Presto

November 1, 1929
PRESTO-TIMES
YEARS AGO IN THE PRESTO
THIRTY-FIVE YEARS AGO
(From The Presto, Nov. 1, 1894.)
With this issue, The Presto begins a new volume
and enters upon its eleventh year. It is in reality
about six months older than it appears, as it was
doing business six months before the present name
was adopted.
A telegram received on Monday gave us the sad
news that Jacques Bach, of Kranich & Bach, died
early that morning.
Exports from the consulate district of Plauen, Sax-
ony, which includes Markneukirchen, Klingenthal,
Zwota, etc., have continued to show a falling off each
quarter of the present year as compared with the same
period of 1893.
Herman Leonard, the genial, is again in Chicago
impressing the merits of "Blue felt" and other things
upon the minds of our manufacturers.
One of the successfully conservative men of the
piano trade is George Stieff of Chas. M. Stieff, Balti-
more. Mr. Stieff has applied to his business a policy
of strict self-reliance and caution, depending upon
the merits of his instruments to "speak for them-
selves," which they do successfully wherever known.
Mr. Stieff is director in two banks and has other large
interests beside his perfectly appointed factory. He
is, withal, a very modest gentleman; and in this his
brother Frederick is much like him.
Charles H. Wagener, London manager for the
Story & Clark Organ Co., who has been making a
short visit to the United States, sailed yesterday from
New York for England. Mrs. Wagener, who came
with Mr. and Mrs. Melville Clark, accompanies him.
The Singer Piano Co., Chicago, was incorporated
last week. Capital stock $100,000. Incorporators:
Fred B. Schuchardt, John Q. Grant and Fred D.
Bradford.
"Happy" Fred Lohr, of the Hardman piano, left
New York last week on an extended raid among the
agents of his house. He will visit the trade from the
Atlantic almost to the Pacific, before he promenades
on Fifth Avenue again.
The Wick Organ Co., Chicago, was incorporated
last week by Ole E. Wick, George C. Wick, Peter
S. Wick and Peter H. Wick. The capital stock is
placed at $50,000.
Ed. C. Smith, the well-known Kimball salesman,
has done a business the past month that we think
worthy of special mention. Up to Monday of this
week he had sold 92 pianos; on Tuesday he sold three,
on Wednesday by 11 a. m. he had sold four. His
sales for the month will aggregate over a hundred
and represent considerably over $20,000.
"September was the best month we have ever
known," said Mr. William Tonk, of William Tonk &
Bro., musical instrument manufacturers, at his head-
quarters, 26 Warren street, New York.
When Cornelius Vanderbilt opens his new house
at 58th street and Fifth avenue with a ball to be given
soon to introduce his daughter to society, says the
New York World, Seidl will sit down to a $15,000
piano, which has now been put into place in one of
the magnificent parlors. Mr. Vanderbilt's piano was
built to order (by Steinway & Sons—Editor
PRESTO), but the principal reason why it was so
costly was that it was sought to make it harmonize
with the room in which it should be placed, and is in
itself a work of art. So far as the essential parts of
its mechanism are concerned, it is no better than
those of the first-class pianos of the same make which
any poor man can buy or rent. But as an art object,
it is unique, and the case alone would be prized by
any museum.
Manufacturers who have neglected to place their
orders for special advertising in Presto's Export Edi-
tion may still be afforded an opportunity if they act
promptly. The last forms of the Export Edition will
close Tuesday night next. Get copy here by that
time, or wire us to prepare, and it will not be too late.
The long-headed New York piano manufacturers
who laid in large surplus stocks now know just why
they did it.
A telegram from New York received by T H E
PRESTO at noon today conveys the sad intelligence
of the death of Maurice Krakauer, junior member of
the house of Krakauer Bros.
Notwithstanding assurances to the contrary, the
Piano & Organ Workers' Union ordered a strike on
Tuesday and the men employed in the Story & Clark
factories went out and a general shut-down may
follow. On Saturday it was believed that all chances
for a general strike had vanished. All except four
of the piano manufacturing concerns had signed the
new scale of wages, an increase of 25 per cent and a
nine-hour day.
Chas. M. Stieff, the piano manufacturer, is the same
hospitable gentleman as of old. Mr. Stieff has some
pretty keen ideas on trade matters in general and
can suggest some original remedies for a good many
trade evils. He says the commission fiend is a thorn
in the side of the whole Baltimore trade and it is a
sharp thorn, too. The late styles of Chas. M. Stieff
piano are fully up to the standard of former produc-
tions of this make.
Announcement is made that Mr. William B. Price
was elected to the important post of Secretary of
the Cable Piano Co., Chicago, some time ago. In the
development of the enterprises of the C. C. O. C , Mr.
Price has, by his systematic methods and remarkable
work, proven of the greatest service and his election
to the present post that he so well fills is a fair and
just tribute to his ability and lvs success.
General Bates has had a talk with the Sultan of the
Island of Sulu, Philippines, during which the general
said that the American people would be glad to have
him visit them. The Sultan said he had a request to
make of the general and that he hoped it would not
be asking too much. Then the Sultan slowly admitted
that, while he did not care much about it himself, yet
the fact was that he had told his mother, the Sultana,
and the women of his household about the wonderful
voice machine (the phonograph) which the Americans
had shown him on board their ship and he would like
to ask the general to send one to him that he might
present it to the Sultana. The general promised to
have one sent down to May bun as soon as it could
be brought out from the States.
piano players that in the last two years they have
found it necessary to make two additions to their
large plant. Still another enlargement was necessary
in order to keep pace with the increased business that
was showering upon them.
J. G. Estey, President, and J. H. Estey, treasurer
of the Estey Organ Co., Brartleboro, Vt., have
donated a new pipe organ to the First Baptist Church,
Brattleboro, in memory of their father.
The new rooms of the Cable—Nelson Piano Co. in
the Reliance Bldg., 32 Union Square, New York,
make a cheerful and attractive headquarters for east-
ern dealers handling the Cable-Nelson product.
The novel Steinway & Sons advertising in the local
newspapers during the past two weeks records some
interesting Steinway facts. From these advertise-
ments the public learns that the Steinway piano is
the result of evolution at the hands of four successive
generations of Steinways who were practical piano
makers. That the Steinway race is a prolific one, too,
was also learned, for the information was given that
at the present time eight grandsons and great-grand-
sons of the original founders were in active charge of
various departments of the house.
Geo. P . Bent, looking in splendid condition after
his sojourn in California, was a New York visitor
this week. Mr. Bent has the interests of the N. P.
M. A. of A. at heart. He tarried in Chicago only
one day after his arrival there from the Pacific coast
and then sped east to confer with his associate officers
about the big convention at Atlantic City. It is his
desire that the big gathering shall be a history maker.
Armstrong, Byrd & Co., Oklahoma City, Indian
Territory, have promised to give away a piano to
the person who will make the most English words
out of the letters in "Armstrong, Byrd & Co."
This firm handles the Chickering & Sons, Kurtzmann,
Baumeister, Emerson, and Wegman pianos.
The members of Schaff Bros.' band at Huntington,
Ind., were made the nucleus of an organization to be
known as the Musicians' Protective Union, No. 316,
and which was affiliated with the American Federa-
tion of Musicians.
Frost has fallen in northern states. Your piano
store will also have a frost if you let your rival do
all the hustling.
As a curious coincidence it is noted that A. Hospe
& Co., Omaha, handle only pianos whose names begin
with the letter K. The line is: Knabe, Kimball,
Kranich & Bach, and Krell.
We join in the congratulations to Mr. Edward
Lyman Bill, of the Music Trade Review, for the
creditable manner in which he has fulfilled exacting
duties in connection with the St. Louis Exposition.
Mr. Bill, by his dignified and thoroughly representa-
tive deportment, has reflected credit upon the piano
trade press.
TWENTY=FIVE YEARS AGO
(From T H E PRESTO, November 3.. 1904.)
If a piano cannot go on its merits it had better
not have come into existence at all. The failure to
win on worth is hurtful to the maker and to efficiency
and accomplishment generally.
The employee with a sting for his employer when
the latter's back is turned is not likely to become a
member cf the company this year. He is made of
the same kind of stuff as the street picket with his
pocket full of brickbats.
The five fundamental rules of arithmetic are
wrought into the explanation of a problem and a
"result" announced by Sterchi Bros., Knoxville, Tenn.,
who advertise Chickering, Vose, and Schubert pianos.
The arithmetical part of their ad is in part, as follows:
"How we multiply our sales. Our policy has always
been to give our customers full value for their
money."
A physician of Carlsbad, Germany, has advised R.
B. Gregory, treasurer of Lyon & Healy, to take a
(From T H E PRESTO, November 2, 1899.)
little longer rest at that place. Mr. Gregory is
ANNOUNCEMENT.
temporarily under the weather, consequently instead
It is at last possible to set the time for the publica- of being on the high seas as he intended, he has
tion of the "Buyers' Guide" to the Piano, Organ, and changed his plans, and will come over on the "dampf-
Kindred Industries. This important work will be schiff" Princess Alice of the North German Lloyd.
ready in January next. Its preparation has entailed a
Muncie, Ind., April 16, 1904.
vast amount of work in the effort to have it reliable Lions and Heeley:
in statement and trustworthy in its estimates of all
Sirs: I understand you are purchasing fine violins.
the instruments of the United States and Canada. What would you give for the champion violin of the
As the only work of the kind, T H E PRESTO BUY- world? I have got it and it's for sale.
ERS' GUIDE has no model, and when it appears it
Address Jesse—
will prove a powerful influence in the hands of every
Carpenter
dealer who has at heart the best interests of his
509 S, Grant St..,
trade, no less than to the buyer who, with little
Muncie, Delaware Co., Ind.
knowledge of the trade, needs just such advice in the
Accompanying the foregoing note from the man
selection of his instrument as the book aims to give. in Muncie was the descriptive account of the wonder-
As stated, "The Buyers' Guide" will be ready for ful violin which for unfathomable humor can scarcely
delivery in January. We still offer to send one com- be duplicated.
plimentary sample copy of this first issue to dealers
The Auto-Piano Co. have started the wheels in
who forward 4 cents in stamps with which to prepay motion in their new and spacious factory. So great
the postage.
has been the success of the Autopiano and Pianista
THIRTY YEARS AGO
THREE ASSOCIATION PRESIDENTS.
With the recent election of G. R. Brownell as presi-
dent of the Piano Club of Chicago, Lyon & Healy,
Tnc, boasts of three presidents of music trade asso-
ciations. This is perhaps an honor that no other
house in America enjoys today. Mr. Brownell, a very
active and enthusiastic man in music trade circles, is
manager of Lyon & Healy's piano tuning and repair
departments. Robert T. Stanton, in charge of sheet
music at Lyon & Healy's, is president of the National
Association of Sheet Music Dealers; and Nels C. Boe,
in the tuning department of this music house, is
president of the National Association of Piano
Tuners.
CABLE GRAND AS PRIZE.
Under the auspices of the Society of American Mu-
sicians, a contest for a grand piano, p/esented by the
Cable Piano Company, will be held, and the condi-
tions for the contest are set forth in a pamphlet ob-
tainable through Marx E. Oherndorfer, 520 Fine Arts
building, Chicago. The contestants must be American
citizens, or children of naturalized American citizens,
and pupils in a senior high school, public, parochial
or private. The final contest will be held in March.
CONGRATULATES CABLE-NELSON.
"South Haven is fortunate to have one of the finest
piano factories in the world," says a writer in the
South Haven, Mich., Tribune. "I have heard this
from men in the trade that have seen all kinds of
piano factories and the names of the Everett piano
and the Cable-Nelson piano are very highly respected
in the trade. We congratulate them on bringing the
Howard Radio Company to South Haven and we
wish Everett-Howard every success."
SELMER NOT BOUGHT BY CONN.
In Presto-Times of October 15 an error crept into
print to the effect that the Selmer Company of Elk-
hart, Ind., had been bought out by C. G. Conn, Ltd.
This was erroneous and Presto-Times gladly makes
the correction. H. & A. Selmer, Inc., are independent
manufacturers and George M. Bundy is president.
They make clarinets, flutes, saxophones, all wood-
winds and accessories.
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