May 14, 1927.
PRESTO-TIMES
KNABE IN MOBILE THEATER
JACOB BROS. STORE
BURNS UP USED PIANOS
Wilmington, Del., Newspaper Features Story
of Bonfire in Which Great Pile of Tra.de-
in Instruments Got the Torch.
A three-column picture in the Evening Journal,
Wilmington, Del., April 30, shows a bonfire made by
Jacob Bros. Co.'s store, at 416 Market street, Wil-
mington, in which over twenty old pianos taken in
trade, were consumed. The original value of the
pianos was estimated at over $4,000. The picture of
the bonfire appears under the heading, "FOUR
THOUSAND DOLLARS W O R T H O F PIANOS
CREMATED," and the newspaper gives publicity to
the act in the following article:
The lost chord became a reality yesterday, when
$4,000 worth of wornout pianos, property of Jacobs
Brothers' Piano Company, were consigned to flames
in the dump along the South Market street causeway,
just beyond the city line. The pianos, many of
which were players, if repaired and marketed, would
be worth about $4,000.
The pianos were taken from the storeroom of the
Jacobs Brothers' store, 416 Market street, early in
the afternoon and piled up on the site of the fire.
Gallons of kerosene were used to drench the pianos in
order to make them burn quickly. In spite of the rain
that fell during the fire the pianos were soon burned
to a charred mass. Volumes of smoke could be seen,
attracting considerable attention from passersby.
The site where the pianos were piled and burned
was a dismal one. The sky was leaden with heavy
clouds and a slight drizzle fell. Passing motorists
on the causeway stopped and almost blocked traffic
in their curiosity to see the conflagration.
G. H. Horner, manager of the Jacobs Brothers'
Company, stated that in condemning the pianos to
flames it is the best method of ridding the market of
more or less worn instruments which would have to
be repaired or sold.
That the best solution of the trade-in is the aboli-
tion of the trade-in is daily being emphasized by the
thoughtful members of the trade. This is said to be
but the first instance of the clean-up which Jacob
Bros. Co. intends to inaugurate to the benefit of the
entire industry.
NEW INCORPORATIONS
IN MUSIC GOODS TRADE
New and Old Concerns Secure Charters in Various
Places.
The new Saenger Theater, the pride of Mobile, Ala.,
has been equipped with the Knabe piano. The ac-
companying cut shows the interior of this beautiful
playhouse which both in its auditorium and stage re-
quirements is a modern institution of the most efficient
kind for theatrical presentation.
The orchestra of this notable theater is under the
direction of Don Philippini. whose programs have set
a new standard for incidental music in connection
with drama. Mr. Philippini writes of the Knabe in-
stalled in the orchestra for his use as follows:
"Gentlemen: Our beautiful new Knabe piano used
here in the new Saenger Theater is a source of daily
pleasure and satisfaction to me in our orchestra and
solo work.
"All who have heard the Knabe are most enthusi-
astic over its merits. I have found its superb sweet-
ness and brilliancy of tone, its lightness of action, and
sympathetic response, to be a constant inspiration."
GOOD WELFARE WORK IN
KOHLER INDUSTRIES PLANT
help me to prove that these methods are the right
methods I cannot make good at my job.
"Some of the best guards we have were invented by
you men. If you have any ideas of that kind be
sure to tell your foreman. That is about all I have
to say except that I ask you to be sure to report all
accidents so that we can study how to avoid future
ones. Again I want to congratulate you and urge
you to keep up the good work."
Superintendent of Service Makes Satisfactory Com-
parisons in Quoting Accident Figures Since '25.
Dr. Newton of the Welfare Service of the Kohler
Industries, New York, talked to the employes during
the lunch hour one day recently. His topic, of course,
was safety and the use of safety devices and he
impressed the necessity of the observances made and
provided, by a review of accident figures for 1925,
1926 and what has elapsed of 1927. He said.
"In 1925 lost time accidents were as follows: Six
fingers injured by cutting. One injury because of a
flying object. And one infection. In 1926 there were
only three lacerations of fingers, there was one cut
foot and one infection. A man fell down and hurt
himself. You see that was an improvement. Nine-
teen hundred and twenty-seven looks as though it
was going to be the best yet. Not an accident has
happened yet and January and March are always the
worst months of the year for injuries.
"Some time ago I went to Detroit, where for five
days 1,500 men discussed Safety First and the best
methods to encourage it. That trip and what I
learned at the convention I believe is largely respon-
sible for the reduction of accidents here. I think the
result will prove worthwhile to my employers, and
that I will be sent again to learn more. But unless
you men will continue to use your safety guards and
AEOLIAN CO.'S PROGRAM.
June 2, 3 and 4 have been named as the dates of a
meeting of the retail representatives of the Aeolian
Co. at Aeolian Hall, Fifth avenue and Fifty-fourth
street, New York. The tentative program includes
a reception and tour of the building on opening day;
business session on the second day with a dinner and
theater party for the ladies, at which Mrs. Katherine
Tift Jones will be the hostess. On the same evening
there will be a special dinner for the men. A special
train will leave Sunday morning for the convention of
the trade at Chicago.
The Music Supply Corp., San Francisco; to pub-
lish music; Arthur Reece, Karl Fuhrman and Paul
I. Corbell.
The American Beauty Music House, 403 Seventh
street, Rockford, 111.; increase of capital stock from
$5,000 to $20,000.
The Norton Music Co., Kelso, Wash., $5,000;
Charles A. and Lydia B. Norton.
The Piedmont Music Co. of North Carolina, Inc.,
Charlotte, N. C , to do a general music business;
$10,000; George T. Garrett, Fred B. Helms and E. J.
Hanson.
The Watson-Riecken Music Co., Everett, Wash.,
to operate a retail music business; $9,000; W. D.
Watson and H. M. Riecken.
The Consolidated Stores, Inc., Cincinnati, O.; $30,-
000; E. L. Purcell, Edward F. Peters, Edward A.
Gruner, R. L. Hinds and S. Geisman.
The Piedmond Music Co. of North Carolina; Char-
lotteville, N. C ; $10,000; George T. Garrett, Fred
B. Helms and E. J. Hanson.
The Peerless Musical Instrument Co., Inc., Pas-
saic, N. J.; $75,000; Irving Simon.
The Harmony Music Shoppe, Inc, Cleveland,
$10,000; Albert Hoermle and others.
TUNERS HEAR WIRE TALK.
The Chicago Division of the National Association
of Piano Tuners of which Herbert F. Antunes is
president, recently listened to a discourse on piano
wire by William Braid-White, consulting acoustic
engineer of the American Steel & Wire Co. at Mr.
White's laboratory. Mr. White told the relation of
good wire to good piano tone. An interesting feature
of the evening was the period following the principal
talk when Mr. White invited 'the tuners to ask ques-
tions suggested by his discourse.
AMPICO FOR DANCE SCHOOL.
CHECK NOT ALWAYS PAYMENT.
Miss Ruth Laird, a pupil of Alexis Kosloff, has just
opened a dancing studio of her own at Live Oak,
Tex. The accompaniments for Miss Laird's pupils
are to be supplied by a Marshall & Wendell Ampico
furnished her by the Will A. Watkin Co. of Dallas.
Miss Laird is a pupil of Alexis Kosloff and learned
the value of the Ampico through association with it
in the Kosloff Studios, New York.
A recent statute declares that, in the absence of
special agreement, acceptance of a check does not
operate as payment of the debt unless the check itself
is paid. And an agreement that a check is to be
received in absolute payment is not to be implied
from the fact that upon its receipt evidence of debt
are marked paid and surrendered or a receipt is
given.
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