Presto Buyers' Guide
Analyzes and Classifies
All American P i a n o s
and in Detail Tells of
Their Makers.
PRESTO
E«abU,hed 1884.
THE AMERICAN MUSIC TRADE WEEKLY
Presto Year Book
The Only Complete
Annual Review of the
American Music In-
dustries and Trades.
JO Cents; S2.00 a Year
CHICAGO, SATURDAY, MARCH 14, 1925
J. C. HENDERSON JOINS
THE RICCA & SON INC.
Piano Man of Quiet Mein But Forceful Re-
sults Is Now Vice-President of New
York Industry.
After doing good work for a fine
old Boston piano J. C. Henderson
is now associated with the lively
New York industry of Ricca & Son,
Inc. The factory, at the intersec-
tion of Southern boulevard and
135th street, in the Bronx district,
is always a busy place. For Ricca
pianos have a habit of selling easily
and leaving large profits for the
dealers. And now that "Deacon"
Henderson is also there—when not
on the road—the Ricca instruments
will be much more active than ever.
Mr. Henderson has long held a
fine reputation as a piano salesman.
He understands the "game"—every
angle of it. He knows a piano
when he hears it, even if it isn't in
sight. And he understands what j . C. Henderson,
it is that makes a piano sell well and
stay well sold. He has, in other words, made pianos
as well as sold them. And he has sold them at both
wholesale and retail. He is the piano man who has
a reputation of getting up early in the morning and
taking the train out just after the other fellow arrives
at the store with his catalogues and prices ready—but
too late.
Hugo Ricca is a skillful piano manufacturer. He
had been well trained before he took sole charge of
the industry founded by his father. He has now
hooked up with him a good man in Mr. Henderson.
Hence this note of congratulations. The dealers will
be glad to receive the new card of a familiar caller.
It reads: "J. C. Henderson, vice-president Ricca &
Son, Inc., 99 South boulevard, New York."
INDIANAPOLIS TRADE
GOOD IN FINE PIANOS
Representatives of the Chickering Report
Ready Sales of Grands to Schools,
Teachers and Music Clubs.
The Rapp & Lennox Piano Co. reports some good
sales on Knabe style B grand pianos. One of the
sales was made to public school No. 58, which, after
some keen competition, finally decided the Knabe
piano was the one preferred. Alfred Rapp, who han-
dled the deal, said that it was one of the bitterest bits
of competition he has encountered for some time.
The other sale is a style B to Mrs. Charles Hart-
mann, a prominent music teacher of Lebanon,
Indiana. Mrs. Hartmann looked the field over but
decided that a Knabe would best answer her
purpose.
Besides the Knabe, this representative house
handles the Ivers & Pond, J. & C. Fisher, Hallet &
Davis and the Premier grand pianos. Business is
opening up in good shape and future prospects are
good, is the report from Mr. Rapp.
The Matinee Musicale will present Clarence Gust-
lin, American pianist, in an American opera inter-
pretative recital on Friday afternoon, March 13th, in
the Masonic Temple. The opera will be "Alglala,"
by Francesco DeLeon and Cecil Fanning. The
Christena Teague Piano Co, local representatives
Chickering & Sons, will furnish the Chickering Con-
cert Grand for the occasion.
The Chickering Concert Grand was sent to Craw-
fordsville, Indiana, on Tuesday by truck for the con-
cert given by the Crawfordsville Music Club, who
presented Jan Cheapusso, an artist and admirer of the
Chickering piano. Owing to the two concerts being
so close together it was thought advisable to use
truck service and avoid a possible disappointment.
The company reports that prospects for a continued
demand look promising.
On Thursday, March 5th, the Merchants Light &
Heat Company opened Station WFBM at one of
their substations southeast of the city, in the town
of Leuore, Ind., about five miles distant.
The company has made arrangements with the Bell
Telephone Co. to lease a special wire in order to put
on a program from any place in Indianapolis where
there is telephone connection. The wave length will
be 268 meters. One of the purposes for opening the
station for public use was to advertise Indianapolis
as the "convention city of America," and to establish
a broadcasting medium for material in Indianapolis.
The use of the station will be free to any person or
organization, and the placing of programs would be
on their merit. No use of the microphones will be
for commercial gain. The company will not pay
broadcasters.
YOUR HOTEL FOR
CONVENTION WEEK
SEEBURG ORDERS INDICATE
UPWARD TREND OF THE TRADE
The committee in charge of arrangements for
hotels in connection with the annual music trade con-
vention in Chicago the week beginning June 8 has
compiled a list of hotels at which reservations for
convention week may now be made. The list is
divided into two groups, one composed of the Drake
and residential hotels convenient thereto in which
there are accommodations for 1,500 guests, and the
other composed of the popular hotels in the loop.
Dealers from All Parts of the Country Report a Fine
Business in Sight.
The hustle and bustle at J. P. Seeburg Co.'s fac-
tory, 1510 Dayton street, Chicago, and the number
of dealers who visit the company's offices daily, to
order their spring and summer requirements, are con-
vincing arguments that the automatic and electric
piano business will have a good year.
"The number of dealers visiting us daily, and the
volume of orders received, are indicative of an in-
crease of business in the automatic and electric piano
field. Of course we all know that the music mer-
chants' convention will be held in Chicago in June,
and, although premature, we almost thought the con-
vention was on last week. Dealers from all parts of
the country were received at our factory, and the
orders they left prove that they are after business
with increased energy."
That was the interview given a Presto representa-
tive at the Seeburg factory this week.
PRESTO IN THE EAST.
Frank D. Abbott, of Presto, is in the East and will
doubtless have the pleasure of seeing many of his
friends, and of this paper, in New York City and
elsewhere.
The contemplated readjustment of
Presto's eastern representation will insure adver-
tisers and readers of this paper • closer attention.
Presto has never sustained so firm a place in the
trade as now, and it may be said here that the pro-
posed increase in advertising rates, soon to become
effective, while made necessary by the steadily widen-
ing circulation and cost of production, will not afreet
the old advertisers, or apply to new contracts made
before May fifteenth.
AN EXCLUSIVE PIANO HOUSE.
The Goosmau Piano Co., Toledo, O., continues to
advertise pianos, players and reproducing pianos as
the most important considerations for providing
'music in the home. "The Exclusive Piano House"
is a phrase used by the company which distinguishes
the store from others with a general line. The com-
pany ably features its fine line, which includes the
A. B. Chase, Starr, Bush & Lane, Milton and other
pianos and players.
NEW YORK ASSOCIATION MEETS.
The New York Piano Merchants' Association held
a meeting at the National Republican Club, 54 West
Fortieth street, on Tuesday of this week, immediately
following a luncheon at twelve o'clock. Calvin T.
Purdy, president of the association, presided at the
session, at which the functions of the Better Busi-
ness Bureau of New York were discussed.
PITCH COMMITTEE TO MEET.
The Pitch Committee appointed by the Music In-
dustries Chamber of Commerce will hold a meeting
at the Palmer House, Chicago, Monday, March 16th,
at 10 a. m.
Alert Committee in Charge of Accommodation
for Visitors Attending Big Meet in June
Presents Long Lists of Desirable
Stopping Places.
NAMES TWO GROUPS
Drake and Adjacent Hotels Form One and Loop
Hostelries Are Included in the
Second.
The Headquarters Hotel.
The Drake Hotel, convention headquarters, with
accommodation for about 750 people: Single rooms
with bath, single bed, at the rate of $5, $6, $7 and
$8 per day; small double rooms containing a double
bed, with bath, are $6 and $7 per day; larger double
rooms containing twin beds and bath are $8, $10,
$12, $14, $15, $16 and $18 per day; suites of two
single rooms, with bath between, $12 per day a suite,
others at $14 per day a suite. There are also avail-
able about 60 suites consisting of parlor, double bed-
room and bath. Very attractive quarters priced ac-
cording to their location. All of the rooms are out-
side rooms.
The Lake Shore Drive Hotel, 181 Lake Shore drive,
W. A. Buescher, manager, next door to the Drake
on Lake Shore drive, facing Lake Michigan, is one
of Chicago's most elegant and newest family hotels.
The following rates are quoted: Single room with
bath $5 and $6. Room with twin beds and bath $7,
$8, $9 and $10. Single rooms with bath, between $10
and $12 per suite; suites, one room with twin beds and
one single room with single bed, with bath between,
accommodations for three people, $11 to $14; small
suites of a living room double bedroom and bath at
$12 to $16.
The Club Hotel.
The Allerton House, 701 North Michigan avenue,
M. W. Thackalberry, resident manager, is a club
hotel for men only located within a three-minute walk
of the Drake. The atmosphere is that of a private
club. The accommodations offer a large lounge,
solarium, billiard rooms, card rooms, roof gardens,
with an exercise room and connecting showers on
each floor. Accommodations with a private shower
are $3.50 per day; single rooms without bath, $3 per
day; also a limited number of rooms with running
water only, $2.50 per day. This club hotel would be
very attractive and economical.
The Pearson, 190 East Pearson street, Henry J.
Poppenfuss, manager, located two blocks south of
the Drake Hotel, is a new family hotel opened since
the convention of 1923. Splendid equipment through-
out, the best service, and offering fine accommoda-
tions at the following rates: Rooms with private
bath, $4 and $5 per day single; rooms with private
bath, $6 per day for two; living room and bedroom
with bath, $10 and $12. Accommodations for about
100 people.
Ambassador Rates.
Hotel Ambassador, North State and Goethe streets,
J. O. Conway Hutchins, manager, located north of
the Drake between the hotel and Lincoln Park adja-
cent to Lake Shore drive, within five minutes' walk
of the Drake. A great many guests of the 1921 and
1923 conventions were accommodated at the Am-
bassador. Room with bath, for one person, $3.50,
$4, $5 and $6 per day; room with bath, double or
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