Presto

PRESTO
REGRET AT DEATH
OF GEO. R. HUGHES
Newly Elected President of the National
Music Merchants' Association Caught
Cold on Way from New York and
Passed Away in Chicago.
PNEUMONIA THE CAUSE
One of the Most Popular Members of the Trade and
Active as Member of the Wiley B. Allen
Company.
Only two weeks ago Presto told of the election of
George R. Hughes, of San Francisco, as president
of the National Association of Music Merchants. On
Monday of this week the trade was shocked to learn
and he was president of the company at the time of
his death.
His Only Daughter.
Mr. Hughes was born at Forrest Grove, Ore., on
May 30, 1869, and was, therefore, in his fifty-fifth
year. He is survived by an only daughter, Maxine,
eighteen years of age, who is a student at Los An-
geles Cal. On being notified by Mr. Dowling of her
father's illness. Miss Hughes started for Chicago, and
had reached El Paso, Texas, when a wire reached her
telling of the fatal termination and Miss Hughes
turned back to Los Angeles, whence she will pro-
ceed to San Francisco, where the funeral will take
place on Saturday, June 21.
Mr. Hughes was on his homeward way from the
New York convention, where he had been elected
president of the National Music Merchants' Associa-
tion. The body was accompanied from Chicago by
Chas. A. Ericsson, of Ludwig & Company, New
York, who was a warm friend of the deceased and
who was with Mr. Hughes just preceding his death.
Everywhere in the trade the death of the popular
San Francisco piano man will be deeply lamented, for
he had only friends wherever he was known and his
administration of the association had been looked
forward to as one of great promise.
Friends Pay Tribute.
Among Mr Hughes' close personal friends was
a'so Geo. P. Bent, who had expected to return west
v/ith him. When apprised of the death, Mr. Bent ex-
pressed great sorrow and said:
"He was one of the finest men of my acquaintance.
I had known him a good many years and admired
him for his manliness and genial temperament. It
was my expectation to see him aga : n this week, but
I had no knowledge of his illness, for when we parted
'ast, in the East, Mr. Hughes seemed in perfect
health."
President George J. Dowling also expressed his
deep regret and gave expressions similar to those of
Mr. Rent.
"1 esteemed Mr. Hughes as one of the warmest
friends. No more loyal member of the trade could
be named. On my visits to San Francisco it was
always with the anticipation of a visit with George
Fi;ghes. The trade has lost a fine character and the
riano association a leader whose usefulness, had he
lived to serve, could not be estimated."
June 21, 1924.
WHOLESALE TRADE
SHOWS BIG GAIN
Manufacturers Are Pleased with June Orders
and Predict a Good Summer Business
from this Time Forward.
The Chicago wholesale trade has made a consider-
able increase over the past two months, and this
month, which is over half gone, will be one of the
best experienced in the wholesale business so far
this year.
Dealers returning from the New York convention,
and others, are visiting the wholesale establishments
and are placing orders in view of a good summer
business.
As a result of follow-ups during music week and
the fact that June is a month in which many mar-
riages take place, has done must to stimulate the
dealer's business. That the piano is an ideal gift for
the June bride is the thought manifested by many
dealers in attractive displays of pianos and other
musical merchandise.
The live dealers have taken advantage of every
opportunity to create a good present and future busi-
ness and it has had a material effect on the manufac-
turers who regard it as the beginning of better
summer conditions.
CREDIT TO MR. SCHALL.
La Crosse, Wis., June 17, 1924.
Editor Presto: i note in your issue of June 14th
an article en an article of mine on tuning pianos,
which appeared in the La Crosse Tribune some time
ago. If you will read this article of mine carefully
you will see that it is merely in the nature of a com-
mentary, intermingled with quotations, on an article
of Mr. A. W. Schall, of this city, which appeared in
the magazine The Piano Tuner, and it seems only
fair to Mr. Schall to mention this in your next issue,
as the principal credit should go to him. As for me,
1 am unfortunately not a "prominent piano tuner,"
or indeed a tuner of any kind, but the music editor
of the La Crosse Tribune.
Yours very truly,
J. C. EASTON.
HENRY Q. JOHNSON CO.
CLOSES CHICAGO OFFICE
GEORGE R. HUGHES.
of Mr. Hughes' death, which took place at 2 a. m.
of that day at Mercy Hospital, Chicago.
No one who met Mr. Hughes at the New York
convention could have thought of so sudden a change
in the gentleman who, among all present, was one
of the most popular and seemingly robust. His
death was the result of a cold he caught while re-
turning from New York which developed into pneu-
monia.
Friends Cared for Him.
Mr. Hughes was taken from the train at Chicago,
and removed quickly to the hospital. On his return
trip from New York he was accompanied by several
intimate friends and prominent members of the piano
trade, among them President George J. Dowling, of
The Cable Company, who did everything possible
for his friend's comfort.
George R. Hughes had long been prominent in the
piano trade of the Pacific Coast. His association
with the Wiley B. Allen Company of San Francisco
had extended well back in the career of the house,
KREITER
Pianos and Players
Have No Competition Where
Beauty of Cases and Tone
Sustain Profit Making Prices.
Everything the Highest but
the Price.
Inspect them Carefully and Se«.
Kreiter Mfg. Co., Inc.
320-322 W. Water St., Milwaukee, Ww.
Factory t Marinette, WU.
Instruments and Office Fixtures Sent to Bellevue,
Iowa, Until Future Plans Are Made.
J | | | Onduring
^Mk Tone
The serious fire which occurred recently at the
Bellevue, la., factory of the Henry G. Johnson Piano
Mfg. Co. resulted in the closing of that company's
office in the Great Northern Building, Chicago, last
week.
A good number of the instruments on hand at the
Chicago office were sold and the remainder were
shipped to the factory at Bellevue. The office fix-
tures were disposed of in the same manner.
Dan Pagenta, vice-president of the company, is, at
the present writing, at Bellevue with Mr. Johnson.
TH F
NEW INCORPORATIONS
IN MUSIC GOODS TRADb
.
^Jiardman
New and Old Concerns Secure Charters in Various
Places.
The ^Hardman £ine
The Moberly Music Co., Moberly, Mo.; $10,000;
Paul S. Witten, Louise R. Hicks and Willard P.
Cave.
The Smith & Mitten Piano Co., Akron, O.; $75,000;
Ernest E. Smith and John M. Lowrey.
Wylie's Music Shop, Inc., Bridgeport, Conn.;
$50,000; Charles W. Wylie, John Elliott and William
C. Strong.
Articles of incorporation have been filed with Sec-
retary of State J. Grant Hinkle, of the Singer Music
Store of Olympia, Washington.
The Copley Co., Portland, Me.; to manufacture
and deal in musical instruments; $10,000, all com-
mon. President, Herbert J. Welch, of Portland,
treasurer, Elmer Perry; and L. M. Hagen, of
Portland.
is a complete line
It comprises a range of artisti-
cally w o r t h y instruments to
please practically every purse:
The Hardman, official piano of
the Metropolitan Opera House;
the Harrington and the Hensel
Pianos in which is found that in-
builtdurabilitythatcharacterizes
all Hardman-made instruments;
the wonderful Hardman Repro-
ducing Piano; the Hardman
Autotone (the perfect player-
piano); and the popular Playo-
tone.
MOVES IN COLUMBUS, O.
The Wilkn-Redman Co., Columbus, Ohio, recently
concluded a removal sale of new and used pianos,
playcrpianos and grands at 235 South High street, to
make way for new stock to be installed in their new
location at 174 South High street. The firm recently
leased the entire three floors and basement of this
Inr'lding, which affords a floor space of about 8,000
square feet, all of which is used for display floors,
with the exception of the basement, used for storage
purposes.
c
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