Presto

August 14, 1920.
convenient. Then somebody proposed an auction
of the household effects and that was decided upon.
The auction drew a big crowd, bidding was brisk
and the prices for everything satisfactory. Then
came the turn of the old rickety tin-pan stencil piano
to be put up and Mr. Hulme drew nearer to listen
William Thomson, Accompanied by His Wife, to the auctioneer's eulogy. It was a wonder.
"We now come to the chef de owfer of this taste-
Calls on Old Friends in Chicago, Not
ful family's collection," he began in megaphone tones.
Forgetting Presto, Before Turn-
"This solid mahogany piano which can add grace to
a millionaire's mansion and cause it to re-echo with
ing His Face Homeward.
melody is for sale. But there's a reserve price. A
William Thomson, the piano virtuorium in New York City has telegraphed
Glasgow, Scotland, piano a bid. You cannot sell an object de art like this
dealer, and Mrs. Thom- piano without exciting desires for its possession
among the cultured and the collectors. But.I have
son, arrived in Chicago the
town pride. I hate to see this magnificent piano
last Friday on their way go out of Tulsa and I hope you feel the same way.
home from a visit to Mr. Now how much am I offered for this prized and
Thomson's branch store much sought—"
"The piano is not for sale! I guess I'm rich
in Vancouver, B. C. The
visit of Mr. Thomson enough to keep on owning it," was the excited shout
was one of his periodic of Mr. Hulme.
ones in search of pianos
and players and talking
machines for his big
store in Glasgow.
Mr. Thomson's ap-
pearance in the piano Milwaukee Association of Commerce Hereforward
Will Do Business on Business Basis.
offices and warerooms
is a pleasurable event for
The Milwaukee Association of Commerce has
scores of American piano
men. Apart from his notified ill members availing themselves of the serv-
WILLIAM THOMSON.
ability to buy the goods, ices of the credit bureau operated by the Retail
the Glasgow dealer's personality is a source of joy. Division that henceforth the bureau will do business
Few piano men are so well posted on the features on a business basis, and will charge for credit re-
of the business and industry in two countries; few ports at the rate of 28 cents per report. This is the
can so well draw the broad and fine distinction be- cost of each report at the present rate of service,
tween America and Great Britain, as far as the but as rapidly as new members are secured in quan-
selling of pianos is concerned. Mr. Thomson is one tities, the rate will be decreased.
"This action has been found necessary because
of the big men in the music trade over there. He is
president of the organization of music dealers of quite a few members of this organization have been
securing a great many more reports than they are
Scotland.
entitled to for the amount of money they are pay-
In his business in Glasgow Mr. Thomson is assist- inginto the association treasury," said Phil A. Grau,
ed by his son, William Thomson, Jr., who served in business manager of the association. "In order that
the army during the war in a way that won distinc- the Credit Bureau may be run upon a business basis
tion. While in Chicago, William Thomson an- and not at a loss, measured service is deemed neces-
nounced the forthcoming marriage of his son to a sary."
belle of Dumfries.
Under the new rule, firms holding multiple mem-
In a somewhat extended discussion of the piano berships will be charged for reports at the rate of
interests in both hemispheres, Mr. Thomson illus- 28 cents only when the number of reports asked by
trated clearly the effects of the high rate of exchange each member exceeds the amount covered by the
now existing upon the importation of American memberships. The membership fee is $25 a year.
pianos. Of course, it is an old story, and time alone
can bring back something like an even balance. At
this time, as Mr. Thomson plainly demonstrated,
by figures showing the prevailing prices of English
and Canadian instruments, as compared with those
in the U. S., the cost of exchange, together with the
tariffs imports create too great a divergence to make Tri-City Branch of National Piano Tuners' Associa-
it possible to handle many American pianos abroad.
tion Assembles at Annual Meeting.
Mr. Thomson has the figures at his fingers' ends.
He has been importing pianos from this country to
Piano tuners and dealers of Rock Island, 111., and
Scotland for very many years. He is even partial neighboring cities in Illinois and Iowa, affiliated with
to the American instruments and has a large sale the National Piano Tuners' Association, gathered
for them in Glasgow. But, under existing conditions, last week at the Y. W. C. A. in Rock Island for their
he found it impractical to place large orders and annual banquet. Charles Deutschmann, president of
was contented with informing himself concerning the national association, was in attendance.
some of the newer industries and placing orders for
Mr. Deutschmann addressed the gathering on the
a few samples with which to sustain his established success of the national association in impressing
representation of American instruments.
upon piano owners the necessity of having instru-
Mr. Thomson made the somewhat surprising ments tuned at least once a year to insure perfect
statement that talking machines do not have much service and retention of beauty of tone.
Talks were also given by John Donnelly of the
sale with his houses. He carries them, but the de-
Baxter Company and H. W. Shannon.
mand is not comparable with that in this country.
Members in attendance included Henry Atkins,
A. L. Bruner, A. J. Bullock, W. E. Herrick, W. S.
West, F. J. Fregin, Paul Braun, J. I. Cheney, John
D. Donnelly, H. W. Shannon, John T. Anderson
and D. T. Harris.
VISIT TO AMERICA
OF BIG GLASGOW DEALER
ANNOUNCES CHARGE FOR
CREDIT BUREAU RATINGS
PIANO TUNERS HOLD
BANQUET IN ROCKFORD, ILL
WONDERS OF AUCTION ROOM
PSYCHOLOGY ARE SHOWN
And Tin-Pan Piano Was the Subject of Potent
Glorifying Words.
"It takes an auctioneer to give the alluring art
character to a commonplace piano and get away with
it," said T. J. White, the Tulsa, Okla., dealer who
was a recent visitor to Chicago. Mr. White cited
an incident in proof.
Martin Hulme was an humble employe of a Tulsa
creamery when the discovery of oil near a piece of
land he owned in another part of the state gave a
turn to his fortunes. To be free to watch his inter-
ests in the oil region he threw up his job in the
creamery and sold his little house and lot at a good
figure. But the problem of getting rid of all the old-
fashioned furniture and household truck was not so
easily solved. The family considered it was of a
style and degree of antiquity impossible to retain
in the new-rich circumstances. The habitual thrifty
promptings, however, swayed the Hulme folks and
they hesitated to give the things away. The bids of
the second-hand dealers were considered dishonestly
low. To sell the stuff piece by piece was hardly
MADE ROTARIANS.
Pianos are represented in the Rotary Club of
Chicago by Wm. L. Bush and W. S. Miller of the
Bush & Gerts Piano Co. John Gerts and B. O. Jones
represent stools and benches. The information is
conveyed in a page announcement in the newspapers,
which give the purposes of the Rotary Club in detail.
Musical instrumments, talking machines and records
arc represented by the Wurlitzer Co., E. H. Uhl and
F. A. Siemon, rotarians. The club meets twice a
month for dinner at the Hotel Sherman. There is
also a round-table luncheon daily at the same hotel.
Membership is formed on the unique plan of one
active and representative man from each line of
business and profession in the community.
CAME FROM HUNTINGTON.
Carr A. Mitten, formerly of Huntington, Ind., is
secretary-treasurer of the A. B. Smith Piano Co. of
Akron, O., which recently reorganized and pushed its
capitalization to $1,000,000. Mr. Mitten has been with
the company ten years. The vice president of the
company is W. L. Moyer, also a Huntington man.
WAREROOM WARBLES
(A New One Every Week.)
By The Presto Poick.
WITH ATWOOD* HITCHED BEHIND.
I somehow seem a winner,
Whichever way I ride,
And every saint or sinner
Comes running to my side,
To see what 'tis I'm selling,
And when the truth they find,
I keep the music swelling
On Atwood,* hitched behind.
I rather like the summer,
When days are good and hot,
When all the world's a bummer
With most its cares forgot;
For then 'tis easy riding
Where prospects new I find—
My flivver smoothly gliding—
My Atwood* hitched behind.
In winter 'tis too chilly,
In spring the roads are wet,
And oft the fall is illy
Conceived for my best bet;
But in the days of summer
To music all's inclined—
It's then my fliv's a hummer;
With Atwood* hitched behind.
Then soon I stop, and gently
I tip it to the ground—
The Player speaks intently,
In music's matchless sound;
And when, at last departing,
What think you's on my mind?
I count the cash 'ere starting,
With Atwood* hitched behind!
*The Atwood Loader which, attached to a Ford,
will travel far and fast, carrying the piano safely
over any road.
PLANS TO CELEBRATE
NATIONAL MUSIC WEEK
Milwaukee Association, Through President Paul F.
Netzow, Addresses Letter to Trade.
The Milwaukee Association of Music Industries
is taking steps to tie itself up with the National
Music Week campaign to be conducted October 16
to 23 under the auspices of the Bureau for the Ad-
vancement of Music of the Music Industries Cham-
ber of Commerce. President Paul F. Netzow has
issued a letter to all members which says in part:
"Music instrument manufacturers have contributed
$40,000 toward a National Music W r eek to be held
from coast to coast during the week of October 16
to 23, inclusive. This amount will be spent in trade
paper campaigns; art work, 3,000,000 mailing fold-
ers to prospective customers; window display trims,
cash prizes, etc. The purpose of this Music Week
is to keep up the demand and make new busi-
ness.
The nature of plans for local work in co-opera-
tion with National Music Week will be announced
later.
E, P. LAPHAM CATCHING FISH.
E. F. Lapham, of Grosvenor, Lapham & Com-
pany, Fine Arts building, Chicago, is spending the
month of August at his summer home. Buckeye
Point, at Three Lakes, Wis. His partner, George
B. Grosvenor, is getting reports from time to time
of Mr. Lapham's success at fishing in the northern
waters. No fish have been shipped to Mr. Grosve-
nor so far, but his appetite for some of those fine
fish increases with each report of Mr. Lapham's
catches.
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