Presto

June 1, 1929
27
PRESTO-TIMES
DOUGLAS NORMAL MUSIC SCHOOL GATHERING AT LINNEUS, MISSOURI
Chicago was visited a few days ago by Dr. Stephen
A. Douglas, a piano dealer and music professor of
Aldrich, Mo. Dr. Douglas is the president of the
Stephen A. Douglas Music Normal Association, which
is known throughout northern Missouri and far be-
yond southward.
It is an inspiration to meet this large man, who is
splendid company whether at home or en route. A
native of Georgia, he has all the quaint humor of the
note from another, in some instances. And he often
sells the pupil or his or her family a good piano.
He plans always to get the instruments and the
knowledge of playing them into the homes, and then
he feels that he has thereby accomplished a double
object. He buys and sells pianos because only teach-
ers are associated in this work and the association's
living does not wholly depend upon the sale of its
instruments. Dr. Douglas owns his goods, therefore
work and in teaching several other instruments be-
sides the piano.
Dr. Douglas conducts normal schools in many of
the medium-sized towns in Missouri and some in
Texas. His schools get their pupils from all the sur-
rounding country, with classes three times a week,
the children and older ones being carried in busses.
The lessons include wood-wind, brass and string in-
struments and all the modern instruments of the or-
chestra, the piano, the mandolin, etc., and he sells all
these.
The picture here is reproduced from a photograph
as a sample of the largeness of his classes, this being
a scene showing his normal class at Linneus, Mo., a
city of some eight of ten thousand inhabitants, and the
pupils range from eight to twenty years of age. Many
times the whole family joins in at the musical enter-
tainments.
Sight reading of music is taught, in the classes that
are vocal or orchestral, and at the end of the course
a grand concert is given in a church, a schoolhouse
or the city hall.
southerner,—real humor, not "wise cracks." He has
the sort of humor that made Mark Twain famous.
Still more interesting, he is a real live-wire piano
salesman, who purchases carloads at a time for cash
in these days when carload sales are a rarity, and dis-
poses of them in a remarkably short time.
Dr. Douglas is as famous as a teacher of almost any
sort of musical instrument as he is as a piano sales-
man, and combines the two lines of activity with
admirable success to both. He introduces music to
the young on lonely farms, on the far hillsides, in wee
villages where latent talent might otherwise bloom
unseen—among people who did not know one musical
the customer deals with the one who carries his
paper. He has discovered the secret of disposing of
lots of pianos at a time and in a way that ought to
bring out the people in every remote part of the vast
United States of America as the largest group of pos-
sible piano prospects. This is practically new terri-
tory—farm homes, people in small towns and persons
who heretofore were too young, perhaps too poor, to
even think of learning to play the piano and the many
other musical instruments that Prof. Douglas famil-
iarizes them with. His wife is a skillful musician and
a successful teacher, as is also his daughter, both of
whom are interested in this normal music school
SMARTNESS OF DESIGN
IN NEW CHICKER1NGS
should enable us to sell more Chickerings than ever
before."
From Arthur Jordan Piano Company, Washing-
ton, D. C :
"Enclosed you will find our order for two Chick-
ering Grands to be shipped as directed. Permit me Lake County Times Prints a Picture of the Factory
to say that this little Grand is a peach and we are
and Tells How Bank Located It.
looking for a record sale of Chickerings this year."
Among the factors in the growth of the Calumet
DUNCAN PHYFE FISCHERS.
region of Indiana, none have been more prominent
"Don't let your daughter be uncomfortable about
than the Straube Piano Company, of Hammond. The
the looks of the living room when she entertains her
Lake County Times, in a review, prints a picture of
friends," says an Ampico Hall advertisement in Chi- the factory and says the First Trust and Savings
cago. "Don't let her be embarrassed because an old
Bank of Hammond played a prominent part in the
clumsy-legged piano stands heavily in a corner, pro- location of the Straube company in that city, and
voking mirthful glances, and proclaiming cruelly, 'we adds:
haven't kept up with the times!' Your children's
"Perhaps no other industry in Hammond has con-
home should be as newly beautiful as the homes of
their friends. To take the place of your old-fash- tributed as much to the esthetic fame of the city as
has the Straube Piano Company, manufacturers of
ioned piano J. & C. Fischer offers this beautiful little
baby grand in the style of Duncan Phyfe. In its desk pianos of superior quality and musical excellence that
and slim uprights the graceful lyre—a classic design are enjoying a world-wide demand. In fact, Straube
tracing back to the glorious art of Greece and chosen pianos are to be found in Australia, South America.
by Duncan Phyfe as his characteristic motif—has Europe, Japan, and a number of other distant coun-
tries where fine pianos are desired. Locally Straube
been used."
pianos are used almost exclusively in the Gary and
Hammond public school systems and in colleges and
THE POWER OF ADVERTISING.
universities throughout the country.
"No man can successfully engage in any kind of
"The company was established in 1878 in Downer's
business today without a realization—indeed, a real
appreciation—of the tremendous power of advertis- Grove, 111., where the foundation for the present suc-
ing," declared L. A. Downs, president of the Illinois cess was laid. Removing to Hammond in 1904, be-
Central Railroad, last week in the Drake Hotel, Chi- cause this city afforded it better manufacturing and
cago, at a banquet which closed the three-days' ses- transportation facilities than did Downers Grove, the
plant has been outgrown several times, necessitating
sion of Newspaper Advertising Executives. "To pui
it in the plain language of my calling, advertising is large additions, the latest being the unit devoted to
the manufacture of Straube Grand Pianos, which have
the motive power which pulls the gigantic train of
developed a most enviable reputation for their wealth
modern business."
of musical excellence and their unique features of con-
struction."
TO HANDLE NEW BAND LINE.
Ray Lammers, proprietor of the Lammers Music
House, 123 East Sixth street, Cincinnati, Ohio, has
U. S. RADIO ENGINEERS CONVENE.
just returned from Cleveland, where he went to com-
plete arrangements for his firm to distribute Standard
The fourth annual convention of the Institute of
American band instruments. This new instrument
Radio Engineers was held in Washington, D C, be-
line, according to Mr. Lammers, is intended for use ginning Monday morning, May 13, at 8 o'clock, and
by beginners' bands and beginning music students. ending Wednesday night, May IS. A number of
They are American brass instruments in a low price papers bearing on the technical problems of radio
class, but of excellent quality.
regulation were read and discussed.
Chickering Dealers Enthusiastically Praise the
New Models as the Finest They Have
Yet Seen.
A new group of Chickering models reflecting new
smartness of design are being offered by Chickering
& Sons. These are a Colonial Grand, a Florentine
Grand, a Sheraton Grand and a Colonial Grand with
the Ampico.
Before preparing these designs, Chickering & Sons
studied hundreds of American homes and conferred
with distinguished architects and furniture designers
throughout the country.
Conventional straight grands and Ampicos are beau-
tifully and gracefully styled in harmony with furniture
found in the up-to-date American homes. The Shera-
ton model is faithful to the spirit of the great English
designer and has been widely praised by connoisseurs
of period furniture. The Florentine offers the warmth
of design reflected in Italian Renaissance carved
woods.
The new Chickering prices, starting at $1,095 (plus
transportation), have created great interest among the
trade and have brought very gratifying sales to
Chickering dealers, according to that company. Typi-
cal comments by representative Chickering dealers
throughout the country are given below:
From Stanley H. Averill, manager of the piano
department of the Stewart Dry Goods Co., Louis-
v ; lle, Ky:
"We have just received the new Chickering grand
piano and we can hardly find words to express our
enthusiasm for this gorgeous instrument.
, "We wish to compliment your division on produc-
ing such a beautiful piano. The case is exquisite, and
we like it better than any Chickering we have ever
seen. We like the new style music desk, too, and we
believe this to be a great improvement over the old
style.
"Frankly, we like every line of the case. We think
it is truly a work of art, really a masterpiece. It
exceeds our fondest expectations, and it certainly
STRAUBE ADDS TO
FAME OF HAMMOND
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