Presto

PRESTO
June 9, 1923
AMONG THOSE PRESENT AT DRAKE
Some of the Happy Conventioners from Near and Far, Who Know How to Make an Annual Trade
Gathering a Joyous and Profitable Event
President Jesse French, of the Jesse French & Sons
Piano Co., Newcastle, Ind., divided his time between
the exhibit of his company at the Great Northern
Hotel, and meeting friends at the Drake. He was
accompanied by Manager Secor and it is understood
that, as a result of the convention, a number of new
representatives of the Jesse French instruments have
been added to the list.
Smith, Barnes & Strohber Co. displayed character-
istic spirit in preparing a Convention Program and
Lists of Displays and Events, which were distributed
and proved a convenience to most visitors.
Charles Jacob, of the powerful New York industry
of Jacob Bros., was accompanied by his daughter.
Albert Jacob had his two sons with him, and the
j'ounger members found endless interest in the
crowds of piano men and their products.
There were more than a hundred guests at the
Gulbransen dinner. It was what some one rightly
termed a "clean and elegant" affair, as opposed to a
grand "high old time," as some of the earlier occa-
sions may have been called.
Cable Breakfast.
The Cable Company's breakfast on Wednesday was
largely attended. Many ladies were present, as has
been the custom at earlier events of The Cable Com-
pany at Convention time. The occasion was a de-
lightful one.
The golf tournament, at Olympia Fields, Friday
forenoon, took place too late in the week for more
than mention here. The interest was intense, and
every golfer in the business knew just what would
be the result before the first tee off.
I. N. Rice gives a trade family dinner at his country
home, at his farm one mile north of Des Plaines,
Friday afternoon. A good-sized gathering of Mr.
Rice's close friends will be there.
The Lyon & Healy concert grand, which made its
appearance at the Drake, attracted attention. Also
two or three Small Grands, a Washburn upright and
a Reproducing upright. The Concert Grand was es-
pecially admired as predicting evidence of the bound-
less aspirations of the old house in the department of
piano manufacture.
The Baldwin Co. exhibit was of unusual interest. It
was so situated as to attract visitors promptly and
Baldwin, Howard, and Hamilton small grands were
included in the display.
H. Paul Mehlin There.
H. Paul Mehlin was a prominent member of the
New York delegation. The artistic Mehlin pianos
have taken on an added interest throughout the Mid-
West since they became the leader in the line of
Grosvenor, Lapham Co., the Fine Arts piano dealers
in Chicago.
The M. Schulz Co. exhibit was a busy place and
many good orders were taken during the week.
Many visitors made the Schulz exhibit their head-
quarters.
I. N. Rice, with his new bride, at the Tuesday
MARK P. CAMPBELL,,
President N. P. M. A.
luncheon received the congratulations of all who
got close enough to express themselves.
Will L. Bush and Mrs. Bush were present and the
delegates from Dallas received very much of an ova-
tion.
C. S. Hockett, one of the noted piano trade family
of Bellefontaine, Ohio, might have been found at the
Schulz booth much of the time.
William Bauer was quite regular in attendance. It
is said that he has lined up several more manufactur-
ers on the Bauer Grand construction.
A. M. Sweetland and A. L. Jewett, of the Starr
Piano Co.'s traveling staff, were among the crowds
at the Drake.
Seeburg Prosperity Dinner.
One of the week's events was the Bus Ride and
Prosperity Dinner of the J. P. Seeburg Company.
The dinner was at the Edgewater Beach Hotel, and
was well attended. The occasion was one of the real
experiences of many of the visiting members of the
trade who handle the Seeburg line. Marshall Seeburg
and A. L. Jones did the honors. One of the surprises
was a radiogram received from J. P. Seeburg on that
gentleman's arrival at Gothenberg, Sweden. Mr.' See-
burg is now enjoying the great Swedish-International
Exposition at Gothenberg.
J. H. Shale, of the United Piano Corporation, was
the center in trade-discussion groups and his com-
pany's exhibit was one of the drawing cards at the
Drake.
President A. Goldsmith of the Goldsmith Piano Co.,
1223 Miller street, Chicago, had prepared a display at
the factory which drew a great many visitors. Mr.
Goldsmith and a staff of assistants had a busy week
with the result in form of a good book of advance
orders.
R. K. Maynard, western representative of the M.
Schulz Co., Chicago, was on hand, meeting a goodly
number of his friends and customers who had also
traveled far to share in the convention. Mr. May-
nard covers all the Pacific Coast cities, Texas and
the Rocky Mountain States.
The exhibits of the Waltham Piano Co., of Mil-
waukee, attracted crowds. The new duo-tone "Wa-
verly" model promises to fulfill the almost sensational
forecast of many piano dealers who examined it for
the first time. It is a beautiful instrument and a large
number of orders for early shipment were taken dur-
ing the week.
A Souvenir.
The souvenir distributed by the American Piano
Supply Co., of New York, created comment. It is a
memorandum pad of the perpetual kind, bearing some
mystery in that the writing may be instantaneously
eradicated and the pad used continually—a useful
memorandum as well as a novelty. The American
Piano Supply Co. distributed a good supply of them.
Harry T. Sipe, traveler for Adam Schaaf, Inc., put
in the week at the convention and met a number of
his customers by which to add to the hustle at the
factory. As the longest on the road for the Adam
Schaaf line, Mr. Sipe may properly be called a popu-
lar member.
A. M. Sweetland, whose home is in South Bend,
but whose office is under his hat in every state east
of the Indiana line, placed orders, but not for ship-
ment till after July.
Conrad Kreiter, of Milwaukee, with his customary
quiet, was in daily attendance. "Well," said Mr.
Kreiter, "if business was much better we'd have to
add three stories to the factory, enter orders in
barber-like rotation, and ship by airplane. Milwau-
kee is growing as a piano center."
With very few exceptions, exhibitors this week re-
port orders from visiting dealers. Some of the man-
ufacturers and factory representatives say that their
orders will run into thousands, and in some cases even
tens of thousands, of dollars.
CHARLES JACOB,
Treasurer N. P. M. A.
E. R. JACOBSOINf,
First Vice-President N. P. M. A.
Henry Christman Pleased.
Henry Christman, of the Christman Piano Co., New
York, is one of the most satisfied members. His
only cause for worry is the inability to get out the
pianos as fast as the dealers demand them. The call
for the S-foot Studio Grand is especially good and
Mr. Christman has made plans by which to produce
in larger numbers than ever before in the history of
the Christman business.
O. A. Card Likes Chicago.
O. A. Card, of the Sterling Company, was espe-
cially interested and active because it was his first
experience at a Chicago convention. Besides trans-
actin gother business, the engagement of Lem Kline
as western salesman is referred to in another
column.
The U. S. Music Co. suite at the Drake was a
point of interest. Sales Manager Geo. L. Ames was
on hand most of the time and the big music roll in-
dustry added many dealers to its list.
C. L. Dennis, of the Better Business Bureau, had
his Peerless car with him. He drove through from
New York a mouth ago, and left his wife in Mil-
waukee. The lady drove down to the convention in
the car.
Fred and George Harms, Aberdeen, S. D., were
formerly partners in business at that place. They
separated and are now friendly competitors in busi-
ness and attended the convention together.
E. J. Wagner, of Tiffin, Ohio, who has been in
business there since about 1904, is an Adam Schaaf
enthusiast. Mr. Wagner is a successful and reliable
dealer.
Wednesday night's banquet was the largest in the
history of the convention. It is estimated that 1,500
were present at the 160 tables, in the big double din-
ing rooms of the Drake.
One of the most eloquent speeches heard at any of
the banquets of the trade was delivered by W. E.
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