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Presto

Issue: 1929 2241

December )
P R E S T 0-T I M E S
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MONTH
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PRESTO PUBLISHING CO.
Publishers
417 So. Dearborn St.
Chicago, 111.
The American Music Trade Journal
Editor
-ed as second-class matter Jan. 29, 1896, at the
(flee, Chicago, 111., under Act of March 3, 1879.
iption, $1.25 a year; 10 months, $1.00; 6 months,
.ign, $3.00. Payable in advance. No extra charge
>d States possessions, Cuba and Mexico. Rates
rtising on application.
1929
Items of news and other matter are solicited and If of
general interest to the music trade will be paid for at
space rates. Usually piano merchants or salesmen In the
smaller cities are the best occasional correspondents, and
their assistance is invited.
Payment is not accepted for matter printed in the edi-
torial or news columns of Presto-Times.
Where half-tones are made the actual cost of produc-
tion will be charged if of commercial character or other
than strictly news interest.
When electrotypes are sent for publication it is re-
quested that their subjects and senders be carefully indi-
cated.
Forms close at noon on Thursday preceding date of
publication. Latest news matter and telegraphic com-
munications should be in not later than 11 o'clock on
that day. Advertising copy should be in hand before
Tuesday, 5 p. m., before publication day to insure pre-
ferred position. Full page display copy should be in hand
by Tuesday noon preceding publication day. Want ad-
vertisements for current week, to insure classification
should be in by Wednesday noon.
Address all communications for the editorial or business
departments to PRESTO PUBLISHING CO., 417 South
Dearborn Street, Chicago, III.
The last form of Presto-Times goes to press at 11 a. m.
Thursday preceding publication day. Any news trans-
piring after that hour cannot be expected in the current
issue. Nothing received at the office that is not strictly
news of importance can have attention after 9 a. m. of
Thursday. If they concern the interests of manufactur-
ers or dealers such items will appear the issue following.
CHICAGO, DECEMBER 15, 1929
FIRMS THAT ENDURE
It Jo. not require very keen observation on the part of the
public to i,. te what firms will eventually outlive their rivals. The
survival of firm, like the health of an individual, is a matter of
rugged com uiance. The resemblance of a firm to an individual is
not slight ev. >ugh to be accidental. In fact, the firm generally takes
on the characteristics of its leader, whether that leader be the presi-
dent, the general manager or the vice-president. No reckless popu-
laii/er can make a firm endure. No change in the attitude of a firm's
colleagues can kill a company that has a firm hold upon the public's
friendliness; because a trade that has been built up on good service
with an excellent product can not be taken away.
THE PIANO AND CULTURE
While the United States is unquestionably the most democratic
nation in the world, in spirit at least, there are many levels of cul-
ture which, however, a free people will not allow to be spoken of as
caste. These levels in the great cities may be separated by one block,
while in the country the backward or forward sections may embrace
half a state or two or three states in a group. The more progressive
sections have high schools and colleges galore and the highest de-
grees of culture are found in the regions where piano music prevails.
The medium degrees of culture exist in places where a crease in the
trousers is more important than education, where the wise-crack is
considered the sign of sophistication and where jokes at the expense
of mothers-in-law still bring a snicker. The lowest degrees—the abso-
lute lack of regard for the rights of society—are not confined to the
poor or the slum sections, but prevail among browbeating persons
some of whom have rather large incomes, yet would not recognize
good manners when practiced in their presence. Appreciation of
piano music or the better operas is rarely found among this type.
THIS CHANGING WORLD
All of the recent speeches at the Piano Club of Chicago and at
other meetings of piano men throughout the United States have
dwelt upon the changes that have come to the music business or to
efforts to make still further changes. Some truth and much phil- f
osophy have been spread before the listeners for their enlightenment,
if not for their delectation. One of the deepest subjects, just toucher!
upon by Paul B. Klugh, was "The Mystery of Radio," and Mr. Klugb
gave it up as a mystery beyond human comprehension.
Another mystery, which is nearer solution, is why children call
play the piano fairly well after a few short lessons—play better than
when the long, tedious drills were the method of teaching, and catch
REASON FOR FINE
MATHUSHEK TONE
Exclusive Method of Bushing Used in Mathushek
Construction Is Explained Here.
the spirit of music besides. And fall in love with piano playing, in-
stead of regarding the task as a tedious bore.
There seem to be two orders of being in the world—the self-
moved and whatever is moved by another. Philosophy knows self-
movement as the ultimate explanation of the world of change. The
olvl maxim, "If you want work surely done, do it yourself," may now
be modified to read, "If you want to see any movement started, start
it yourself," for motion in human affairs implies initiation. Reduced
t••> everyday language, the maxim is, "Get busy."
FOLLOWING THE LEADER
The piano trade has gone through a period when leadership was
needed—the kind of leading that is done by setting an example of
carrying on and on. Good leadership recognizes that a sense of
subordination is the weakening of initiative, so the firms and indi-
viduals who have led have done nothing which might dispirit those
who were already getting blue, but like a shipwrecked crew have
triumphed by sharing work and responsibility. Resolute will and
inspiring example, by showing natures indestructible in partial, de-
feat, have won the day. Now the piano business is so far on the
high road to prosperity that no accessory proof of the fact is neces-
sary, and the man who would make a contradictory assertion would
be sent home from school as a bad boy.
PERSUADING THE CUSTOMER
The mentality of the salesman is likely to be a perplexing puzzle
to the owner of the piano or radio store. However, there is one type
of salesman that is a little harder to reduce to systematic work than
others—the fellow who depends on his blandishments to interest cus-
tomers. This type of salesman starts out with the idea that all cus-
tomers are susceptible to suggestion. Of course, they are, but he is
bound to fail if he thinks he can persuade them along the definite line
he has prepared to shoot at them. He fails because he doesn't give
the customer credit for possessing rational insight into his drift. Old
newspaper reporters get a great kick out of watching a master crimi-
nal lawyer develop a line of prosecution or defense and can guess far
in advance of the general audience in a courtroom just why the attor-
ney is laying such a queer foundation for his case. The customer,
frequently, is of the type of the veteran criminal court reporter—he
sees through the foxy salesman's plans long before the trap in the
plan is sprung. The more successful salesman does not consider it
necessary to be foxy. He doesn't present himself armored for argu-
ment, but somehow he seems to know in advance the actual way
things will go.
swelling and contraction of the usual pin block due
to climatic changes, and for this reason it is a proven
fact that the Mathushek stays in tune longer.
To enable dealers to see with their own eyes the
superiority of this bushing, the Mathushek Piano
Manufacturing Company is distributing sample cards
showing side by side the bushing commonly used
and the Mathushek exclusive bushing, both driven
into place on a tuning pin as they appear in a fin-
ished instrument. The fragility of the common bush-
ing and its failure to grip the tuning pin tightly are
contrasted with the bull-dog grip which the Mathu-
shek bushing maintains on the tuning pin, and the
solidity of the bushing itself.
One of many reasons for Mathushek tone nad dura-
bility is the exclusive bushing used on the Mathushek
piano. This is a rock maple end wood bushing which
is forced into the Mathushek extra heavy plate under
heavy pressure. A firm hold on the tuning pins is
thus assured.
In keeping with the Mathushek policy of care-
fully planning' even the smaller units of construction
much thought is given also to the design of the tuning
A fine piano is like a gilt-edged bond. It pays for
pins. They are so made as not to be subject to the itself in twenty years in life dividends.
DESIGNING SOUND MACHINES
Prof. Leon Theremin, working in his laboratory in
New York, is improving his musical instrument which
operates on a well-known radio principle and emits
tones like a 'cello when the hands are waved before
it, has found a way to make his device sound like an
organ, a violin, a saxophone, an English horn or the
human voice. The "multiple-tone" machine in prin-
ciple is said to be exactly like the present Theremin,
but having a number of "radio oscillator" circuits
which make the necessary overtone frequencies to re-
produce the "timbre" of the instrument to be imi-
tated. The tone is changed by the operator from
"saxophone" to "violin," or vice versa, by turning a
small knob on the control board of the "multiple-
tone" device.
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/
December 15, 1929
PRESTO-TIMES
YEARS AGO IN THE PRESTO
THIRTY YEARS AGO
U
Local newspapers everywhere are bristling with
Christmas piano advertising. The holiday season
doesn't hurt the local papers and it is certain that this
(From "THE PRESTO," December 14, 1899.)
holiday advertising helps the piano dealers. This
The London trade papers refer to the "United season will be a good one wherever piano men are
States PRESTO" when this paper is quoted. That is alive.
pretty nearly right.
The death of Sylvester Tower removed one of the
The Strich & Zeidler art piano, an illustration of conspicuous characters in the piano industry of a few
which was printed in a recent issue of THE PRESTO, years back.
was on Tuesday placed on exhibition at Falk's pho-
There are more stencil pianos in the trade today
tographic studio, in the Waldorf-Astoria, 34th Street than ever before.
and Fifth Avenue, New York.
The Story & Clark factory enlargement at Grand
The Story & Clark Piano Co. are now shipping Haven, Michigan, is an addition two stories high and
pianos from their temporary factory premises at fifty feet long.
Dixon, 111.
Mr. Luther, general traveling representative of
"I suppose we'll have to wait a few months," said Wood & Brooks, ivory cutters, piano hammer makers,
Mr. W. W. Kimball this morning to a PRESTO etc., Buffalo, N. Y., was m, 'Chicago this week.
representative, referring to the lock-out and strike.
A. E. Johnson, secretary of the Haddorff Piano Co.,
It's as well to look at it philosophically and not hurry Rockford, made a hurrie-l trip to Chicago Tuesday,
things too much. All things come to him who waits, returning to Rockford the same evening.
it is said, and perhaps the boys will come to their
W. N. Van Matre, president of the Schumann Piano
senses in time.
Company, arrived in Chicago this morning from a
Jacob Doll's mammoth factory is now completed short trip in Michigan. Mr. Van Matre finds Schu-
inside and out. The machinery was moved into the mann trade excellent whe.ever he goes.
new part last week and now the big plant presents
At an election of office ts of the Elmer Post, G. A.
the appearance of an enormous beehive. Only twenty- R., at Elkhart, Indiana, Irs* week, C. G. Conn, manu-
two pianos a day now. About seven thousand per facturer of the Wonder "jaad instruments, the largest
year. Pretty good output, isn't it?
industry of the kind it. chc v/orld, was re-elected
It is said that the Steinertone will soon be on ex- Commander.
hibition at the Knabe warerooms.
J. Frank Conover is st.-i 1 . i'.< the South in the inter-
F. Radle, the piano manufacturer at 611 West ests of his department hi The Cable Company's fac-
Thirty-sixth street, New York, has a good selling tories. Last week Mr. Conover was in Columbia,
product in his new "F. Radle" pianos. The instru- S. C, and treated the locil piano men there with one
ments! are well constructed and of good tone.
of his talks on pianos in general and the Conover
Paderewski called at the Steinway warerooms, piano in particular. The Charleston, S. C, "News" of
New York, on Wednesday of last week to select his December 4th, contained the following: "J. Frank
concert grand. Mr. Charles H. Steinway, speaking to Conover, the originator of .he Conover piano and a
THE PRESTO of the incident, said: "It is a rare prominent member of the ft. mo as house of Cable, the
treat, but enjoyed by only a few. Paderewski gave largest piano and organ nutters in the world, is in
quite an impromptu while selecting his instrument and Charleston on a visit to tl ; agency of The Cable
he showed himself to be possessed of more power Company, and is now eon trading a tour which has
than ever. He looks healthier than when here before covered nearly the entire South and a score of
and seems to have even more vigor."
agencies have been visited.
We take great pleasure in presenting herewith a
Edward H. Jones & Son l a \ e leased the building
portrait of Mr. W. G. Vaughan Robinson, of the Rob- at 416 East Locust Street, i)es Moines, Iowa, and
inson Piano Co., Hong Kong. The Robinson Piano will open a new piano and music store similar in
Co., which was established in 1875, has branch stores many respects to the one cotiducted by them in the
at Singapore, at Shanghai, at Delhi, and other points. Marquardt building, Iowa City.
We present herewith a fac-simile of an advertise-
ment of the house of Jose Mendes Leite & Co., of
Para, Brazil, as it appeared in a recent paper of
Brazil. It shows that the art of advertising is under-
stood in that country and that the music industry is
not behind in its application.
(From the San Juan, Porto Rico, "News.")— Vivid Historical High-Lights Touched Upon Which
THE PRESTO, the musical trade paper published
Presto-Times Would Extend.
in Chicago, has produced one of the loveliest and
largest editions ever undertaken by a weekly news-
A very interesting article written by Arthur Bis-
paper. It is endeavoring to enter the Porto Rican sell, piano man of Chicago, appeared one day last
field and it should be welcome. Thirty-nine pages are month in the magazine section of the Chicago Daily
in the Spanish language.
News, under the title, "My Musical Memories." He
(From "The Anglo-American," Mexico City, Nov. mentioned meetings with Theodore Thomas, Mme.
26.)—The Trade (Export) edition of THE PRESTO Nordica, Fritzi Scheff, Paderewski, Calve. Carreno,
has been received at this office. It is exceedingly Florenz Ziegfeld, who founded the Chicago Musical
well gotten up and deserves the appreciation in which College in 1869, Frederick W. R >ot, and many others.
it is held throughout the republic of Mexico by music
All this is adapted to excite historical curiosity, but
dealers and others interested in music matters.
there is a field for another chapter if Mr. Bissell
Clarence Eddy on the Lyon & Healy Harp.
cares to write it. He could leil a great deal more
A letter recently written by the great organist con- about pere Ziegfeld, father of "Flo" Ziegfeld, and
tains the following spontaneous tribute to the play- also of this son's great success . s head of the Zieg-
ing of Clara Murray on the Lyon & Healy harp:
feld Follies; of Lillian Russell a >d her visits to Chi-
"At Cincinnati, O., last evening I had the pleasure cago; of Anton Dvorak, the Bol;< mian composer, who
of listening to some remarkably fine harp playing by often visited Chicago during hi; .several years' resi-
Mrs. Clara Murray. Her superb Lyon & Healy harp dence in this country, and of 1 s ( compositions com-
was in excellent tune, and she produced many charmr posed here.
ing effects with truly admirable skill. The large
Mr. Bissell in his next artieV could speak of the
audience filling the great music hall, was enthusias- time when Paderewski's celebrate 3 minuet was played
tic and recalled Mrs. Murray several times after each by him in Chicago for the initial time in public and
selection.—Clarence Eddy.
at the Chicago Auditorium during the World's Fair
of 1893.
He could tell something about Reginald De Koven,
composer of "Robin Hood" and other light operas
(From THE PRESTO, December 15, 1904.)
that were successful. Surely a second or even a
The Baldwin piano is very prominent in the con- third chapter will be necessary from the typewriter
cert room this season. At the recitals of DePach- of Mr. Bissell.
In the article referred to Mr. Bissell pays a trib-
mann, the Russian pianist, in Music Hall, Chicago,
this week the Baldwin aided largely in the delight of ute to one of the brightest men in the music pub-
lishing business, Aloysius Limbach, for many years
the audience.
At the recent explosion which wrecked the rooms with the Clayton F. Summy Company—a man who
of The Cable Company in Knoxville, Tenn., pianos has at his tongue's-end almost any musical compo-
and pig iron were juggled in strange fashion. A sition one could name. He is masterful as a com-
Mason & Hamlin grand standing in the window of pendium of useful information about all music and
the warerooms had a leg torn off, carried through the musical publications of the entire world.
window and up over through the building to the rear.
ADVERTISING THE WASHBURN.
It isn't fair. Here's a house in Northfield, Minn^
advertising a "Henderson" piano in which the firm
"Christmas time is piano time around the world,"
claims to be interested. The real Henderson piano says a Lyion & Healy ad in Chicago. "No other
has been produced and promoted for years by Mr. gift gives such a thrill—no other gives such long
J. C. Henderson, of Ann Arbor.
and continued pleasure."
ARTHUR BISSELL'S
MUSICAL MEMORIES
TWENTY=FIVE YEARS AGO
MUSIC SUPERVISORS
CONFERENCE IN CHICAGO
For Five Days, Beginning March 24, at Stevens
Hotel, This Will Be Great Meeting.
First facts on the forthcoming Music Supervisors'
National Conference have been made known by Miss
Mabelle Glenn, director of music of the Kansas City,
Mo., public schools and president of the conference.
The meeting will be held in Chicago for five days
beginning March 24, 1930. Headquarters of the con-
ference will be in the world's largest hotel, the*
Stevens.
An attendance of 7,000 school music supervisor 4 .
is anticipated. It is expected that every school iier-
son interested in the future of American music 'md
his own work will be there.
Chicago is planning to outdo herself in providing
entertainment for the visiting supervisors. Dr. 1 rod-
crick Stock will conduct his Symphony Orche-ii'i in
a complimentary concert. Two glee clubs from North-
western University will sing. The Chicago Univer-
sity Chorus will give a concert in their beautiful new
chapel, and arrangements are under way with the
Paulist Choristers for a concert.
A fine program is also promised by the Chicago
public school music department for its Tuesday eve-
ning concert.
ORCHESTRA CONTEST
WINNERS ANNOUNCED
Competition for Camp Places at Interlochen Keener
Than Ever for Next Year.
Winners in the solo contest and ensemble playing
contests at the 1929 National High School Orchestra
and Band Camp. Interlochen, Mich., have been an-
nounced by J. E. Maddy, musical director. Gold,
silver and bronze medals, purchased out of contribu-
tions to the Camp's "blanket" fund, were awarded
to first, second and third place winners in the con-
tests. A special medal was awarded to Campsie Kil-
lam. of Duluth, Minn., as the "best all-round Camper."
Mr. Maddy reports that membership applications
are coming in good numbers. Selection of candidaacs,
he said, would begin immediately after the first of the
year. Because of the large number of students in
the 1929 camp who have expressed a desire also to
attend the 1930 camp, competition for camp places
next season is expected to be keener than ever.
Music teachers having pupils qualified to attend the
camp are urged to get in touch immediately with Air.
Maddv at Ann Arbor.
Mrs. Vilpha Barnes Wood, composer and conduc-
tor, died in her home in New York on December 11.
She once directed the activities of the Grand Opera
Society of New York, which she organized in 1915.
A Gift Your
Sales-
7
man Won 1 Forget:
PRESTO-TIMES
The Newsiest Paper in the
Music Trades
A gift that will in-
terest him all year,
remind h i m con-
stantly of y o u r
thoii£>httulness a n d
s p u r h i m on to
greater a c h i e v e-
ments in his chosen
Held.
Only $1.25 a Year.
With Buyers' Guide, $1.50
Name
Address
Town
State
Amt
For
Yrs.
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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