July 1, 1929
THIRTY-FIVE YEARS AGO
(From THE PRESTO June 21, 1894.)
The famous case of Hardman, Peck & Co. vs.
Hardman & LaGrassa has been decided and the de-
cision is a complete victory for Hardman, Peck & Co.
As will be seen by the decision Hardman & LaGrassa
are enjoined from calling their instrument the "Hard-
man"' piano or the "H. Hardman" piano and from
using the words "Established 1842" or any other
words that might entrench upon the legal rights of
Hardman, Peck & Co.
One will wait many a day before having an oppor-
tunity to see a piano of such rare beauty in design,
style and finish as a Steinway grand just ready for
delivery to ex-Mayor Grace; and as for the Vander-
bilt piano, now at the Steinway factory, Astoria, and
wh'ch has recently been returned from France where
it was sent to be especially decorated and receive
the handiwork of some of the greatest artists and
painters of that country—well, of this instrument, all
I can say in description, it is worth coming from the
Pacific to the Atlantic coast to see, as Mr. Stetson
says. As to the cost or value of this instrument, that
is said to be unknown, but upwards of $37,000 can
be reckoned as having been expended toward it so far.
—Nak Toba's New York correspondence.
It does one good to pass through the salesrooms of
Geo. Steck & Co. and view the elegant lines of pianos
they carry in stock. Nothing but the choicest and
best; not a cheap piano in the sense of poor quality,
is to be found in the entire establishment.—Nak
Toba's New York correspondence.
The Farrand & Votey Organ Co., of Detroit, have
placed an organ with the great Metropolitan Opera
House, New York, .and it was used on Monday night
in "Faust." '
We understand that Colonel William Moore, of
the Everett Piano Co., is to be a guest at the next
dinner of the Chicago Music Trade Association, and
there is every probability that he will be one of the
speakers of the evening.
There appears to have been a change of opinion
with a number who signed the petition advocating
the extension of the Alley "L" road on Wabash ave-
nue, and a preference is now expressed for the belt-
line scheme. They have so expressed their opinion
in a paper which has received a large number of
signers. Among them the Chickering, Chase Bros.
Co., Manufacturers' Piano Co., New England Piano
Co., S. Brainard & Sons Co. and H. H. Northrup,
manager for the Emerson Piano Co.
The editor of this paper, who has just returned
from an extended trip through the East, is most
forcibly impressed with the greatness of the late
Ernst Knabe—with the grandeur and nobility of his
character, plain, simple and absolutely unassuming
as he ever was.. This feeling gains force now that
he has passed away and is intensified many fold
when we hear on every tongue—in every office, fac-
tory and salesroom, by clerks, salesmen, proprietors
or workmen, by all, literally without exception, speak
in endearing terms of the deceased.
Mr. Otto Sutro, of Baltimore, the well-known
representative of the Steinway piano of that city
sails for Europe this week. Mr. "Sutro has taken into
partnership Mr. Robert C. Gibson, his chief book-:
keeper and Mr. Charles Glaser, the head of his sheet
music department. Both of these gentlemen have
been associated with Mr. Sutro for many years.
PRESTO-TIMES
facilitating work. American elevators had been
AMERICAN FELT CO. HEAD DIES.
placed in it, improved engines, boilers, etc., and the
Funeral services were held last week at Franklin.
factory was indeed one of the most Complete in Mass., for William Herbert Sweatt, of Wrentham,
Europe.
Mass., organizer and for twenty years president of
Steinway pianos have been selected for exclusive the American Felt Company, and for the last Utwo
use in the New York College of Music, of which years chairman of the board of directors. He died
Mr. Alexander Lambert is director. Seventeen pianos at Alassio, Italy, May 19.
were delivered there last week and others will be
added during the coming season.
H. C. DICKINSON'S BIRTHDAY.
(From THE PRESTO, June 28, 1894.)
Under the Chicago Herald and Examiner's birth-
C. G. Conn, musician, cornet maker, journalist and
statesman, of Elkhart, Ind., permits. nothing to day column headed, "Many Happy Returns," there
escape by which his enterprise may be kept to the appeared June 8 the birthday announcement of Henry
fore. He sent a beautiful solid silver cornet to be Clarence Dickinson, vice-president of the Baldwin
given as a prize at the California Midwinter Fair Piano Company, and head of the Chicago house of
contest, which took place last Saturday. Many Baldwin. Troy, Ohio, is given as the birthplace.
prominent bands of the Pacific slope took place in
the contest and Mr. Conn received a vote of thanks.
PIANO A REAL TRAINER
Mr. Will A. Watkin, of the Will A. Watkin Music
A
piano
trains the mind, the fingers and the intelli-
Co., Dallas, Texas, was a visitor to Chicago at the
end of last week. Mr. Watkin had not visited this gence. A violin, of all instruments, comes nearest to
city before for many years and expresses himself as the perfection of the human voice. Musical instru-
being highly delighted with the energy displayed ments of all kinds, down to the schoolboy's banjo
and groaning saxophone—all have their place in the
here.
The methods of a great and successful business home, and should be there.
house are always interesting. The growth and
powerful influence of the W. W. Kimball Co. is a
part of the history of Chicago, and every now and
then a glimpse is permitted of the means by which
that progress is sustained.
Another pushing dealer is Mr. Emil Gram, of
Milwaukee, whose beautiful building on Grand
avenue is one of the attractions of that fashionable
and busy thoroughfare. Musical instruments exclu-
sively occupy the attention of this house and the
line of pianos tells plainly of the enterprise of the
proprietor.
FIRES DISTANT IN TIME AND SPACE.
In the "35 years ago" of Presto-Times this week
will be found an account of the destruction by fire
of the London, England, organ factory of Story &
Clark, a plant which had been established in 1894
for the manufacture of organs and pianos. This hap-
pened at 35 years almost to a day before the fire last
week at Grand Haven, Mich., when a stroke of
lightning set that modern plant ablaze. F. D. Abbott
of this paper was leaving London for Hanover, Ger-
many, the night of the London fire and saw its lurid
glare from his train. The next morning, upon re-
ceiving a telegram from Story & Clark, London, about
the fire, Mr. Abbott cabled from Hanover the story
to The Presto in Chicago and also to some of the
daily papers in the Linked States.
A HUSTLING GALESBURG SALESMAN.
A man who keeps posted on what is going on in
the piano trade by reading Presto-Times and who
sells good pianos all the time is E. A. Francis of the
Francis Piano Company, Galesburg, 111. Mr. Francis
handles the Haddorff, Lester, Poole, Ivers & Pond.
M. Schulz Company and Wurlitzer pianos and in
phonographs and radios, the Edison, Starr, Jesse
French, Superior and Mohawk. He has also handled
the Packard, the Kurtzmann and the Premier Grand.
Among his customers have been prominent musi-
cians, doctors, schools of music, bankers, business
men and churches.
A. EISEMANN BRANCHES OUT.
Alexander Eisemann, formerly chairman of the
board of the Freed-Eisemann Radio Corporation, has
just been admitted to general partnership in the
Will A. Watkin Music Co., of Dallas, Texas, the stock exchange firm of Samuel Ungerleider & Com-
enterprising agents of the Farrand & Votey Organ pany. This announcement follows the recent state-
Company, of Detroit, Mich., shipped a reed organ ment that Mr. Eisemann had been elected vice-
to Costa Rica, C. A., last week. They have also president of the Ungerleider Financial Corporation, a
received an order for four to be shipped to Rio $25,000,000 investing and underwriting company, of
Janeiro, Brazil.
which the above mentioned stock exchange firm are
Mr. John A. Weser and Miss Elsie Luderitz were managers.
married June 6th in New York. The wedding was a
quiet one and Mr. Weser is receiving plenty of con-
TAKES PRIDE IN HER WEAVER.
gratulations from his host of friends to which THE
Mrs. J. D. Bivins, graduate of Flora McDonald
PRESTO adds its best wishes.
Conservatory of Music, Red Springs. N. C, recently
The handsome London (Eng.) factory of the wrote to the Weaver Piano Company, York, Pa.:
Story & Clark Organ Co., of Chicago, was totally "The Weaver Grand Piano which I purchased re-
destroyed by fire on Thursday night last. The fac- cently has a beautiful singing tone and the action is
tory occupied one end of a block facing practically most responsive. It is all and more than your sales-
on three streets, Tabernacle Ct., Paradise St. and man represented. I take pride in showing it to my
Paradise Place. Adjacent were several furniture musical friends.
factories and in the one next to the Story & Clark
factory (Messrs. Win, Angus & Co.) the fire origi-
SLIGHT CHANGE IN PHRASING.
nated. The cause of the conflagration is unknown.
In Presto-Times write-up of the Wurlitzer display
The buildings, covering the entire block, were com-
pletely blotted out, as was a large furniture factory at the convention E. H. Petering, of Wurlitzer's,
facing on Paradise Place in the rear of the Story & North Tonawanda, changes the wording to read,
Clark factory. Cable advices (yesterday) from our "These instruments were exhibited by the Rudolph
Mr. Abbott, and from Mr. Melville Clark (who is Wurlitzer Mfg. Co. of North Tonawanda, N. Y., and
now in London) to his house here, inform us that in conjunction with the Wurlitzer Grand Piano Co.,
the factory was well filled with stock, finished organs of DeKalb, 111."
and Story & Clark pianos. A great deal of improved
machinery had been taken from the United States
The Claypool-Lacey Music Company, of Craw-
to this factory, some of it very recently. The build- fordsville and Frankfort, Ind., recently opened a
ing had been fitted up with every convenience for branch store in Winamac, Ind.
....an all electric set
which features great
range, selectivity and
volume without dis-
tortion in the finest
cabinets offered to the
radio buying public.
Produced by the
manufacturers of the
world renowned
JESSE FRENCH & SONS
PIANO
and worthy of the
"name well known
since 1875"
THE JESSE FRENCH & SONS
PIANO CO.
NEWCASTLE, IND.
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