber of Commerce, presented a list of Americaniza-
tion songs, among which were "The Weeping Wil-
low Tree," by Francis Hopkinson, America's first
composer. A leaflet containing the words and
music and Washington's letter to the composer
was distributed to every one present at the con-
cert.
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