Classic Mode

Presto

Issue: 1920 1769

ft
list. The piano manufacturing companies were among the pioneers
in seeing to it that housing facilities were at hand for their workers.
Now, at a later time, municipalities and associations are coming to
the rescue. In another hundred years perhaps governments will pro-
vide houses on easy payments for all families needing them. The
first 175 houses of the 10,000 planned by the Chicago Housing Asso-
ciation are to be dedicated July 4. The 175 houses stand in South
Chicago.
When the bicycles first rolled, in large numbers, down the boule-
vards, piano men said their business would be ruined. It wasn't
hurt at all. When the automobile began to honk honk in the city
streets, the piano men again said that danger was ahead. It wasn't
at all. And when the talking machine began to libel the great artists
and fiddlers, the piano men once more bemoaned the fate of their
avocation. But the talking machine hasn't hurt the piano any, but
rather helped it. It doesn't pay to leave the piano store to hunt
trouble.
* * *
Do you know of any "cost system" that applies with any degree
of accuracy to the piano business? We have had many requests for
one. Every piano manufacturer has his own cost system, which
would not apply to any other factory, and in the retail trade not one
man in a thousand seems to know the meaning of the term. So many
things contribute to the cost of a piano that some of them are over-
looked entirely. Making pianos is different from other industries no
matter how much we proclaim to the contrary. If you know of a
good cost system in the piano business, won't you let us in?
* * *
Take more than one look at the Simplex Player Action Co.'s page
in this issue of Presto. It is an unusual adv. It tells more than some
books on the same subject. The combination of text and illustration
seems peculiarly good in the effect upon the understanding of the
average reader. It is, almost, the player action in one lesson. And
the advice to "show your prospect this device" is good because it will
bring conviction.
Of all the daily newspapers that have been crying about the
waste of white paper and the threatened dearth of it, do you know
of one that has cut its often needless bulk? And in the pleadings of
economy have you noticed that the advertisements are more vocifer-
ous than ever in their invitations to buy, and still buy more? It's a
consistent world, my brethren.
Even the most pronounced foe of the League of Nations can find
no fault with President Wilson's stand on the music question when
he says that "the man who disparages music as a luxury and non-
essential is doing the nation an injury. Music now, more than ever
ANOTHER PIANO INDUSTRY
PASSES INTO HISTORY
Van Dyke Piano Co., Scranton, Pa., Sells Factory
and Is Permanently Out of It.
June 19, 1920.
before, is a present national need. There is no better way to express
patriotism than through music."
Is there any reason why the music business should be divided
into several lines of special effort? The all 'round music store is com-
ing back. The stores where "everything in music" is sold represent
the real thing and we hope to see more of them. Even the phonograph
should be a part of every music store in which event the exclusive
"talking machine shop" could not long be self supporting.
* * *
When the people return to sanity, and the fever of getting more
money without consideration of where and how, things will settle
back to a basis of stability. But as long as the unions continue to make
demands, regardless of the ability of unorganized employers to pay
them, there can be small hope of betterment. If you like to draw
parallels from scripture, read Paul's Epistle to the Phillipians.
ifi
r^
iJS
i
For the first time in history the sheet music men are displaying
the sort of strength that keeps enterprise really alive. The National
Association of Sheet Music Dealers is really a live organization. The
membership is large and growing. It's because the sheet music men
have chosen men of brains to guide their plans and promotion.
*
-i-
*
True economy rests largely with the safety of investments by
people who have not heretofore had money to invest. The purchase
of a good piano is a good investment at any time. It is doubly good
at this time. People who invest in pianos have something to "show
for their money."
* * -\-
This issue of Presto has two of the best kind of evidences that
piano manufacturers think while they work. Mr. Schulz's article on
the influence of music in factories, and Mr. William Tonk's cartoon,
are of the kind of material this paper likes to print.
* * *
Already report comes that the piano industry in Germany is in
"fairly prosperous condition." Even in the wreckage of all material
things, bordering on despair, musical instruments are among the first
of the essentials to lift their heads and proclaim a new progress.
* * *
With about 15,000 dealers selling pianos, and with a gross pro-
ductiveness of 300,000 instruments a year, how much must the average
piano net the seller at retail? Figure it out and see if you can make
the average price too high.
* * *
Pianos are still too "cheap." They are sold by the retailers at
profits too small to justify the cost of doing business. If you are
selling 100 pianos yearly, what must your profit be on each sale?
HANDSOME STORE AT
POPLAR BLUFF, M0.
After twenty-two years of respectable striving the
Van Dyke Piano Co. of Scranton, Pa., has ceased to
be. The factory, on Capouse avenue, which was
built under the supervision of Joseph Keller, has
been sold for $100,000 to Linden Bros, of Philadel-
phia. When Joseph Keller left Bridgeport, Conn.,
he settled in Scranton and. associated with him a
local capitalist named Van Dyke. The instruments
produced were known as the Keller Bros, and they
were good ones.
Mr. Van Dyke died in 1902 and Mr. Keller soon
thereafter withdrew from the industry, which then
became the Van Dyke Piano Co., controlled by the
estate of the original capitalist, with W. N. Van
Dyke, a son, in charge. But Mr. Van Dyke was not
a piano man in the sense in which the word is usually
used. He didn't progress much and, while the busi-
ness prospered, it was not destined to grow.
The Van Dyke pianos, which succeeded the Keller
Bros., were always good ones and the dealers who
sold them were more than satisfied. They will re-
gret to give them up.
NEW MUSIC HOUSE FOR CHEROKEE.
J. V. Vaughn, of Amorilla, Texas, will open a first
class music house in Cherokee, Okla., in the near
future. Mr. Vaughn is an expert piano tuner and,
together with Mrs. Emmett Vaughn, will conduct
the business. They have located temporarily in the
Overland Sales Co. rooms. All kinds of musical
goods will be received as fast as the freights can
bring them and the new place of business will prob-
ably be ready by the first of July.
Among the enthusiatic representatives of the Jesse
French line of pianos and players is the Barnett
Music Co., of Pine Bluff, Mo. The store is one of
the handsomest and best appointed in that section
of the country, and the success attained by the man-
agement in selling the line from New Castle, lnd.,
has been developing from the time of taking hold
of them.
Accompanying this writing is a good picture of
the interior of the Barnett Music Co.'s establish-
ment. It shows the large stock, constantly kept in-
tact by new arrivals as fast as the warerooms be-
come depicted. It is such stores as this that give
standing to the music houses in the smaller cities,
and the reliability of the Barnett Music Co. makes
the business one of steadily increasing volume.
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/
June 19, 1920.
the result that the audience was further delighted.
"The speaker certainly could find no fault with
the cordiality of his reception here and he can leave
Kewanee with a definite assurance that his appear-
ance was in every way a wonderful success."
WILL H. COLLINS GUEST
OF KEWANEE ROTARY CLUB
His Versatility n iEntertaining Makes Dinner in
Illinois City More Enjoyable.
Will H. Col-
lins, manager of
the retail piano
d e p a r t ment of
Lyon & H ea 1 y,
Chicago, was the
guest of honor at
a d i n n e r given
by the R o t a r y
Club of Kewanee,
111., last week,
and as usual sig-
nalized the event
by adding the ap-
petizing spice of
his humor to the
meal. But at the
conclusion of the
dinner the Chi-
cago piano man
provided a pro-
gram of the di-
versified and en-
joyable kind for
W. H. COLLINS.
which he is fa-
mous. "A five-dollar a seat entertainment without
money and without price" was the way the Kewanee
Courier characterized it. This is how the paper
described it:
"Mr. Collins is a story teller, extraordinary. He
has the ability to reflect life in its many phases with
a humorous slant. One tale after another fell from
his lips, each of them carrying with it a smile. With
piano accompaniment furnished by himself Mr. Col-
lins sang two or three selections which for novelty
presentations were blue ribbon winners. His closing
selection was the speech of Aid. Tom Brennan of
the "steenth" ward of Chicago in which the audi-
ence joined in the chorus of approval of the various
parts as they were enumerated. Although this was
supposed to be his final number the applause was so
insistent that Chairman W. T. Pierce prevailed upon
Mr. Collins to go on for a few minutes longer with
C. C. Baker, Weil-Known Roll Man, Is Man-
ager, and Promises to Set a
Pace for Fast Going.
THE FRISCO WAY.
The San Francisco War Memorial Building, which
is going to include a very elaborate concert stage
for the encouragement and development of music on
the Pacific Coast, has been loyally supported by all
members of the music trade in that city, having a
100 per cent subscription. In addition to the sub-
scription from himself and every individual in his
establishment, Byron Mauzy has been working on a
team covering a portion of San Francisco, in regard
to the above, and has been very successful. San
Francisco very loyally supported the movement.
EXHIBITS CARUSO'S PIANO.
The especially designed Hardman Autotone, made
by Hardman, Peck & Co., New York, which was
made for Eurico Caruso a short time ago, was re-
cently on exhibition in the display window of Hard-
man, Peck & Co., 433 Fifth avenue, New York. The
piano is finished in white enamel, with gold designs
in relief. The fallboard bears a gold plate, with a
statement to the effect that the instrument was made
expressly for the great tenor, Enrico Caruso.
Still another branch for the Q R S rolls! This
enterprising Chicago, New York and San Francisco
manufacturing concern is achieving a reputation for
constant surprises in its line of work.
The Q R S Music Company announces the open-
ing of its Columbus, Ohio, wholesale branch this
week under the management of C. C. Baker.
Manager Baker promises to set a pace that all the.
other branches and the factories themselves will find
"fast going."
C. C. Baker's past record assures all the dealers
the Columbus branch serves, not only good service,
but the benefit of the experience of a man who has
made good in the retail roll field.
All the Q R S distributing branches are vying
with each other in service and dealer help, and pass-
ing along the good things to each other, eliminating
the bad ones and building a structure that increases
Q R S supremacy each day.
A ROYAL DECORATION.
CLOSES MISSOURI BRANCH.
Harry Shroyer has closed a sale of his Albany
music Store, and moved a small balance of his stock
left unsold to Bethany, Mo. The store at Albany
has been discontinued. Mr. Shroyer says that the
Albany store has "been losing money for quite awhile,
and since pianos and player pianos are getting so
high in price, and every indication that they will go
still higher, I will operate from the one store in
Bethany."
Queen Wilhemina, of Holland, has bestowed a
graceful compliment upon one of Chicago's prom-
inent citizens, in the presentation to Attorney John
Venema of the decoration of the Order of Orange
Nassau. The good work of Mr. Venema as consul
of the Netherlands has given such satisfaction that
the distinction was bestowed in token of apprecia-
tion. As a director in the Presto Publishing Co. the
compliment to Mr. Venama is especially gratifying
to this paper.
LAUGHEAD WITH AEOLIAN CO.
Gordon Laughead succeeds Roy Rose in the music
roll department of the Aeolian Co. Mr. Rose has
for some time been Western manager of the Univer-
sal Roll Co.'s business, in connection with the Aeo-
lian Co.'s Chicago office. George H. Bliss is at the
head of the music roll department of the Aeolian Co.
in New York.
NO MORE UFTiNe-^Twnnn PIANO
USED AND ENDORSED BY
THE GREAT HOUSE OF...
Q R S CO. OPENS
COLUMBUS BRANCH
J. W. JENKINS' SONS
MUSIC
CO.
LOADER
MISS EDITH EBBELS MARRIED.
A. L. Ebbels, of the American Piano Supply Co.,
New York, is the latest member of the trade to
give up a daughter and gain a son. Miss Edith
Louise Ebbels was married on June 12th to Rafael
Alfau at the Chapel of the Intercession in New York
City.
ONE MAN CAN LOAD OR UN-
LOAD A PIANO IN ONE MINUTE
KANSAS
CITY
A compact, light, indestructible device—One man can load or unload a piano in
one minute—Designed to fit Ford Roadster; can be attached to any make of car.
Attached to Ford Roadster in 30 minutes; taken off in less time and car used as a
pleasure vehicle. There's nothing bunglesome, trappy or complicated to get out of
order; yet so well built for service, it will last a lifetime. The weight of the piano,
when loaded, is well to the forward, hence a well balanced and easy-pulling load. Piano
is neither bolted nor strapped, avoiding danger of chafing or otherwise marring—
Will ride safely and securely on its back, over all sorts of roads, and not shift an inch—
Will not jar action out of adjustment. Piano can be unloaded onto a porch or plat-
form, or to the ground, and can be loaded from the ground or curb of sidewalk. Four
talking machines can be hauled upright, two on their backs—Will accommodate four
sewing machines. In daily use by hundreds of dealers from the level plains of Texas
to the hills of Virginia. Dealers using them say they would as soon take their cars
off the road as to take off the Atwood Loader.
With the Atwood Loader the grief of loading and unloading pianos is a thing of
the past. Any morning the salesman can load his piano, single handed, in less time
than it takes to tell it, and be on his way and stop and demonstrate his instrument at
every farm house, if he so desires, with no more trouble or effort than to fill the radi-
ator of his car.
Instrument Partly
Loaded
ONE ATWOOD LOADER, ONE FORD CAR, and ONE MAN
will sell more pianos than any six of the best Piano
salesmen that ever walked in shoe leather—
Needn't take our word, ask the dealers using them
J. W. Winter, Villisca, Iowa, single, handed, loaded and unloaded and sold twenty instruments
In one month on Atwood Loader, sixteen to people he had never Keen before; eighteen on which the
transaction was completely closed out in the yard before the instrument was placed in the house. Such
volume of business, for one man, a physical impossibility without an Atwood Loader. The great
house of J. W. Jenkins' Sons Company investigated, ordered one, tried it out at their St. Joe branch,
and in less than one week we had their order for fifteen. That is only a small part of the order we
expect from them. Every salesman, at every branch, will be using one. It did not take this live
house long to decide that the "Atwood" was a business getter, as well as a piano loader. Order one
today—It will be the best investment you ever made in the piano business—The price is $65.00, $15.00
cash with order. If still in doubt, write for descriptive matter and list of dealers using them.
THIS LOADER IS PATENTED - Au fi 3 2 7 V 8 917
WE WILL PROSECUTE TO THE FULL EXTENT
OF T H E LAW A N Y I N F R I N G E M E N T S
THE ATWOOD PIANO LOADER CO, Cedar Rapids, la.
Salesman Demonstrating Instrument In Farm Yard.
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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