FRESTO
GOLF ASSOCIATION
IN FIRST SERIES
He obtained more than 250 patents, the majority
of which were for devices which proved success-
ful.
The Society of Chemical Industry, in 1914,
when he had completed fifty years of inventive work,
conferred the Perkyn Medal upon him.
Day Cold but Playing Warm at Initial Tour-
nament of Chicago Men at Bob-o-Link.
WARER00M WARBLES
The Chicago Piano Golf Association held the first
tournament of the year on Wednesday, May 12, at
the Bob-o-Link Golf Club, Highland Park, 111. In
spite of the frigid condition of the atmosphere the
attendance was good. The enthusiam of the mem-
bers and the heat of competition for the handsome
prizes compensated largely for the callousness of
the weather man.
Thos. M. Pletcher, president of the association;
E. B. Bartlett, vice-president, and E. H. Uhl, all
members of the Bob-o-Link, acted as hosts. Medal
play prevailed in the morning and match play
against par in the afternoon. In the morning Mr.
Pletcher won a silver pitcher as first prize by play-
ing the course better than he had ever played it
before. K. W. Curtis won the second prize, a silver
loving-cup.
The rules of the association provide that a mem-
ber may not win more than one prize in a tourna-
ment. Therefore, Mr. Curtis, who had his eye upon
another silver pitcher, put up as first prize for the
afternoon's match play, donated, with the unani-
mous consent of the members, his morning prize as
a third prize for the afternoon's play, and therefore
became eligible for a post meridian prize.
Thereupon, Mr. Curtis, with commendable enter-
prise, went out and won first prize in the afternoon
and got his silver pitcher. At the present writing
it is not known whether he has anything better
than water with which to fill it. E. F. Lapham won
second prize in the afternoon, and Andrew Mclll-
wrath won the third prize donated by Mr. Curtis,
as a result of his clever manipulation of the morn-
ing's results.
NEW APOLLO AGENCY IN
BUSY SOUTHERN CENTER
E. E. Forbes & Sons, Birmingham, Ala., Will Fea-
ture Instrument in Several Cities.
On his recent trip through the South, Sales Direc-
tor Chas. E Howe, of the Apollo Piano Company,
Dc Kalb, 111., visited the cities of Knoxville, Nash-
ville, Chattanooga, Tenn.; Birmingham, Ala.; Lit-
tle Rock, Ark., and New Orleans, La.
At Birmingham an arrangement was made with
the well-known firm of E. E. Forbes & Sons to
handle the Apollo for Birmingham territory. E.
E. Forbes & Sons are aggressive retail merchants
with representatives in several Alabama cities, and
expect to push the Apollo line, particularly the Apol-
lophone, very vigorously.
Mr. Howe is just starting on quite an extended
Eastern trip, stopping at Battle Creek, Detroit, To-
ledo, Sandusky, Cleveland, Rochester, Syracuse, New
York City, Boston, Philadelphia, Washington, Bal-
timore, and Richmond.
JOHN WESLEY HYATT,
CELLULOID INVENTOR, DIES
He Probably Had No Thought of Piano Keys When
He Turned Inventor.
The man who made celluloid piano keys possible
has just passed away in the East. John Wesley
Hyatt, died Monday, Ma}' 10, at his home in Short
Hills, N. J., aged 83 years. He was born at Starkey,
N. Y., November 28, 1837. After receiving a com-
mon school education he went to Illinois when lfi
years old and worked there for eleven years as a
printer.
Thereafter he turned his attention to inventions
and remained an inventor to the day of his death.
His first invention of note was a knife-sharpener,
produced in 1861.
He next made checkmen and dominoes of a com-
position, instead of carving them from ivory, bone
or wood, as had been the practice. This led to his
accidental discovery of celluloid. In this latter
achievement, he was also with his brother, the late
Isaiah Smith Hyatt. They established in Newark,
N. J., a factory for producing celluloid and objects
made from it.
John Wesley Hyatt's other inventions include bil-
liard balls, school slates, roller bearings for ma-
chinery, a water-purifying system that is r»ow used
in more than one thousand communities, a sugar
cane mill, a method of hardening wood for mallets,
bowling balls, etc.; and a lock-stitch sewing ma-
chine with fifty needles for stitching machine belt-
ing.
(A New One Every Week.)
By The Presto Poick.
THE OLD-TIME GUESS-FESTS.
Do you remember that old day
When guess-fests were the rage—
The coupons, promises-to-pay
And near-checks by the page?
The time when faces, ten-in-one,
Were printed with a prize
For all who found a bit of fun
In riddles of that size?
And you recall the priceless rings,
And watches, all thrown in,
Together with the other things
For guessers who might win;
The piano was, of course, a part
Of all the guess-fest plan,
But it was only just to start
The race of those who ran.
Of course those days could not last long,
They promised much too much,
And kept the guessers guessing wrong
About the price and such;
They led to just a dollar, cash,
And likewise now and then,
Until the scheme went all to smash
And reason came again.
FORTUNATE FOR STARR COMPANY.
Shop Notes in the Kansas City Journal says:
"Piano prices have advanced a matter of 40 per
cent in the last two years, according to Christian
Bissell of the Starr Piano Company of this city.
Naturally, this per cent fluctuates according to the
factory conditions of various firms. The Starr
people have been unusually fortunate. When Amer-
ica entered the war and labor conditions became
chaotic the Starr people had a reserve footage of
spruce aggregating 10,000,000 feet. They were also
well supplied with castings and metal parts.
NEW SCHILLER SUPERINTENDENT.
Arthur Sicilia began his duties as superintendent
of the Schiller Piano Company's factory at Oregon,
111., on Tuesday of this week. Mr. Sicilia was for-
merly superintendent of the Schaff Bros, factory at
Huntington, Ind., and at one time was with the
Chute & Butler Company at Peru, Ind. He is a
very popular man with piano manufacturers and
their men, a good organizer, and a conscientious
worker.
A. F. PRICE IN FROM SOUTHWEST.
Albert F. Price, vice-president of the Price &
Teeple Piano Company, Chicago, returned Saturday
morning of last week from a trip which included
Kansas City, Springfield, Mo., and St. Louis. He
found the weather very hot all the week of his ab-
sence. All the dealers are doing a big business
down there, Mr. Price says. There is a great de-
mand for grands and reproducing pianos.
May 22, 1920.
EDITORS FAVOR
AID OF BUREAU
C. M. Tremaine, Director of Organization for
the Advancement of Music, Gratified by
Number and Nature of Answers to
Questionnaire.
Gratifying information has been received by the
National Bureau for the Advancement of Music
in reply to a questionnaire recently sent out by C.
M. Tremaine, director of the Bureau, to newspaper
editors and individuals in all parts of the country
with whom the Bureau is co-operating in the dis-
semination of democratic music matter.
Letters from editors disclose that a great many
newspapers with whose activities the Bureau was
unfamiliar because of the impossibility of securing
clippings are making good use of reading matter
supplied by the Bureau. Letters from dealers on
the mailing list of the Bureau bring to light a lot
of activity along the lines the Bureau is advocating.
The Big Idea.
A particularly interesting communication was re-
ceived from A. I. Reeves, of the Reeves Music
House, Helena, Mont, in which the popular dealer
tells of the inauguration of "Sing and Swim"
parties.
"Every year," said Mr. Reeves, describing his
work, "I hold about three big community sings and
wind up each of them with a big dance. Usually
the gallery is free and the dancers pay $1 a couple.
The net profits are for some good cause.
"This year I am raising money to buy a player
piano for the boys at the Y. M. C. A. Last year
the profits paid for a grand piano for the Y. W. C. A.
The year before profits went to maintain a band.
"My summer entertainment will be Sing and Swim
parties at our local swimming pool. Helena has the
largest enclosed plunge building in the world, heated
with natural hot water right out of the side of the
mountain. It is 100 by 300 feet. We will have eve-
nings of singing and swimming."
Janesville Falls In.
From R. H. McKenzie, of the Jaeger-McKcnzie
Piano Company, Jancsville, Wis., came the an-
nouncement of the launching of a local monthly
called "Forward Janesville." The Bureau was able
to furnish some material for this publication which
it believes will prove mutually beneficial.
B. H. Nixon, music critic of the Augusta (Ga.)
Herald, long an enthusiastic worker with the Bu-
reau, seeks the aid of the Bureau in the establish-
ment of a civic Music Association. He writes: "I
believe I have got the ball rolling on the music as-
sociation and am in hopes of being able to place the
matter before a meeting of the various interests in
the very near future, probably within ten days.
Maps His Field.
"I am compiling a list of the various school prin-
cipals, church choristers, colleges and parochial
school heads, etc., which I shall mail you in a day
or two. I believe that a letter from you setting
forth the work which I am attempting to do in
regard to an association, together with a statement
as to the significance of such a body in the civic life
of the community, would have a great deal of pres-
tige as coming from a national body and be of great
assistance in awakening interest at the psychological
moment."
LAUGH IS CLUE.
Someone recently phoned William C. Heaton,
vice-president of the Auto Penumatic Action Com-
pany, New York, and inquired whether he would
be interested in a bit of Haig & Haig Scotch which
was available through certain channels. Mr. Heaton
answered that with proper persuasion he might lay
in a little of this precious fluid. The gentleman at
the other end of the wire then suggested that Mr.
Heaton take down a certain name and address,
which turned out to be that of James McPherson,
69 Elliott street, Glasgow, Scotland. As Mr. Hea-
ton was penciling the location with the receiver still
held to his ear, he heard a mocking laugh from the
other end of the wire. It was familiar and a good
clue to the identity of the joker.
SONS BUY OUT FATHER.
Arthur C. and Willis B. Johnson have bought
out the interest of their father, J. H. Johnson, in
the business of J. H. Johnson & Sons, Alliance, O.
The business was established by J. H. Johnson fif-
teen years ago and by progressive methods and
clever management has been made one of the
marked successes of the state. The store is wel!
equipped and in one of the best locations on Main
street.
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/