Presto

September 18, 1920.
FINDS KINDRED
OF J. S. HOLMES
Veteran Piano Traveler, M. D. S. t Writes in
Absorbing Historic Vein and Identifies
Kinsman of Official of Remington
Phonograph Corporation.
In Presto last week the notice
of the death of James S. Holmes,
Sr., father of James S. Holmes,
vice-president of the Remington
Phonograph Corporation, New
York, and grandfather of Ever-
ett H. Holmes, sales manager of
the industry, conveyed other
facts of peculiar interest to me.
These are that the deceased was
descended from Thomas Holme
who surveyed Philadelphia for
William Penn and also from
Robert Morris a signer of the
Declaration of Independence.
It is my pleasure to be ac-
quainted with some of James S.
Holmes' kindred of whose ex-
J S HOLMES i s t e n c e possibly he is unaware.
Two in particular require men-
tion—Thomas S. Hart and his
wife Eleanor Holme Hart of
Linn Creek, Mo., because they hold as a prized heir-
loom the identical compass used in the historic sur-
vey of Philadelphia. Like Mr. Holmes, Mr. and
Mrs. Hart separately trace their ancestry to Thomas
Holme. At their union Fate again figured in the
familiar role of matchmaker.
Other descendants of Thomas Holme I have met
spell their name like James S. Holmes. The late
Frank Holme, the Chicago cartoonist, adhered to
the old form, although some of his cousins spell it
with the final s. This variation in name form is
rather common in American families. For instance,
Morris has become Morse, as in the case of Prof.
F. B. Morse, the Yale scientist who was directly
descended from William Morris, the signer.
A Correction.
Historians crediting Thomas Holme as first sur-
veyor-general of Pennsylvania are erroneous in that
particular. The first appointee was William Crispin,
a cousin of William Penn, who was lost when his
ship was wrecked in the passage out to America.
Thomas Holme, the second appointee, was born in
Waterford, Ireland, and entered on his duties in
Pennsylvania in 1682. Two of his companions on the
ship "Amity" on which he arrived were Silas Cris-
pin, son of his predecessor, and John Hart, both
from Oxfordshire, England. The friendships begun
on that historic voyage have influenced the destinies
of many old colonial families. In time Silas Crispin
married Hester, daughter of Thomas Holme, and in
the course of events their daughter, Eleanor, mar-
ried the son of John Hart.
The Changed Spirit.
Those early ancestors of James S. Holmes and his
widely scattered kindred were peace-loving Quak-
ers. But some of their descendants in time turned
to other religious sects, permitting a more militant
spirit. For instance, there was Col. Joseph Hart,
who was decidedly averse to turning the other cheek
when smitten by the political circumstances in the
days preceding the Declaration of Independence.
He was chairman of a convention of Bucks County,
Pennsylvania, citizens in July, 1774, at which George
the Third was "told where to get off" in very un-
quakerlike language. Col. Hart organized and
eventually commanded the Bucks County Militia
which fought with distinction under Gen. Washing-
ton. Of course his activity aroused the enmity of
the Tories and the British who burned his home and
destroyed his cattle on two occasions. Fearing for
the safety of his family he sent his children to his
brother Silas in Augusta County, Virginia. It was
from the frying pan to the fire; Silas, from his pa-
triotic activities had also "got in bad" with the
Tories in that section.
Kept Him Moving.
But the kinsman of Mr. Holmes, who had the most
thrilling experiences during the War of the Revolu-
tion and the years preceding was the Rev. Oliver
Holme Hart, a Baptist minister of Charleston, South
Carolina, and brother of Col. Joseph Hart. This
fighting parson was a poet as well as a preacher.
His verse, preserved in four volumes, may frankly
be called heavy. But so was his hand when it wield-
ed a musket, as many a Hessian experienced in the
lively years succeeding the Declaration. In 1774 he
traveled from place to place preaching the Chris-
tian doctrine which emphasized the right of all men
to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, without
the O.K. of George the Third. He was considered
so dangerous the British offered one hundred guineas
for his capture, dead or alive. The size of the re-
ward, a big one in those days, made the problem
of evading capture a hazardous one. No Sinn Fein
member of the Irish Republic's parliament has had
so many thrilling getaways from the police as had
this kinsman of James S. Holmes from Tory traps
in the momentous days when the revolutionary
spirit in America was crystallizing into action.
M. D. S.
DAYTON, 0., PIANO DEALERS'
PLAN FOR COMING SEASON
Leslie Davidson, President of Trade Association,
Says Trade Is Divided on Show.
"It will be the aim of. the officers of the Dayton
Piano Merchants' Association to make member-
ship in the association worth while and to go after
every bad practice and disturbing condition that the
trade faces," said Leslie Davidson, president of the
organization, last week.
Mr. Davidson said that an attempt will be made
to bring the dealers together soon, after all sum-
mer vacation periods have ended. Consideration
will be given a proposal to conduct a musical in-
strument show in Dayton this fall or winter, offer-
ing a demonstration of every music producing de-
vice known to the trade. Opinion as to the desira-
bility of such show, however, is divided.
Extension of credit service and more liberal co-
operation with the Retail Merchants' Association;
elimination of free piano loans to organizations
promoting entertainments, and the stimulation of
popular interest in music are among the leading
problems to be given consideration by the organ-
ized dealers the coming season.
J. WESLEY BROWN DIES
SUDDENLY IN CANTON, 0 .
Head of Brown Piano Co. Succumbs to Appoplexy
in His Fifty-First Year.
J. Wesley Brown, 51, president of the Brown
Piano company, Canton, O., died suddenly Septem-
ber 11th, at his home in Canton, from apoplexy.
Mr. Brown was at his work Friday but had been
indisposed Saturday and remained away from his
office. However, his condition had not been con-
sidered serious by members of his family.
Mr. Brown had been in the piano business in
Canton for about seven years. He was a member
of several organizations, including the Adcraft club
and the McKinley club. He was also a member of
the First Christian church and Canton lodge, Loyal
Order of Moose. During the war he was active in
the various campaigns held for the sale of Liberty
bonds and war savings stamps as well as in the
Red Cross and Y. M. C. A. drives.
Besides his widow, Mr. Brown is survived by-
three brothers, R. R. Brown, Brock Brown and
Harry Brown, and a sister, Mrs. McWilliams, of
East Liverpool. Mr. Brown was a native of
Marietta, Ohio.
ENLARGES INDIANA STORE.
The firm of Coover & Shierling, Union City, Ind.,
is making some extensive improvements in its music
store. Mr. Coover has moved his family to the
Grahs flats and taken the entire building for the big
line of pianos, phonographs, records and rolls and
for use as a repair room, etc. Booths have been
erected and customers can have the individual at-
tention of the salesman during purchases. The
large racks for records are rapidly filling up with
the latest and best music and the aim of the pro-
prietors is to have it the musical headquarters of
the city.
IMPORTANT FOR STUDENTS.
The necessity for a good piano for the use of
children studying music is pointed out by Bailey's
Music Rooms, Burlington, Vt., which says this
week: "Teachers of piano everywhere agree that
the progress of the student depends to a large de-
gree upon the kind of practice piano used. The
student's ear must be trained to accurately distin-
guish the fine variations of tone, and in this train-
ing a true-toned instrument is most essential."
FROM PIANOS TO FILMS. -
From pianos to motion picture films was the
change made by H. W. Traver last week when he
resigned as general sales manager of the F. G.
Smith, Inc., New York, to become associated with
the Associated Artists, in which Douglas Fairbanks
and Mary Pickford are interested.
PAUL F. NETZOW IN
APPEAL TO DEALERS
President of the Milwaukee Association of
Music Industries Advocates the Potency
of Collective Advertising.
"Time—Thursday, Sept. 16th, at 12:15. Place—
Blatz Hotel. Girl—More Business."
This was how opportunity was suggested to
Wisconsin dealers by Paul F. Netzow, president
of the Milwaukee Association of Music Industries,
in a letter mailed this week. The communication
concerned the notable meeting and discussion at
the Blatz Hotel. In his letter Mr. Netzow pointed
out the potency of collective advertising and
showed by an incident in Atlantic City how the
individual effort may be a source of weakness.
Atlantic City hotels had empty rooms when ad-
vertising covered only the claims of individual
hostelries. It was common practice for each hotel
manager to advertise, that guests be sure and stop
over at his individual establishment, as his meals
were better, the rates lower and the rooms higher,
etc., but, the public were not interested to come
to Atlantic City because they loved hotel" life, with
the result that none of the places carried on a very
profitable business. At a time when business was
quite discouraging, a new idea came to one of the
managers, upon which he called a meeting of all
hotel keepers and offered the suggestion, that they
collectively invite the traveling public to come to
Atlantic City, because it was beautifully situated
on a 10-mile sand bar; to see its "Board Walk,"
eight miles long; the "Absecon Light," 160 feet
high; and to enjoy its splendid climate and de-
licious "Clam Bakes," with the result that in six
months, all hotels were crowded, many having to
turn guests away.
Mr. Netzow showed a lesson in the incident and
said this to the dealers:
"As Atlantic City had empty rooms, going beg-
ging at low rates, so most of us have a fine dis-
play of musical instruments, with a limited number
of purchasers. Let's direct our efforts to the point
that we may rather have to turn some customers
away. The harvest months in our trade are before
us and through association and well directed in-
dividual effort, we can increase the demand and
create more business.
"After we have aroused interest in music through
the slogan and memory contests, collective adver-
tising will bring results. You will be interested to
learn of the novel plan in which we propose to ob-
tain topics for these collective ads, while our
method of prorating this campaign is new."
Six to ten cash prizes are to be awarded the pub-
lic for the best musical slogans submitted. This
campaign to be run in all newspapers and to be
prorated on the basis of replies received. A music
memory contest is to be conducted by Mr. Norton
of Community Service and to be featured at the
Auditorium on even more elaborate plans than the
one previously conducted at the State Fair.
EFFORTS TO RELIEVE
THE CAR SHORTAGE
Chicago Piano & Organ Association's Appeal to
Shippers Quoted in Report.
As the demand for cars is unabated and there is
little chance for getting any more cars, why not use
the cars we have to the fullest capacity? says Na-
tional Crop Improvement Service, in the effort to
help relieve the car shortage. The plans of the
Chicago Piano & Organ Association are stated.
That body, which has started a campaign among its
members suggesting that requests be sent to all cus-
tomers urging everyone to speed up, is quoted as
follows:
"With the impending crop movement upon us and
the movement of coal, together with the tremendous
tonnage of other products, it is recommended that
the best possible use be made of present facilities.
"If 1,000 car users will load or unload one car
one day earlier, 1,000 cars per day will be released
for service.
"We recommended that orders be placed now for
shipment as early as goods can be removed. An
earnest, tangible effort on the part of our trade to
assist transportation authorities, will go far toward
preventing priority orders of any action tending to
deprive us of transportation facilities."
MOVES IN HARTFORD.
George Marshall has moved from his old location
on Asylum street, Hartford, Conn., to his new
store at 214 Pearl street. The progressive dealer
carries the piano and playerpiano line of the
Weaver Piano Co., Inc., York, Pa., and the Pathe
line of talking machines.
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