Presto

July 14, 1928
'R ESTO-TIMES
INDIANAPOLIS TRADE
SHOWS MARKED ACTIVITY
Energy in Seeking Prospects and Originality
in Showing the New Models Results
in Lively Sales.
Ned Clay, manager of the sales department of the
Starr Sales Corporation, Indianapolis, announced a
sales contest for the month of July. The entire sales
force has been divided into two groups headed by a
solicitor, and at the end of the month theg roup sell-
have been trying to live the contest down. A sack- ing the largest amount of instruments will be enter-
cloth and ashes period comes whenever one of the tained at a fashionable chciken dinner resort in the
stencil sins of the contest comes home to roost.
suburbs of Indianapolis. The contest, according to
A few weeks ago the schoolma'am, who considered Clay, has stimulated sales, and each week results are
the contest piano a punishment instead of a reward posted. Last week was excellent, and the first day
for her popularity, wrote requesting an exchange for
of this weeks' sales is headed with the sale of one of
a real piano. Her humor in describing the awful prize the Period model Starr grands. The contest will
took the sting out of the communication. Here is close August 1 and the evening of entertainment will
what she said:
follow immediately. "In spite of the scorching
"It is my firm belief that the sick piano it was my weather," said Mr. Clay, "the boys are certainly going
misfortune to win is surely dying of consumption. to it. In case of a draw the entire force will be
There is no mistaking the fatal warning in the dined according to Clay.
asthmatic wheeze in the lower register and the hack-
Rapp & Lennox Piano Company are showing a
ing, bark-like cough in the upper one. Even when
very fine line of Packard instruments, among them
I won the piano I remarked to you that I was fearful several of the Period models, in beautiful veneers.
of the hectic flush of the pine case. Now I am sure Mr. Rapp is very much enthused over his new line of
the flush is only a gruesome massage parlor imitation pianos, and reports business very satisfactory, and
of the real mahogany blush of health.
hard to get.
"There is a clammy feeling in the keyboard, too.
The special sale held at Muncie, Anderson and
that gives me the cold shivers, and the celluloids, both
Kokomo, Ind., at the branch stores of the Pearson
white and black, have a rheumatic stiffness that per-
Piano Company have been brought to a close. They
mits of playing only slow funeral dirge passages. The have been very satisfactory. Business at the Indian-
weakening night sweats that this doomed piano ex- apolis store of the company is very satisfactory.
periences must hasten its end. Even in a dry, warm,
The Baldwin Piano Company are showing a very
furnace-heated parlor it stands there and oozes resin- tine line of Period grand pianos in the Baldwin, sev-
ous perspiration at every pore of its Georgia pine eral of which occupy the spacious windows of the
sides.
establishment.
"What can you do for it? Is there any potent
One of the distinguished visitors in Indianapolis
polish that can cure the damp unpleasantness of its during the week was R. K. Paynter, president of the
epidermis? Is there a tuner among you that can Knabe Piano Company. Mr. Paynter spent the da:?
hammer new life into its bunch of flabby strings? with Wm. Christena of the Christena-Teague Piano
Tell me honestly if its days are numbered. I will be Company, the American Piano Company representa-
brave at the worst news. May I hope that piano tives in this city.
physicians and surgeons aren't in vain, or must I
sternly face the verdict that the case is hopeless and
that nothing remains to be done except the last sad
disposal by the undertaker from Solomon Weinstein's
junk shop?"
THINGS SAID O R SUGGESTED
GEO. ALLEN'S DOPE WRONG
A few weeks ago George W. Allen, president of the
Milton Piano Co., New York, received the following-
letter from a man who wrote on the letter paper of
an El Paso, Tex., piano house:
"Dear Sir: Some time ago I read a story about a
golf game of the Kohler Industries held at Clearview
Club, Bayside, Long Island, N. Y., printed in The
Presto-Times of Chicago in which your name was
mentioned as a participant and which suggested you
as one to give me advice on an important matter.
Although it told of a golf game I presume your sport
interest extends to baseball. Seeing your name at
another time as umpire for a baseball game at an
outing of piano factory folk, confirms that belief.
"With the bases full and Slade Seaton, the demon
batsman of the Crackerjacks, at the bat, 1 contend
that I ought to throw him my slow out drop. Cap
insists that I ought to give him my high in up.: This
emergency is liable to arise at any moment after this
date, so I would like to hear from you right away."
Mr. Allen considered the letter a joke by one of
his friends among the piano^ travelers, so he replied
in kind:
"Dear Sir: Yours to hand with inquiry and thanks
for the implied compliment to my baseball acumen
With bases full and Slade Seaton at the bat, my
advice is: Say a short prayer, send him one right over
the plate and then fall flat on your stomach."
A scorching comment on his advice was conveyed
in a communication received last week:
"Sir: I asked you an important question like a
gentleman and you replied with a joke, and what is
the result? The emergency I dreaded occurred in the
most important game of the season. With three men
on bases I threw Slade Seaton my high in up and he
knocked the ball over the fence."
* * *
Opportunity is said to quit after knocking once
at a man's door. This is when opportunity uses
the proper approach.
* * *
An optimist is a fellow who chases rainbows; a
pessimist is one who has given up chasing them.
* * *
NEW INCORPORATIONS
IN MUSIC GOODS TRADE
:ft
Jjf
s|c
A man in Gary, the Indiana steel town, broke the
household furniture to smithereens this week because
his 16-year-old daughter bought a ukulele. Possibly
he would have dynamited the block if she had bought
a piano, or perhaps he would have smiled approval
and refrained from giving a representation of the
human torpedo.
* * *
ASHES OE REGRET
Warming things up with cold bottles is an ex-
About two years ago a Nebraska schoolma'am won. pensive heating arrangement.
* * *
a piano in a popularity contest, inaugurated by a piano
company, of course. The piano men had conducted
Personal magnetism is something with which you
their-business in a dignified, conservative way until can start things your way.
mesmerized by a persuasive sales promoter into start-
* * *
ing a dozen or so hysterical contests in schools, fac
Remember, there is a distinction between the sharp
tories, fraternal organizations in its own town and
promising rural communities in the adjacent country. man and the sharper.
* # #
The expert promoters, out for the big profit haul, pro-
An egotist invariablv makes a great hit with him-
vided piano prizes that at least looked good in the
show window. Regret for their weakness came too self.
* * *
late to the owners of the piano store. Since then they
Trust a chicken-hearted man to hatch excuses.
New and Old Concerns Secure Charters in Various
Places.
The Schmidt & Peterson, Inc., Milwaukee, Wis.,
with a capitalization of $25,000; William J. Schmidt,
Gustav A. Peterson and Chester J. Roberts. The
firm will publish vocal and instrumental music.
The Moses Melody Shop, Little Rock, Ark., with
a capital of $25,000. ' G . C. Moses.
The Bay Cities Piano Co., Santa Monica, Cal.,
$25,000. Henry Howard and others.
The W. J. Mullen Co., Sewickley, Pa., with a
capital of $25,000; to deal in pianos, phonographs,
radio and musical merchandise. E. L. Mullen and
others.
The Teller Music Co., Louisville, Ky.. with a
capital stock of $10,000. Henry and Regina V.
Teller, Hazel Teller and Hattie E. Atwell are in-
corporators.
Schmidt & Peterson, Inc., Milwaukee. Wis., to
publish and sell music. The capital is $25,000.
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/