Presto

Issue: 1920 1759

10
PRESTO
TOO REALISTIC STUDY
IN "STILL LIFE"
Uncle Sam Chuckled, Then Frowned on the Pictorial Presentation of the
Ditty Entitled: "Moon Shines on the Moonshine"
When Art and Music hook up together in a mu-
tual movement of any kind they form a combina-
tion that is simply irresistible. In fact, the only
trouble is that they form such a powerful pulling
team that they have to be watched a bit lest they
pull things out by the roots.
This was pretty near the case when Col. Jo-
seph J. Daynes, Jr., of the Daynes-Beebe Music
Company, of Salt Lake City, hooked up the celes-
tial pair and trotted them out in his display window
to pull the public's passing glances to a serious
consideration of that delectable little ditty: "The
Moon Shines on the Moonshine", as presented on
the clean-graven records of the Columbia.
The story, which comes from Secretary-Treasurer
John L. Cotter, of the Hallet & Davis Piano Corn-
Well, it pulled, all right! The passing public sim-
ply "ate it up." They stood in serried ranks around
the window, snickered and commented, and, inci-
dentally, something like a thousand of them, at last
accounts, went inside and bought the record.
Uncle Sam Took Notice.
Then, just when the work of Music-Art was get-
ting in its best licks and had been generally pro-
claimed a masterpiece, along came a critic in the
person of a U. S. revenue official. With the keenly
critical eye of the connoisseur he scanned the com-
position. And, like all real critics, he proceeded to
go into the matter rather more deeply than the
average observer. He considered the composition,
the color, the design, the perspective, and the gen-
eral ensemble, whatever that may be. Then he pro-
April 10, 1920.
STARR MANAGERS CHANGE
JOBS IN TENNESSEE STORES
Roy Warden Leaves the Company and Is Succeeded
in Knoxville by Sapi Templeman.
Roy Warden, who for the past eight years has
been manager of the Starr Piano company, Knox-
ville, Tenn., has accepted a position with the Claude
P. Street Piano company of Nashville. He took
up his duties in Nashville April 1, and will have
charge of the selling organization of this large con-
cern, which operates through middle Tennessee.
Mr. Warden opened the branch store of the Starr
Piano Company in Knoxville eight years ago and
has built up a large business both in wholesale and
retail. This firm now covers territory in East Ten-
nessee, parts of Kentucky, Virginia, North Carolina
and Georgia. It employs a number of salesmen.
More than 14 years ago Mr. Warden began the
piano business with the Starr Piano Company at
Nashville; later he was transferred to Chattanooga
as treasurer of that store, and then was placed in
charge of the East Tennessee division, opening the
Knoxville store more than eight years ago.
Sam Templeman, who has been connected with
the Starr Piano Company at Chattanooga for the
past ten years, succeeds Mr. Warden as manager
of the Knoxville store. He will have charge of the
same business which Mr. Warden had charge of,
and will direct the work of the company in its large
Appalachian territory.
PRICE & TEEPLE SALESMEN
SELL FROM OCEAN TO OCEAN
They Ask for Increase of Production of This Make
of Instruments.
A DENATURED SHOW WINDOW.
pany, to whom it was confided by his friend, the
Colonel, is not in the nature of a trade secret, so
it is here divulged for the delectation of "whom it
may concern."
'The "Moonshine" Still.
As a means of providing a suitable introduction
to the public of the above-mentioned record, the
enterprising Daynes-Beebe store proceeded to vis-
ualize the song topic by erecting in its big show
window a realistic woodland scene in which an old
colored gentleman was -shown gum-shoeing his
way through the tangled underbrush beneath the
effulgent rays of the full moon toward a little log
structure easily identified as a "moonshine still."
In his hand the old chap toted his little old "jimmy-
john," whose supposititious contents might easily
be left to the imagination.
In the foreground was a neatly framed card bear-
ing the legend: "The Moon Shines on the Moon-
shine," and beside it the song record.
ceeded to the more subtle qualities of atmosphere,
chiaroscure, mental suggestion and effect. Then he
pronounced his opinion.
It was final! It was great! It was realistic to
the last limit of realism. In fact, it was so dad-
blamcd realistic that—er—well, didn't Col. Daynes
think it might be a bit too realistic? In fact, wasn't
there just the bare possibility that such a realistic
study in "still life" might put mischievous thoughts
into the heads of some thirsty persons that would
not be good for them to have there?
And the Scene Changed.
Personally, the Colonel probably thought that
such an idea, like the picture, was pretty much all
moonshine, but, as the window had stood for some
little time and had pretty well served its purpose
and the record would probably continue to go like
hot cakes anyway, well, to make a long story short,
there is a new display in the window of the Daynes-
Beebe store.
LINCOLN DOCTOR "THREATENS"
TO JAIL PIANO MERCHANT
"We never, knowingly, transgress the law. On
Saturday evening a prominent physician of the
town interested very much in public welfare, after
watching the Gulbransen baby in our window,
stepped inside and said with a degree of sternness:
'I'm going to have you arrested.' It was quite a
shock to us, but we rallied enough to ask why in
a frightened way. He pointed to the baby and
thundered, 'Violation of the Child Labor Law.' We
at once knew his lack of knowledge of player-
pianos, and the Gulbransen in particular, was the
cause of his mistake, and we pointed out to him that
the baby was merely playing; that it never is labor
to operate a Gulbransen playerpiano; that the rotary
metal valve motor is the most perfect thing in
player motors ever invented; that it is found in the
Gulbransen only; that the White House Model sells
for $725 to every one; the Country Seat Model for
$625 and the Suburban Model for $550, and that the
baby really enjoyed playing because it was SO
EASY TO PLAY, and that HE could play it just
as easy—but right here he fled. He knew it was
FLY or BUY. TEN YEAR GUARANTEE on each
model.
HANGER BROS."
But "Flies" When the Joke Is Turned on Him by
Gulbransen Dealer.
Hanger Brothers, Lincoln, 111., have in their dis-
play window a moving model of the Gulbransen
IBaby-at-the-Pedals, apparently operating a Gul-
bransen playerpiano, which is attracting a great
deal of attention. The baby's arm seems to move
the pedals and the music plays. On account of the
distinctive manner in which these Gulbransen trade-
mark reproductions are gotten out, it is reported
that in more than one instance people have at first
glance assumed that the baby was alive.
Such an occurrence apparently took place at Lin-
coln, 111., a few days ago, for in a recent newspaper
from that place Hanger Bros, have a large three-
column advertisement showing the Baby-at-the-
Pedals with the following reading matter accom-
panying it:
"HANGER BROS. LAW ABIDING.
The Price & Teeple Piano Company's factory
workers at Kankakee, 111., publish the Symponola
News. The April number tells of the whereabouts
of some of the company's travelers, as follows:
In a letter of recent date from the Pacific Coast,
W. D. Wood, traveler in the West for the Price &
Teeple Piano Co., that gentleman has this to say:
You will have noticed in the various orders, which
I have sent in and my letters regarding the future
prospects, that the Price & Teeple instruments are
going strong and that there is every likelihood of
their not only continuing to go strong, but, like, the
proverbial snowball, to keep increasing.
I am glad to tell you that in every instance our
instruments have given the greatest satisfaction and
have called forth the enthusiastic praise of every
one of our customers. This praise has also ex-
tended to the high standing of the Price & Teeple
Piano Co. and their courteous and high toned busi-
ness methods. I hope that our folks in the factory
will see to it that production is greatly increased,
because the demand for our instruments is and will
be 'way in excess of our ability to supply them.
With very kind regards to all, I am,
Sincerely yours,
WILL D. WOOD.
MRS. JONES, OF OREGON, DIES,
Mrs. Jones, widow of F. G. Jones and mother
of George H. and Edgar B. Jones, of the Schiller
Piano Company, died on Sunday of this week at
her home in Oregon. Her husband was for many
years president of that company. After their father's
death, George Jones became president of the com-
pany and Edgar Jones secretary and treasurer. Mrs.
Jones had been ill for many months. She was popu-
lar in society circles of Oregon and her death is a
sad blow for her sons and her friends also.
TUNERS' DIVISION FORMED.
W. F. McClellan, secretary and treasurer of the
National Association of Piano Tuners, has com-
pleted the formation of a division of the association
in Minneapolis, Minn. Thirty tuners from that city
and St. Paul have been organized, officers elected
and a charter applied for. The officers of the new
division are: Chairman, H. F. Curtis; vice-chairman,
S. R. Dilger and C. T. Backus, secretary and treas-
urer.
FOR A LOS ANGELES SHOW.
Los Angeles, Calif., may have its own music show
if the movement started a few weeks ago comes
to a realization. A committee is already busy with
the preliminaries oi the scheme. Any old time js
a good time to hold such a show in the Southern
California city, according to a Los Angeles dealer,
who added that everybody there is a prospective
patron of an exhibition of the kind suggested.
Enhanced content © 2008-2009 and presented by MBSI - The Musical Box Society International (www.mbsi.org) and the International Arcade Museum (www.arcade-museum.com).
All Rights Reserved. Digitized from the archives of the MBSI with support from NAMM - The International Music Products Association (www.namm.org).
Additional enhancement, optimization, and distribution by the International Arcade Museum. An extensive collection of Presto can be found online at http://www.arcade-museum.com/library/
PRESTO
April 10, 1920.
ITEMS SHOW ACTIVITIES
OF A. B. CHASE COMPANY
Good Publicity Work for the Famous Piano by the
San Carlos Opera Company.
A parlor grand A. B. Chase was recently sold to
Jonesboro High School, of Jonesboro, Arkansas, by
the O. K. Houck Piano Co., of Little Rock.
Excellent publicity is being done by many A. B.
Chase dealers where the San Carlo Opera Com-
pany has made its appearance. A very neat dis-
play was shown by Townsend, Wyatt & Wall, of St.
Joseph, during the visit of the above mentioned
opera company to the Missouri city.
L. A. Russell has just bought the building, in
which he has sold A. B. Chase instruments for ten
years, for $50,000, from Ty Cobb.
Mr. Perry, of the A. B. Chase Company, has just
returned to New York from a trip South, during
which he was very successful.
J. A. G. Schiller, the coast manager of Sherman,
Clay & Company, recently called at the A. B. Chase
offices in New York City on his trip East to visit
relatives.
PASADENA MAN INVENTS
A STEEL HARP WITH KEYS
Prof. Schenuit Also Has Plans for the Manufacture
of a Small Piano.
A factory for the manufacture of a steel harp and
a piano, suitable for small apartments and homes,
is to be started in Pasadena, Calif., according to
a dispatch from there. These are inventions of
Prof. H. Schenuit who will exhibit the harp
at a recital at the First Methodist Church in Pasa-
dena, April 22, under the auspices of the Minute
Men's class. Professor Schenuit will then take the
instrument on a tour to have it thoroughly tested
by musicians, following which arrangements for
its manufacture there will be made.
The two inventions are especially designed for
youthful students, and his small piano, the Mignon,
is for small homes. A company is being organized
which will likely be known as the "Mignon Piano
Company of Pasadena." A factory site is now be-
ing considered.
The steel harp to be manufactured is as large as
a baby grand piano and is built on a triangular
style, weighing 350 pounds. It is provided with a
regular set of piano keys which are mounted on
a keybed similar to a piano keybed. A set of lev-
ers are placed over the ends of the keys which ope-
rate the action shanks to which are fastened steel
vibrators. These vibrators engage the string from
underneath upward, thus producing a glancing blow,
giving a harp-like tone response, yet destinctive
enough to belong in a class by itself.
Other features of the steel harp include an iron
frame, damper muffler, universal shank regulator
and tremolo device, placed in front of the keyboard,
by which beautiful effects, similar to a violin quiver,
may be obtained.
"My new invention, the American Steel Harp,"'
says Professor Schenuit, "will no doubt interest
many lovers of music, and more especially those
who love the strains of a harp, but cannot perform
on it. By means of the piano keys on my steel
harp, any one who can play a piano can readily play
the instrument, and no special course of lessons
is necessary.
DEALER BUYS HOME.
Hugh W. Randall, president of the J. D. Brad-
ford Piano Co., 717 Summit avenue, Milwaukee,
has bought the unfinished home of Eugene F. Yahr
on Shepard avenue, north of Newport avenue. He
will remodel and decorate in the Italian rennais-
sance style and will occupy the house next Septem-
ber upon returning from his summer home.
L. Crittenton, credit manager of the W. W. Kim-
ball Piano Co., Chicago, will be the principal speaker
at the Community Father and Son banquet Friday,
April 16. He is a noted boys' worker and is an
authority pn boys' work and boys' relations to life.
11
MORRISON=WATERS CO.
MOVING FORWARD
Well Established Industry at Cincinnati
Freed from Receivership Is Now in
Better Shape Than Ever Before.
The Morrison-Waters Piano Co., of Cincinnati,
has been released from the, temporary receivership
which was appointed to conserve all its interests in
October last. The receivership was a friendly pro-
ceeding in which the members of the Cincinnati
industry took steps to conserve the interests of its
friends as well as themselves.
The attorney, Edward D. Woodward, who has
acted as receiver for the company, has notified Judge
Frank Gusweiler, of the Superior Court, that the
piano industry has settled with its creditors in full.
Ample capital has been provided for the larger ac-
tivities of the Morrison-Waters Piano Company.
The Smith & Nixon pianos will be produced in
larger numbers than ever, and the playerpiano de-
partment of the industry will be enlarged.
The company is making its own player actions,
and its instruments are favorites with the trade in
many sections of the country. In fact, in some
cities the old Smith & Nixon name is so greatly in
favor that the instruments from Cincinnati have the
call over nearly all others.
The officers of the Morrison-Waters Piano Co.
are the same as from the first. F. A. Morrison is
the president, and P>. C. Waters secretary and treas-
urer. Both gentlemen stand well in the industry
and trade. Mr. Waters has been prominent for
many years as a manufacturer and wholesaler. The
legal formalities for removing the receivership will
give satisfaction to friends of the Morrison-Waters
Piano Co. everywhere. It is certain that the Cin-
cinnati industry will now move forward with rein-
vigorated steps and dealers who sell its products
will have reason to be glad of it.
FEW LATE TRADE NOTES
FROM SAN FRANCISCO
W. N. Van Matre, Jr., of Schumann Piano Co.,
Visited Pacific Coast Representatives.
W. N. Van Matre, Jr., of the Schumann Piano
Company, Rockford, 111., was a recent visitor. He
later called on Schumann dealers in the Northwest.
Sherman, Clay & Co. have appointed J. A. G.
Schiller to be Coast manager of the retail sales
department of the Fotoplayers and Robert-Morton
organs. Mr. Schiller has been in Seattle establish-
ing demonstration quarters in that city.
Mr. Quimby, who has been connected with Oakland
sales of the Kohler & Chase organization for some
time, has been given the management of the Rich-
mond branch, succeeding Amie Dukas, who has
been appointed sales manager with the Bush &
Lane Piano Company of Portland, Oregon.
C. J. LaRoche, late manager of the Wiley B.
Allen branch store at Sacramento, and for a short
time connected with the Hauschildt Music Company,
in Oakland, has been appointed manager of the San
Francisco store of the Hauschildt Music Company.
Mr. LaRoche is well known in Eastern musical cir-
cles as well as on the Coast and at one time had
charge of the sales of the Starr Piano Company
in Cleveland, Ohio.
EXPORTS FOR JANUARY.
Pianos and playerpianos to the number of 837 and
valued at $204,000 were exported by the United
States to foreign countries during the month of
January. Of organs 155 instruments to the value
of $14,936 were sent abroad. Of the latter 31 went
to South Africa. The value of piano parts exported
was $199,714 and that of music rolls was $21,261.
The total value of musical instruments exported, in-
cluding talking machines, was $1,157,380.
GERMAN PIANOS IN ENGLAND.
the Autopiano Company
Paul Brown Kkujh Pres.
On-the-Hudson at >1 $T Streetfl-YG
Byron Mauzy - Jan Francisco.
According to a report from the American consul
in Liverpool, England, the piano dealers of the big
seaport city are not perpetuating any anti-German
feeling. The consul says there are more German-
made pianos than English ones in the music stores
there. The pianos are of the cheap grades, but
they appeal to customers who evidently do not
bother themselves about their origin.
JUDGING PEOPLE'S TASTE.
"Just as you unconsciously gauge the tastes of a
family by the musical instrument in the home, so
is your home judged. It is not so much the amount
of money you pay for a piano, as the careful selec-
tion of your instrument," says the Hollenberg Music
Co., Little Rock, Ark.
Enhanced content © 2008-2009 and presented by MBSI - The Musical Box Society International (www.mbsi.org) and the International Arcade Museum (www.arcade-museum.com).
All Rights Reserved. Digitized from the archives of the MBSI with support from NAMM - The International Music Products Association (www.namm.org).
Additional enhancement, optimization, and distribution by the International Arcade Museum. An extensive collection of Presto can be found online at http://www.arcade-museum.com/library/

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