Presto

PRESTO
October 21, 1922.
Christman
'•The
First
Touch
Tells"
(Reg. U. S. Pat. Off.)
That the Christman Line
is so Attractive to Musical
Ears and to the Artistic
Touch that No Other In-
stiument can Successfully
Compete with them if in-
telligently presented.
Beauty of Case
Perfection of Performance
AND
Moderation in Price
c o m b i n e to Make the
Christman Pianos, Players
and Reproducing Pianos
Invincible in trade.
Don't neglect to investi-
gate what the Christman
can do for you.
"The
First
Touch
Tells"
(Reg. U.S. Pal. Off.)
Why the live Dealer takes
the Christman Line.
Write to-day for
particulars.
Christman Piano Co.
597 E. 137th Street
New York
MR. CHECKERING WAS
NOT ACCURATELY QUOTED
Important Qualification Was Omitted From
Presto's Reference to What Manufacturer
of Acoustigrande Said in Recent Speech.
Chicago, October 16, 1922.
Editor Presto: I noticed the editorial items in
your issue of October 14, and in regard to the shorter
comment, namely: "One statement by Mr. C. C.
Chickering in his address which is reproduced in this
issue of Presto will challenge attention and perhaps
discussion. It is, that no successful large piano in-
dustries have been founded by practical piano manu-
facturers. And isn't Mr. Chickering right?"
I do not think you have quoted me correctly in
this paragraph. What I actually said was, "I do not
recall a single instance where a big concern was or-
ganized and built up in a single generation by men
who were practical in the piano line."
The thought which I wished to convey here was
that the large industries in our line have been built
up within a short space of time by men who were
keen in business matters but were not necessarily
practical piano makers.
We have a number of instances in the trade where
fairly large industries have been built up in families
where the business has descended from one genera-
tion to another. This is notably true in regard to
the Steinway concern, and to a lesser degree with
the Kranich & Bach house. The Chickering business
was also a substantial institution, but it required two
generations to develop it to the point where it was
taken over by the American Piano Company. The
same is true with regard to the Knabe business.
There is also another angle to this thought, and
that is that quality manufacture in the piano busi-
ness is largely determined by price. The lower the
price the easier it is to build up a quantity produc-
tion, and the man who does not know the finished
product will allow a great many things to be done
in his factory to cut the corners and get out the
goods, no matter what the results may be, for the
simple reason that he does not appreciate the differ-
ence between what is being made in his factory and
something better.
Yours very truly,
C. C. CHICKERING.
BURGLARS FOILED AT
BELLEVUE PIANO FACTORY
Night Watchman Interrupts Burglars at Work in
Henry G. Johnson Piano Co.'s Plant.
An attempt to burglarize the factory at the Henry
G. Johnson Piano Co., Bellevue, la., recently was
frustrated by the vigilance of the night watchman.
It was not the fault of the marauders that murder
was not added to their other crimes for one of the
shots fired by them barely missed the watchman as
he was inserting his key in the time clock. The
shot passed through the glass in the office door and
also the door of the clock.
The burglars affected an entrance to the office
by putting a plank up to one of the south windows
and cut the screen. When the watchman appeared
on the scene they had removed the typewriter, add-
ing matchine and check protector, and these were all
found on the ground after they had escaped.
CREDIT MEN WARNED
AGAINST EXTREME VIEWS
J. T. Tregoe, Head of National Association, Says
Confused Sentiment Prevails About Conditions.
Three thousand members of the Chicago Associa-
tion of Credit Men last week received a survey of
business conditions as related especially to commer-
cial credit, from J. H. Tregoe, executive manager of
the National Association of Credit Men.
Mr. Tregoe warned the business men of Chicago
against false optimism. He flatly declared that we
are not bordering on a business boom, that there is
nothing in the situation at home or abroad that would
suggest one.
"We must struggle hard," he said, "to maintain the
improvements we have made. Investigation shows
a confused sentiment, bordering on the pessimistic in
some places and in others making a broad swing in
the opposite direction.
"We must be watchful against permitting errors
just now. There is a little feverishness discernible
in the commercial atmosphere and much will depend
upon the improvements and the intelligence of the
banks in granting credit so as to encourage sound
enterprises and to discourage speculation."
FEATURING AMPICO IN
MARSHALL & WENDELL GRAND
Forceful Advertising of Bissell-Weisert Piano Com-
pany Impresses Fact on Chicagoans.
The Ampico in the Marshall & Wendell grand
piano was featured in an attractive display in the
newspapers this week by the Bissell-Weisert Piano
Company. 26 South Michigan avenue, Chicago. "The
Ampico has hitherto been obtainable in the Marshall
& Wendell uprights—but now is available in this ex-
quisite little grand," was the announcement. "Thus
is this amazing invention, and its vast treasure of mu-
sic, for it brings with it the recorded playing of the
greatest pianists in the world, now obtainable at a
little more than the price of an ordinary grand player
piano."
The display was an effective one and characteristic
of the tasteful and convincing advertising of the Bis-
sell-Weisert Piano Company. In a closing paragraph
this was said: "May we suggest the exchange of
your little used or silent piano for this wonderful in-
vention? It means that your home will be filled with
music—ideally played, just as if the artist were a
visitor in your home playing for you in person."
HELPS FOR THE DEALER
AND PIANO SALESMAN
'Tis a One-Man Job From Store to Customer With
a Lea Truck.
The increased efficiency which results in the piano
and talking machine store from the use of one of
the trucks made by the Self Lifting Piano Truck Co.,
Findlay, O-, is appreciated by those who have been
wise enough to invest in them. The purchase of a
Lea truck by a piano or talking machine merchant is
the best kind of investment and one certain to return
profits from the date of purchase.
With the Lea Talking Machine Truck one man
can handle the Edison Chippendale, Victor 16, No. 6
Queen Anne, and every large and small talking ma-
chine. With the Lea Talking Machine Truck it is a
one-man job from the store to the floor of any apart-
ment.
The circular of the Self Lifting Piano Truck Co.,
should be on file in every piano and talking machine
store. It gives information valuable to every dealer
and mover about trucks, hoists, covers, straps and
other things needed by the trade.
BRANCH STORE MOVES.
Under the management of Charles R. Newman, the
Cable Piano Company's business has grown so rap-
idly in Roseland, a southern section of Chicago, that
it has become necessary to obtain larger quarters at
11361 Michigan avenue, which were opened October
15. The new home is the largest and only exclusive
piano store in Roseland. Mr. Newman says a big re-
moval sale of pianos and players, which proved a very
satisfactory sales event, has been going on at 11408
Michigan avenue.
THE "PICK-UP" IS GENERAL.
Traveling salesmen in the midwest are coming back
to headquarters with reports of increased buying in
the agricultural states, despite the lamentation of the
farming regions against commodity prices, which are
still out of balance. Country merchants are giving
somewhat larger orders than a year ago, so many
commercial travelers declare and the "pick-up" is
quite general. And this includes the piano travelers,
of course.
KNABE FOR NEW HOTEL.
An equipment of Knabe pianos has been provided
by the Conroy Piano Co., St. Louis, Mo., for the new
Chase Hotel, Lindell boulevard and King's Highway,
in that city. The Conroy Piano Co., is one of the
most enthusiastic proponents of the Knabe in the
Middle West and its activity in distributing the
Knabe with the Ampico is an equally well known
trade fact.
AFTER BIG MAILING LIST.
"The mailing list's the thing when it comes to dis-
tributing talking machine records," said Charles S.
Mauzy, head of the talking machine department of
the Emporium, the big San Francisco department
store. Mr. Mauzy claims to have a very big list and
his schemes to add to it are ingenious. "A list to be
characterized as 'good,' should be a list of probable
buyers, not a mere column of names," added Mr.
Ma.uzy.
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