Presto Buyers' Guide
Presto Trade Lists
Analyzes and Classifies
All American Pianos
and in Detail Tells of
Their Makers.
Three Uniform Book*-
lets, the Only Complete
Directories of the Music
Industries.
THE AMERICAN MUSIC TRADE WEEKLY
CHICAGO, SATURDAY, JUNE 16, 1923
MESSAGE WRITTEN
AS SHADOWS FELL
Memorable "Confession" of "Ollie" Houck
Made Subject of Address, With Sketch of
House He Founded in the City of
Memphis.
One of the substantial music houses and model
business institutions of this country is the O. K.
Houck Piano Co., of Memphis, Tenn. No business
man has made a more lasting mark in the develop-
ment of a city of the South, and no man anywhere in
civic life has exercised a more beneficent influence
upon a community, than the founder of the O. K.
Houck Piano Co. And wherever he was known—
and that includes a large share of the men of the
music trade in other cities than Memphis, O. K.
Houck was a popular member of the trade.
The Third Anniversary.
"Ollie" Houck died three years ago May 29. On
the anniversary of his death the Memphis News
Scimitar published a fac-simile of the piano man's
now famous "Message to My Friends,'' with the
following note:
"Three years ago on the eve of his 'great adven-
ture; O. K. Houck, one of Memphis' best known
and best loved citizens, penned this farewell. It has
been reprinted in newspapers and sundry publica-
tions all over the country. It has been the subject of
many a sermon. It still carries an appeal that is just
as potent, just as universal as though just written.
Mr. Hcuck died on Decoration Day, 1920. The third
anniversary of his death will find many of the friends
he left behind paying silent homage over his grave
in Forest Hill."
The "Message" of the piano man was of a kind
to preserve and treasure. It is one of the brave ex-
pressions, or, as some have called it, "confessions"
of modern times. Mr. Houck had no close church
affiliations though he was a man of unbounded charity
and deep religious sentiment. Saturday afternoon, a
few hours before the end came, on May 29, 1920,
he dictated the following beautiful message:
I have been brought face to face with the supreme
issue of life—my preparedness for the great sum-
mons.
My physician has advised me to put my house in
order, and just as it would be with you, I have been
spending much of the time in retrospection.
My moral code has always called for a square deal
in every sort of relationship. Just the common call
of humanity demanding relief to the distressed and a
helping hand to the weak and overburdened. Meet-
ing in a small way these obligations has contributed
most of the pleasure I have had in living. I have
been trying to work at what I liked to call practical
Christianity.
His Beliefs.
Along with most folks, I believed in the existence
of a Supreme Being and had recognized, in an imper-
sonal sort of way, the importance of getting in closer
touch some time with Jesus Christ. I have had
friends, say: "O. K., you have tried to do all the
good you could; what else is expected of a man?"
In searching for an answer to this, the greatest
problem of my life, I have been driven to the con-
viction that no man has ever been saved by works
alone. I had never been able to make the surrender
and forego some of the liberties which seemed so
necessary to my happiness, and with this notion was
coupled a belief that if I tried to make a stand I
would probably stumble and be made ridiculous.
But it is all right now. All my doubtings are over.
I have no fear of the future. I have turned the whole
record over to Jesus, and while I have missed the joy
of working in His name, while I have missed the
happiness and thrill of an extensive Christian experi-
ence, yet I love to go back along the road with Him
and watch Him transform my humble acts into deeds
of Christian citizenship and Christian charity. It is
never easy to separate from friends, but the sorrow is
greatly lessened when you are certain you will see
them again.
The Houck Music House.
In an address delivered at the Rotary Club, Mem-
phis, Tenn., relative to the O. K. Houck Piano Co.,
the following was said concerning the company which
had been founded by the author of this remarkable
message:
The organization, which is so well and so favor-
ably known throughout the South and in the piano
trade, will be forty years old next October. In
October, 1883, the late Mr. O. K. Houck, together
with his father, Mr. J. C. Houck, came to Memphis
from Nashville and opened a small general music
store in the Gayoso Hotel.
Several years afterwards, Mr. Houck with Mr.
Jesse French and others organized the old Jesse
French Piano Company with stores at Nashville, St.
Louis and elsewhere, his own establishment becom-
ing the Memphis branch of the new organization.
About 1^89, Memphis was visited with a yellow
fever epidemic, and due to the lack of faith in the
city, the Jesse French Company wanted to close out
the Memphis store. The faith of Mr. Houck in the
futtfre of the city being unshaken, he again took
over the business as O. K. Houck & Co. Subse-
quently, the name was changed to O. K. Houck
Piano "Company, with a capital of $400,000.00.
Mr. Houck enjoyed the highest regard of the vari-
ous factories, and the company has always repre-
sented the finest and most valuable agencies, such as
the Steinway Piano, the Victor Talking Machine
Company, the Aeolian Company—makers of the won-
derful Duo-Art and the famous Pianola—Vose &
Sons pianos and others in their respective grades too
numerous to mention now.
What success may have been achieved is, no doubt,
due to six vital factors, viz: One-Price, No Com-
mission, Lowest Prices, Quality Goods, Service, Sat-
isfaction Guaranteed.
One Price Only.
The company is one of the very few absolutely
"One Price, No Commission" piano houses in the
country. Always has it been its policy to give full
value in all dealings, but prior to the establishment of
the "One Price, No Commission" policy, almost every
sale was a trading proposition. If the prospect had
an old instrument to trade in, the cash price or net
price could not be quoted, or if a commission on the
sale had to be paid, the net or lowest price could not
be given. Each salesman had his own prospects and
it was embarrassing when the prospect called and no
record could be found as to what had been quoted or
if the lowest price acceptable had been quoted. Often
several parties would turn in the name of the prospect
and a squabble would ensue as to who should get
the commission.
It is obvious that the lowest prices could not be
given when a commission was to be paid. So in
1909, when the decision was reached to go on an ab-
solutely "One Price" basis, the paying of commis-
sions had to be eliminated. To successfully conduct
a "One Price" business, the lowest possible figures
must be fixed if for no other reason than to meet
competition.
The Law of Service.
It is safe to assume that in buying a musical in-
strument no better inducement than guaranteeing sat-
isfaction could be offered. Nearly all pianos look
alike and only an expert can tell their respective
values. Accordingly, it can be believed that the
"One Price, No Commission" policy, with the satis-
faction guarantee, offers the best possible protection
to the public when buying pianos.
Service embraces many branches. Suppose you
could not get service for your automobile. Where
would you be? The same reasoning applies to the
piano business.
»
Mr. Jesse F. Houck is now president of the com-
pany and has devoted his whole life to the betterment
of piano merchandising, while a number of the sev-
enty employes at the Memphis store have been with
the organization for many years.
AMERICAN PLAYERS UNDERSELL.
A recent report from Trade Commissioner J. W.
Sanger at Melbourne furnishes an interesting side-
light on the price question with regard to American
playerpianos in Australia. A playerpiano dealer stated
that, in spite of the 45 per cent duty, he can land
American playerpianos in his store for £100, and that
Australian-made goods of the same grade cost him
from £140 to £160.
ADAM SCHNEIDER WILL FEED FISH.
Adam Schneider, of Julius Bauer & Co., Chicago,
is leaving Chicago for a vacation to last the rest of
the summer. He will go to his place at Lake Beulah,
Wis., where, it is said the fish hunger for bait. Mr.
Schneider was one of the men who did most .to
make the convention a success and a rest after his
labors is certainly well deserved.
I
TRAGIC DEATH OF
JOSEPH F. RADA
Interurban Car Crushes Life of Superintendent
of Waltham Piano Co. Just After He Had
Motored Home to Milwaukee from
the Chicago Convention.
One of the most shocking tragedies in the history
of the piano trade cast a shadow over the closing day
of the big Chicago convention last week, when Joseph
F. Rada, superintendent of the factory of the Wal-
tham Piano Co., of Milwaukee, was killed instantly
in an automobile accident just after his arrival in his
home city from Chicago. The accident occurred at
JOSEPH F. RADA.
7:30 on the evening of last Friday. Mr. Rada had
just entered Milwaukee when his car was struck by
an interurban train of the Chicago, North Shore &
Interurban road. He was killed instantly.
Only a few days before Mr. Rada had made one of
a party who came from the Waltham offices to Chi-
cago to devote the week at the convention. A full
story of the plans of the Milwaukee industry in Chi-
cago was given in Presto, and in that story the en-
thusiastic statement of Superintendent Rada was
quoted as showing his ambitious work and his faith
in the instruments which, largely by his own skill,
have attained to a fine place in the trade. His special
pride, too, was the new "Waverly" model, which was
shown during the convention.
In Prime of Life.
Joseph Rada was in his forty-second year, and he
had attained to a good place among the skilled piano
experts. He had been with the Waltham Piano Co.
for eight and a half years, and he had won a place
so high in the esteem of his employers and associates
that his death is regarded as a personal bereavement
as well as a distinct loss to the factory. He went
to the Milwaukee industry from the King Piano Co.,
when the latter industry was at Bluffton, Indiana.
In the King factory Mr. Rada had been foreman of
the finishing department, and his engagement with the
Waltham was in similar capacity, but he displayed
such general knowledge of piano making that within
two years he w r as promoted to general superintendent,
in which position he had served with unfailing effi-
ciency and loyalty to the time of his death.
Mr! Rada was in his forty-second year. He leaves
his widow and three children. His funeral took place
in Milwaukee on Monday last, and his going is re-
garded by General Manager Paul Netaow, of the
Waltham Piano Co, as a great loss to the industry.
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