Presto

PRESTO-TIMES
INTERESTING STORY OF
J. BAUER & CO. PIANO
Instrument Shipped to China in 1921 and
Supposedly Destroyed by Looters Is
Later Found m Nanking Universty.
The romance of a J. Bauer & Co. piano, made by
Julius Bauer & Co., Chicago, is entertainingly told
in a letter received by the company this week. It
relates to a J. Bauer & Co. piano shipped six years
ago to a customer in China, Mrs. C. H. Hamilton,
who has since returned and is living at 617 North
Jefferson Street, Muncie, Ind. Mrs. Hamilton writes:
Reminder of a Sale.
"You will probably recall that in the summer of
1921 you sold a Bauer grand which was shipped to
Nanking, China. I am writing to you now, thinking
you may possibly be interested in the fate of your
instrument, which we enjoyed so much during the
past six years.
"When the Nanking outrage occurred on March
24th of this year, we, like everyone else in Nanking,
lost everything in the looting and destroying which
occurred at that time. We had no expectation of
hearing of anything again, but in letters which came
to us since our return to the United States, two have
made mention of the piano. It was, of course, our
most valued possession, and there was nothing like
it in that whole community of 600,000 people.
"We were happy to know from the letters that it
was not entirely destroyed, although it is lost en-
tirely to us, since we shall not return again to China.
But it is a pleasure to know that the piano we valued
so highly ourselves is still 'carrying on' in the Uni-
versity of Nanking, and that we have been the donors,
unknown to ourselves, of such a gift to the student
body."
Letters from Friends.
Quotations from the letters received by Mrs. Ham-
ilton since her return to the United States follow:
Dated April 26, 1927.
"Your beautiful piano has gone the way of every-
thing else. My gardener reported that the looting
soldiers got it out of the door and down the front
steps of your house. It was too heavy and unwieldy
to be carried farther and they made a bargain with
some coolies, selling it to them for 60 cents—for fire-
wood! It breaks my heart to think of its coming to
such an end after all those evenings of pure, soul-
thrilling music Dr. Hamilton gave us on that instru-
ment. It seems like the death of a dear friend."
Signed, Mrs. J. L. Buck, who remained in Shanghai
after the tragedy.
Dated August 12, 1927.
"You will be interested to know that your lovely
Bauer piano was rescued by some students of the
university who had heard you play and who knew
its value. They found it in the possession of some
coolies who had gotten it somehow from the soldiers
who looted your home. After considerable bargain-
ing, they bought it for a few dollars and had it
moved to the university, where it is now. Its ap-
pearance is badly marred, but its tones are beautiful
as ever, and we are using it to sing by in the college
assemblies." Signed, Lin Chong-len, Chinese pro-
fessor in the University of Nanking.
December 10, 1927
CHICAGO PIANO CLUB IN
NEW MEMBERSHIP DRIVE
Attendance Growing, Interest Increasing, and
the Outlook Is Glowing with Promise
of Success in Big Effort.
, The attendance at the Piano Club of Chicago is
becoming larger and larger at every succeeding
Monday luncheon. Much interest is being taken in
the entertainments given as well as the general dis-
patch of the affairs of the club.
Just now President Harry Bibb is pushing to suc-
cessful issue the membership drive for a new "five
hundred list."
As an example of the appreciation the club feels
for favors done in its behalf, at the instance of Mr.
O'Connor, a vote of thanks was expressed unani-
mously to our esteemed contemporary, the Music
Trade Indicator, for a special publicity announce-
ment of the drive which that paper considerately gave
last week.
The guest of honor Monday of this week was
Regretful Exclamation of Prominent Piano Man at Odette Myrtle, prima donna of "Countess Maritza,"
Destruction of 1,000 Motor Cars.
now playing at the Olympic Theater. The accom-
paniments for the star were played by Pierre de
As Messrs. George Allen, Doyle Simpson and Ba- Reeder of the company, and the tenor of the same
con of the Kohler Industries, New York, gazed show sang.
northwestward at the smoke rising on the banks of
All in all, the club is in a prosperous condition •
the Hudson river from the embers of one of the and everything indicates wonderful prospects ahead
most destructive auto storage fires of Manhattan for the members of the club and its friends.
one day last week, one of the group being informed
that at least 1,000 automobiles in storage there had
been destroyed, exclaimed to the others, so the re-
port goes: "Oh, that it had not been a thousand
pianos!"
With the world overstocked with worn-out pianos,
it is but natural for men who are manufacturing good
new ones and offering them at reasonable prices to
Event Sponsored by Baltimore Music Trade
wish for some agency of annihilation to dispose eter-
nally of the rattle-trap instruments. A. G. Gulbran-
Association Shows Excellent Results
sen, of Chicago, has suggested the ready bonfire
in Sales, According to Report.
plan, and it seems he has plenty of backers. Like
the efforts at chasing criminals out of a city, there
Three girls in Baltimore, Md., won first prizes in
ought to be some systematic method of disposing of
the finals of the Greater Baltimore Piano Playing
the culls and the trash.
Contest sponsored and conducted under the auspices
of the Baltimore Music Trades Association. These
William C. Malcore has opened a music store in three were among the 16 who survived the semi-
finals. The winners were in the Senior High School
Algona, Wis.
Division. The first prize, a $1,500 grand piano;
second prize, a diamond ring, and a diamond ring
was also awarded as the third prize in this division..
In the Intermediate Division the first prize was an
$800 grand piano; second prize, a diamond ring, and
third prize, a diamond ring.
In the Elementary Division the first prize was a
upright piano; second prize, a diamond ring,
and third prize, a diamond ring.
Frederick H. Gottlieb acted as chairman of the
event. The three judges were Mme. Marie von
Unschudd, late court pianist to Her Majesty, Queen
Marie of Roumania; Leonard Liebling, editor-in-
chief of the Musical Courier, and La Salle Spier,
examiner of music in the Washington High Schools.
The contest was held under the auspices of an hon-
orary advisory committee, the personnel of which
included Gov. Ritchie and other prominent per-
sonages.
Report Good Results.
This was the first time in the history of Baltimore
that a city-wide piano playing contest was held.
Judging from the excellent results obtained, it will
not be the last. Those in charge felt it has done a
great deal towards stimulating interest in music and
especially in music as produced on the piano. It has
created a renewed interest in the greatest of musical
instruments—the piano.
WISHES BURNING AUTOS
WERE DILAPIDATED PIANOS
BALTIMORE PIANO
CONTEST BIG SUCCESS
CHICKERING AMPICO FOR ACADEMY
NEW ZEALAND'S IMPORTS.
ROY R. SHREWSBURY,
Musical Director The Phillips
Exeter Academy, Exeter,
New Hampshire.
THE PHILLIPS CHURCH. PHILLIPS EXETER ACAD-
EMY, EXETER, N. H.
The Music Department occupies the left wing of the
building, the main studio being on the second floor.
The Phillips Exeter Academy, Exeter, N. H.,
shown in accompanying cut, one of the oldest and
most famous preparatory schools for boys in this
country, is keenly alive to the educational possibili-
ties represented by the Chickering Ampico. In a
recent letter to Chickering & Sons, the musical direc-
tor of the academy writes as follows:
"Last July a Chickering Ampico was installed in
our music studio. During the summer session of
the academy, and thus far during the regular term of
the school, it has become perfectly clear that this
instrument has increased the value of our course in
the appreciation of music by at least 500 per cent.
"This piano is a particular joy for the reason that,
though it is a perfect reproducing instrument, the
player mechanism in no way affects manual perform-
ance. In other words, I find that the mechanical
devices in no way damage the piano for teaching
work. I am delighted with this piece of your art—
as is everyone who has heard it.
"Most cordially yours,
"ROY R. SHREWSBURY."
British-made pianos, which enjoy a substantial
tariff preference in New Zealand, are popular, but
playerpianos from the United States are widely sold.
The demand for the latter is increasing, and British
firms specializing in these productions are making
stronger efforts to interest the New Zealand buyer.
Organs and harmoniums are not imported complete
to any very large extent, but there is a substantial
trade in such lines as organ pipes, stop-knobs, and
keys, and in various piano and other musical instru-
ment parts.
RADIO STORE ADDS PIANOS.
Ben F. Harrison, manager of the Harrison Elec-
trical shop on East Main street, Clinton, 111., an-
nounced this week that he is adding a line of
Baldwin pianos to his already well stocked store. A
special room for the stock of pianos is being fitted
up by Mr. Harrison. In addition to the pianos he
will handle sheet music and will continue to sell
radios and all electrical appliances.
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