Presto

August 20, 1927.
PRESTO-TIMES
13
PIANO FACTORY m STORE SUPPLIES
mates of the United States on a large commercial
scale.
Rubber Division officials at the Department of
Wizard of East Orange, N. J., Asks Aid of Govern- Commerce state that the entire rubber industry has Georgia School of Technology Perfects Tests Bear-
been observant of Mr. Edison's experiments and is
ment Experts in Development Studies.
ing Out Hopes of Cabinet Maker.
desirous to aid and cooperate. Rubber is second
only
to
raw
silk
among
the
raw
materials
for
which
George Shortiss, an enthusiastic cabinet maker of
The American inventor, Thomas Alva Edison, vis-
Beaufort, S. C , sees new uses for the palmetto wood,
ited the Department of Commerce and the Depart- the United States must depend upon foreign sources.
the only use of which in the past has been for dock
ment of Agriculture, July 26, in the interests of his
piling and the building of rugged, picturesque log
experiments looking toward the development of a
cabins. But Mr. Shortiss says new uses for palmetto
rubber that can be produced on domestic soil. He
wood may extend to the piano industry from that of
was accompanied by experts from his East Orange,
furniture making. Many novelties in furniture woods
N. J., laboratories.
Fine Old House at Ivoryton, Conn., Has Been Asso-
from time to time have been adopted by the piano
The object of the visit, it was stated by members
ciated with Piano Industry Since 1834.
manufacturers and successful combinations of woods
of his party and by Government officials with whom
The importing of ivory to America and its prep- in cabinets, dressers, bureaus and tables have been
he conferred, was to obtain data relating to rubber
followed effectively in piano case making. The two-
plants and the growing of various kinds of rubber aration for use in the arts and industries are activi- tone effect in pianos had its first try-out in furniture,
ties
which
have
distinguished
Comstock,
Cheney
&
in foreign countries. He proposes to experiment with
he points out.
various plants at his laboratories and at the experi- Co., Ivoryton, Conn., since 1834. And as an ivory
The sable palmetto tree, emblematic of the state
cutter, of course the house has been associated with
mental station he has established in Florida.
the production of pianos, organs and other musical of South Carolina, is about to attain its second place
Mr. Edison asked the chief, William A. Taylor, instruments from its earliest days.
in the history of the United States. This time it
of the Bureau of Plant Industry, to compile a list
will be chronicled in the annals of furniture manu-
Keys made by Comstock, Cheney & Co., have been
of all the rubber plants grown for commercial pur-
facturing and possibly that of piano manufacturing
marks
of
merit
in
American-made
pianos
and
organs
poses, repeating the request when he met with Mr.
if the processes demanded do not affect the char-
for
close
to
a
century.
The
fact
of
continuous
exist-
Holt at the Department of Commerce. This will be
acter of resonance. The tree received first historical
done, it was stated, by the Department of Agricul- ence for such a great length of time is sufficient to mention as a protection for the American colonists
ture, while the Department of Commerce will instruct make an industry eminent, but Comstock, Cheney &
in their defense of Fort Moultrie. where the shot
its agents in foreign fields to gather materials and Co.'s fame is achieved by a continuance of admirable from the British fleet sank harmlessly in the soft,
methods
of
preparing
its
ivory
products
for
the
in-
data for Mr. Edison.
spongy logs.
dustries, including that of pianos and organs.
Mr. Edison's interest has turned toward rubber
His attention prompted by the unique porous qual-
Comstock,
Cheney
products
include
piano
ivory
development in recent years, due to the dependence
ity of the tree, a large industrialist acquired a 300,000-
for
the
trade,
comprising
grand
and
upright
piano
of the United States upon foreign sources for this
acre tract of groves and enlisted the aid of twelve
product. So far Mr. Edison has experimented keys, pipe organ keys, actions and hammers.
laboratories of furniture companies in an attempt to
largely with cryptostegia, a rubber extracted from a
apply a veneer finish. After all had failed, the work
vine that is grown in Madagascar, and that is the
At a meeting of the National Lumber Manufac-
was assigned to the woodwork department of the
only plant, other than guayule, which can be har- turers' Association in San Francisco on August 3 Georgia School of Technology which, after a two-
vested with machines. Guayule comes largely from
the question will be debated whether the Federal year period of research, has just succeeded in apply-
Mexico.
ing a glass-like veneered surface and is now pro-
Government is cutting its national forest timber too
ducing actual samples.
It is Mr. Edison's hope, his party explained, to rapidly. Owners of private forests have to compete
work on all other plants possible to determine the with the government owned timber, with a resulting
tendency, it is claimed, toward overproduction at
The De Luxe Music & Machine Co., headed by
possibilities of developing a rubber plant which can
Arthur A. Hirsch, has been opened in Asheville, N. C.
be transplanted and cultivated in the warmer cli- times and a waste of forest material.
PALMETTO WOOD FOR PIANOS
EDISON'S RUBBER RESEARCH
COMSTOCK, CHENEY & CO.
WESSELL, NICKEL & GROSS
Manufacturers of
PIANO
HIGHEST GRADE
MOVING TRUCKS
for
ACTIONS
PIANOS
ONE GRADE ONLY
The Wessefl, Nickel & Gross action is a
guarantee of the grade of the instrument
in which it is found.
FACTORIES:
1 \ J F W V T l P \C
45thSt, Uth AT*. & W4«lh. H E i W
1 VSIXIV
Orthophonic Victrolas
Electric Refrigerators
OFFICEi
457 w. 45th Stotf
Trucks, Hoists, Covers and Special Straps.
JULIUS BRECKWOLDT & SON, INC.
DOLGEVILLE. N. Y.
Manufactured by
Self-Lifting PianoTruck Co.
Manufacturers of
FINDLAY, OHIO
Piano Backs, Boards, Bridges, Bars,
Traplevers and Mouldings
J BRECKWOLDT. PTM.
W. A. BRECKWOLDT. 8 K . & Trwu.
THE O S. KELLY CO,
Manufacturers
PRESTO BUYERS' GUIDE
TELLS ALL ABOUT ALL PIANOS
of
High Oracle
PIANO PLATES
SPRINGFIELD
-
-
OHIO
XH E CO MSTOCK, C HENE" Y & CO.
IVORYTON, CONN
IVORY CUTTERS SINCE 1834
MANUFACTURERS OF
Grand Keys, Actions and Hammers, Upright Keys
Actions and Hammer , Pipe Organ Keys
Piano Forte Ivory for the Trade
1
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