Presto

PRESTO
presto
THE AMERICAN MUSIC TRADE WEEKLY.
Published Every Saturday at 417 South Dearborn
Street, Chicago, Illinois.
C. A. DANIELL and FRANK D. ABBOTT -
- Editors
Telephones, Local and Long Distance, Harrison 234.
Private Phones to all Departments. Cable Address (Com-
mercial Cable Co.'s Code), " P R E S T O , " Chicago.
Entered as second-class matter Jan. 29, 1896, at the
Post Office, Chicago, Illinois, under Act of March 3, 1879.
Subscription, $2 a year; 6 months, $1; Foreign, $4.
Payable in advance. No extra charge in United States
possessions, Cuba and Mexico. Rates for advertising on
application.
Items of news and other matter are solicited and if
of general interest to the music trade will be paid for
at space rates. Usually piano merchants or salesmen
in the smaller cities are the best occasional corre-
spondents, and their assistance is invited.
Forms close at noon every Thursday. News mat-
ter should be in not later than eleven o'clock on the
same day. Advertising copy should be in hand before
Tuesday, five p. m., to insure preferred position. Full
page d'splay copy should be in hand by Monday noon
preceding publication day. Want advs. for current
week, to insure classification, must not be later than
Wednesday nocn.
Address all communications for the editorial or business
departments to PRESTO PUBLISHING CO., 417 South
Dearborn Street, Chicago, III.
SATURDAY, APRIL 19, 1924.
H. P. NELSON
A remarkable career closed in the death of
Hans P. Nelson last week Friday. There have
been greater piano makers, and men in the in-
dustry whose names will live long after that
of Mr. Nelson will have been forgotten. But
for meteoric rise and fall, sudden transfor-
mations and surprises, there has been nothing
else just like it.
H. P. Nelson made his first piano in Rock-
ford, 111., where he established a little factory
and failed. He became factory superintend-
ent for the Smith & Barnes Piano Co., in
Chicago, and remained there until the late
F. S. Cable bought the Sweetland industry in
the same city, and. in looking around for a
practical man for a partner, was told of Mr.
Nelson's great capacity as a driver and pro-
ducer. Arrangements were made by which
Mr. Nelson secured a minority interest in the
Cable-Nelson Piano Co. and the factory was
located at South Haven, Michigan.
But the arrangement didn't last, because of
Mr. Nelson's intense restlessness and his seem-
ing impossibility of self-restraint. Leaving
Mr. Cable, he established his own factory,
which grew with remarkable rapidity until it
became one of the most extensive in the
country. And then came the disaster which
marked an era in the piano industry.
Many struggles to "come back" followed,
but without any marked success, failure fol-
lowing failure to the end.
But, there are few in the piano business who
will deny to H. P. Nelson a large margin of
credit for his industrious habits, great ambi-
tions and tireless optimism. He was natur-
ally a man of large things. His best days
proved that he was unafraid. He was a man
of liberal views. His failures were due to a
vision far exceeding his material resources,
and his mistakes more largely matters of er-
rors of judgment than of any reckless disre-
gard of his obligations to those who trusted
him.
H. P. Nelson literally burned his candle at
both ends. He died too young in years, con-
sidering- that in his prime he was a splendid
specimen of sturdy manhood, and he was as
well fortified with pluck, when stricken, as in
the days of his brief prosperity.
THE STARCK BUILDING
One of the most remarkable culminations
of continuous and praiseworthy persistency,
in the piano business, was placed on record
last week. It was the announcement that the
P. A. Starck Piano Co., of Chicago, had pur-
chased the Wabash avenue skyscraper, in the
same city, which was erected thirteen years
ago by the late John V. Steger. There has
seldom, if ever, been so marked an illustration
of the transpositions of fortune as is seen in
the transaction referred to.
At the time when the towering temple of
piano prosperity was planned, the late John
V. Steger was at the apex of his phenomenal
success. One of his business neighbors was
the piano house of the late P. A. Starck. It
was a modest piano store, with none of the
pretentions of its powerful neighbor. But
Mr. Starck was also a very unusual man. He
was a terrific worker who said little but kept
moving forward, and with every move a step
upward. He built a factory, also, and he ad-
hered to the rule of excellence in his produc-
tions.
When Mr. Starck died he, too, left a large
business, and it was in safe hands, free of in-
cumbrances, and with the founder's son, P. T.
Starck, at its head. And it has continued
along the way of its early days, and has be-
come so powerful that even so great an ac-
quisition as that of the Steger Building does
not stir surprise in the trade. It seems almost
a logical conclusion, for it had become known
that when opportunities presented themselves
the Starck house was adequate to avail itself
of them.
The taking over of the great Steger Build-
ing seems to afford a fitting tribute to the
founder of the P. A. Starck Piano Company.
It is just such a move as would have appealed
to the late P. A. Starck himself, to whose ge-
nius for organization and sterling character-
istics as a friend and business man, no better
monument were possible.
A FALL EXPOSITION
April 19, 1924.
hardly be considered complete without the
latest development of the piano.
Mr. Klugh won his place in the business
world as a "piano man." He was drafted
into radio because of his work in the piano
industry. His inventive genius, no less than
the forcefulness of his business administration,
attracted the attention of the Broadcasters'
Association. It is to be expected that Mr.
Klugh's interest in the piano and his under-
standing of its importance in public affection
will prompt him to influence for it a promi-
nent place in the exposition in Chicago next
November. So that western piano dealers
who think they may miss something in New
York in June may find full recompense a few
months later in Chicago.
BIG SALES ARE RECORDED
BY PORTLAND MUSIC HOUSE
Recent Purchaser of Steinway Grand Duo-Art Re-
turns to Sherman Clay & Co. for Pipe Organ.
Serge Halman, manager of the piano department
of Sherman, Clay & Co., Portland, Ore., sold last
week a $16,000 Aeolian pipe organ to be installed in
the home of Walter Bcebe of Portland. Win, Riplcy
Dorr of the organ department of the Aeolian- Com-
pany, who was in Portland at the time, assisted in
the sale. Mr. Beebe is not a new Sherman, Clay &
Co. customer, as he recently purchased a Steinway
Grand Duo-Art for himself, an upright Duo-Art for
his father and a $3,000 Orchestrelle.
Among the visitors to the music trade in Portland,
Ore., during the past week was Fred C. Buell, western
representative of the Standard Pneumatic Action
Company of New York. Other trade visitors to the
Oregon city were: George W. Allen, president of
the Milton Piano Co., Inc. cA New York, and B. P.
Sibley, manager of the Kohlcr & Campbell interests
at San Francisco, who dropped in to renew acquaint-
ance with the Portland, Ore., music dealers.
CATTANOOGA, TENN., DEALER
LEASES LARGE BUILDING
Owner Secures Spacious Quarters for the Southern-
Standard Music Company.
L. G. Dearing, proprietor of the Southern-Standard
Music Co., Chattanooga, Tenn., has leased the Hen-
derson building at Nos. 724 and 726 Market street. A
part of the building will be used as the new home of
the music company.
The new location will provide about three times the
present floor space. Another big advantage in the
new location is that the entire business will be located
on one floor.
The new home is to be made very attractive and
modern show windows will be put in. The music
store will move into the new location at 724 Market
street very shortly.
Notwithstanding that there is to be no show- NEW INCORPORATIONS
ing of pianos at the Waldorf during- the June
IN MUSIC GOODS TRADE
convention in New York, it is probable that
expositions .of pianos will be held in both New New and Old Concerns Secure Charters in Various
York and Chicago next fall. It will be, if at
Places.
all, in connection with the radio exhibit to
Los Angeles Music Co., Los Angeles, Cal.; $50,0(X).
be conducted in the two cities in November.
Denton, Cottier & Daniels, Buffalo, N. Y., dealers
musical instruments; $1,250,000. Directors: Wil-
Plans are already being formulated for the in
liam H. Daniels, Grace M. Daniels, John F. Huber,
first big radio show under the auspices of the Frank N. Farrar, Jr., Charles H. Heinikc, Shelton
Associated Manufacturers of Electrical Sup- Wild and Nisbet Grammer.
Piano Co. Sales Corp., Indiana, $10,000; Kan-
plies, with Mr. Paul B. Klugh, of the National sas Starr
City, Mo., $300. To manufacture and sell pianos
Association of Broadcasters, stirring the radio and musical instruments. Henry Gennett, president;
division to energetic activities in it. Of course, Clarence Geunett, secretary; C. V. Bissell, principal
it must be expected that musical instruments, agent, Kansas City.
Columbia Distributors, Inc., St. Louis, Mo.; $50,000;
of which radio claims to be a part, will be general
music and supply house; A. B. Crcal, A. E.
conspicuously represented. This is the more Tereba and A. I. Vogel.
certain because some prominent piano manu-
facturers are producing instruments in which DEPARTMENT STORE ADDS PIANOS.
Espenhain's Department Store, Milwaukee, has
clavier and radio are combined. Besides, as
now manufactured, pianos are very largely added a line of music goods, including pianos, talk-
ing machines and small goods. A large portion of a
associated with electrical devices. The elec- floor has been allotted to the new section, of which
tric pianos and reproducing pianos are of vast E. A. Jones will be manager.
concern in the industry and trade. So that
A piano repair shop has been opened by A. E.
an exposition of the kind referred to could Henrick at 241 East St. Joseph street, Indianapolis.
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