April 3, 1920.
AN ATLANTA EDITOR
SOLVES A PUZZLE
Mysterious Parcel Containing a Q R S Word
Roll Lies Unopened for Three Days—
It Brings a Thrill.
G. S. Crane, of the Q R S Co., Chicago, furnishes
Presto with the copy of an article which appeared
in the Sunday, March 14, edition of the Atlanta Jour-
nal, under their column headed "MUSIC NOTES
AND GOSSIP." It reads as follows:
"The editor of this column received in the mail
last week a mysterious looking parcel which for
three days he has refrained from investigating for
the same reason that a dog will not investigate a
buzz saw, but prefers to stand off and bark at it.
"Not being able to bark, we simply stood off. It
did look dangerous. When first received, it prompt-
ed a thrill, for it had no return address or other
clue, and when shaken it sounded as though inside
were glass—and other things. The outer wrapping
removed, disappointment followed. It was a long
black box marked 'Q R S.Story Roll—Madame But-
terfly.'
"Inside the box was a long white roll and this
also was marked 'Q R S Story Roll—Madame But-
terfly.' By a painful process of deduction we de-
cided that the cylinder was designed for use in a
playerpiano, but not being blessed with one our-
selves, it did us about as much good as though it
had been a dozen corkscrews. So, as remarked, we
stood off.
'"Yesterday, we thought to unfasten the roll, and
thereby discovered that this is a new stunt in player-
pianos, for as the roll unrolls, there is revealed on
it, along with the perforations, a printed account of
the entire opera, as:
"Act I—The scene as a Japanese house and ter-
race, etc.
"Some night when we have nothing else to do
and plenty of room to unroll in, we intend to read
the story of the opera. But if, in the meantime, the
Q R S has a proper sense of the becoming, he will
send along a player piano in the next mail to go
with the roll.
"Reading this possibility, we sincerely recommend
the Q R S Story Rolls to the fortunate who have
playerpianos. So many who hear operatic selec-
tions enjcy the music without having the least idea
of what it's all about. To have mental pictures, for
instance, of Rudolpho and Mimi groping in the dark-
ness for the key, as the orchestra strikes the first
sweet strains of "Thou Sweetest Maiden," is surely
to multiply in delight the duet that follows a hun-
dredfold. The beauty of opera does not depend alto-
gether on the understanding of the libretto, it is
true, but lack of such understanding is just that
much taken from the auditor's appreciation. The
Q R S people have hit upon an idea that will meet
with the universal approval."
SEEKING FOREIGN TRADE
ALONG JUDICIOUS LINES
that foreign trade, with other countries, was very-
lively and promised to grow even better as spring,
advanced in the northern hemisphere.
JOHN A. KRUMME APPOINTED
MUSIC ROLL SALES MANAGER
New Position of the Well Known Piano Traveler
Considered Fine Opportunity for His Abilities.
General satisfaction is expressed in the piano
trade over the appointment of John A. Krumme
as general sales manager of the Standard Music
Roll Company, Orange, N. J. The opinion is freely
voiced that Mr. Krumme's well tried abilities would
find proper appreciation from the progressive New
Jersey industry of which G. Howlett Davis is presi-
dent. Mr. Krumme assumed his new duties this
week.
Few traveling men are as widely known as Mr.
Krumme. In every section of the country he has
hosts of friends who esteem him for his amiable
personality and admire him for his keen knowl-
edge of piano selling in all its phases.
For the past three years .e has been head of the
sales department of the Christman Piano Co., New
York, and previous to that wn? associated with some
of the leading houses in the piano industry. In
his merchandising campaign in the interests of the
Standard music rolls Mr. Krumme will be assisted
by George E. Eldridge who o 1 so recently joined the
Standard Music Roll Co., as sales representative.
If the heads of foreign correspondence depart-
ments in the great piano and playerpiano factories
of the United States could extend business to all
the countries with which they correspond, and ship
goods in quantities to the limit of trade, it is the
opinion of some of these men that it would be
necessary to double the size of most of the fac-
tories to make the goods required.
The feeling of expansion—even a desire to travel
—is inspired by the maps of the world that hang
on these men's walls. It is a feeling that Chicago
is a speck; that the United States is a postage stamp
in size; that a man who remains in one city all
the time is a worm who goes only as far as he can
crawl each day.
Foreign Correspondent Bless, of Gulbransen's,
Chicago, is ever studying new fields to conquer. He
was busy writing a letter to a dealer in the heart
of Africa on Saturday, when a Presto representa-
tive peeked into his den. Of course, he did not ex-
pect an overwhelming business out of Africa, but
he gets some. And he believes that Africa is a
coming country for the musical instrument busi-
ness. Certainly, the Gulbransen house is going to
have its share of the African trade. African trade
means many other races besides that of Negroes.
At Lyon & Healy's, Chicago, where a Presto rep-
resentative called earlier in the week, the same
sort of world maps—well marked up—hang on the
walls of the foreign room. The same sort of in-
formation is pigeon-holed in the well-kept and
ready-reference files. The chief in charge here said
that not many Lyon & Healy instruments were go-
ing out to England or Central Europe just now,
owing to the disadvantages of exchange rates, but
DONALD V. STEQER PUTS
FOOT ON FIRST RUNG
Grandson of John V. Steger Begins Career in
the Offices of the Big Piano Company
at Steger, 111.
Donald V. Steger. the eighteen year old son of C. G.
Steger, president of the Steger & Sons Piano Mfg.
Co., Chicago, has gone to work in the Steger fac-
tories at Steger, 111. It is his ambition to qualify
himself to some day hold a position of responsibility
in the great piano industry, founded by his grand-
father, the late John Y. Steger. As the first step
WISCONSIN DEALER HAS
SUPREME FAITH IN HIS CITY
John W. Groves, Madison Piano Man, Elated at
Published Census Figures.
John W. Groves, the Madison, Wis., piano dealer,
who was the first president of the 40,000 club or-
ganized in 1900 expressed his gratification at the
census figures published this week. Mr. Groves
served as president of the club from 1900 until his
election as mayor in 1902. He was re-elected presi-
dent in 1904 and remained as president until 1907.
Up to its disorganization in 1910 he was one of the
most active members. In 1910 the commercial as-
sociation was organized which later developed into
the present Association of Commerce.
"Although the official figures announced are only
38,378, the student population, federal and state offi-
cials, and the large number actually living in the
city but who consider their legal residence is some-
where else, would bring the actual population of the
city up to 50,000," was the confident statement of
Mr. Groves. "I predict that, with a business admin-
istration of city affairs, and with the Association of
Commerce working to secure additional industries,
our population will again double within the next 20
years," he said.
NEW WERLEIN DEPARTMENT.
No Immediate Boom Seen for American Goods in
Lands Beyond the Oceans.
13
RESXO
The '"Artists' Department" is a new division of ac-
tivities in the business of Philip Werlein, Ltd., New
Orleans, La., of which Harry Brunswick Loeb has
been given charge. The arrangements necessary at
the visits of famous artists, the promotion of con-
certs and recitals and help generally to artists and
pupils are comprised in the work of the new de-
partment. Mr. Loeb is a well known music critic
and composer and up to the burning of the old
French Opera House was general manager of the
New Orleans Grand Opera Company.
GROWING CONNECTICUT FIRM.
Three lines of talking machines are carried by
A. W. D. Chalker, the Essex, Conn., dealer, who is
widely known as an organist and musician of abil-
ity. He is aided in the successful management of a
fine business by Mrs. Chalker, who has proved her
ability at sales promotion. The Chalker store has
recently been remodeled and equipped with addi-
tional advantages towards pleasant talking machine
purchasing.
HERBERT SIMPSON VISITS CHICAGO.
Herbert Simpson, vice-president of Kohler &
Campbell, Inc., New York, was in Chicago on Tues-
day of this week on a business trip. While in the
city Mr. Simpson made his headquarters at the
Kohler Industries office on the twelfth floor of the
Kimball Hall building. Mr. Simpson said conditions
at the factories had greatly improved of late.
REOPENS IN DIXON, ILL.
The Kennedy Music House will soon be opened
in Dixon, 111., by E. Kennedy, whose store was re-
cently destroyed by fire at that place. The Packard
and Bond lines of pianos and playerpianos will be
handled by the firm in the reopened store.
DONALD V. STEGEK.
iii his business life, he has secured an assignment
in the Factories' Cost Accounting Department,
where he will work under the supervision of George
F. Steger. He will be transferred to other depart-
ments as his progress warrants.
As the Steger factories ar;; located approximately
30 miles from Donald's home in Chicago, it is neces-
sary for him to be up and on his way to work
before 5:30 A. M. every day. In the evening he
seldom arrives home before seven. But these are
no deterrents to the enthusiasm of this typical, wide-
awake American boy. He has just completed his
college course at Loyola University, Chicago,
where he established an excellent record both as a
student and as an athlete. With 180 pounds of bal-
last, Donald achieved the distinction of playing on
the invincible Loyola Academy football team and
made quite a name for himself with his muscular
ability in basketball and other branches of athletics.
As a swimmer he attracted particular attention by
establishing various local records for the two-mile
swim. He was prominent in all school activities,
contributing the efforts of his pen to the school
magazine with regularity ar.d serving with honoi
during his senior year as sergeant major in the
Loyola Reserve Officers' Training Corps.
Donald Steger represents another generation of
the Steger family in the famous piano industry and
he is to be trained according to the plan established
by the founder of Steger & Sons, the immense
organization which is the center of activity for a
thriving city of 4,000 people. In order to gain the
most thorough knowledge of the science of piano
building, he, like those who have preceded him and
others who will enter the industry later, must start
at the bottom and demonstrate merit through hard
work, learning the business from every angle. It
was under John V. Steger's system of careful and
painstaking instruction that the present heads of
the Steger Institution, C. G. Steger and George F.
Steger received their extensive training and it is
under this same thorough plan that Donald V.
Steger must win his spurs.
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