May 9, 1925.
PRESTO
aims and striven for its ideals for periods in some
cases extending to fifty-six years.
The roll of honor was composed of the names of
those who have served the aims and ideals of the
Mason & Hamlin Company for periods of from
twenty-five to fifty-six years as follows:
Fifty Years and Over—Patrick John Colbert, 56
years; Carl Gunerius Olsen, 56 years.
Forty Years and Over—Frank Cowan Bartlett, 48
years; Michael Joseph Hanlon, 48 years; Charles
Ferdinand Reed, 47 years; Danforth Stillman Steele,
46 years; Charles Edgar Brockington, 45 years; Wil-
liam Warren Dowsing, 41 years.
Thirty Years and Over—Richard Wheater, 38
years; Henry L. Mason, 36 years; Norman Webber
Stone, 36 years; Thomas Francis Carty, 33 years;
miles was covered in just two hours and fifty-five
minutes. The plane was piloted by Count Sikorsky,
one of the pioneers of aviation, having driven the
original multimotored plane in Russia. At that time
he was in the service of the Czar. He is now inter-
ested in the commercial development of air trans-
portation in the United States.
Ordinary freight would have required two days
for this shipment. The two Brambach grand pianos
were packed with less than ordinary care and arrived
without a single mar or scratch. The instruments
were taken at once to the warerooms of E. F. Droop
& Sons Company.
At the time this flight was made, Mr. Campbell
was on his way to Bonn, Germany, the site of the
original Brambach factory in which Franz Bram-
bach made his earliest instruments and delivered
them by oxcart.
It is Mr. Campbell's contention that the national
defense of the future will be made largely in the
air, and it is with the idea of encouraging aeronautics
for that defense that he has endeavored to set an
example of commercial use in this manner.
CONVENTION OF TEXAS
TRADE HELD THIS WEEK
Enthusiastic Gathering of Music Merchants
of Lone Star State in Austin Hear Notable
Addresses on Various Topics.
PAUL, H. TAYLOR.
Vice-President.
Mary Ellen O'Hearn, 33 years; Henry Conrad Ruhl,
33 years; John Murray, 31 years; Ralph Perkins Rus-
sell, 31 years.
Twenty-five Years and Over—Olof Anderson, 29
years; Isaac Bryden Beeler, 28 years; John Alfred
Kallander, 26 years; George Washington Simpson,
26 years; Peter August Anderson, 25 years; Sylves-
ter Byrne Colbert, 25 years; John Felix Cunha, 25
years; Charles James Hughes, 25 years; Sidney Vic-
tor Jordan, 25 years; Joseph John Kolb, 25 years;
Andrew Hakinson Sallstrom, 25 years.
PROGRAM.
OVERTURE
STRADELLA
V. F L O T O W
Mason & Hamlin Employes' Orchestra
C. Roland Reasoner. Conductor.
REMARKS
f
~
Henry L. Mason. President.
PRESENTATION OF WATCHES & MEDALS
Paul H. Taylor, Vice President and Factory Super-
intendent.
PIANO SOLOS
Harold Bauer
BALLADE A Flat
Chopin
TUNES FROM T H E 18TH CENTURY
a. Berberini's Minuet
b. Ye Sweet Retreat
c. Flourish
d. Dolce far niente.
IMPROMPTU in A Flat
Schubert
ETUDE in Waltz Form
Saint-Saens
SHIPPING BRAMBACH
PIANOS BY AIRPLANE
Shipping Two Grands by Plane from New
York to Washington Last Week Inaug-
urated New Transportation Era.
The history of the Transportation of freight be-
gins a new chapter with the transportation of two
Brambach grand pianos through the air, from New
York to Washington. It is logical and fitting that
this great advancement should be the product of the
energies of Mark Campbell and the big-visioned way
in which he looks on all problems.
The pianos left Roosevelt Field, L. I , at 8:55 a. m.
Thursday, April 23, and arrived at Boiling Field,
Washington, at 11:50 a. m. The distance of 250
J. R. Reed, president of the Texas Music Mer-
chants' Association, called the sixth annual conven-
tion of the association to order at 10 o'clock a. m. of
Friday of this week in Austin and made his report a
joyous beginning of two days of convention business
and social events. He was delighted, he said, to see
his call for a good numerical showing of the mem-
bership at the convention so well answered. The
number of recruits he saw present at the opening
session would, he believed, entirely wipe out the per-
centage of non-members in the Texas music trade.
The large attendance at the convention was a rec-
ognition by music dealers of Texas of the benefits of
organization, was Mr. Reed's contention. The results
are pleasantly discernable in the methods of the
trade and the increased fraternal feeling among its
members, he was proud to point out.
The list of speakers was a long one and the topics
discussed covered all phases of the music business
and the problems arising from new conditions in
music store operation.
A remarkably instructive address was made by
E. R. Freligh, assistant vice-president of the Bankers
Commercial Security Co., which is printed elsewhere
in this issue. Another interesting talk was given on
advertising by Charles E. Byrne, vice-president of
the Steger & Sons Piano Mfg. Co., Chicago.
The list of speakers for the various occasions is
long and included prominent men outside of the music
industry, besides those mentioned, and included:
President Splawn, of the University of Texas, will
speak on "The Place of Music in Education"; M. C.
L. Gary, Radio Corp. of America, "Radio and Music
Merchant"; Prof. Max S. Handman, University of
Texas, "Some Common Economic Fallacise"; Charles
E. Bogg, Austin, "High Lights on the Balance
Sheet"; Sam Sparks, "Business Makes the Banker";
John Keen, "Creating a Desire for Music"; Rev. L. H.
Wharton, "Inspirational Talk on Music"; and Mrs.
Skiles, president of the Texas Federated Music Clubs,
"Encouragement of Music Study."
WINNER IN HEPPE CONTEST.
The fir^t award given in commemoration of the
sixtieth anniversary of the founding of C. J. Heppe
& Son, Philadelphia, was won by a relative of the
famous pianiste, Olga Samaroff, and herself a gifted
student of music. The fortunate winner of the
Edouard Jules baby grand, which was given by the
company to the school children of the city through
a contest, was Helen P. Goddard, of the Jay Cooke
Junior High School, as the pupil who received the
greatest number of votes during the campaign, one
of the events to celebrate the anniversary. The sec-
ond winner in the contest who was awarded an
Edouard Jules upright was Elmert Lambert, thirteen
years, who turned his prize over to the St. Malachy
Parochial School, where he is a student. The pres-
entation of the pianos was made by Florence J.
Heppe, head of the company, the day following the
sixtieth anniversary date of the opening of the store,
which came into existence on April 19, in 1865.
OPENS NEW BRANCH.
The Dodge Music Co., of Anacortes, W T ash., has
acquired the Vernon Piano Co. in the Pioneer Build-
ing, Mt. Vernon, Wash., and will operate it as a
branch store. F. A. Ellsworth will continue as man-
ager. The Dodge Music Co. will feature the Gul-
bransen line.
WILL H. COLLINS JOINS
J. P. SEEBURG PIANO CO.
Popular Piano Man After 35 Years with Lyon
& Healy, Changes to Wholesale Branch
of the Industry.
After thirty-five years' association with the piano
department of Lyon & Healy, Will H. Collins has
joined the executive and selling forces of the J. P.
Seeburg Piano Co. of Chicago. And, notwithstand-
ing that the popular gentleman has been so long iden-
tified with the retail end of the piano business, he is
no less capable in the wholesale work and is expected
to add greatly to the already strong industry founded
by Justus P. Seeburg and which has grown to large
proportions.
The J. P. Seeburg Piano Co. is to be congratulated
upon this acquisition, for there is nowhere a more
popular all-'round piano man than Will Collins. As
an entertainer, too, he has wide renown and it may
seem that in associating himself with a line of in-
struments which as entertainers, public as well as
private, are in demand, the move is one well calcu-
lated to further his new connection.
Mr. Collins began in his new position on May
1, and his going was a matter of regret to the fine
old house of Lyon & Healy.
Mr. Collins is one of the Chicago piano men who
could, and sometimes does, unroll a fine lot of facts
concerning the Chicago trade. He entered the old
house of Lyon & Healy away back in 1890. During
the famed World's Columbian Exposition, in Jackson
Park, Chicago, Mr. Collins had charge of the artistic
booth of the house which at that time was under
personal direction of his foudner, the late P. J.
Healy. And the Lyon & Healy booth was one of
the favorite points of interest in the White City,
largely because of its manager's personal popularity.
And that popularity • has increased ever since.
LEONARD DAVIS WILL
TAKE A VACATION
Resigns from Platt Music Co. Because He
Feels in Need of Rest, and Will Come
to Convention.
Leonard Davis has resigned as general sales man-
ager of the Platt Music Co. stores in Los Angeles,
Cal., to take effect June 1st. His reason for leaving
is that he is tired out and needs a rest. He has been
working at efficiency and sales work day and night
for a great many years and did not realize when he
accepted the position that he should have taken a
long rest instead. In a letter to Presto, Mr. Davis
says:
"Mr. Platt has been wonderful to me. I consider
him one of the livest musical merchants it has ever
been my good fortune to meet, and I have learned
from him many valuable pointers. I am leaving with
the kindliest feelings towards him and the entire
organization.
"Mrs. Davis and I will attend the convention in
Chicago, and from there we will go to our old vaca-
tion spot in the Adirondacks, at Indian Lake, N. Y.,
where I'll rest up until September 1st, at which time
I will no doubt continue with my sales promotion
work which I have done for so many years."
WILL MAKE PIANOS
IN BELL FACTORY
Plant Formerly Owned by Bell Brothers, in Indiana,
Has Been Secured by New Interests.
It is reported by Mr. Houston himself that he has
secured control of the Bell Brothers factory at Mun-
cie, Ind., and will continue to produce pianos there.
Mr. Houston was formerly an officer in the late Gros-
venor, Lapham Company in Chicago. Previous to
that he represented the H. P. Mehlin Company, of
New York, as traveling salesman.
Mr. Houston says that he has secured ample capi-
tal and that the Muncie industry will produce at the
rate of six thousand small grands per year. It is a
change from the first report that the Bell factory
had been sold to another line of industry. There
was a dispute as to priority of sale, the interests rep-
resented by Mr. Houston claiming to have made the
best offer before the sale had been closed to the sec-
ond part}'.
The Adam, Meldrum & Anderson Co., Buffalo, is
preparing to move its music department from the
mezzanine floor of the Walbridge Building, which has
been operated as an annex to the department store, to
the furniture department in the main building.
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