September 11, 1920.
PRESTO
LETTERS OF UNUSUAL INTEREST
FROM PRESTO CONTRIBUTORS
The Very Best Reading Possible for Trade Members, on Subjects Replete
with Interest in Every Branch of the Business.
done, and I have a duplicate copy, giving me a com-
plete record of my work. I am filling in prices I get
for my work, which I consider fair when the work
is properly done.
You have my permission to print any part or all
of this letter, or enclosures, if you see fit. If any
ideas of mine will help the "other fellow" to do bet-
ter work, well and good, as I believe every one in
the business should do the very best work he pos-
sibly can.
Very truly,
H E R B E R T E. TURNER.
[NOTE.—The work-slips sent by Mr. Turner dis-
play ingenuity and will be useful to other practical
tuners. In accordance with his permission, more
helps will appear in a special article in Presto next
week.—Ed. Presto.]
Pearl Harbor—our naval base for the Pacific. It
has the largest dry dock of any harbor, $10,000,000
having been expended thereon; also immense float-
ing derricks and repair shops for anything in the
ship building line. Immense coal sheds provide
Story of the Man of Many Aliases, a Later Account fuel for the ships of our navy. At Ft. Shafter
$20,000,000 are spent to house about 30,000 to 40,000
Appearing in This Week's Presto.
soldiers, of all branches of the army.
Newton, Kas., Sept. 1, 1920.
The climate is just glorious. The thermometer
Editor Presto: I am writing to you because I be- varies between 55 and 85 degrees; it never is either
Lyon & Healy to Install $23,000.00 Pipe Organ in
lieve you will help promptly to find out about what hot or cold. Pineapples, bananas, bread fruit and
Gymnasium at Quantico, W. Va.
I believe to be a very clever swindling scheme. papeia—a tree fruit, in taste similar to our casaba—
Here are facts, as nearly correct as I can present grow here in abundance. But the main industry is
As a result of the efforts made by energetic mem-
them from what we can find out (or what seem to
raising of sugar cane, of which one can see thousands
bers of the U. S. Marine Corps, stationed at Quan-
be the facts). Yesterday I purchased a walnut cased and thousands of acres on all of the five islands.
tico, W. Va., a magnificent pipe organ is to be in-
"Silvertone" (Sears, Roebuck) phonograph, Number
stalled in the post gymnasium. This will be the first
That the money craze is having its orgies here,
P. F. C. H53O1, and 16 Columbia records, from a
post of either the army or the navy to have an
as well as elsewhere, you can see from the fact that
man giving the name of Guy McCain, of Sterling, the Asiatic coolies, who have for years worked for
organ, and is one more evidence of the progressive
Kans. This same name is tattooed on his right fore- $20 per month, are now drawing $120 to $150 per
interest taken in the welfare of the marines.
arm, and he is about 5 feet tall, 40 or 45 years old,
month, and mechanics in the sugar mills get as much
The organ itself will cost about $23,000.00 and
rather of sandy hair and red freckled face—as near as $800 to $1,000 per month. Does not this beat
has been ordered from Lyon & Healy. It will be
as I can describe—and would weigh about 130 anything we know of in the piano industry, where
one of the finest in the country and will contain a
pounds.
even now a good retail salesman is glad to get $250 number of late improvements and accessories so
He sold me this phonograph, representing it to per month.
that it may be used for every purpose which the
be of perfect title; stating he had owned it 18 months.
I am going to San Francisco on the 21st, arriv- needs of the post indicate, being a three manual and
I found out at the express office that it had been ing there on the 28th. If I can finish my business pedal pipe organ. In addition to the great organ, the
reshipped to him, the day previous, from. Sterling, there in time will leave for Yellowstone Park on
swell organ, the orchestral organ and the pedal or-
Kans.—to him under the name of James D. Tuttle— Sept. 2nd., from there to Glacier Park, and then
gan, there will be a full drum outfit, and among the
and had been shipped out of Chicago by Sears, Roe- direct to Chicago, where we may arrive about Sept. accessories will be an electric motor and blower,
buck a few days previous to Guy McCain at Sterling, 20th, or thereabouts. After a short stay at Chicago
electric generator and console in pit.
Kans. The sheriff now has the man in jail, holding and Rockford, we go direct to New York, where
The incident recalls a note of war days, for two
him under the charge of getting money under fa'se we have engaged steamer passage for Rotterdam of the Healy boys were in the marine corps. Both
pretenses and, in searching his effects, receipts, etc., on October 2nd—providing the bolshevikis are not Captain Vincent E. Healy and First Lieutenant Au-
were found that seem to indicate that he had gotten overrunning all Europe! After that we have no
gustine Healy were students at the Marine Officers'
other phonographs from Sears, Roebuck under other fixed plan, except that somehow we want to finish
School in Quantico, later making for themselves en-
names, i. e., "Donald Kelly, Wynona, Okla.," "Guy the trip around the world by way of India, China, viable records in France.
:
McCain, Nickerson, Kans.," and "W . G. Tuttle, Japan, back to Honolulu and Southern California.
Sterling, Kansas." He stated to the county attorney
I am very glad we took the trip to Hawaii. It
and sheriff that he had gotten other phonographs and was a revelation for us and has restored Mrs. D's
told them, further, that the one he sold me was not health so much that she is herself again, while four
paid for.
months ago I was daily in fear of losing her.
Now, for the sake of the music dealers all over
Cordially yours,
the country, this matter ought to be taken up with
Good Report of Manager Lewis, on His Return from
A L F R E D DOLGE.
Seas, Roebuck, and the facts verified and this man
Mr. French's Resting Place.
prosecuted, if the facts justify it, as it may be pos-
General Manager C. B. Lewis, of the Jesse French
sible that I have uncovered one of a gang of clever
& Sons Piano Co., New Castle, is back from a visit
swindlers. Kindly see if the piano merchants' asso-
with H. Edgar French at tha.t gentleman's temporary
ciation can't investigate this matter and let me know
home in Boerne, Texas. Mr. Lewis found Mr.
if I have done the trade at large a favor.
French much improved in health, and anxious to get
Yours Sincerely,
Herbert E. Turner, an Independent, Indorses Recent
back into the harness again. However, he does not
H. S. DICKEY'S PIANO STORE.
Strong Article by R. C. Bishop, of Oklahoma?"""
expect to return home for a year or so, as he wants
to make his recovery permanent.
Aurora, 111., Aug. 23, 1920.
What has been said will be good news to a large
Editor Presto: Enclosed please find $2 for one
number of piano men who know Mr. French per-
year's subscription to Presto. The article by R. C. sonally. That gentleman's hard work, in the up-
Bishop in July 24 issue is alone worth the price of a
building of the big industry at New Castle was re-
year's subscription. I can say "Amen" to every
sponsible for his physical decline and which, it was
Tells of Trade in the Islands and Gives a Graphic
statement in the article, as I am an independent
believed, only a long rest was needed to restore.
Picture of Our Charge in the Pacific.
tuner, working along the same line as Mr. Bishop, That happy result has been nearly attained and the
trying to educate the piano owners to the necessity loyal and capable manner in which Mr. Lewis has
Haleiwa, Hawaii, Aug. 18, 1920.
of care of their pianos, both musically and mechanic-
sustained his responsible position is doing much to
Editor Presto: We are here now just about one ally.
further the entire recovery of Mr. French.
month, and I have just killed time sitting under palm
I have found, in my fifteen years' experience, that
trees, drawing. I thought I never could do such a
A PERTINENT QUESTION.
thing, but the wonderful scenery, the balmy air, the more pianos are worn out from lack of mechanical
music of the ever-rolling ocean and the beautiful care than from use. When people have had their
The
Smith
Piano Co., Milwaukee, asks this week
blue sky makes one think of Schopenhauer's Nir- pianos tuned once or twice a year, by the same
in the newspapers: "Can't you afford now to own
tuner
for
years,
and
no
mechanical
care
has
been
vana—that condition of positive inertness, sel^sat-
a fine piano? Now, when you are enjoying a better
isfaction and brotherly love of all humankind—or given, no one is to blame but the tuner, and a great
income than perhaps ever before, is the time to real-
many
times
he
isn't,
as
he
may
have
no
mechanical
the reverse of the latter, if you choose!
ize your long cherished wish for a piano or player-
ability.
Recently
I
was
called
by
a
prominent
teacher
It is just glorious here and if it were not that these
piano in your home. Then why wait longer? But
islands harbor 220,000 Asiatics—Chinese, Japanese, in my town, who has employed the same Chicago
remember a piano, if bought right, is something you
Filipinos and what not—against only 30,000 whites music house tuner for ten years, not less than once purchase only once. A good piano should be, and
a
year
and
usually
twice,
and
in
all
that
time
he
had
—Portuguese, Americans, English, a few French,
ours are, guaranteed to last indefinitely. And be-
Italian, Germans and Russians—one would have the not removed the action for cleaning, tightening or
hind the Smith, Barnes & Strohber Company's guar-
regulating.
There
was
only
three-sixteenths
of
an
desire to stay here and let the old world rumble
antee stands a reputation worth millions to us be-
inch lost motion between the keys and action.
along any old way it may choose!
cause it has taken us thirty-five years to earn it."
This,
I
find,
is
a
fair
sample
of
the
average
music
There are three piano stores here. The Bergstrom
Music Co., established over 20 years ago, carrying house tuner's work. I am enclosing a circular that
FOR YOUNGSTOWN CONVENTION.
Mason & Hamlin, Aeolian and Haddorff, is the larg- I got out several years ago; these brought in more
The A. B. Chase piano was the official instrument
est concern of all. It is owned by W. A. Adams, a work than any kind of advertising I ever did. The
of the Lockport music festival, held this week in
most genial man, with artistic temperament and past year I have had more work than I could do
Locport, N. Y. At the conclusion of the festival,
leanings. The Thayer Music Co. carries Steinway without any advertising, except my own work, which
Warren C. Whitney, president of the A. B. Chase
and the Starr line; and the Honolulu company has is the best adv. any tuner can have.
Piano Co., Inc., who attended the festival, will pro-
the American Piano Co.'s line.
I find very few, in fact hardly any, people when
ceed to Youngstown, O., to address the annual con-
At Hilo, the next largest city (10,000), on the the actual condition of their pianos is shown them,
vention of the Ohio Piano Merchants' Association,
Island Hawaii, the Moses Stationery & Music Co. and they are told intelligently what needs to be done,
which opens next week.
carries the Mason & Hamlin, Haddorff and Decker mechanically, to their pianos and what it will cost
& Son. * Honolulu has 83,000 population and is the them to have the work done right, who will not have
Schmoller & Mueller Piano Company, Sioux City,
biggest trading post in the Pacific Ocean. Nearly all the necessary work done and are willing to pay
la., brought suit against George M. Carey for $200,
all the steamers to and from the Orient stop here, the price. I am enclosing sample of my work slips
alleged to be due for rent on space used in their
which I had printed in September in tab form. This
unloading and taking passengers and freight.
store by Carey for his music department.
Uncle Sam is spending millions and millions on gives the customer an itemized account of the work
NEWTON, KAS., DEALER
UNCOVERS A SWINDLER
UNCLE SAM ORDERS GREAT
ORGAN FOR MARINE POST
H. EDGAR FRENCH RAPIDLY
REGAINING HIS HEALTH
PRACTICAL TUNER TELLS
OF HIS EXPERIENCES
FROM ALFRED DOLGE
IN DREAMY HAWAII ISLES
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