Classic Mode

Presto

Issue: 1927 2127

MUSICAL
TIMES
PRESTO
Established
1881
Established
1884
THE AMERICAN MUSIC TRADE WEEKLY
10 Cents a Copy
CHICAGO, SATURDAY, MAY 7, 1927
PIANOS IN THE BIG
SOUTHERN FLOODS
Loss of Instruments Not Nearly so Great as
Might Have Been Expected and Dealers
Display a Remarkable Spirit
of Optimism.
COL. HOLLENBERG'S VIEWS
Letters from Beardstown, 111., and Little Rock, Ark.,
Tell of Measures by Home Owners to Pre-
serve Their Instruments.
The unparalleled floods which have devastated a large
area in the Missisippi Valley for weeks have caused
losses almost beyond computation. Everybody is, of
course, informed of the catastrophe and in the special
interests to which Presto-Times is dedicated the dam-
age has been proportionately great.
Naturally the piano trade has been stirred by the
stories of sacrifice, and interest in the probable loss
by the sweeping away of instruments in homes and
stores has been widely discussed. Among the letters
to Presto-Times, touching upon the subject, several
of general interest have come within the past week.
From those letters the following are selected for pub-
lication—though not written for that purpose—as
showing the approximate conditions in typical centers
in which the Hoods have reached their maximum in
area. It will also be noticed that the spirit of opti-
mism is the dominating note and, largely because of
this fact, these representative communications are
chosen for publication here.
Moved to High Ground.
Beardstown, 111., April 30, 1927.
Editor Presto-Times: Very few pianos are dam-
aged beyond repair by the flood. A large number of
pianos have been subject to damoness.
While we have had a very bad flood, it came gradu-
ally and people were able to move their most valu-
able furniture and pianos to high ground. Of course
their houses are damaged very badly, and it will be
quite some time before they can move back, yet their
furnishings, in the majority of cases, were saved.
Of course all could not move, as there were not
enough drays, or help, and they were caught and lost
all. But that is very rare.
We, ourselves, moved all to high ground; that is,
to the second floor of-other buildings. As the water
is in our store, business is paralyzed and will be for
quite a while. We have quite a job to fix our store
up, but are going ahead just as soon as the water
leaves us.
Yours very truly,
VON FOSSEN MUSIC CO.,
R. J. VON FOSSEN.
Col. Hollenberg's Estimate.
Little Rock, Ark., May 2, 1927.
Editor Presto-Times: It is impossible to estimate
the loss or damage upon pianos caused by the flood.
T had made a large estimate, upon the theory that if
later on the loss were not so great the re-action on
me would be favorable.
I estimate that I still retain title in approximately
1,800 pianos scattered throughout the state of Ar-
kansas and I arbitrarily estimate that I will suffer
a loss of eight to ten per cent. There is no way of
determining what this will be until after the waters
have all receded and complete reports are all in.
Took Precautions.
I was agreeably surprised in two or three instances,
where new pianos were in the houses, to learn that
parties, before abandoning their homes, had placed
the pianos upon scaffolding—that is, in one-story
homes; and in one case, in a two-story house, they
had moved 'the piano up stairs. In these exceptions,
the pianos would not be damaged, and if this same
procedure were carried out generally, there would
be practically no loss, or only a small loss, in 'the
way of repair bills.
But of course, no man can tell. Generally speak-
ing, the pianos are in homes that are more or less
protected, or owned by thoughtful people who will
endeavor to guard and protect their property as far
as possible. Therefore, when the results come in, we
may learn that the loss is comparatively small as far
as pianos are concerned.
A Terrible Condition.
The situation has been a most terrible one. Mil-
lions of acres covered, and thousands upon thousands
of people made homeloss who lost their all. But the
people of this country endeavor to look upon the
favorable side of tilings and to count their blessings,
and there is quite an optimistic spirit running through
the minds of every one and they are going back
bravely and whole heartedly in the restitution and,
aided by the Red Cross, are doing wonderful things.
Too much credit cannot be given to the Red Cross
and to the men and women who have so faithfully
worked in that cause, aided and abetted by the United
States officers, particularly in the Air Service, who
no doubt have rescued—and saved hundreds and thou-
sands of lives.
The general response and assistance of the people
throughout the country has encouraged our people,
and they are doing bravely in the work of rehabili-
tation. In fact, we thank the people in the entire
LInited States for the generosity and great aid, and
for the kind words expressed everywhere.
Yours very truly,
F. B. HOLLENBERG.
BRINKERHOFF PIANO CO.
MAKES ANNOUNCEMENT
Will Make Nation-Wide Expansion Campaign
with Roy S. Dunn as Sales
Manager.
Believing that this year holds possibilities far in
advance of previous years, the Brinkerhoff Piano Co.
of Chicago, has launched a far-reaching expansion
campaign.
Roy S. Dunn, whose home is at Port Byron, Illi-
nois, and who has been associated with some of the
largest and most progressive piano manufacturing
concerns of the country, has been engaged as sales
manager and director of the sales expansion cam-
paign.
This is an important announcement, for no piano
man in this country is better or more favorably
known than Mr. Dunn. He tells Presto-Times that
the "Brinkerhoff Plan" is now available to dealers
in unoccupied territory and this plan offers complete
cooperation with the dealers and is supported by the
entire resources of the corporation, which is one of
the strongest financially and in its organization.
It is certain that the Brinkerhoff piano, already
a great favorite with the trade, is in line for continued
progress and the announcement here made must
prove of unusual interest to representatives already
established as well as to new ones to be occasionally
added.
BAUER GRANDS PROMINENTLY
DISPLAYED BY LYON & HEALY
Fine Showing of Popular Instruments with Announce-
ment Arranged in Spacious Corner Window.
Following the announcement of the purchase of
the retail business of the Julius Bauer & Co., Chi-
cago, the piano department of Lyon & Healy has
put underway a vigorous sales campaign, featuring
the entire line of Bauer pianos.
One of the first steps by the active Chicago house
was to inform the public of the purchase through
daily papers and a large announcement which was
placed in its spacious corner window at Jackson and
Wabash streets, in connection with an impressive
display of Bauer grands.
The graceful lines and beautiful finish of the in-
struments shown has attracted the attention of hun-
dreds of people who pass the corner daily.
$2 The Year
PREPARATIONS FOR
THE CONVENTION
Things Are Rapidly Getting Into Shape for
the Big Trade Gathering of Trade and
Industry at the Hotel Stevens
in Chicago.
SOCIAL FEATURES STRESSED
May Be Less of the Hilarity of Earlier Conventions
but Serious Work and Exhibits Will
Be Ample.
The page announcement of the great Music Trades
convention to be held at Chicago June 6 to 9, inclu-
sive, which appears in this issue of Presto-Times, is
well worth reading carefully by every music mer-
chant and by others engaged selling musical instru-
ments.
This advertisement of the Music Trades Conven-
tion, in making the plea for attendance at the gath-
ering in June, at the great Stevens Hotel, assures
those who come that they will take back something
of profit to them in their business. In other words,
that the big convention will be a worth-while occa-
sion.
Plenty of Entertainment.
While the business sessions, and the convention as
a whole, will not take on so much of the blare and
trumpet of high life and frolic as some past gather-
ings of the trade have exhibited, nevertheless there
will be plenty of amusement, pleasure parties, drives,
theaters and so forth, for every one who is 'there—
man. woman and child.
It is especially urged this year that visitors bring
as many of their families as possible, especially the
wives and daughters. Some interesting things are
in store for the members of the family who are so
fortunate as to make the trip. The best of attention
will be given to parties who come by motor car in
the care and attention of their automobiles.
The Invitation.
As already announced in Presto-Times, the conven-
tion starts with the great luncheon Monday noon.
Reserved seats and reserved tables may be secured
for this affair which will be an event of more than
ordinary interest as regards the ente'rtainme'nt to be
offered.
Invitations are out this week for the Merchants
Banquet Thursday evening, June 9, at the Hotel
Stevens. This invitation reads as follows:
"The National Association of Music Merchants in-
vites yourself and ladies to attend its twenty-sixth
annual banquet on Thursday evening, June 9, 1927,
at half after six o'clock. The Stevens, Michigan
boulevard at Seventh street. Chicago."
Hotel Arrangements.
The committee of local arrangements, as well as
the management of the Stevens Hotel, urge that
reservations be sent in early. There are some $3.50
and $4 rooms yet on the open list, but to secure such
accommodations they should be reserved right away.
Children's Playing Contest.
The Children's Piano Playing Tournament Prelimi-
nary Tests are going on this week with added inter-
est. Exhibitions have been conducted at the Chicago
College of Music hall, 306 South Wabash avenue; at
Kimball Hall; at the Recital Hall of the Reichardt
Piano Co., 1311 Milwaukee avenue; at the Kimball
Piano display room; at Assembly Hall, Olivet In-
stitute, Cleveland and Blackhawk; at Justin Bros.'
music store, Cicero; at the Assembly room of Austin
High School; at the Grosvenor Music House, 1022
Wilson avenue, and at Central High School, Ham-
mond. The teams for these test concerts, consisting
of the master of ceremonies and two assistants, are
made up every Wednesday morning at the Piano
Club of Chicago.
In the language of the convention page already re-
ferred to and which will be found in this issue of
Presto-Times, "Come to the 1927 Chicago convention
and 'Bring the Family.' "
Enhanced content © 2008-2009 and presented by MBSI - The Musical Box Society International (www.mbsi.org) and the International Arcade Museum (www.arcade-museum.com).
All Rights Reserved. Digitized from the archives of the MBSI with support from NAMM - The International Music Products Association (www.namm.org).
Additional enhancement, optimization, and distribution by the International Arcade Museum. An extensive collection of Presto can be found online at http://www.arcade-museum.com/library/
May 7, 1927.
PRESTO-TIMES
BAUER DRUMS IN
CIVIL WAR DAYS
Founder of Julius Bauer & Co. Interrupted
Fiano Making to Froduce Drums at His
Father's Wood-Working Shops
in Chicago.
MR. TONK'S VERSION OF IT
Wh'le Essentially Correct, Recent Newspaper Story
of Interesting Incident Presents a Few Errors
Which Are Here Corrected.
Following is an entertaining article which appeared
in a Chicago daily newspaper in connection with the
announcement of the sale of the retail department of
Julius Bauer & Co., to Lyon & Healy.
And following the story, as it appeared in the news-
paper, is an extract from "Memoirs of a Manufac-
turer," by William Tonk, the eminent New York
piano manufacturer, in which is presented an accurate
record of Chicago's music industries and trade at the
time of the Civil War.
It will be seen that present day history in the
matter of the Bauer drum making, while essentially
correct, is inaccurate in some details.
From Old Scrap-Book.
The manufacture of hundreds of snare drums
for the northern army during the civil war was re-
sponsible for the first period of real growth in Chi-
cago's oldest musical instrument business, it became
known this week as dusty scrapbooks of the Bauer
Piano Company, 305 South Wabash avenue, were
brought to light while workmen carried the last of
the pianos to the Lyon & Healy building, a few
doors away.
Pianos have been the principal item of Julius
Bauer's business in Chicago since he established
himself in 1857, but when the war came along and
a "drummer boy" became a necessary adjunct of
every military outfit the entire Bauer staff devoted
its energies to making drums on government con-
tract, and the activity proved profitable.
Transfer of Retail Business.
The retail business of the company was sold re-
cently to Lyon & Healy, and William Bauer, presi-
dent of the corporation, has announced that all
attention will be devoted to the making of pianos.
He is an expert acoustics engineer.
None of the Bauer employes who helped make the
civil war drums is alive today. The person whose
memory of the organization goes back the furthest
is Adam Schneider, a Chicagoan, who is now offi-
cially retired after fifty-three years' connection with
the company.
Three sons of the founder—William M., Richard
and Julius, Jr.—are carrying on the manufacture of
Bauer pianos at the factory at Altgeld and Wood
streets.
For Historic Accuracy.
For the sake of historic accuracy it will interest
members of the trade to read also what the author of
"Memoirs of a -Manufacturer," no less an authority
than William Tonk, of New York—said in his book
on the subject of the Bauer Civil War drum activities.
It will there be seen that it is not altogether correct
that "none of the Bauer employees who helped make
civil war drums is alive today." Further, it seems to
have been "Grandfather Bauer," and not Julius Bauer,
who actually embarked in drum making for his son's
house at a time w'.ien the country was in dire need
of the rebounding instruments with which to stir
public patriotism.
Following is the story from Mr Tonk's chapter on
"The Ellsworth Zouaves and the Services They Per-
KREITER
The Leading and Most Popular
Pianos and Players
Grands, Players, Uprights and
Reproducing Pianos
The Results of Over Forty Years'
of Experience.
Kreiter Pianos Cover the Entire Line
and no Piano Dealer who tries these in-
struments would supplant them by any
others. A trial will convince.
Kreiter Mfg. Co., Inc.
310-312 W. Water St., Milwaukee, Wis.
Factory: Marinette, Wis.
formed." Mr. Tonk, by the way. though but a boy
at the time, was a member of the famous company
referred to.
Mr. Tonk's Reminiscence.
"By this time I had advanced in position in the
store of Julius Bauer & Co. My duties were not
confined to chores, but now extended to filling of
orders and doing small repairs. During this period I
received the benefit of a commercial college course,
which I attended evenings, and some piano lessons.
"Returning briefly to the scene of my youthful
activities before entering the music business, during
the period beginning with the outbreak of t'ic Civil
War to the end of it. Grandfather Bauer's cooper
shop was turned into a drum factory. Part of my
time within this period was spent working on drums.
which the Bauer firm was making for t'.ie army.
Thousands were made and sold. My part of the
work was to paint hoops, put on heads, snares and
cords. My father, who by this lime had returned
from the West, was pat in charge of making the
calf-skin heads for the drums."
H. C. BAY CO. ANNOUNCES
FINE NEW GRAND MODEL
Highest Attainment of Blufftcn Factory's Line
in Tone, Construction and Case Work
Is the New Scale 90.
The H. C. Bay Co. factory at Bluffton, Ind., with
main offices at 209 South State street, Republic build-
ing, Chicago, has an important announcement which
will interest dealers throughout the country. The
announcement will be made in near future of the
H. C. Bay Co.'s "Scale 50," a grand piano that is
destined to become a leader among the fine grands
in the field today.
No effort will be spared by the company in pro-
ducing, in "Scale 90," all that is required by the
most critical music lover. It will be built in a sep-
arate factory and by a picked group of skilled tech-
nicians. The finest materials will be used, the best
ivory keys and the strongest and most responsive
action used in high grade grands will be procured.
Gold plated strings will be a feature, and all other
essentials of construction will be of such high quality
as to assure the new instruments permanence in the
field of high grade grands.
Production of "Scale 50" will be sufficiently large
enough to meet all requirements of dealers, and those
who attend the National Music Industries Convention
at the Stevens Hotel, Chicago, in June, are urged to
visit the H. C. Bay display and hear the tone of this
new grand and inspect the details of construction.
DEFER AEOLIAN CEREMONY
BECAUSE OF SENTIMENT
Buyers of Old Building on 42nd Street Forbid Lifting
of the Stage Floor Which Artists So Long Trod.
A piece of sentimental carpentry wais postponed in
New York when officials of the Woolworth Com-
pany forbade the removal of a three-foot piece of the
svage of Aeolian Hall on 42nd street.
The section of planking upon which the feet of
great artists and orators have trod was to have been
taken from the stage of the 42nd street building with
fitting ceremonies to be built into the stage of the new
Aeolian Hall.
The old building, where great tenors and sopranos
have thrilled thousands, is de.Uined to hear the tinkle
of 5 and 10 cent store cash registers and has passed
under t'le control of the new owners.
When the cere.r.ony of lifting ;he Mooring was
about to start, representatives of the new owners
refused to permit the boards to be taken up There
was nothing to do but await the return of the presi-
dent of the Woolworth Company who, it was said,
had consented to the transfer of the piece of stage.
BUSH TESTIMONIAL CONCERT.
The testimonial concert to Will L. Bush, at Kim-
ball Hal!, Chicago, on last Saturday evening, was all
that the fame of the artists had suggested The pro-
gram was a fine one and the attendance testified to
the appreciation of the perfection with which it was
interpreted. All of the artists who had been an-
nounced were present and proved again their phe-
nomenal skill. They included Helen Fouts Cahoon,
soprano; Julia Rive King, pianist; Arthur Dunham,
organist; Elias Day, characterist; Richard Czerwonky,
violinist; Edgar Nelson, accompanist.
F. M. Field has opened a music store in Spencer,
Ind. He carries in stock the Hobart M. Cable piano,
player rolls, records and sheet music. Miss Jessie
Lawson is in charge.
BUSINESS PROGRAM OF
THE JUNE CONVENTION
Corrected and Up-to-Date Announcement of
the National Music Merchants' Convention
at Stevens Hotel, Chicago.
Following is a corrected
and up-to-date announce-
ment of the business pro-
gram of the National Mu-
sic Merchants' Convention.
This program is released
to the Arrangements Com-
mittee by President E. H.
Uhl, of the National Music
Merchants' Association.
The official seal of the
convention is here repro-
duced. It will be much in evidence during the week
of June 6—10. The Committee on Arrangements
consists of the well-known members of the Chicago
trade:
Gordon Laughead, Gurney R. Brownell,
Roger O'Connor, Harry B. Bibb.
June 5th: Executive Day.
10:00 A. M.— Meeting of the Auxiliary Board; A. E.
Moore. Chairman.
1:00 P. M.—Luncheon and meeting of Board of
Control (Executive. Advisory, Auxiliary and State
Commissioners).
June 6th: Registration Day.
9:00. A. M.—Reception and registration of incom-
ing members, secretaries or other designated officers
of all state associations and commissioners at large
from non-chartered states, should be at their respec
tive registration tables throughout the morning to
greet incoming members and assist in registration
matters.
10:00 A. M.—Meeting of Advisory Board, Resolu-
tions Committee, special committees.
12:30 P. M.—General luncheon meeting under aus-
pices of the Music Industries Chamber of Com-
merce.
2:30 P. M.—Special meetings of any state associa-
tions or any group of dealers desiring to organize a
state association.
June 7th: National and State Association Day.
9:30 A. M.—Opening session. Report of officers.
10:30 A.M.—Report on charter associations bv the
Chairman of the Auxiliary Board.
10:50 A.M.—Short reports from President or dele-
gated officers of various chartered associations on
"What They Have Accomplished in Their State Asso-
ciation."
11:50 A.M.—Report from State Commissioners.
12:00—State Laws and Legislation.
"The Formation of State Association," by C. J.
Roberts.
June 8th: Piano Contest Day.
9:30 A. M.—Chicago Contest, by Mr. Peter Meyer.
(Continued on page 21)
SCHILLER
A GREAT NAME—A GREAT PIANO
THE SCHILLER
Makes Friends, Makes Customers, Makes
Money, for the Dealer
Super-Grands, Medium Grands, Small
Grands. Full Plate Uprights; Medium
Uprights; Small (3:7) Uprights.
Reproducing Grands, Uprights and
Players
Grands with the Famous Bauer
Patented Construction
The SCHILLER PIANO challenges
superiority in tone quality as in construc-
tion, workmanship, finish and appearance.
For Agency Proposition and All
Particulars, address
SCHILLER PIANO COMPANY
Factory and General Offices:
OREGON, ILLINOIS
CHICAGO OFFICE:
State and Adams Sts.
922 Republic Bldff.
NEW YORK OFFICE:
130 W. 42nd St.
Bush Terminal
Enhanced content © 2008-2009 and presented by MBSI - The Musical Box Society International (www.mbsi.org) and the International Arcade Museum (www.arcade-museum.com).
All Rights Reserved. Digitized from the archives of the MBSI with support from NAMM - The International Music Products Association (www.namm.org).
Additional enhancement, optimization, and distribution by the International Arcade Museum. An extensive collection of Presto can be found online at http://www.arcade-museum.com/library/

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