PRESTO
PLAYER DISPUTE
BOBS UP AGAIN
After Subsidence of Discussion Which Raged
for Many Years, a New Claimant to
Music Roll Invention Appears
in the East.
RECALLS MCTAMMANY FIGHT
National Electric Light Association Publishes Re-
view in Which Credit Is Accorded to C. T.
Shelton of New Haven, Conn.
Fifty-one years ago this month the first electro-
music reporter was constructed, according to the Na-
tional Electric Light Association, in a review of the
progress of the industry, just issued.
The electro-music reporter, continues the Light As-
sociation review, was the forerunner of the modern
playerpiano roll. It was invented by C. T. Shelton
of New Haven, Conn., and, according to the review,
it was referred to by The Scientific American at
that time as a "machine-made strip that will faith-
fully reproduce on an organ the original tunes re-
corded."
An Old Controversy.
And all that opens again the ancient controversy
as to who invented the playerpiano, and especially
the player music roll, or perforated paper music. It
seems to be a good thing for Mr. Shelton, of New
Haven, and the National Electric Light Association,
that the late John McTammany is not still here to
rise up in his wrath and denounce the present-day his-
torians with his well known Scotch command of the
vernacular and cutting reference to his own poverty
when a struggling inventor.
For it is a matter of record that Mr. McTammany
stood forth fearlessly to defend his inventive genius
as against claimants for the music roll proposition,
and claimed to himself the automatic instruments as
far back as 1870, or three years prior to the time re-
ferred to by Mr. Shelton of New Haven. The year
1870 is the time in which Mr. McTammany claimed to
have invented the "machine made strip that will
faithfully reproduce on an organ the original tunes
recorded." Perhaps Mr. Shelton's invention was not
a "paper strip," but, in that case he was antidated by
a century or so by other means of automatic per-
formance.
The First Music Rolls.
John McTammany's invention unquestionably re-
lated, originally at least, to the reed organ. His in-
dustry, at Meriden, Conn., in the seventies, was the
first in this country to manufacture the perforated
music sheets. And he made them in quantities, issu-
ing catalogues and regular monthly lists of new
music. His first discussion in the newspapers had
long before appeared in many places, the first claims
having been set forth, in an Ohio paper, in the year
1870. And the discussion, or dispute, was continued
from that time to the day of his death, nearly twenty
years ago.
It will probably never be settled, to the satisfaction
of all interested, as to who actually "invented" the
"automatic" instruments, as exemplified in their
highest state by the playerpiano. The music roll, or
"machine-made strip," is essential to that invention.
It could not have been invented by the New Haven
gentlemen, if the Scientific American was referring
to the perforated music slip which had become a
regular part of the industry and trade in musical
instruments.
Credit Music Industry.
What, then, did Mr. Sheldon, of New Haven, in-
vent? And is it to be again disputed that McTam-
many was the first to manufacture the very essential
means by which the automatic organs, and later the
playerpianos, have been operated.
It is still an interesting subject, and with reams
of material, and other evidence on hand, Presto may
find occasion to reopen it again, if new claimants to
the "inventive" side of the subject outside of the
music industry, are going to continue to bob up on
every pretext of history or records of the past.
The invention of the music roll, and every impor-
tant feature of the playerpiano, belong within the
ranks of the piano industry. That has not heretofore
been denied.
PRICE & TEEPLE PLAYER
PROVED HOLIDAY FAVORITE
Warerooms at 218 S. Wabash Avenue, Chicago,
Cleared of Instruments by December Trade.
The December trade was especially kind to the
Price & Teeple Company, at 218 S. Wabash avenue,
Chicago, which reports that practically all the instru-
ments exhibited in its large wareroom, at the begin-
ning of the holidays, were sold. And the report was
verified this week when a Presto representative visited
the wareroom and found it almost vacant.
A. F. Price, when questioned about the holiday
trade, said: "Our holiday business was very good
and we almost cleared our wareroom except for a few
grands. The player trade was above the ordinary
during the month of Docember, and showed a gain
over other instruments by a big margin."
PAUL J. HEALY BURIED.
Paul Joseph Healy, former president of Lyon &
Healy, son of the founder of the firm, who died in
Paris Nov. 9, was buried on December 22, in the
Healy mausoleum at Calvary cemetery, Chicago. Mr.
Healy was born in Chicago in 1874. After his gradu-
ation from Fordham college he entered his father's
company, of which he later became the chief execu-
tive. He retired from this position in 1915 and had
spent his time traveling. He married Marie Alexan-
der in 1907. Mrs. Healy was with her husband when
he was stricken with heart disease last fall.
OPENS AT HAWTHORNE, CAL.
Q. E. Carr, of El Segundo, has leased a store build-
ing just completed at 321 North Hawthorne avenue,
Hawthorne, California. Mr. Carr has taken a long-
time lease on this building and has opened a music
store, where he will handle Brunswick phonographs,
records and Brunswick-Radiolas. Mr. Carr is a mer-
chant of seasoned experience, having been one of the
partners in the firm of Carr & Brady, of El Segundo,
dealers in musical instruments. Hawthorne has, for
some time, been without a music store.
MOVES IN PHILADELPHIA.
ESTABLISHED 1*54
THE
BRADBURY PIANO
FOR ITS
ARTISTIC EXCELLENCE
FOR ITS
INESTIMABLE AGENCY VALUE
THE CHOICE OF
Representative Dealers the World Over
Now Produced in Several
New Models
WRITE FOR TERRITORY
Factory
taominster,
Matt.
Executive Offices
138th St. and Walton Ave.
New York
DirUion W. P. HAINES & CO., Inc.
The Brunswick-Balke-Collender Co., Philadelphia
branch, which was recently removed to new quarters
in the building at 40 N. Sixth street, will have more
space, which will enable the stocking of larger quali-
ties of the Brunswick machines, records and supplies.
OPENS IN VISALIA, CAL.
Broderson & Butler, Visalia, Cal., recently leased
the west half of the building formerly occupied by
the Visalia Furniture Co., and established a music
business there. The new firm carries a general line
of music goods.
NEW WISCONSIN BUSINESS.
Ray Charbonneau, Denmark, Wis., who has been
operating a music business in Green Bay, Wis., for
many years, has opened a branch store in the former
city. The new store carries a complete line of music
goods.
RESUMES BUSINESS AFTER FIRE.
The Johnson Music Store, located at High and
Church streets, Clinton, Mass., which was consider-
ably damaged in a recent fire, has been made ready
lor resumption of business.
B. F. Budd and son, T. L. Budd, St. Joseph, Mich.,
have leased a new store building and will open a
music and radio store business.
January 3, 1925.
HENRY F. MILLER FACTORY
EMPLOYEES ENTERTAINED
Christmas Party by Boston Division of Continental
Piano Co. Was an Event.
Employees of the Henry F. Miller factory of the
Continental Piano Co. held a very enjoyable Christ-
mas party at the factory Wednesday afternoon, De-
cember 24. Officials of the company from the Bos-
ton office were present, and from the superintendent
down to the watchman all made merry during the
afternoon.
A buffet lunch, provided by the firm, was served
by the Grattan Baking Company. This was followed
by an entertainment by W. Raymond Eldridge, tenor
solos by E. A. Mayo with L. A. French as accom-
panist, and humorous selections by P. F. Reynolds.
Joseph Monighan just returned from a long walk in
the Polar regions, acting as Santa Claus, distributed
presents to everyone, and these, exhibited as received,
were found to be very appropriate and humorous,
many of them accompanied by verses composed by
the factory poet, Maurice J. Lane. A sample of what
was early received was a hair net for a baldheaded
man and gave an inkling of what would follow.
Good cheer and Christmas spirit prevailed and every-
body went home soon after five to fill stockings and
make others happy.
VOCALION RECORD SALE
EXPLAINED BY PURCHASER
Brunswick-Balke-Collender Co. Tells of Big Deal
with The Aeolian Company.
B. E. Bensinger, president of the Brunswick-Balke-
Collender Company, in a statement issued in connec-
tion with the purchase of the Vocalion record busi-
ness of The Aeolian Company, of New York, said:
"The agreement between the Brunswick-Balke-
Collender Company and The Aeolian Company, of
New York, which becomes effective January 1, 1925,
is the culmination of the recent negotiations between
the two companies. It provides, among other things,
that The Aeolian Company will feature exclusively
for a period of five years the Brunswick phonograph
and the Brunswick-Radiola.
"In addition the Brunswick organization will take
over the entire record business and the manufacturing
of the Vocalion records at present manufactured by
The Aeoiian Company. The Brunswick-Balke-Col-
lender Company will also take over The Aeolian Com-
pany contracts with artists for the recording of
records."
THE CONTINUING FLOOD OF
EVIDENCE OF GOOD WILL
More of the Beautiful Greetings for Which Presto
Returns Its Acknowledgments.
In addition to the lists of graceful and often very
original cards and other forms of holiday greetings
which have already appeared, Presto extends ac-
knowledgements to the following representative
friends and firms:
E. W. Furbush, of Haddorff Piano Co.; William
Strich, of Strich & Zeidler; the Rock Island System;
John Vennema, consul for the Netherlands; T. E.
Cook, Warren Piano Co., Warren, Pa.; Mansfield
Piano Co., New York; Edwin Jarrett, Allentown,
Pa.; Shoninger Piano Co.; Frank J. Gibbons, for
Buescher Band Instruments, Elkhart, Ind.; Kindler
& Collins, New York; the Vocalstyle Company, Cin-
cinnati; the Fairbanks Co., Springfield, Ohio; J. P.
Simmons, southern representative U. S. Music Com-
pany; Newman Bros. Piano Co., Chicago; Jesse
French & Sons Piano Co., and many others whose
favors will have come after the writing of this
acknowledgment.
R. E. DAVIS WILL GO WEST.
Chicago is to lose another good piano man and
California, as usual, will gain him. R. E. Davis, one-
time editor of the Indicator, later export manager for
Smith, Barnes & Strohber, and, until New Year's,
western representative of Wickham piano plates, has
resigned from active business for a time, and will
leave for San Diego in a few days. There he will
do some fishing and golfing, and then represent a
good line of pianos in the Pacific Coast trade. Mr.
Davis is a man of genial characteristics and will suc-
ceed in whatever he may undertake—even making the
nine-hole ahead of the rest or catching strings of
albecora almost equal in size to those captured re-
cently by Geo. P. Bent, as related in Presto.
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