April 9, 1927.
PRESTO-TIMES
TRADE BRIEFLETS
FROM INDIANAPOLIS
Pianos Are Selling Well and Trade Travelers
Are Dropping in in Increasing
Numbers.
The Christena-Teague Piano Company is pleased
with the activity in the Gulbransen line of instru-
ments at this time. During the months of April, May
and June the progressive Indianapolis house will go
on the bill boards.
Rapp & Lennox are having excellent success with
the Knabe instruments.. During the past week one of
the Louis XV, in mahogany, with the Ampico, was
sold, besides several other grands. Mr. Rapp says
business has finally opened up in better shape than
was anticipated.
On March 25 the annual spring concert of the
Athenaeum male chorus will be given at the Athena-
eum auditorium, at which the Baldwin concert grand
will be used. Mr. Hofer, the manager of the house,
reports some good results from the new Baldwin
folder for the dealers.
Mr. Carlson, of the Everett Piano Company, South
Haven, Mich.; Julius Martin, of the Schaff Brothers
Company, Huntington, Iud., and "Charlie" Grundy,
of the H. C. Bay Company, of Blufrton, Ind., were
trade visitors during the past week.
"THE PIANO MOVER" IN
PROSE AND POETRY
struments and grammophon records of leading
phonetic (sound collections). III.—Section of today's
music and musical education: School music, home
music, schools of music, concerts, opera, dance, etc.
IV.—Manufacture of instruments: Piano, organ, har-
monium, string, wooden and wind instruments, in-
struments of percussion, etc. V.—Mechanical musi-
cal and wireless instruments. VI.—Music publishers:
Professional literature, means of instruction.
ESTEY ORGAN CO. CONTRIBUTES
TO CONTEST FOR COMPOSERS
Prize of One Thousand Dollars Is Offered for the
Best Organ and Orchestra Work.
A $1,000 prize competition for an original com-
position for organ and orchestra has been announced
by the National Association of Organists, which is
seeking to encourage the writing of music.
The Estey Organ Co. of Brattleboro, Vt, has
offered the cash award for the best composition, and
Major Edward Bowes, managing director of the
Capitol Theater in New York City, has promised to
give the successful composition its first hearing by
the Capitol symphony orchestra and the organ.
Any American or Canadian citizen may participate
in the contest. The composition may be an overture,
tone poem or festival number ,and must be in the
hands of the committee of award by Dec. 1, 1927.
EVIDENCES OF PROSPERITY
OF SCHUMANN PIANO CO.
President W. N. Van Matre Sees Much Activity and
Traveler Mclntosh Sends Many Orders.
Humcrcus Story in Verse Tells of the Sad
C. L. Mclntosh, sales manager of the Schumann
Experience of a French Grand in
Piano Co., Rockford, 111., has visited the trade in
the World War.
various sections of the State of Texas this week. Mr.
By the courtesy of Advertising Manager E. L.
Hadley of. The Cable Company, Chicago, Presto-
Times has a copy of the very humorous story of
'"The Piano Movers," in poetry and prose. The
book is a work of art in both the writing and print-
ing. It has already afforded countless laughs in the
piano trade and will continue to add to the amuse-
ment of all who may get it.
"The Piano Movers" is also called "A tale of soft
chords and hard muscles, tender ballads and a tough
sergeant, and a grand piano in a great war—a tune-
ful lay on the old banjo." And that's just what it is
It was written by William Hazlet Upson in a way
to suggest that he must have "been there," and was
probably one of the piano movers when—
"A few odd wires and splinters of wood
And keys were scattered around,
But the place where that music box stood
Was now just a hole in the ground."
There might, furthermore, be a suggestion in the
climax of the story for the solving of the old "trade
in" problem. Mr. Hadley says "most piano men will
get a laugh out of it," and he explains that it originally
appeared in The Saturday Evening Post. It has
been republished by the Universal Press, St. Charles,
111.
. "
GERMANY WILL HAVE
A "SUMMER OF MUSIC"
Exposition of Music and Musical Instruments
to Continue from June 11 to August 28
at Frankfort on the Main.
With the assistance of the Association of German
Composers and Music Teachers, the city of Frank-
fort on the Main will organize, from June 11 till Aug.
28, 1927, an international exhibition in connection
with the centenary of the death of Beethoven, the
large musical festival of the International Associa-
tion of Modern Music which will take place at Frank-
fort on the Main at the end of June. Details relat-
ing to this exhibition say that: "On this occasion
the importance of music in the life of mankind will
be shown for the first time on a large scale and also
the great extent to which it is instrumental in forg-
ing a new and powerful link of culture between
the nations."
The event is announced as an international exhibi-
tion of "music in the life of the people," and the
special features are tabulated as follows:
I.—Music history section: Collection of important
documents on music, instruments, etc., in complete
groups arranged according to periods. II-—Ethno-
graphic section: Complete groups of musical instru-
ments of foreign countries and people, arranged
according to cultural districts. Demonstration of in-
Mclntosh came eastward from a Pacific Coast trip
where, at several points in California, he received,
as he writes President Van Matre, "a good many
satisfactory orders each from one to half a dozen
different models, besides two-car load orders of up-
rights and grands."
The visit of a Presto-Times man to the Schumann
factory this week gave evidence of activity in all
departments and an aptimistic feeling as to the
future, a condition which was emphasized by Presi-
dent W. N. Van Matre, Jr., in conversation with
ir^at energetic and astute younger member of the
American piano manufacturing guild.
MANIPULATION OF PIANO
STOCK CAUSED BIG LOSSES
McCown, Philadelphia Broker, Files Assets and Lia-
bilities, Showing Losses to Concern's Customers.
Readers of the trade papers last January will re-
member the failure of a Philadelphia broker and the
talk which followed because the name of a well
known piano industry was innocently mixed up with
the affair.
Eight hundred unsecured creditors of Frank C.
McCown, bankrupt stock broker, will lose nearly
$2,000,000, according to schedules of assets and lia-
bilities filed in the United States district court in
Philadelphia last week.
Their claims total $3,096,000, while the assets avail-
able to them amount to $1,210,320 and may decrease
in value. Preferred creditors will get $802,320, $169,-
650 less than their claims.
One hundred and thirty-nine women, eighteen
physicians, six clergymen and scores of lawyers and
business men were caught in the crash in January,
their individual claims running as high as $47,000.
McCown failed in an attempt to market stock of the
Estey-Welte Corporation of New York City, the
broker admitting that he had manipulated the price
of the stock from $24 to $28 a share by "wash sales"
on the New York curb market. The Estey-Welte
Corporation was not affected by the failure.
DENVER WANTS CONVENTION.
The Denver Division of the National Association
of Piano Tuners wants the 1928 national convention,
and Francis E. Tate, Denver division president, has
been instructed to go to the annual convention of the
National Association to be held in New York in
August and get it.
W. N. Van MATRE RETURNS.
W. N. Van Matre, president of the board, Schu-
mann Piano Company, Rockford, 111., returned to his
home at Lake Bluff, 111., from his long tour to Cuba,
Honolulu and other distant places. Mr. Van Matre
got back home in time to cast his vote last Tuesday.
Jlardman, Veck %? Co.
make
a Fine Piano
for every pocketbook
All exquisite instruments
offering unique tone beauty
and durability. All made
and g u a r a n t e e d by t h e
makers of the Hardman, the
world's most durable piano.
Your choice of models priced
to consumers from $375 to
$5000. •
55 Yeats of Fine Piano Making
•\V/ • • for catalog and prices
VV I 116 of pianos
Made and guaranteed by
Hardman^ Feck &? Co.
433 Fifth Avenue, New York
Fine Pianos
Makers of the world's most
durable piano—the Hardman
Schumann
PIANOS and PLAYER PIANOS
GRANDS and UPRIGHTS
Have no superiors in appearance, tone
power or other essentials of strictly
leaders in the trade.
Warning to Infringers
Tbla Trade Mark is cast
In the plate and also ap-
pears upon the fall board
of all genuine Schumann
Pianos, and all Infringe™
will be prosecuted. Beware
of Imitation* sucb as Schu-
mann & Company, Schu-
mann A Son, and also
Shuman,
as all
stencil
shops, dealers and users of
pianos bearing a uame In
Imitation
of
the
name
Schumann with the inten-
tion of deceiving the public
will be prosecuted to the
fullest extent of th« law.
New catalogue on Request.
Schumann Piano Co.
W. K. VAN MATRE, President
Rockford, 111.
W. P. Haines & Co.
Manufacturers or
BRADBURY. WEBSTER
ana
W. P. HAINES & CO.
Grand, Upright and Reproducing
Pianos
138th Street and Walton Avenue
NEW YORK
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