Presto

18
P R E S T 0-TI M E S
PERSONAL NOTES ON CONVENTION WEEK
A Press-Table Story.
Some good stories flew across the press table at
the get-together luncheon on June 3 in the Drake
Hotel, Chicago. As usual, the best ones came not
from members of the press but from piano dealers.
One told by President Costain, of Costain Bros.,
Huron, S. D., is too good to leave out of print: A
woman, far from educated, called at the Costain store
and asked one of the salesmen to be shown a piano.
"Now," she said, "I want to be shown a good piano.
No cheap one. You can't fool me, for I know a lot
about music, and my son-in-law, who lives next door
to me, can play the copnet the loudest of anybody
in the state of Iowa." Hiding his amused grin by
turning his back and pretending to look out of the
window, the salesman turned around with a con-
trolled face and agreed with the lady that her family
was musically cultured and finally sold her one of
the finest grands in the store for cash.
Greeting Wessell Brothers.
Both the brothers Wessell—Fernando A. and
Arthur L., of Wessell, Nickel & Gross, New York,
attended the convention and received greetings from
many friends. It isn't always that these two brothers
get to a convention together, but Arthur Wessell
almost invariably has attended the national conven-
tions.
A. L. Bruner, of Rock Island.
One of the first to arrive at the convention was
A. L. Bruner, of Rock Island, vice-president of the
Illinois Music Merchants' Association. Mr. Bruner
reports that trade in Rock Island is keeping up fairly
well.
Roy Hibshman's Book of Carols.
Roy Hibshman, who was at the travelers' dinner,
is the possessor of a 600-page book of German carols
of great value, as a historical treasure which has been
transmitted through different generations of saving
people in Pennsylvania and also for the rare music
it contains. He is hanging on to it, and it is not
for sale.
An ex-Piano Man Welcomed.
Most welcome was Walter C. Hepperla, formerly
president of the Premier Grand Corporation, of New
York. He was genially met at the convention proper
and also at the travelers' dinner party.
Charles Deutschmann on Hand.
Chas. Deutschmann, former president of the Na-
tional Piano Tuners' Association, was met by many
of his friends at the travelers' meeting. He still in-
sists that there are swarms of pianos in the country
that need tuning.
Harry Sipe in from Ohio.
Harry Sipe, popular traveler for the Adam Schaaf
house, was in attendance at the travelers' dinner. He
had made his last trip through Ohio, where he found
trade improving.
E. P. Johnson, of Elgin.
Emil P. Johnson, president of the E. P. Johnson
Piano Company, Elgin, 111., was one of the guests
at the dinner of the National Piano Travelers' Asso-
ciation at Lake Shore Athletic Club, 850 Lake street,
Chicago, on the night of June 3. Chatting with a
representative of Presto-Times, he said his factory
has been kept quite busy lately. Elgin is still the
greatest butter market in the world, but the biggest
industry in Elgin is the watch works, which pays out
$25,000 every ten days in wages and gives $200,000
bonus to its employes every year. Like Henry Ford,
Mr. Johnson believes that good-wage towns are
always the most prosperous towns.
A Daughter in the Cable Family.
Miss Jane Lightner Cable, three weeks old, La
Porte, Ind., is the first born child of President Ho-
bart M. Cable and wife, of the Hobart M. Cable
company. Her father, who was in attendance at the
convention in Chicago last week, was wearing a smile
that would not come off.
Credit Where Credit Is Due.
A. B. Furlong, retiring president of the National
Piano Travelers' Association, at the dinner of that
organization last week in Chicago, gave credit for
very efficient aid to Gordon Laughead of the Wur-
litzer Grand Piano Company, James T. Bristol of Jas.
T. Bristol, Inc., financial service, 25 East Jackson
boulevard, Chicago, and Charles H. Burtzloff, whole-
sale representative of the Kohler Industries, 306
South Wabash avenue, Chicago.
Prophet Booms Bent for Mayor.
George P. Bent of Los Angeles, Calif., who was
at the convention in Chicago and attended many of
the functions in the Mid-West metropolis last week,
including the piano travelers' dinner, left to go to
Salt Lake City and to attend the convention of the
Western Music Trade Association. Mr. Bent car-
ried his usual membership label, but some prophet
had written upon it: "The mayor-elect-to-be of Los
Angeles."
Honors for J. P. Simmons.
J. P. Simmons, of the Music Shop, Lexington, Ky.,
extensive dealers in the Baldwin line of pianos
especially, was greeted at the convention as one of
the members entitled to wear the honor badge. This
is a white silk badge and it was pinned upon the
lapel of Mr. Simmons' coat with considerable cere-
mony. He won it by getting all the dealers in his
city to join the National Music Merchants'
Association.
Ohio Manager Attends
Robert E. Taylor, Ohio district manager for
Kohler & Campbell, Inc., devoted considerable time
at the convention to the reception of dealers from
his territory. Sales activity in Ohio and West Vir-
ginia, he told the Presto-Times correspondent, is
strong; while conditions in Kentucky have recently
shown a marked improvement.
Mark Mayer Active
The M. Schulz Co. also had in attendance at the
convention Mark Mayer, general representative, who
is especially active in Missouri and the Southwest.
Shows New Action
The research department of the Gulbransen Piano
Co. was represented at the convention by Lloyd
Lear, research technician. He demonstrated a new
type of piano action, which the Gulbransen company
is developing. This model was displayed at the show
solely for the purpose of gaining the opinion of deal-
ers as to its practicability. As it is still in the experi-
mental stage, no announcement as to its construction
is available.
Cumberland Represented
Cumberland, Md., was represented at the music
dealers' convention by T. L. Popp, of the Cumber-
land Music Corp., Inc., general dealers in musical in-
struments and supplies. Sales conditions, Mr. Popp
says, are very good in his district.
"No Dabbling in Radio"
"I sell nothing but pianos, and I concentrate on
one good make, the Gulbransen," said R. H. Alexan-
der, a Chicago dealer. "Probably I could build up a
good radio business as a sideline, but then I would
have to divide my efforts, and I fear my reputation
as a service-giving piano merchant would suffer if I
let down on piano service."
Display Tiny Trumpet
A feature of the H. N. White Co.'s display of
King band instruments at the Drake Hotel was the
King "Tiny Tims," a trumpet only one foot long.
This instrument is made with the same precision and
regard for tonal qualities that is shown in the manu-
facture of the standard sizes. Those in attendance
during the visit of the Presto-Times reporter were
L. B. (Buck) Dolan who represents the White Com-
pany as salesman east of the Mississippi river, and
Paul C. Bennett. Visits to the display were made
by H. N. White, president, and Richard White, sec-
retary.
Haddorff Chief Visits
A. E. Johnson, president and treasurer of the Had-
dorff Piano Co., Rockford, 111., dropped in Thursday
to look over the exhibit of the Haddorff line at the
Drake hotel. He expressed himself as extremely
pleased with the interest shown by dealers in the
beautiful and fine-toned instruments on display.
District Salesmen Active
During the visit of the Presto-Times reporter to
the Wurlitzer exhibit, three district representatives
were on hand to receive visitors. They were: M. R.
Williams, W. B. Word and Charles E. Howe.
From the South
Miss A. B. Ziegler, representative of the sheet
music department of Clint McDade, Chattanooga,,
Tenn., at the convention of sheet music dealers at the
Drake Hotel, spent four busy days listening to dis-
cussions of the industry's problems and to talks on
the latest methods of promoting sheet music sales.
With such a capable representative at the trade show%
the interests of her company were well served.
A Gentleman from Berlin
Charles J. Koehlcr, representing the C. Bechstein
Pianoforte Fabrik Aktiengesellschaft, Berlin, Ger-
many, was at the convention. He is now stopping
at the Hotel Ansonia, New York city. He was met
in the exhibition rooms of the American Steel &
Wire Company at the Drake last week by a Presto-
Times representative. Mr. Koehler had just come
in from San Francisco and was headed eastward.
June 15, 1929
Off for Salt Lake Meeting.
Secretary Farquharson of the Western Music
Trade Association, who attended the Chicago con-
vention, went from Chicago to attend the convention
of that association at Salt Lake City, Utah, in the
early part of this week.
An Able Toastmaster.
At the noonday luncheon of the Chicago Piano &
Organ Association at the Drake Hotel last week
President R. J. Cook outdid himself as a presiding
officer and toastmaster. His introductions of chair-
men of committees, presidents of allied associations
and speakers generally showed his versatility in the
use of fortuitous favors, while his pertinent allusions
to the individuals in connection with their current
activities were apt and telling.
A Famous Slogan
The famous broadcasting slogan, "At the Bald-
win," used in connection with the Baldwin piano in
announcing programs where the Baldwin piano is
used for accompaniments and solo work, made a
very attractive electric sign at the entrance to the
Baldwin exhibit at Twelve Mezzanine, at the Drake
Hotel.
Two-Page Letterheads
The two-page letter size letterheads furnished by
the W. W. Kimball Company to their agents through-
out the country, are quite extensively used by the
recipients of these complimentary sheets, for ordi-
nary correspondence, as the many letters and orders
to Presto-Times from Kimball dealers throughout
the country indicate.
A. C. Danz Attends
At Los Angeles Calif., visitor to the convention
was A. C. Danz, proprietor of the Danz Music Co.
store there. Mr. Danz finds Los Angeles a good
market for pianos produced by the Jesse French &
Sons' Piano Co.
Fred Gretsch.
Fred Gretsch of Brooklyn, N. Y., had a large
variety of instruments in the show at the Drake.
Fred Base was in charge. Zildjian cymbals from Con-
stantinople, piano accordeons, clarinets, banjos and
guitars were included. The H. Fiehn ocarina was
in evidence, there being a big demand for it, owing
to radio, Mr. Base explained.
Joins Ralston, Mo., House.
Among the visitors to the exhibit of the M.
Schulz Company was R. M. Dighton, formerly in
charge of city retail sales in Chicago for the Schulz
Piano Company before the house decided to discon-
tinue its retail activities and devote its energies ex-
clusively to manufacturing. At the close of the con-
vention Mr. Dighton left for Moberly, Mo., where he
is to be associated with the Ralston Music Company.
Mr. Dighton's skill in organizing and conducting sales
campaigns, demonstrated during his connection with
the M. Schulz Company, should be of invaluable
assistance to the Ralston Music Company.
An Efficient Secretary.
To the efficiency and sound judgment of Miss Al-
phretta May Metz, secretary to Delbert L. Loomis,
executive secretary of the National Association of
Music Merchants, is clue much of the credit for the
smoothness with which the machinery for registration
of visitors to the convention operated.
Besides
supervising the work of registration, Miss Metz had
charge of publicity and of the dissemination of gen-
eral information.
E. C. Van Fossen Present.
Fair business conditions in Iowa were reported by
E. C. Van Fossen, a dealer of Perry, Iowa, when
interviewed at the convention by a member of the
editorial staff of the Presto-Times. Besides dealing
in Gulbransen pianos and Sparton radios, Mr. Van
Fossen finds a good market for sheet music and band
and string instruments.
F. S. Smith on Hand.
The Perfection Furniture Company, Chicago,
makers of Perfection benches, a quality line of piano
accessories, was represented at the convention by F.
S. Smith, president of the company. A display of
Perfection benches contributed to the attractiveness
of the M. Schulz Company's exhibit and aroused
much interest in the products of this house among
the visiting dealers.
Baldwin Vice-President Attends.
H. C. Dickinson, vice-chairman of the board of
directors of the Baldwin Piano Company, put in four
busy days in attendance at the Baldwin display. He
foresees great sales activity resulting from the inter-
est aroused among dealers by the unquestioned merit
of the line of instruments shown.
From Pittsburgh House.
Homer Schoenberger and Arthur O. Lechner, of
Lechner & Schoenberger Company, Pittsburgh, were
a hustling pair during the convention period, as they
moved about renewing old acquaintances and getting
a line on the latest offerings of the trade. They
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/