Presto

PRESTO
February 7, 1925.
QEO. P. BENT IN CHICAGO
MENTIONS HIS BOOK
With production going forward steadily on these
units, the management expects to be able to fill
orders for any type of organ almost as fast as they
are received.
TRADE STIMULATOR
FOR PIANO DEALERS
If Any Friends of the Author of "Tales of
Travel, Life and Love" Have Been Missed
They Should Write.
M. P. THOMPSON STOPS OFF
ENROUTE TO FRISCO
Charles Clinton Firkens, Head of Story &
Clark Dealers' Service Department, Will
Clear Up Your Accumulated Stock.
Early on Tuesday of this week George P. Bent,
bearing new honors as the maker of the best book
on men of music thus far produced, arrived in Chi-
cago from his home in Los Angeles. Mr. Bent is a
commuter between California and Chicago. He
thinks no more of making the trip than any Chi-
cagoan does of his twice-a-day trip from and to Hyde
Park, or Austin, or Evanston. And it agrees with
the ex-piano manufacturer.
"I have had many compliments on the appearance
of my book," said Mr. Bent with characteristic
humor. "All of my friends say that the printing and
binding of my. 'Tales of Travel, Life and Love' are
fine—and especially the handsome pictures of my
friends in and outside the piano business. Modesty,
no doubt, keeps them from saying much about the
literary part of it, but I suspect they think that's
fine, too.
You remember Elbert Hubbard's 'New
Bible,' which was splendidly bound in limp morocco
with georgeously illuminated title page. Inside was
a nice assortment of blank pages for use as a diary.
My book might, perhaps, have been improved in
some such way, but I wanted to have my say and I
'went and done it' and thank my friends for its kind
reception."
Mr. Bent asked Presto to say that, should there be
any of his friends who have not received a copy of
his book he will be glad to have them drop him a
line, care of Illinois Athletic Club, Chicago. The
book is not sold, but he wants his friends to have it
—and the edition is limited.
Manager of Baldwin Piano Co., San Francisco, Visits
New York and Chicago Houses.
The dealer sales service department of the Story &
Clark Piano Co., Chicago, will be even of greater in-
fluence and value from this time forward than before.
Under the experienced head of Charles Clinton Fir-
kens dealers will continue to find the blood pressure
of business constantly growing firmer, and in the
event of its becoming sub-normal "Doctor" Firkens
may be depended upon to bring it quickly back to
a healthy condition. Putting the busy into business
is Mr. Firkens' specialty, and his remedies for the
''dulls'" have not yet been known to fail in their en-
livening effects.
There are times when the most promising of pros-
pects seem inclined to lose interest. They need the
injection of pep, and wait for business to come when
they should go after it. At such times the services
of Mr. Firkens are just what is needed. It is forth-
coming to Story & Clark dealers, and in it the deal-
ers find the optimistic punch that moves things and
GULBRANSEN PUBLICITY
METHODS THEME OF AD
Agricultural Publishers' Association Makes Enlight-
ening Statement in Printer's Ink.
An interesting two page advertisement appeared
in Printer's Ink of January 22 in which a fact in the
Gulbransen Company's publicity is commented upon.
Printer's Ink is the leading publication in its field.
It will be noticed that the Gulbransen Registering
Piano has been exclusively picked as a product the
success of which has been notable in the farm field.
Copy, illustration and publication of same were all
arranged for by the Agricultural Publishers' Asso-
ciation. This is said in the display by the Agricul-
tural Publishers' Association:
Long farm evenings demand recreation and music
has the call in many a farm home.
Gulbransen Company sensed this demand. In
1917, when it started advertising the Gulbransen Reg-
istering- Piano, farm papers were at once put on the
list. This concern has been a continuous farm paper
advertiser.
The company today has a production of 100 regis-
tering pianos a day. The majority of these are sold
through dealers in the rural field—where farmers
dominate a dealer's trade.
If you doubt whether farm papers can help you
sell your product, rememher this,..4ait of Gulbransen
history. This office or anyfar-tfi 'paper wnT gt&dly
give you further information.
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PAGE ORGAN CO. MOVES
OFFICES TO^ DEFIANCE, 0 .
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ChangeMn Production System of Factory Told by
D. M. Lamson, Superintendent.
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The Page Organ Company, of Tiefvance;*"O., is
moving its officte to that city from Ljrna. "Tb^e Gofri-
pany has severed all connections with the Maus Piano
Company, of Lima, and the organ busings as well as*
the manufacturing end will be taken caje'of at,*De-
fiance. The company is at present installing a radio
broadcasting station at the plant and will be ready
for the engineers to install the iipparatus* next week. ,
Changes in the production system at the Page.
Organ company .will be completed within, a'" woek
and will increase tfre production oi the'plant, e,conq-
mize in the use" of floor space, and permit fast,er de-
livery than "in the past, according to a statement by
D. M. Lamson, superintendent.
The new method to be employed in organ manu-
facture according to officials of the Page company,
involves the unit system, by which instruments will
be built in separate chests instead of on individual
orders. These chests will be assembled in groups,
like a sectional bookcase, making it possible for one
who purchases a small organ to enlarge it at will.
Morley P. Thompson, manager of the Baldwin
Piano Co., San Francisco, Cal , made a brief stop-
over in Chicago en route to San Francisco from New
York. Mr. Thompson is very enthusiastic over the
prospects of the piano trade on the Pacific Coast.
"The outlook of the farmers in that territory is very
bright and has resulted in dealers making prepara-
tions for increased buying," said Mr. Thompson when
interviewed by a Presto representative this week.
The states of Oregon, Washington, Idaho and
Montana which are supplied from the San Francisco
store will be accorded a material benefit by the recent
jump in wheat prices. Many farmers in these states
have held their wheat until the recent high prices
appeared and are now in a position to make pur-
chases. As the farmers constitute the greatest pur-
chasing body in the Northwest it is evident that the
piano trade will be affected.
In other parts of the Pacific Coast section the trade
is in fair condition and with every possibility of im-
proving at an early date, continued Mr. Thompson.
BUSY STRAUBE PRESIDENT.
E. R. Jacobson, president of the Straube Piano
Company, president of the National Association of
Piano Manufacturers, president of the Hammond
Manufacturers' Association, and officially interested
in a dozen other enterprises of varying magnitude,
was elected first vice-president of the Northern States
Life Insurance Company at a meeting of the board
of directors held last week. With his various con-
nections in addition to actively managing the Straube
Company, Mr. Jacobson is an extremely busy man
and is one of the outstanding individuals in the in-
dustry.
BEN WITLIN'S PLANS.
Ben Witlin, formerly associated with the Witlin
Musical Instrument Co., Philadelphia, will continue
to represent the Starr under his own name and will
also add a line of musical instruments, representing
several factories in the territory to be included under
the newest plans. The business will be conducted as
Ben Witlin and the territory to be included under
the Philadelphia office distribution covers eastern
Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey, Delaware,
Maryland and Virginia.
CHARLES CLINTON PIRKENS.
the new ideas that awaken new impulses to buy.
And that is what the slothful piano prospects most
need, and it may henceforth be administered by a
specialist who knows how.
Mr. Firkens is alive. He takes right hold of the
HEADS PIANO DEPARTMENT.
The piano departments in the chain of Lcvis Music dealers' difficulties and pulls them out straight, mak-
Stores recently consolidated with the Balcom Music ing the road smooth and the selling easy. He has
Co., in Rochester, N. Y., have been placed under the left nothing unlearned in the art of salesmanship, and
management of Howard J. Bailey. Mr. Bailey, who that means also the study of people as related to
has been identified with the music business about music and the piano. He knows the instrument and
he knows the ones who should play upon it. He
twenty years, was formerly a partner in the firm of
has had factory experience and wareroom experience
Griffin & Bailey. He was also at one time manager
running back through twenty-four years. And it is
of the Mackie Music Co. located in Rochester.
all at the disposal of the dealers, wherever they be
located between the Atlantic and the Pacific, or even
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SHdW NEW STARR STYLE.
beyond, for Mr. Firkens has sold pianos in every
,*Phe new Sta'rr upright model "Minum D'' is being part of the continent.
pro'nniienfly displayed .iff the windows- of the Chicago
There are a good many angles to expert piano
branch of the Starr Piano Co., Richmond, Ind. The
selling. They include the right kind of advertising;
instrument characteristically represents the Starr scale the faculty to assimilate with other local salesmen;
and workmanship,, with the new fallboard and auto- an intimate knowledge of pianos in general; and he
matic panel feature. It is made in'walnut, mahogany
has energy to put the varied elements into compre-
hensive use. Mr. Firkens has been with the Story &
Clark Piano Co. for eleven years. He knows as
much about the pianos as the men who make them,
MANAGES PIANO SECTION.
*4. sitobeft Smitf^3fp.rrqe.rly connected with the Horton and he likes the Story & Clark pianos so well that he
can make any prospect like them equally. But he
,r&^ v .Sm?trf Pj&no Co., Houston, •S'ex,., has just been
ap|rorntcd'i&anag'er ojT .'ttoe new piarro department of knows other pianos also, and he doesn't confine
himself to selling the Story & Clark when others are
the .Hav%|y Furniture Co., in the same city. Mr. also
on the floor to be sold. He co-operates, and
Smitri has been identified with the 'piano business for
he does the work completely. That is his specialty,
"many years, and was foremost in establishing the and his business is to help the dealers, and to per-
-Woodward Piano Co.
manently increase the business of the store. He has
started 1925 with results so convincing as to assure
:-V pRUNDY LEAVES "PREMIER."
the dealers of the kind of help they want in days
•''"(flias. Grufidy, "one of the popular veterans in of doubt as well as in times of activity.
wholesale piano selling, has left the Premier Grand
Another important matter, in connection with Mr.
Piano Co , of New York, for which concern he had Firkens' work with the dealers. He is thoroughly
been traveling for several years. Mr. Grundy has "up" in all departments of the business. He covers
friends in the trade throughout the entire West and
it all, from the latest selling systems, the simplest
he will be missed in the stores until he makes a new bookkeeping methods, collecting systems, helping
connection—which will probably be soon.
salesmen, financing, to follow-up plans that win. In
short, the Story & Clark company has arranged to
The G. F. Johnson Piano Co., Portland, Ore., still further increase the activities of Mr. Firkens,
moved February 1 to new and larger quarters at 408- and to give the results of his skill and experience
410 Morrison street. For the past eight years the wherever they may be wanted in the promotion of not
company was located at 149 Sixth street.
only a larger but a better piano business.
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