PRESTO
FRANK STORY ON WAY
HOME FROM PARIS
Pleasant Visit to the Gaveau Plant and Ex-
pressions of Pleasure with the Great
French Exposition.
INSTRUMENTS OF WHICH
"THE FIRST TOUCH TELLS"
Among the New York pianos which have been
steadily rising in the confidence of both trade and
public, very few have shown such progress as the
Christman. The Christman piano has been in the
field for a great many years, having been estab-
lished fully seventy years. In the case of most
American piano industries, so long a career would
be made the subject of a great deal of publicity
and exploitation. But it has been the policy of
the Christman Piano Co., Inc., to depend almost
wholly upon the merits of its product, and to pro-
mote its instruments upon the basis of today and
the future, rather than upon any consideration of
the past.
At this time the Christman pianos are especially
conspicuous because of the great popularity of the
Studio Grand, one of the smaller grands, in which
a remarkable tone has been developed. The Christ-
man Reproducing Grand, in which is the famed
Welte-Mignon action, is another of the Christman
successes, and the Christman Sheraton Grand is
also a distinct success. The latter instrument is
daintily designed and of artistic proportions. An
illustration of it appears herewith, and dealers will
find this piano all that the picture suggests and
one of the genuinely "good sellers" to a refined
class of trade.
Frank Story, treasurer of the Story & Clark Piano
Co., of Chicago, spent a pleasant half day, early this
month, visiting the piano factory of Gaveau et Cie,
near Paris. Mr. and Mrs. Story have been in France
for several weeks and attended the Exposition of
Arts and Decorations. They were expected to leave
for England in time to sail for home on the 24th of
this month—Wednesday of this week.
Mr. and Mrs. Story and daughter paid a visit also
to the Salle Gaveau, where they listened to a recital
by Rubinstein, who played upon the famous French
piano. Mr. Story expressed himself as delighted with
the exposition, also. He expected, however, to find
it difficult to secure suitable accommodations on the
homeward bound ship, because of the great crowds
of Americans at the Paris exposition and who now
are starting on their way back to America.
RADIO INTERESTS
MAY JOIN CHAMBER
President of Thermiodyne Corporation Be-
lieves the New Industry Will Seek Member-
ship in the Music Trades Associations.
One of the two radio industries represented by ex-
hibits at the Drake convention in Chicago is the
Thermiodyne Radio Corporation of New York City
and Plattsburgh, N. Y. The corporation has a Chi-
cago office in charge of Harry D. Schoenwald, for-
merly with the Brunswick-Balke radio department.
President Potter, of the Thermiodyne industry, was
at the convention and, in an interview, he stated that,
prior to his attendance at the convention, he had no
conception of the size of a music trades convention.
It was his estimate that at least eight hundred deal-
ers and jobbers inspected the Thermiodyne exhibit.
This was most gratifying to him, especially in view
of the fact that Thermiodyne consummated more
business in the week of the Music Trades convention
than at all radio shows combined at which Thermio-
dyne had been exhibited.
It is Mr. Potter's opinion that next year all promi-
nent radio manufacturers will become members of
the Music Industries Chamber of Commerce, with
the consequent privilege of displaying their mer-
chandise, and he believes that no real manufacturer
can afford to stay out. The convention definitely
confirmed to him that the music trade is the logical
outlet for nationally advertised radio merchandise.
He was very strongly impressed with the high type
of music merchants and is keenly in sympathy with
their ideals and principles of merchandising. The
policy of the Thermiodyne Radio Corporation will be
more now than ever to cater with its greatest force
to the music trade.
NEW PIANO FACTORY
AT LAWRENCE, KANSAS
A. Weber & Sons Company Organized to Man-
ufacture Instruments with Special Patents
and Capitalized by Distribution of Bonds.
For several years A. Weber, an ambitious and ex-
pert piano man, has been seeking to organize a new
piano industry at Lawrence, Kansas. The plan now
seems to have been completed and the A. Weber &
Sons Company has been granted a charter to manu-
facture pianos. The plans of the directors of the
company who, besides the local men, are W. M.
Wilson and C. H. Polhamus, of New York, are to
build and operate a factory in Lawrence.
Mr. Weber is the inventor of an improved sound-
ing board upon which he holds patents, and he has
succeeded in interesting the necessary capital. Local
investors are becoming interested in the offering of
paid-up gold bonds which protect their investments.
Mr. Weber says that at first the industry will pro-
duce a grand piano four inches smaller than any on
the market, and also a player of special attractive-
ness. It will be remembered that the Bell Brothers
made their piano success in Lawrence and "lost out"
after moving to Muncie, Indiana.
A site has been offered the A. Weber & Sons Co.
and it is expected that the wheels of a real factory
will shortly be turning. The officers are A. Weber,
June 27, 1925.
president; H. C. Pollamus, secretary, and W. M.
Wilson, vice-president.
With the pipe organ factory in operation the addi-
tion of a piano factory will give Lawrence a new
standing as a manufactory of musical instruments
and increase the publicity the town receives.
NEWS ABOUT THE MEN
WHO RETAIL THE PIANOS
Brief Items of Trade News Gathered Here and
There in Music Field.
D. M. Paddock and Harley L. Booth recently
opened a music store at 112-114 North Second street,
Clinton, Iowa.
The Welasco Music Store, conducted by C. W.
Moeller and Ray Hartness, is a new business in
Welasco, Tex.
Ed. Placht recently held a formal opening of his
new store at 6311 Delmar boulevard, St. Louis, Mo.
He was formerly located at 613 Pine street.
The formal opening of the music department of the
Lee Dry Goods Co., Maquoketa, Iowa, was held re-
cently.
John Meyers and R. H. Rath are partners in busi-
ness in Dodge City, Kan., under the name of the
Dodge City Music Co.
The Witzmann-Stuber Piano Co., Memphis, Tenn.,
has moved to its new home in the Peabody Hotel
Building.
H. Steinichen, Jr., and W. Ritter, for a number of
years connected with music houses in Atlanta, Ga.,
have opened a music store at 54 Auburn avenue, At-
lanta, under the name of Ritter Music Co.
FROM CLEVELAND BY AUTO.
Among the several music trade men who motored
to the Chicago convention week before last was Gen-
eral Sales Manager Turner, of the piano plate de-
partment of the Superior Foundries, Cleveland, Ohio.
Mrs. Turner accompanied her husband on this trip,
which was made by way of the Michigan piano fac-
tory towns on the way to Chicago and the southern
route, through Indiana, on the return to Cleveland.
AN EXCLUSIVE PIANO HOUSE.
In its drive to popularize the A. B. Chase piano the
Goosman Piano Co., Toledo, O., is using a series of
painted signs at vantage points in the West End dis-
trict, and with good results, according to C. E. Col-
ber, sales manager. The campaign launched a few
weeks ago has for its purpose the establishment of
this house as an exclusive piano concern.
BACK TO THE SIMPLE LIFE.
Billy Fowler, head of the Busy Music Store, Tay-
lorville, 111., returned home last week from Chicago,
where he attended the national convention, and told
a Taylorville Courier reporter he was glad to get
back to the simple life. "There were three big ban-
quets and a number of side eats, so that the upright
grand action of the B. Fowler digestive organ craves
a good rest," he said.
TO THE PACIFIC COAST
BY SPEED WAGON
Party Prominent in Piano Trade Will Motor
via Lincoln Highway from Chicago to
San Francisco and Portland.
I. N. Rice, who returned to Chicago from the
Pacific Coast just in time to attend the music trades
convention, intending to remain through a good part
of the summer, is booked for an early return to the
West, and in a rather unexpected manner.
During the Chicago convention Frank L. Jordan,
general representative of the Schiller Piano Company,
remarked that he, accompanied by Mrs. Jordan, con-
templated making a trip to the Coast by automobile.
Mr. Rice has long desired to make the trip by motor,
and it was not long until he and Mrs. Rice had been
invited to join the Jordans.
The quartette plans to leave Chicago some day be-
tween the 6th and the 10th of July. They will travel
by way of the Lincoln Highway, straight on to San
Francisco, thence up the coast to Oregon and back
toward Southern California. Many stop-offs and
side trips will be made, and, as neither of the party is
inclined to want to rush, but to "take things easy," a
fine time is anticipated.
BUYS COLUMBUS STORE.
Carl S. Wilkens, formerly half owner with H. C.
Patton of the Elite Music Co., at 211-213 South High
street, Columbus, Ohio, recently purchased the entire
stock of the store. Mr. Wilkens will feature the
DeForest radio in addition to the music goods lines.
The store was established about twenty-five years
ago by Perry B. Whitsit.
MANAGER WEBER GOES EAST.
Howard Weber, general manager of the piano divi-
sion of the John Church Company, left Chicago on
Tuesday, June 23rd, for an automobile tour of the
east. He will visit his old home in Baltimore and
spend considerable time at Atlantic City. He expects
to be away about 30 days.
KURTZMANN ST. LOUIS.
The St. Louis agency for the C. Kurtzmann pianos
formerly at the Scruggs, Vandervoort & Barney de-
partment store has been transferred to the Kiesel-
horst Piano Co. This is the second time that the
house has had the Kurtzmann.
OLD DULL TIMES.
What's all the sniff about Dull Times
And whoinell is he?
He can't be kin to one who climbs
Whoever he may be;
So if he snoops along your way
Just hump and move about,
And should it be your busy day
Step up and kick him out.
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