MUSICAL
TIMES
PRESTO
Established
1881
Established
1884
THE AMERICAN MUSIC TRADE WEEKLY
10 Cents a Copy
CHICAGO, SATURDAY, JANUARY 1, 1927
CLEVELAND REPORTS
GOOD HOLIDAY TRADE
Ohio City Is Stirred by Bait Advertising;
Trades Association Meeting; Ott Piano
Store Improved; Other Items.
Many homes in greater Cleveland had pianos on
Christmas morning that never had them hefore. The
best sellers were the expensive instruments, although
quite a number of medium priced instruments were
sold in the foreign districts. More radio was sold
than any other year. Record sales were also big.
The Cleveland Better Business Bureau published
another advertisement about the methods of bait
advertising and selling in the piano business. A lot
of interest is being stirred up about the matter and
a number of cases have been reported to the bureau
since the advertising began. A talk on the same
subject is to be broadcasted.
Work is expected to commence on the remodeling
of the store of the Ott Piano Co. next week now that
the holiday rush is over.
The regular monthly meeting of the Cleveland
Music Trades Association is to be held at the Hotel
Winton on Tuesday evening, January 4. Anthony
Maresh, president of the association, will preside and
plans for 1927 activities will be discussed.
The Baldwin agents in Cleveland, the Euclid Music
Co., are to furnish the p : anos for the concert of Mau-
rice Dumesnil at the Hotel Cleveland on January 3.
He will bring with him, however, a piano used by
Chopin, and use it to play some selections. The
remainder of the program will be rendered on a Bald-
win grand.
POPULAR ARTIST
PLAYS PREMIER GRAND
Miss Iva Narcissa Matter, of Stage Fame,
Buys Two-Tone Style Instrument for
Her Indianapolis Studio.
Miss Iva Narcissa Matter, well known soprano and
artist, of Indianapolis, and well known to all radio
fans, has used the Premier Grand piano exclusively,
and has recently purchased from the Carlin Music
Company one of the famous instruments in a two-
tone style "R" for her own studio. For several sea-
sons Miss Matter played the Premier in the well-
known vaudeville act "Jerry and Her Four Baby
Grands," on the Keith Circuit, in which only skilled
pianists took part. Recently Miss Matter broadcasted
from the WFBM, Indianapolis, French Lick, Ind.,
and Chicago, 111.
In passing comment on the instrument Miss Matter
said "It has a tone of superior quality found only in
the Premier, which is the result of extraordinary con-
struction by master mechanics."
BANNER YEAR FOR THE
BROWN MUSIC COMPANY
Important Events Take Place in Fitchburg's Fore-
most Music Store During Year Just Past.
Nineteen hundred and twenty-six proved an event-
ful year in the history of the Brown Music Store of
Fitchburg, Mass. Early in the season Mr. Brown,
head of the establishment, found that business had
increased to such proportions that it was advisable
for him to change the location of his store. A new
location in the heart of Fitchburg's business district
was chosen. Extensive alterations were made in the
showroom and every convenience for music lovers
were installed. The new store was laid out to have
a distinct department for each type of instrument
sold.
Their new location makes it convenient for pass-
ersby who wish to purchase small items like records
or other merchandise of that character to drop in.
These customers are of course prospects for pianos
later on. Prominently displayed among the selected
pianos stocked by the Brown Music Store is a full
line of Behr Bros, instruments.
The city of Fitchburg is fortunate to have such a
progressive organization ministering to the music
needs of its citizens. The years of earnest effort
expended by Mr. Brown and the others connected
with his establishment have proven well worth while,
for now it is hardly possible to find a more ideally
located or smoothly functioning music store than
theirs anywhere.
BRECKWOLDT & SON BUY
HAMMER HEAD MACHINES
Important Branch of Piano Manufacture Is
Sold by the S. E. Overton Company
to Dolgeville Industry.
The S. E. Overtoil Company. South Haven, Mich ,
which in addition to piano benches and other spe-
cialties, has been making piano hammer moulding, has
disposed of this line of output to Julius Breckwoldt
& Son, Inc., Dolgeville, N. Y. This gives the Over-
ton Company greater facilities for i-ts growing piano
bench and allied manufacturing business, and at the
same time places the piano hammer moulding line in
the hands of a concern perfectly equipped to supply
the piano industry with an important specialty.
Pursuant to this sale ihe Overton Company issues
the following letter to piano manufacturers, hammer
makers and others to whom it may be interesting:
Gentlemen: We wish to inform you that it has
become necessary for us to discontinue manufactur-
ing piano hammer head mouldings. It has always
been our policy to produce a quality moulding. The
prices, however, at which these mouldings have to be
marketed, to meet existing competition, are such that
we cannot afford to continue, and, as a result, we are
increasing our business in the automobile field and to
do this we need the additional space which we for-
merly used in the manufacture of piano mouldings.
In order to dispose of our equipment, we have sold
this to Julius Breckwoldt & Son, Inc., of Dolgeville,
New York, who have always been extensive manufac-
turers of piano hammer mouldings. This company,
we understand, is specially equipped for this kind of
work and with the installation of the additional ma-
chines from us, they will be able to take care of any
increased demand made upon them for mouldings
from customers whom we have been serving. They
also have the reputation of making a strictly quality
product.
While it is with regret that we are discontinuing
this part of our business, on the other hand we wish
to thank you for the many valued orders with which
you have favored us from time to time, and we trust
that our business relations will not be discontinued
entirely even though we do not manufacture the
piano hammer head mouldings.
Yours very truly,
S. E. OVERTON COMPANY,
S. E. OVERTON, Pres.
HALLET & DAVIS FOR COLLEGE.
The St. Bernard High School and College, St.
Bernard, Alabama, the well known educational insti-
tution devoted to the study of the arts, sciences, engi-
neering, agriculture and dairy farming, has just
selected a Hallet & Davis Grand for its music divi-
sion. This instrument was ordered from the Hallet
& Davis dealer, A. G. Glasscock Music House, Cull-
man, Alabama. The latest issue of the "White &
Blue," the college publication of the institution, had a
fine reference to the Hallet & Davis Grand and the
great pianists who had made it their choice.
MARION, IND., DEALER DIES.
J. M. Wallace, of Marion, Ind., age 73, head of the
W r allace Music Company, died December 17 of apo-
plexy. Mr. Wallace was at the store as usual until
noon, and going to his home for lunch fell uncon-
scious inside the door. He was a relative of Lew Wal-
lace, author of "Ben-Hur." Air. Wallace established
the Wallace Music Company store thirty-seven years
ago.
OLIN BELL RETURNS HOME.
Olin Bell, formerly of Bell Bros., piano manufac-
turers, at Muncie, Indiana, and who has been in Chi-
cago for several months, has returned to the former
city and may embark in business 'there.
$2 The Year
INDIANAPOLIS TRADE
FAVORS FINE PIANOS
The Foremost Houses Tell of Brisk Sales of
the Higher Grade of Instruments, with
Good Year Ahead.
There was a last minute Christmas rush and pianos
were sold late on Christmas eve, is the report of sev-
eral of the Indianapolis music dealers One feature
that is more than gratifying is the fact that more high
grade pianos were sold this year than for many years
past. There was a strong leaning toward the better
pianos on the part of the buying pviblic throughout
the past year.
The Christena-Teague Company have enjoyed an
excellent business in high grade instruments, which
seemed to come up all of a sudden. Among the
numerous Christmas sales were straight Chickering
grands, one of which was the Adam period, another
Haines Bros, in the straight grand in the Latin
Period, and the Ampico in the Chickering Louis the
XV grand. The Radiola business with the company
has been very good in the better and higher priced
styles especially.
High grade instruments constituted the bulk of the
Christmas business at the warerooms of Rapp &
Lennox, with the Knabe in the lead, and the Ampico
in the Knabe. Among the sales were several of the
period models. The officials of the company predict
a good and prosperous year ahead, with an increase
in sales of the better made pianos.
The lodge of the Modern Woodman has purchased
the first style 40 in the art case of the Jesse French
& Sons piano. The piano arrived by truck, from
Newcastle, early in the morning and before sunset it
was placed in the hall of the Modern Woodman.
Mr. Wilking also reports the sale of a style 42
Jesse French & Sons piano to the Cassell Theater,
in the western part of the city.
Harry Wert reports a very successful sale at
Danville, Illinois, of the Benjamin Temple of Music
stock.
Mr. Wert is very optimistic over the
approaching new year and predicts one of the best
years in piano trade history. It looks as though
every dealer in the United States is waking up to the
fact that we must sell people the idea of music.
This effort on the part of dealers everywhere will
bring desired results.
MARION PIANO COMPANY
LEASES NEW QUARTERS
Opportunity for Further Expansion Now Assured to
Progressive Indiana Music House.
Announcement was made this week t'.iat the Marion
Piano Company, Marion, Ind., now located at 307
South Boots street, has leased a fine store at Fourth
and Boots street as the new headquarters for the
company.
The change in location will be made about Jan-
uary 1, it was announced by Saul Karantz, manager
of the company.
The new sales rooms were made imperative be-
cause of the continued growth of the Marion Piano,
Company in the two years since it was organized
there, business having grown continuously, according
to Mr. Karantz.
The new store will have a room set aside for re-
producing grand pianos. The company handles the
Hobart M. Cable player pianos, uprights, grands and
reproducing pianos, Pathe phonographs and records,
a complete line of band instruments, sheet music
and player piano rolls.
CELEBRATES FIFTY-FIFTH YEAR.
The Summers & Son Music Company, one of the
progressive mercantile institutions of Portsmouth,
Ohio, is celebrating its 55th anniversary. The com-
pany is strong and vigorous, having stores in ChilH-
cothe, Portsmouth, Jackson and Wellston, all doing
a good business. It was in 1870 that H. C. Sum-
mers laid the foundation for the organization which
has proved a success from the first.
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