Presto Buyers' Guide
Analyze* and Classifies
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PRESTO
THE AMERICAN MUSIC TRADE WEEKLY
Presto Trade Lists
Three Uniform Book*-
lets, the Only Complete
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CHICAGO, SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 1923
THE LAST LAP OF
A LONG JOURNEY
Head of Big Industry at New Castle, Ind., and
a Globe-Trotter of Note, Concludes
Review of His South Ameri-
can Tour.
BARBADOES AND TRINIDAD
Ambitions of a Native Who Aspired to Emulate
Lincoln, House Where Washington Stopped,
and Other Observations.
By JESSE FRENCH
In my last monologue I was left
standing on the summit of Sugar
Loaf, lost in contemplation of the
beauties of the wondrous pano-
rama spread out in the harbor of
Rio de Janeiro. This, however,
was only one of the many beauti-
ful prospects, as Rio is surrounded
by charming mountains—glorious
prospects—while the city itself, one
of the most charming in South
America, is situated on a bay of un-
paralleled beauty. To all of these
natural beauties is to be added the
splendid parks, magnificent boule-
vards, adorned with artistic monu-
ments, statues, and elegant public
and private buildings.
None of all these charms would
I efface, but, like all other large
cities, Rio has its hovels for the
poor, its shadows as well as sun-
shine. 1 cannot divine why this
is so, but we do know that all sun-
shine makes the desert, and that
after night comes the dawn.
Of course I took in the exposi-
tion. It was very creditable but
poorly attended. One exhibition at
the British building interested me
very much. It was a map of the
JESSE FRENCH. world spread out in miniature-
vessels sailing over the waters into
almost every important point of the globe, illustrating
the great maritime interests of the British nation.
Our stay in Rio was most delightful, but we could
not linger. On March 16 we continued our journey,
leaving at 5 p. m. for Port of Spain, the capitol city
of Trinidad, where we arrived, after a most delight-
ful sail of nine days.
The Island of Trinidad.
This island has an area of 1,863 square miles, and
its principal products are cocoa, crude petroleum
and asphalt, the latter from a large lake of it about
thirty-five miles from the city.
While it has been settled for many years, Trinidad
has been slow of development and the people are
generally poor and illiterate. As we were driving
through the cocoa jungles, I met one native, with
others, in bathing. They all came out to see the
strangers, and the one to whom I especially allude
was of more than common interest. Though wet
and cold, he wanted to ask many questions about
America. I was surprised to find he talked English
fluently and made many inquiries about our col-
leges. I asked him how it was. He replied, "I study,
as I want to be a doctor and am going to America,
and I want to know of a good college that would
take a colored student."
A little surprised at his ambition, I asked where
and how he got his inspiration. He said he had ob-
tained the biography of Abraham Lincoln, and eagerly
asked if 1 "knew of him." I replied that I did and
he then said: "Well, I have as good a chance as he
had!" I encouraged him and hoped he would suc-
ceed. "Oh!" said he, "there is no doubt about that!
I am going—that is certain."
I afterwards learned the young man could speak
Spanish and fairly good French, as some of our
party were able to prove.
This was the most impressive, to me, of anything I
had seen or heard in Trinidad. It proves again that
"Lives of great men oft remind us, we may make
our lives sublime, and, departing, leave behind us,
foot prints on the sands of time." How little Lin-
coln thought that his footsteps would thus be seen
by a poor colored man in Trinidad, and lead him
onward and upward. "Then let us all be up and
doing, with a heart for any fate, still achieving, still
pursuing, learn to labor and to wait."
Most of the Trinidad houses in the Indian and
coolie's settlements were made of bamboo, thatched
with palm leaves. As all of the commerce of the
island passes through this port, it gives it the ap-
pearance of a fairly prosperous place, but lacking
the attractiveness of a city of wealth and prosperity
generally.
Our vessel took on coal here, from lighters, and
from thence by hand in small bags and baskets—a
rather slow process. The coal was originally brought
from England.
Barbados, the Last Stop.
We left Trinidad on the morning of the 26th for
Barbados, the last stopping place on our return
trip. Here we took on m^r« coal, loaded from
barges and carried largely by women, in baskets on
their heads, up steps on the side of the vessel.
Bridgetown is the capital of the island and port of
entry. There are 300 islands, of which only twenty
are inhabited. The staple products are sugar and
cotton, both of which grow in luxurious abundance.
But the people are generally poor, illiterate and
meagerly paid for their labor. We saw as many
women in the fields as men, gathering their crops of
sugarcane.
They have some modern sugar mills and refineries,
but about half of the grinding is done by old wind-
mills such as are so often seen in Holland. Every-
thing here, it seemed to me, was sugar and cotton,
both of which are of fine quality. Oxen were mainly
used in gathering the cane, 6 or 8 to a wagon. The
mules are too small to pull the heavy loads over
plowed ground.
There were some beautiful drives around the prin-
cipal islands. On a bluff at the sea side we came to
St. John's Episcopal Church, a quaint old structure
built in 1610, as we saw from the inscription on the
tomb stone of its founder. On another tomb we
learned that here lies the remains of the last de-
scendant of the Greek Emperors, who died in 1673.
The edifice and grounds were surrounded by a stone
wall, and all was somber and silent. But the sur-
roundings were most beautiful, and in imagination I
ruminated over the past and present, as did our gifted
poet Grey when he wrote his immortal Elegy in the
Church Yard. In our rounds we stopped at a charm-
ing old residence where George Washington stayed
six weeks, with his brother who was brought there
for his health. We saw a tree planted by him, which
seems to have flourished as has his country.
Homeward Bound.
On our return to Bridgetown, we drove around the
city, taking in the sights, until the darkening shad-
ows reminded us that our home, for the present, was
on the deep blue sea, and we had to depend on small
boats to take us back to our cabin.
On the morning of the 27th we lifted anchor and
were soon on our way, homeward bound.
The sun rose bright, and the day was delightful.
Through our glasses we could see Martinique, where
in 1902 Mt. Pelee erupted and caused so much de-
struction; also Fort of France, the capital of the
island, and where Empress Josephine was born. We
were shown, at one point, the island of Nevis, where
our honored statesman, Alexander Hamilton, was
born. From these and other facts of history, who
knows but some day the world may yet learn the
name and fame of the dark skinned stranger we met
at Trinidad!
St. Eustatious Island belongs to Holland, and, it is
said, was the first that saluted the U. S. flag of the
fleet in the harbor during the Revolution of 1776.
Much of interest could be written of a number of
these islands, but, as I did not visit them, I must
refer the reader to writers who have also told their
experiences.
On March 31, with a cool day and the sea a little
rough, we were so near home that passengers were
FOUNDER OF STORY & CLARK
CO. IN BRIEF CHICAGO VISIT
President E. H. Story Also Comes from California
for His Annual Sojourn.
H. L. Story, founder of the house of Story &
Clark Piano Co., was in Chicago, city of his early
activities, recently, looking strong and well. He is
finding life to his liking in Pasadena, California,
which beautiful city has been his home for a good
many years. Mr. Story's stay in Chicago was brief
—too short to satisfy his old-time friends.
E. H. Story, president of the Story & Clark Piano
Co., has also been in Chicago for a short time and is
still here, looking after affairs of his house during
the absence of his brother, Frank, who has been on
vacation.
President E. H. Story finds that the long-distance
supervision of the big piano house is effective. On
his annual visits to the offices in Chicago, the factory
at Grand Haven, and sometimes to the principal
branch houses' in various cities, he can get a good
bird's-eye view of things, and, being free from the
'"staleness" which so often conies from a steady grind,
he can do larger work than as if he were in attend-
ance continuously.
BUSY NEW HAMPSHIRE FIRM.
An excellent business in pianos and playerpianos is
reported by the Beedle Piano Co., Keene, N. H.,
which occupied its new store at 24 Main street
recently. This house has been in business more than
thirty years and the move has been made necessary
because of the constantly expanding business which it
has enjoyed. The new store is modcrnly equipped
throughout; in fact, it is one of the finest warerooms
in New England. The company handles the follow-
ing lines: Gulbransen, Brambach, Pease, McPhail
and Cable-Nelson pianos, Victor talking machines and
Conn band instruments.
AMPICO TUNERS' SCHOOL.
The plan of the American Piano Co. to educate the
tuners in the player mechanism, and especially the
reproducing action, is of general trade interest. The
Chicago school will open on October 8th.
It is
understood that the conditions under which tuners
will be enrolled are very strict, involving at least a
high school education and some mechanical skill as
well as musical understanding. The school will lo-
cate in the various cities, and the plan is a part of the
service system of the American Piano Company.
PEORIA CONVENTION POSTPONED.
The convention of the Illinois Music Merchants As-
sociation, at Peoria, has been postponed until October
22-23. The dealers in Peoria are planning an elab-
orate entertainment for members of the association
and their friends. It is expected that there will be
a large gathering, and the additional time afforded in
which to plan to be there should add to the numbers
in attendance.
MUSIC MAN ACTOR'S SON.
Charles Ruggles, the leading man of the "Dancing
Honeymoon" Company, now playing at one of the
Chicago theaters, is a son of the manager of Sherman
Clay & Co.'s branch at Los Angeles, California,
which is an exclusive wholesale store and given over
largely to Victor Talking Machine distribution.
The Cartwright Music Shop was opened recently
at Greencastle, Ind.
busy packing and getting ready to leave the ship.
We landed in New York harbor April 1 on a very
cold day. The waterpipes on the outside of the
vessel were frozen and the contrast to the balmy
breezes of the southern clime was both realized and
felt.
To those of my readers who have followed me on
the southern trip, I can only add that if they have
been nearly as well pleased in reading as I have been
in writing and reviewing this most pleasant journey
to South America, I shall feel amply repaid.
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