October 22, 1927
P R E S T O-T I M E S
CHAS. JACOB'S ABILITY
TO WORK AND PLAY
Passing His Seventieth Milestone Means No
Lessening of His Enthusiasm for Bus-
iness or Recreative Sports.
THINGS SAID OR SUGGESTED
Frank Hood, Collaborator
A girl reporter was sent by a Chicago evening
paper to cover the first day of the music trade conven-
tion at the Stevens Hotel last June, and the c'ty
editor assured her there would be some "heart
interest dope" in the event, the emotional lay being
her specialty. The Associated Press and the City
Press Bureau would send in mountains of "flimsy"
which would be slashed into a condensed story by
the copy readers, but the hard-boiled editor said he
depended on her for "the heart throb."
But her nearest approach to a thrill at the music
merchants' meeting was whenever President Ed. H.
Uhl banged his gavel with unusual loudness. She
was a novice at the work anyway, the bright daugh-
ter of a millionaire friend of the newspaper publisher,
ambitious for a career. Instead of the expected
heart throb she had a head-throb of bewilderment
as she emerged from the meeting. The whole con-
vention was beyond her understanding. Then came
the dread of the bmtally direct criticism of the c'ty
editor and the stinging jibes of tie copy readers when
she failed to turn in her stuff. But a cheering thought
was that by appealing to some of those men about
the lobby she might learn to know all about the
pesky old convention. But who?
It seemed natural to smilingly approach Frank M.
Hood who wore a sympathetic smile, and she found
it easy to tell him her troubles and to ingenuously
appeal for enlightenment. It seemed no pain either
for the general sales manager of the Schiller Piano
Co. to listen. She was "easy to look at," and,
anyway, chivalry is his natural impulse.
So he told her about the purposes of the conven-
tion; the relation of the Music Industries Chamber of
Commerce to all the national and state associations
of the music trade; the scheme of each :'n its sphere;
the main events in the week's program; the important
business problems; the joyous social happenings, and
concluded with a list of the notabilities present.
It was great copy material, and the girl rose to the
opportunity. She handed in such a clear, compre-
hensive story of a convention of a great industry
that the editor ordered all other convention stuff
killed and ran the girl's story on the front page.
During the noon recess next day the fair reporter
once more accosted Mr. Hood and said she again
needed his advice.
"Not mixed up in another story, I hope?" was his
query.
"Thank goodness, no It is daddy who is mixed up
this time," she explained. "You see, he is so pleased
that 1 am making good in my newspaper career that
he wants to give me a baby grand piano for a birth-
day present. He doesn't know anything about pianos,
and mother hasn't bought one for 20 years. But this
morning she mentioned the Schiller, and I wish to
know what you t'vink of it as I value your judgment
highly."
"My dear young lady, your question is a severe
tax on my modesty," blushingly replied Mr. Hood.
"It is embarrassing, but I nr'ght go so far as to say
I think a lot about the Schiller."
"Then that's enough for me. Daddy will give me
a Schiller," interrupted the fair seeker for knowledge.
"And thanks awfully, you most delightful adviser."
* * *
Judge, in Speeders' Court—"It seems to me I saw
your face before?"
Prisoner—"You sure did, judge. I'm the piano
salesman who sold you your Anviltone Grand "
Judge—"Five hundred dollars fine and a year in the
House of Correct : on. Next!"
* * *
The piano business in every city in America oc-
cupies central locations, but nowhere else in this
country can be found four great piano buildings
located at the intersection of two commercial streets,
like those in the heart of piano row in Ch'cago. At
tlie intersection of Wabash avenue and Jackson boule-
vard stand the Cable Building, the Kimball Building,
the Lyon & Healy Building and the Steger Building,
each towering up on a separate corner. One of the
wits of the trade this week suggested: "Why not
build a composite piano for the four firms to sell?
Its name could be made up of the first letters of the
concerns in mind. Why not create the 'Kimcablyon-
steg' piano. That may not be an easy name to
remember, but it might be abbreviated to the "K. C.
L. S.'"
* * *
"Safety first!" said the piano dealer, as he tore up
the misleading ad "copy" and proceeded to write
the colorless truth.
* * *
Money talks, but the piano coupon goes through
the motions in silence.
* * *
Many a man gives advice merely because he wants
to get rid of it.
* * *
The high-priced advertising space is the mother
of brevity.
* * *
Even a very large piano can l,e very small pota-
toes.
FINE AMPICO PUBLICITY.
The American Piano Company, New York, ran a
well-worded full-page advertisement in the Chicago
Sunday papers this week, calling attention to the
Ampico Symphonique and naming prominently their
Chicago representatives, Bissell-Weisert, 26 South
Miclrgan avenue; Knabe-Ampico Studios, Steger &
Sons Piano Mfg. Co., northwest corner of Wabash
and Jackson, and the Cable Piano Company, Cable
corner, Wabash and Jackson.
Charles Jacob, who was 70 years young last
August, follows his recipe for long life with attendant
good health and happiness—to work steadfastly and
earnestly. But the energetic head of Jacob Bros.,
New York, also likes to play, and do so strenuously,
and his ability to take part in his favorite recreations
is known to his large circle of friends.
His ma ; n job of making, promoting and distributing
pianos is varied at intervals with the most delightful
CHARLES JACOB.
distractions, the kind of playing activities that keep
the heart young and the body functioning properly.
His ability to pick the right fly or other lure and to
locate the most likely spots to cast a line to attract
the plumpest and gamiest fishes amazes his com-
panions on his fishing trips. They say it is a gift
akin to that of his business sense in properly ap-
proaching the right p'ano customers. "Good value is
the best bait," is a maxim of Mr. Jacob that he
applies to business and play.
Another of his recreations is yachting, a diversion
which demands the sporting spirit and a high degree
of activity, and he has been an automobile enthusiast
since the early days of motoring. The strenuous in-
cidents of sailoring provide him with the restful op-
portunity of forgetting for a while how many big
businesses, commercial, industrial and financial, he is
president of.
It is said the real sporting spirit involves a demo-
cratic attitude towards one's companions. Mr. Jacob
has that, and even in business a democratic attitude
helps his keen judgment in picking the right kind of
lieutenants. It is a characteristic which has helped
him to turn opportunities into successes; to make
possible the big piano industry which bears his name.
BOWEN PIANO LOADER HELPS SALESMEN
Outside Salesmen must be equipped so as to "show the goods." The season for country piano selling is approaching. Help your sales-
men by furnishing them with the New Bowen Piano Loader, which serves as a wareroom far from the store. It is the only safe
delivery system for dealers, either in city or country. It costs little. Write for particulars.
BOWEN PIANO LOADER CO.
Winston-Salem, N. C.
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/