Classic Mode

Presto

Issue: 1929 2234

Page 9 Text:

September 1, 1929
THIRTY=FIVE YEARS AGO
(From The Presto Aug. 23, 1894.)
The first full-sized Wissner Concert Grand has
been completed.
Mr. H. C. Dickinson, treasurer of the Hamilton
Organ Co., this city, has been on a western trip in
the interest of his house.
Mr. Ed. W. Eysel, the veneer expert, who has been
doing business at 74 Lake street, Chicago, has given
up his office and entered the employ of C. L. Willey,
at Thirty-fifth street and River.
The Harmony Company is the name of a corpora-
tion engaged in the manufacture of guitars and man-
dolins in Chicago. The House of Dyer Bros., of
St. Paul, recently gave the Harmony Co. an order for
one thousand guitars for fall delivery.
SIGNS OF REVIVING TRADE.
The New York "Morning Journal," of the 19th,
published under the above caption expressions of
opinion from a number of leading men. Among them
was William Steinway, who wrote: "There is no
doubt that the settlement of the tariff question for
good or ill will be followed by an immediate boom in
business. Though the new tariff bill which has been
passed after hanging fire so long may not make much
appreciable change from the old tariff schedules, yet
the fact that the uncertainty is over will restore con-
fidence to the commercial world.
"In fact, there are indications of a change for the
better already. Not only have I received letters and
telegrams within the past few days stating that busi-
ness was looking brighter, from those with whom I
have business relations, but merchants in other lines
of business have told me that there are decided signs
of returning confidence in their respective lines.
"We have kept our men at work all through the
business depression, and have allowed our customers
long headway to enable them to keep going. They
are beginning to feel the relief from the strain now,
as every one was on tenterhooks to know how he
would be affected by the new tariff.
"I have been asked if the business depression was
not an artificial one. I might reply to that yes and
no in the same breath. There were no logical reasons
for it, looking at the matter superficially, but on the
other hand merchants and manufacturers were afraid
to speculate until the tariff question was settled.
"It was impossible for them to make contracts for
future deliveries until they knew how they would
stand with the new tariff. It might raise the duties
on some commodities and lower them on others, so
that any contracts based on the old tariff might prove
invalid under the new bill."
(From The Presto Aug. 30, 1894.)
Mr. W. H. Jewett, who in 1860 founded the busi-
ness that is at present controlled by the Jewett Piano
Co. at Leominster, Mass., is lying seriously ill at the
Bur bank Hospital, Fitchburg, Mass., and is not ex-
pected to recover.
J. C. Henderson, manager Schimmel & Nelson
Piano Co., has returned from a very successful busi-
ness trip through North Dakota and reports the best
wheat crop there since 1890 and says people in that
section of the Northwest are feeling good, to which
he can testify by the number of orders he took there.
The many friends of Mr. W. B. Price, the well-
known Kimball representative, and until recently man-
ager of their branch house in Washington, will be
pleased to learn that he will take up his residence in
Chicago and become the head of the pipe organ
department of the W. W. Kimball Co.
B. H. Janssen, Secretary of the Mathushek & Son
Piano Co., has returned to New York from his trip
to Washington, Pa., where he was prosecuting the
case against J. R. Sharp for embezzlement.
Mr. Fred T. Steinway sailed last week from South-
ampton for New York.
A very handsome Kranich & Bach piano will short-
ly be shipped to Yokohama, Japan, for a missionary
there, Rev. Mr. Snider.
Mr. C. J. Heppe, the veteran piano dealer of Phila-
delphia, is improving rapidly from his severe illness
and will be able to resume his duties in a few weeks.
Now that Ex-President Harrison has had his hair
cut and beard trimmed to a point, his resemblance to
our own Deacon Camp is more marked than ever.
We suspect that the Deacon's beauty was largely
responsible for the ex-president's action.
The greatest, perhaps, as well as the oldest, of the
English piano manufacturers is the house of Broad-
wood. And there is no more interesting place for
one interested in pianos to visit. John Broadwood,
the founder of this historic house, was a harpsichord
maker to the English Court at the time of the reign
of King George II. In the year of Haydn's birth,
1732, at the identical house now occupied as a ware-
room, 33 Great Pulteney street, Golden Square, the
business of John Broadwood & Sons was established.
Since that day five generations have toiled in the
development of the house, each adding to the renown
P R E S T 0-T I M E S
of the piano and increasing the cash balance in the
Bank of England. And it is a thought full of sugges-
tion, and calculated to stir the least imaginative, to
consider that in the century and a half of the Broad-
wood career the piano itself has had but one home,
remaining, in all the rush of time and transition, un-
mindful of the changes that were rushing past the
door. Today the visitor enters the narrow unaristo-
cratic thoroughfare, and on observing the sign of
Broadwood, it strikes the eye almost with the shock
of a surprise. But once within the building, the noble
dimensions of the warerooms make amends, and the
fascination of antiquity, and the charm which at-
taches to the great departed, woos the visitor to
remain and permits him to leave only with regret that
he may not still linger. Mr. Abbott was so fortunate
as to have for a guide through the Broadwood estab-
lishment that sterling gentleman entertainer, Mr.
Algernon S. Rose, who related many anecdotes con-
cerning notable people who once gathered there. It
was in the old Broadwood wareroom that Haydn
wrote a portion of one of his compositions. Speci-
mens of his penmanship may still be seen there. Chopin
gave his last public reception there. And Mr. Rose
told how his father assisted the great poet of the piano
on that occasion. Chopin had wasted away with the
malady which sapped his life. He came to fulfill his
part in what proved to be his last concert, but he was
so weak that he could not mount the steps to the
platform upon which the piano stood. Mr. Rose gently
seized the arm of the invalid artist and leading him to
the instrument supported him there during the per-
formance. Handel and Beethoven, too, were personal
friends of the early Broadwoods. It is something,
then, to stand in the room where the immortals have
met and to recall the scenes which have there been
enacted by the greatest musical souls that have in-
spired the world. (Extract from London Letter to
Presto.)
(From The Presto Sept. 6, 1894.
Mr. Gilbert Smith, one of the W. W. Kimball Co.'s
hustlers, is meeting with gratifying success on his
present trip.
Says "Freund's Weekly," "Word comes to us that
the Starr Piano Co. of Richmond, Ind., is as busy
as they can hope to be—which means that they have
all they can attend to in their factory. The new styles
of the Starr are reputed to be very handsome, and
the scales particularly fine and true."
The Schiller Piano Co. are having an excellent
trade these days. Last Saturday they received orders,
we are told, for fifteen pianos. A mighty good starter
for autumn business, we should say.
The John Church Company have contracted with
the famous pianist and composer, Xaver Scharwenka,
an option on all his compositions for the next five
years, with the privilege of renewing for ten years.
BAY CREDITORS' MEETING.
In a report to the creditors Harry A. Parkin re-
ferree in bankruptcy of the H. C. Bay Company an-
nounces that a meeting of the creditors of the said
company will be held at his Suite 620, at 137 South
LaSalle street, Chicago, on September 10, at 11:00
o'clock forenoon to consider and pass upon the trus-
tee's fourth report; and to offer for sale to the high-
est and best bidder certain personal and real property,
described above, and in the event that no sufficient
bids are received for all of the personal and real pro-
perty described above, said trustee asks that he be au-
thorized to sell all of said mentioned assets at public
auction, or private sale, at the highest and best price
obtainable therefor, without further notice; and to
consider the matter of the declaration of a second
dividend to creditors whose claims are proven and al-
lowed herein; at which time you may appear if you
see fit.
OHIO DEALER IN WALTHAMS.
W. P. Hare, general representative of the Wal-
tham Piano Company, Milwaukee, Wisconsin,
whose headquarters are at 525 Cleveland Avenue,
Canton, Ohio, was in Chicago several days this past
week. Mr. Hare informs us that his work with the
Waltham Piano Company has resulted in better busi-
ness than he has had for two or three years past. He
has established a chain of something like fifteen Wal-
tham stores in Ohio and is planning for several new
openings. Mr. Hare, by the way, is on the look-out
for one or two more energetic men for immediate oc-
cupation.
W. P. Hare tells Presto-Times that his player-piano
business is practically as good today as it was in the
hey-day of player-pianos. He says that 65 per cent
of the business in his territory, perhaps, is in player-
pianos. His secret of successful handling of player-
pianos he avers is due to the efforts of properly-
instructed salesmen and to their passing on to the
customers information that makes them fully posted
on player-pianos and how to operate them, so that
the instruments remain sold and continue to give
pleasure.
....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
" n a m e well known
since 1875"
THE JESSE FRENCH & SONS
PIANO CO.
NEWCASTLE, IND.
There's many a slip between the cup and the hip
while the snooper is abroad.
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/

Page 10 Text:

10
P R E S T O-T I M E S
VISITED SOME
EUROPEAN ARTISTS
An Account of Impressions Received by A. W.
Greiner, of Steinway & Sons and His Wife
on Their Recent Tours in Europe.
Alexander W. Greiner, manager of the Concert and
Artist Department of Steinway & Sons, returned
recently from Europe, where he visited the Steinway
houses in London, Paris, Berlin and Hamburg and
attended the German Music Festival at Duisburg. He
saw many of the Steinway artists who were vaca-
tioning on the other side.
In Hamburg, Mr. Greiner met William R. Stein-
way, European General Manager of Steinway & Sons,
and Paul H. Schmidt, a director of Steinway & Sons,
New York.
Visited Rachmaninoff.
Mr. Greiner and Mr. Schmidt visited Sergei Rach-
maninoff and his family who live at Rambouillet near
Paris. This is a delightful place and Rachmaninoff
seemed very happy indeed there where he is taking a
old New Yorker in the person of Hermann Hans
Wetzler, composer and conductor and one time con-
ductor of the State (?) Symphony in New York. Dr.
Wetzler now resides in Cologne and is devoting his
whole time to composition.
In Cologne and Duisburg, Mr. Greiner also spent
considerable time with Dr. Schiff, director of the
Westdeutsche Concert Direction of Cologne. Dr.
Schiff is a very active manager, who has gained con-
siderable influence in Germany. He will visit the
United States for the first time in December of this
year.
Mr. and Mrs. Greiner's trip to Europe on board
the Steamship New York was made in company
of Miss Florence Kimball, assistant to Marcella Sem-
brich at the Juilliard Graduate School. Miss Kimball
has since become Mrs. Schuyler Smith, having mar-
ried Mr. Schuyler Smith of New York, in London.
Mr. Greiner says that during his visit to Europe
he heard several of the more prominent orchestras
(which he does not wish to name) but he says that
they compare very unfavorably with American or-
chestras.
Met Several Great Artists.
Among the European artists whom he met in Eu-
rope, who have not appeared in the United States as
yet but who enjoy tremendous popularity over there,
are the pianist, Edwin Fischer; the violinist, Nathan
Milstein, and the 'cellist, Gregor Piatigorsky. Mil-
stein and Piatigorsky will tour America during the
coming season.
INDIANAPOLIS NEWS
By HOWARD M. RUDEAUX.
A. W. GREINER.
complete rest before starting his preparations for his
forthcoming European tour w r hich will include all the
principal cities on the Continent and a tour of the
United Kingdom. After this tour, he will return to
the United States, in January.
A frequent guest at the Rachmaninoff home is
Nicholas Medtner, the Russian Composer and Pianist,
and his wife. Rachmaninoff is a great friend of Medt-
ner's, whom he considers one of the greatest com-
posers of our time. Medtner has just completed his
Second Piano Concerto, Opus 50 in C Minor, which
he will play in the United States during the com-
ing season, when he again returns for a tour of this
country.
It will be remembered that Vladimir Horowitz, the
famous pianist, fell ill during his American tour last
season, when he had a severe attack of la grippe and
was obliged to cancel several engagements, including
his appearance with the Philadelphia Orchestra. On
his return to Europe, as he w T as feeling slightly im-
proved, he started to fill his European engagements,
but after a few concerts, he had a relapse and was
finally forced to cancel all his European engagements.
After a good rest at Chamonix, France, however, he
recovered completely and when Mr. Greiner saw him
in Paris, he was his old self again. He has now gone
to the mountains of Switzerland to recuperate still
further and to prepare his programs for next season.
Met Alfred Cortot.
Mr. Schmidt and Mr. Greiner also saw Alfred Cor-
tot in Paris, who is very proud of the success of the
Ecole Normale of which he is a director. Cortot will
also tour the United States during the coming season.
When Mr. Greiner visited the Duisburg Music Fes-
tival, which he says did not offer anything very inter-
esting or important, musically, he saw a great many
Conductors, pianists, singers, etc. There he met an
The Marion Music Company has just sold one of
the Brinkerhoff grands to the instructor of music in
the public schools of Richmond, Ind. The Brinker-
hoff piano has been selling exceptionally well and it
is almost impossible to keep them in stock the com-
pany reports. The Schumann grand in the Sheraton
model that was on display at the national convention,
occupies the place of honor at the Marion Music
Company's store. The instrument is attracting much
attention.
Frank Wilking, president of the Wilking Music Co.,
is enjoying a week's vacation with Chas. Howe, the
Wurlitzer Grand Piano Co., representative, at the
latter's summer home in Quincy, Mich.
Recent visitors in Indianapolis, were Paul Fink, of
The Aeolian Company, New York; R. J. Cook, gen-
eral manager of the Cable Piano Company of Chicago,
and Jesse French, Jr., of the Jesse French & Sons'
Piano Co., New Castle, Ind.
John Pearson, of the Pearson Piano Company, has
returned to his summer home after spending two
weeks in the city. He will remain in Michigan until
September 1.
Miss Maude Kerr, in charge of the accounting de-
partment of the Wilking Music Company, has re-
turned from her trip through the Northwest and from
her conversation one would say she had a hectic time.
The general trend of Indianapolis business is toward
improved conditions, with prospects better than they
have been for several years.
The Carlin Music Company says its business is
normal considering the period of the year. Pianos
are selling in no great volume, but very satisfactory
on excellent short time notes. The small goods
department, and sheet music section are having a
good volume for what might be called summer busi-
ness. Grand and upright pianos, including used
instruments are reported among the sales of the piano
department.
One of the unusual sales of the Wilking Music Co.
was the sale of the period model Tuscon Apollo.
The instrument was especially built of rare walnut
veneer, with bench to match, in a hand-carved case.
Rapp & Lennox are more than pleased with pros-
pects and business conditions. Mr. Rapp says, "Things
are looking better and the trend is upward."
Walter Timmermann, of the Christena-Teague
Piano Company, reports conditions improved over the
past months. Sales are better and prospects are very
encouraging.
T. M. McPheeters of Pearson's had a fine vacation.
Roy Burtch Dies.
Roy Burtch, one of the pioneer piano salesmen of
this city, died last Sunday at his home after a linger-
ing illness. He was well known all over the state,
and had written many songs. He was connected with
the piano business for more than thirty years in
Indianapolis. Burial was in Vincennes, Ind.
The Baldwin Piano Company is remodeling the
first floor of its building. Business is reported normal,
and prospects good.
Visitors in Indianapolis over the week were: Far-
ney Wurlitzer, of the Rudolph Wurlitzer Manufac-
turing Company, North Tonawanda, N. Y., Rudolph
Wurlitzer, of the Rudolph Wurlitzer Company, Cin-
cinnati, Ohio, who spent a day with Frank Wilking,
of the Wilking Music Company; George Mansfield, of
the Everett Piano Company; J. H. Shale, representing
September 1, 1929
CAPEHART ORCHESTROPE
IN AUSTRALIA CIRCLES
Two Sons of W. A. Crowle of Sydney Came
to Fort Wayne, Ind., for Sales
and Service Training.
That the demand for the Capehart Orchestrope,
manufactured by the Capehart Corporation, Fort
Wayne, Ind., is universal, is evidenced by the won-
derful reception accorded it in the foreign field.
Through the efforts of the company's export man-
ager, W. J. Platka, with offices in Chicago, is attrib-
uted the successful development of this great new
market. Prominent among the most recent new
dealers is the W. A. Crowle Company, Ltd., with
headquarters at Sydney, New South Wales,. Aus-
tralia.
During the week of the convention the company
had the pleasure of training and instructing the two
sons of W. A. Crowle, its Australian dealer, Cecil
N. Crowle and his brother Bill H. Crowle, who have
been in this country for some time and who were
primarily responsible for the Crowle Company, Ltd ,
in taking on the Capehart line.
These two young gentlemen were enthusiastic over
the Capehart line as outlined to them during their
stay in Fort Wayne, and they will return to their
country with renewed enthusiasm and a well-rounded
sales and service training.
Presto-Times acknowledges the receipt of a copy
of the current issue of "The Capehart Amplifier,"
house organ of the corporation.
CARLOAD LOTS OF PIANOS
LEAVING STRAUBE'S
Merchants Visiting the Hammond Plant Pleased to
See the Activity Going On There.
The Straube Piano Company's factory, Hammond,
Ind., reports a number of very fine orders received
during the last week, including a carload for eastern
Pennsylvania and a carload from western Pennsyl-
vania, together with numerous orders of lesser size
from various parts of the country.
The summer months are ordinarily a quiet time in
the piano industry, but the month of July was some-
what better than usual. Also from reports received
from representatives, the balance of the year will
show a very favorable improvement.
"A number of merchants visiting us have stated
it was encouraging to see the activity going on at the
Straube plant," said H. A. Stewart, the sales man-
ager, to a Presto-Times representative, last week.
"The increased activity which we are now enjoying
is undoubtedly shared by other manufacturers who
we presume have also noted a healthy increase in
business activitv."
MAHOGANY LOG IMPORTS.
Mahogany log imports were low in 1928, accord-
ing to Commerce Reports for August, and there has
been an increased import this year of Central Amer-
ican (chiefly British Honduran and Nicaraguan) and
Mexican mahogany.
African mahogany imports,
which led in 1928, have fallen off this year until they
stand second to Central American. Totals for six
months' periods from all sources were 19,504 M feet
last year and 23.097 M feet for 1929. Spanish cedar
log imports decreased, Philippine logs nearly doubled,
and other cabinet-wood logs more than doubled. Total
cabinet-wood logs, except mahogany, shown above,
were 6,684 M feet last year, 11,462 this year.
C. G. CONN, LTD., INCREASES STOCK.
C. G. Conn, Ltd., Elkhart, Ind., has filed papers
with Otto G. Fifield, Indiana Secretary of State, in-
creasing the capital stock of the corporation by 14,000
shares at $100 each. Here is a chance for a good and
safe investment for any one who may want some-
thing in industrials.
EDISON FELLOWSHIP ESTABLISHED.
An Edison Fellowship for Research has been es-
tablished by the General Electric Company in honor
of Thomas A. Edison and in commemoration of the
fiftieth anniversary of Mr. Edison's invention of the
incandescent lamp. The Edison Fellowship will give
the holder facilities for a year's scientific research.
the American Piano Company, and Jesse French, the
third, head of the radio section of the Jesse French
& Sons Piano Company, New Castle, Ind. Mr. French
came to Indianapolis, to complete arrangements with
the Wilking Music Company, to handle the French
radio for the entire state, and act as jobbers.
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/

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