January 17, 1925.
PRESTO
Presto
bers of the trade of today it is more novel
even than radio. But it is noticeable that the
precursor of the melodeon and the reed organ
still survives. A visit to the foreign section of
any large city will disclose the presence in
large numbers, of the accordeon, and German
industrial reports show that the makers of
that instrument are busier today than they
THE AMERICAN MUSIC TRADE WEEKLY.
Published Every Saturday at 417 South Dearborn were in 1885.
Street, Chicago, Illinois.
At the time of Presto's beginning of its sec-
C. A. DANIELL and FRANK D. ABBOTT •
Editors
ond six months of existence, there w r ere about
forty more or less active piano industries in
Telephones, Local and Long Distance, Harrison 234
Private Phones to all Departments. Cable Address (Com.
this country. There have been nearly ten
merclal Cable Co.'s Code), "PRESTO," Chicago.
times that number simultaneously engaged in
Entered as second-class matter Jan. 29, 1896, at the
Post Office, Chicago, Illinois, under Act of March 3, 1879.
the business since then. Today, while there
Subscription, $2 a year; 6 months, $1; Foreign, $4-
has been a decrease in numbers during the
Payable in advance. No extra charge in United States
possessions, Cuba and Mexico. Rates for advertising on
past few years, because of mergers, combina-
application.
Items of news and other matter are solicited and if tions, and a weeding out of the cripples—to
of general interest to the music trade will be paid for say nothing of the ones whose owners had
at space rates. Usually piano merchants or salesmen
in the smaller cities are the best occasional corre- grown too wealthy to work and retired—
spondents, and their assistance is invited.
there is an almost singular evidence of the
Forms close at noon every Thursday. News mat- enduring qualities of the piano industry. For
ter should be in not later than eleven o'clock on the it is a fact that even back forty-one years ago
same day. Advertising copy should be in hand before
Tuesday, five p. m., to insure preferred position. Full the foremost advertisers in the trade papers
page display copy should be in hand by Monday noon were in many cases the same as today. They
preceding publication day. Want advs. for current
week, to insure classification, must not be later than included all of the following:
Wednesday noon.
Steinway & Sons, Sohmer & Co. (at the
Address all communications for the editorial or business
d e p a r t m e n t s to PRESTO P U B L I S H I N G CO., 417 South
time
one of the largest advertisers of them
Dearborn Street, Chicago, III.
all), Ivers & Pond (also a large one then but
today not at all), Chase Piano Co. (now the
SATURDAY, JANUARY 17, 1925.
Starr Piano Co.), Decker & Son, dickering
& Sons; Henry F. Miller Piano Co., Haines
THE CLOCK TICKS
Bros., Weser Bros., James & Holmstrom,
Just forty-one years ago this month this Behr Bros. & Co., Boardman & Gray, Julius
trade paper was sprinting into the second year Bauer & Co., Behning, Gabler, Hardman, Wes-
of its existence. It was a fairly husky babe sell, Nickel & Gross, and—of course, Lyon &
and, according" to the faded files still intact, Healy.
it had already become a favorite with some
Not all of those named were in Presto
of the influential manufacturers of musical forty years ago—no such luck. All of them
instruments. And as suggestive of the changes have been advertisers in Presto since then,
which have taken place since those days it is and most of them are here today.
notable that the largest advertisers in the
Great changes have taken place since Presto
Presto, at the beginning of 1885, were reed first appeared. Greater changes still will take
organ industries. There was a half-page of place in the ever awakening stir of the world.
the W. W. Kimball Company, a quarter-page But even with the changes in the measure-
of the Estey Organ Company, and a quarter
ment of time, the clock will tick the same and
page of the Loring & Blake Organ Co., with
the love of music, and the instruments that
a good sized "display" of the Clough & War-
make it, will endure.
ren Organ Co., the Taylor & Farley Organ
Co., the E. P. Carpenter Organ Co., the United
In a recent item in Presto, concerning the
States Organ Co., the Sterling Organ Co. and
Estey
Organ Company, of Brattleboro, Vt.,
the Bay State Organ Co. And, on the edi-
and
the
fine instruments of that industry, men-
torial page, a leading article is on "Reed Or-
gans." That article begins with this, which tion was made of "portable table organs." Of
today seems like an echo of the long ago— course that was an error and it has prompted
inquiries from readers of this paper. The
which as a matter of fact it was, even then:
Estey Organ Company manufactures fine
The organ is considered as king of instruments, and
taken on its relation to orchestral effects it is most truly church organs and high-class reed organs, but
so. But the effects that may be brought out from a "table" organs do not belong to its order of
reed organ, handled by a skillful performer, are really
productiveness.
astonishing. Did you ever think of the simplicity of
* * *
the means by which music is produced from the reed?
The
remarkable
up-shooting
of radio as an
And then, as if to grope still further back,
industry
caused
a
scampering
to
it from many
and by way of explaining how or why the, at
other
lines.
It
is
estimated
that
the number
that time, modern reed organ had so com-
pletely driven out the melodeon, the Presto of radio receiver manufacturing enterprises
will be cut in two within eighteen months, and
article proceeded:
Thus it is seen that a reed or parlor organ is nothing that in three years the entire output will de-
more nor less than an accordeon on a large scale, with pend upon not more than thirty concerns. It
improved mechanism. About thirty-five years ago, as has grown too fast for many to stay in the
we have been told, a manufacturer of melodeons chanced race.
to observe that an accordeon produced a better sound
* * *
when it was drawn than when it was pushed, and this
It is reported that the call for Mr. Geo. P.
fact suggested the first great improvement in reed in-
struments. Before that time the wind in the bellows Bent's "Tales of Travel, Life and Love" has
was pressed through the reeds instead of being drawn already nearly exhausted the first edition. And,
through, as is the case with reed instruments cf the unfortunately for a goad many who will want
present day. This was a great improvement, and led
to the discarding of melodeons almost entirely and the the book later, there will be no second edition
manifold improvements that have since been made in —says Mr. Bent.
* * *
the parlor organ.
Mr.
Henry
McMullan's
review of Detroit's
Doesn't that have the touch of quaintness
music
trade,
in
last
week's
Presto, was a reve-
and, to a large proportion of the active mem-
lation to many. The Flivver City has become
one of great importance in the music business,
and there are few others equal to it. Mr.
McMullan's review indicated that Detroit has
more than fifty music stores. What city has
more ?
* * *
It is understood that activities will be re-
sumed at the Chase-Hackley piano factory, at
Muskegon, Mich., in the near future. Many
of the "missing men" of the Chicago piano in-
dustry may already be found there.
:|: *
*
Radio has at last found its place in trade.
It belongs in the music stores, not as a com-
petitor of the piano, which it isn't, but as a
subsidiary or comrade and an addition to the
home equipment.
* * *
To begin the new year well get out that old
prospect list and set the boys on the trail of
the good citizens who, in more or less remote
days, promised to buy "at some later time."
* * *
Not many important trade changes thus far.
Piano men seem to be pretty well contented
with things at the start of this year.
* * *
The watchword to the retail piano men is
Get Busy. The upward trend of trade is felt
in the very air. Few of the piano makers or
dealers will say that they can't detect it.
30 YEARS AGO IN THE TRADE
From the Files of Presto
(January 17, 1895.)
The "Clearance Sale" idea is infectious. It is a
sort of commercial epidemic, affecting the business
corporate much as the smallpox does the human
body.
In Walter H. Miller, of the Henry F. Miller Sons'
Piano Co., who died very recently, the music trade of
Boston lost a member who commanded the respect
of all by his abilities and high character.
The subject of pianos in department stores, which
seems to be causing alarm in some quarters, is
easily disposed of. It is not so startling an innova-
tion as some of the music papers seem to think.
The hearty endorsement of the Knabe piano by
Bernhard Stavenhagen, given in another column,
should set at rest all rumors that the great pianist
is not thoroughly satisfied with the instruments he is
using in his concerts.
The "graded list"—the only list of musical instru-
ments as graded by the judges of the World's Col-
umbian Exposition—is approaching completion. It
will be a valuable auxiliary to the ones whose goods
were graded and must prove intensely interesting to
the entire trade.
Why isn't John W'anamaker's idea of a dress
coat brigade in the piano department a good one?
It would beat negligees and bad cigars in the ware-
rooms. There is need of better discipline of some
sort in the big piano stores, and if the Wanamaker
idea of Prince Alberts, or even full dress, can turn
the tide in favor of neatness and good order in the
warerooms, then let Honest John proceed.
20 YEARS AGO THIS WEEK
(From Presto January 19, 1905.)
The last of what may be termed the old guard of
piano travelers passed away with the death of P. J.
Gildemeester which occurred in San Francisco last
Tuesday morning at 7:30.
At a meeting of the Executive Committee, held in
New York last Friday, there were present: H. Paul
Mehlin, general chairman, ex-officio; Edward S. Pay-
son, Handel Pond, Charles H. Parsons, Emil E.
Gabler and W. L. Bush.
"As the President was passing through the Liberal
Arts Building he was greeted from the booth of the
Columbia Phonograph Company with the following
graphophonc salutation:
" "What's the matter with Teddy Roosevelt?
He's all right.
Who's all right? Teddy Roosevelt's all right.
Three cheers for Teddy Roosevelt, Hip, Hip,
Hurrah,
Hip, Hip, Hurrah, Hip, Hip, Hurrah for Teddy.' "
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