April 7, 1928
P R E S T O-T I M E S
"IT DOES PAY TO
MAKE FINE PIANOS
So States H. Edgar French, Head of the Jesse
French & Sons Piano Co., Proving His
Words in Convincing Way.
THINGS SAID OR SUGGESTED
JAP ADVERTISERS
Our spectacular piano advertisers could learn a few
things from the little brown men of Japan who suc-
ceed in acting "dippy" in a dignified way that is
amazing. Pat Hoban, camera man for the Action
Educational Film Service, who recently returned from
a year's service in the Orient, this week told about
an illuminating incident concerning the Japs to a
group of piano men in a Wabash avenue store. Mr.
Hoban's interest in piano affairs continues from his
old days as salesman for the Reichardt Piano Co.,
1311 Milwaukee avenue.
On his visit to Kiota, Japan Mr. Hoban was out
walking with a guide when he observed a great pro-
cession approaching. The street was narrow, so he
paused to let it pass and the better to observe it.
The processionists wore gay apparel, the loose coats
Lettered in Japanese characters, and they carried ban-
ners with inscriptions of the same glaring kind. Their
faces were unusually grave and as they slowly stepped
they mournfully chanted to the accompaniment of
tom-toms, cymbals and drums.
It was a long procession and an impressive one.
Mr. Hoban responded to its effects on him and took
off his hat with due respect to the unknown dead
Samurai. He concluded the decedent must be a
noble from the size of the procession and the ap-
parent depth of the grief.
"A Buddhist funeral ceremonial?" was his whis-
pered inquiry of the guide.
That functionary gravely shook his head in the
way of signifying "no."
"Ah, Shinto, I suppose?" persisted Mr. Hoban.
Again the guide shook his head.
"Then what kind of funeral procession is it?"
"Honorable is mistake, very," said the guide. "It
is no man dead. Procession is for the advertising.
It is the honorable piano made by Inukai Kyohie in
Tokio is for sale."
* * *
While were are waiting for the opening of the swat-
the-fly crusade it might be well to utilize the swatter
on the deadly golfococcus which seeks its victims in
offices and warerooms right now.
* * *
A TEXAS GENIUS
Palestine, Tex., possesses an incipient Napoleon of
Finance, according to T. A. Pickett, manager of the
branch of Thomas Goggan & Bros, there. Mr. Pickett
bases his belief on an exhibition of masterful financing
given by the six-year-old Nap in the Texas city
recently.
Everybody is familiar with the little savings banks
for ten-cent pieces, the kind that hold fifty dimes
and cannot be opened until they are full. They struck
a Palestine radio house as good things to adopt as
aids to thrift in installment customers and they dis-
tributed one to each of their purchasers on the time
plan. Two dimes drop in every day, and there
you have your little five dollars in twenty-five days,
ready to hand to the radio house collector when he
calls.
But the house also saw their uses as inducements
to the diffident prospect to accumulate the five dol-
lars first payment—the bit required as a guarantee
of good faith. To such they gave a bank containing
one dime, the nest egg over which forty-nine other
dimes should grow.
One such nest egg bank was placed in the home
of our hero, or rather Mr. Pickett's hero. It was a
warm day and soon the desire of the Palestine Na-
poleon of financial coups to convert the deposit into
ice cream soda or the pop of commerce, became all
but uncontrollable.
But the question was how to get the money out.
He understood the accumulative principle by which
the bank might be opened, and. baffled, he studied
out the obstacle. Then the solution came like a great
inspiration. Grabbing the bank, the little boy hot-
footed to the nearest soda counter and broached his
plan to the dispenser.
It was amazingly simple. In short, he asked the
man to lend him forty-nine ten-cent pieces for a
minute or two. The man was ready for a customer
and besides was overcome by such a show of genius.
He produced the needed coins and the bank was
opened. Napoleon took cherry phosphate; for his
nerve, he said.
* * *
COMPARATIVE THRILLS
Boss—"I guess you'd enjoy being in the country
instead of this work in a piano store."
Slowguy (the new salesman—"In the country!
Why?"
Boss—"Oh, I was just thinking how thrilling you
would find it sitting on a fence and watching the
snails whiz by."
* * *
A dishwasher in a New Orleans restaurant recently
fell heir to $30,000 and immediately proposed by
telephone to the pretty stenographer in a Canal
street piano store. She replied by turning him down
over the wire, turning a cold faucet on his hopes,
so to speak.
* * *
The piano wareroom cynic says: "Real faith is
needed before a man can buy a bottle of hair re-
storer of a bald headed druggist, and you may have
noticed that the bigger the bore the less he knows."
* * *
The habitual piano trade advertising liar is pun-
ished when he tells the truth, for then nobody
believes him.
* * *
How the shrewd bait piano ad dealer does love to
encounter a fool and his money!
"It does pay to make fine pianos, doesn't it?" was
the naive query of H. Edgar French last week to a
Presto-Times man at the conclusion of a walk through
the factory of the Jesse French & Sons Piano Co.,
New Castle, Ind., taken specially for a view of sev-
eral fine instruments in course of construction. It
was an interesting and convincing walk, and sugges-
tive of the most cheering anticipations for sales of
pianos of the finer kinds.
The Jesse French & Sons Piano Company recently
made a special Queen Anne Welte grand for a Chi-
cago customer. A photograph of the instrument
was made for use by the advertising department,
but even before the cuts made from it could be used
in connection with reading matter, the proofs of the
cuts mailed to Jesse French & Sons Piano Co., retail
representatives, began to effect results.
The first was an order from Rochester, N. Y., for
a polished mahogany duplicate of the special grand.
And within the week two more orders for the special
were received from other sections.
Another of the successful sellers among the fine
grands is Style G Welte Grand. One just ready to be
shipped last week attracted the attention of a man
who was being shown through the Jesse French &
Sons factory by F. O. Wilking of the Wilking Piano
Co., Indianapolis. The piano was in splendid shape,
fresh from the hands of the tuner and other experts,
and its demonstration by Mr. Wilking and a personal •
trial by the visitor resulted in the purchase of the
model by the latter.
ESTEY PIANO CO. LINES
FOR LIVE DEALERS
Bennett G. Fox Starts Out On Trip Covering
the Southern States with Assurances
of Selling Success.
Bennett G. Fox, vice-president of the recently
formed Estey Piano Company, New York, has started
out on a selling trip for the piano in the southern
states. His itinerary extends as far as the Gulf of
Mexico.
Mr. Fox told Presto-Times representative before
setting out on his trip that the Estey Piano Com-
pany already has lined up many excellent representa-
tives, some of whom are in the section to be covered
by him in his trip. But he expects to make the
representation for the Estey complete in that section
before returning home.
TAKES OVER MUSIC STORE.
A. E. Mann of Monroe, Mich., has taken posses-
sion of the quarters of the Cable Piano Company at
30 West Front street. He will handle the same line
of goods sold by the former firm, namely pianos,
phonographs, radios, records and accessories. Mr.
Mann came to Monroe from Detroit fifteen months
ago. Since that time he has been in the employ of
Grinnell Brothers Music House of Detroit and Mon-
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.
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