Presto

10
PRESTO
WHERE DOUBTS ARE DISPELLED
Under This Head Presto Will Answer Any Question Pertaining to Pianos, or
Other Subjects of Direct Interest to the Trade and Musical Public
and its harps have attained to world-wide distinction.
We suggest that you write to Lyon & Healy on the
subject and we are sure they will send you catalogue,
and other matter of interest to you and your cus-
tomer.
About the Werner Industries Co.; there is no
LETTERS WAITING.
reason to question its reliability from a business
There are letters at the offices of this paper waiting point of view. The industry is a large one and suc-
for A. Harnoif (6) "G. N. P." (3), and "Foreman A." ceeded the Krell Piano Co., which was established
All of these advertisers have heretofore called for their a good many years ago. The instruments produced
mail. If they will notify Presto of present addresses
by the Cincinnati industry are of the popular char-
their letters will be forwarded.
acter.
* * *
STUDIO PUBLISHERS.
"WESSELL"
PIANO
AND "LARKIN."
Zumbrota, Minn., March 15, 1920.
Columbus, Ohio, March 26, 1920.
Editor Presto: Can you give me any information
Editor Presto: I wish to draw your attention to
in regard to the reliability of the following firms?
Thomas Merlin, Reaper Block, Chicago, music com- the Wessell piano which is listed in your Presto
poser; the Lenox Company, music publishers, 101 Buyer's Guide as being a piano of unknown origin.
West 42d street, New York; Knickerbocker Har- I wish to state that this instrument is made by the
Wessell Piano Co., of New York, N. Y. As I am a
mony Studios, 1547 Broadway, New York.
Any information you can supply will be greatly tuner and repair man, have tuned this piano and
upon the plate found this company's name. Ac-
appreciated. Yours respectfully,
cording to my judgment, this piano is of high quality.
D. R. WINSLOW.
Also I wish to draw your attention to the
Thomas Merlin has an office in the Reaper Block, Symphonic pianos, players and grands. These
this city, where he has been located for several pianos are not listed with you, and will say that
years. His business is arranging songs and other they are made by The Larkin Co., of Buffalo, N. Y.
popular music for "composers" and local publishers. The company also have branches at Chicago, Peoria
He is, we understand, associated with one or two of and Philadelphia.. They also make a talking ma-
the publishing concerns which are located in the chine called the Symphonola. I am in receipt of
vicinity of his own offices.
their catalogs and they informed me of these facts.
About the concerns in New York City we have
I am mentioning these facts to you that they may
no information. These publishing enterprises spring be listed in Presto Buyers' Guide which will make it
up so fast and usually die out so suddenly that it is more complete for the next publication. I also think
impossible to keep track of them.
that Presto Buyer's Guide is a great book for tuners
If you have been a reader of this paper you know and repair men, as well as dealers, and will recom-
our opinion of the so-called "song wanted" enter- mend it to anyone. I have been using it for the
prises The better way is, if you have written any past four years.
music, to submit your manuscript to a regularly
Yours very truly,
established publishing house. It depends largely
A. L. STEUHER.
upon the "contract" with the publisher as to whether
A good many years ago Chas. A. Wessell estab-
you are getting the best of it, or the contrary. If lished a piano factory in the Bronx, New York.
you care to submit the proposition of any of these After a few years the patterns, trade name and
office "publishers" to us we will be glad to pass upon good will were sold to Jacob Bros., a* large and
them.
thoroughly reliable industry. Probably Wessell
* * *
pianos are still being made by the latter industry, and
if so, they are perfectly safe instruments to buy.
THE "SCHROEDER" PIANO.
About The Larkin Co., Buffalo; it is our under-
Denver, Colo., March 15, 1920.
Editor Presto: Find enclosed check for $2 for standing that the large mail order and soap industry
year's subscription to Presto. Also, please send is not making its own pianos. There have been
latest edition of "Buyers' Guide." Let me know if vast numbers of instruments produced by special
the "Schroeder, New York," is a standard make of contract for The Larkin Co., but if there is such an
industry we would be glad to know it.
piano. What is a "false plate"?
Very Truly,
The Symphonola Talking Machine has, we under-
N. A. MURRAY.
stand, been discontinued because the name "Sympho-
"Schroeder, New York," we can only surmise, is nola" is the trademark property of the Price &
one of the extensive stencil family. It is probably Teeple Piano Co., Chicago. Of course, you cannot
a trademark instrument. The name has been used always depend upon catalogues of mail order houses
in connection with the piano trade for a great many in point of source of production. They all produce
years. The only record we have of it apears on very handsome publications, giving descriptions of
page 129 of Presto Buyers' Guide. For some time, various wares, and all of them—or nearly all—list
also, there was a Schroeder Bros, piano advertised pianos and other musical instruments whether they
actually manufacture them or not.
and sold by a retail house in Milwaukee.
* * *
It is very seldom nowadays that we hear any talk
about "false plates." The term was always a mis-
RUSSELL-LANE PIANOS.
r.omer, and it has reference to a small or metal plate
Carroll, la., March 24, 1920.
which extended from the line of tuning pins, in the
Editor Presto: I want to get a new action for a
upright piano, to the top of the instrument. It was Russell-Lane piano, and find that the Russell-Lane
customary also to insert these plates upon which Co. is not listed in your 1920 Buyers' Guide. Can
were cast the names, or trademarks, of stencil pianos. you tell me if they are out of business and who are
The term has little significance and the top plate is their successors?
seldom used for any purpose of misleading the retail
Yours truly,
HOLLEY MUSIC HOUSE.
buyers.
The Russell-Lane Piano Co. has been out of busi-
* * *
ness for about fifteen years, but Mr. Walter Lane,
ITALIAN HARP.
who was a member of that corporation, is president
Osawatomie, Kansas, March 26, 1920.
of the Bush & Lane Piano Co., Holland, Mich. The
Editor Presto: We have a cash buyer for a double old Russell-Lane Piano Co. factory was purchased
action Italian Harp, and so far have been unable to by the Price & Teeple Piano Co., Chicago.
find one; will you please advise as to where we may
We suggest that if you write to either of the two
find one for our customer?
industries just named they may advise you, although
Since talking with you last fall I have located it is probable that the scale, which was applied to
at this place and have been doing a splendid busi- the instrument concerning which you write, is not
ness, considering the time I have been here, and on now in use. In that event the only way to secure
account of not having the goods I would like to an action would be to have one especially adapted.
have had.
* * *
I would like a little advice in regard to the reli-
UKELELE ATTACHMENTS.
ability of the Werner Industries Co., of Cincinnati,
Comstock, Neb., March 21, 1920.
Ohio, from a purely business standpoint—that is,
Editor Presto: Would you kindly tell me where
are they reliable in their business transactions.
I can buy the ukelele attachment that can be put in
Yours truly,
a common piano? Also give me the address of
LANNING MUSIC CO.,
some good concern that teaches piano by mail.
By PAUL L. LANNING.
Respectfully,
About double action Italian harps; we suggest Thanking you, I am,
W. BROWN.
that while there are several industries producing
A few years ago there were quite a number of so-
good ones in this country, the great house of Lyon
& Healy has made a specialty of that instrument, called mandolin and other attachments for upright
Inquiries must bear the signature and address of
writer in order to receive attention. Answers thought
to be of general trade interest will be published. If an
answer is not of general interest it will be mailed pro-
vided stamp is inclosed.
April 3, 1920.
pianos. At the present time the Price & Teeple
Piano Co., Chicago, build a ukulele attachment for
some of the instruments of that industry, but we do
not know of any concern that is making a spe-
cialty of these attachments, and certainly none that
is producing anything suitable for adaptation to any
or all pianos.
• I #^|
Any manufacturer who would attempt to supply
you with a special attachment for any particular
piano would have either to have the instrument at
hand or have the specifications of the piano's scale.
About piano teaching by mail, we do not know
of any institution that we can recommend. There
was for a long time a Siegel School of Music here
in Chicago, which made a feature of mail order
music teaching, but we do not believe that any mail
order system of music teaching can be made suc-
cessful. The better way is *:o find a local teacher.
UP GOES THE PRICE FOR
MOVING THE FAMILY PIANO
Strike of Chicago Van Drivers Follows Flat Rejec-
tion of Union's Ultimatum.
Fifteen hundred Chicago moving van men went
on strike last week demanding $10 more a week.
The existing rate of wages at the time of the strike
ran from $28 to $34 a week. The walkout followed
the flat rejection of the union's ultimatum by the
Furniture, Piano Movers and Expressmen's Associa-
tion, representing the big express and transporta-
tion companies of the city.
John Riley, business ageni of the Van Drivers,
Chauffeurs, Piano and Furniture Movers' Union No.
711, said the men would stay cut until their demands
were granted.
Albert H. Hollander, president of the employers'
association, insisted the warehouse men will not
give in. "We would have to charge $7 an hour if
we met their demands," he stated. "It is our judg-
ment that there will not be a stick of furniture
moved until after May 15."
But by a vote of 3 to 1, 1,300 out of the 1,500 strik-
ing van and furniture movers ended their strike
Wednesday of this week.
The men will receive an increase of $6 a week
and be paid time and a half after 7 o'clock at night.
They will be paid double time Sundays. "There will
be a slight raise in moving prices, probably not
more than 50 cents an hour over the present scale
of $3.50 an hour," said Mr. Hollander, president of
the Furniture Movers' Association.
BOYS' BAND GOOD ANGEL
IS CABLE PIANO CO. MANAGER
William M. Brownlee Gives $500 at Atlanta, and
Boys to Ride in Pullmans.
The Rotary Club's boys' band, of Atlanta, Ga.,
known as ''Bill Brownlee's Boys Brass Band", so
named for its founder and organizer, will have
brand new instruments soon.
The band committee told how the band was ex-
pected to be more than a mere musical organiza-
tion, for the boy members are to be sent to school,
given instruction in good citizenship, and become
the wards of Rotary. Band instruments have been
ordered, the work is under way, and the sub-
scribers would have to come across for $15 each
to pay the bills.
The band idea was born at the luncheon given
by the Rotary Club in Atlanta several months ago,
when William M. Brownlee, president of the Cable
Piano Company, of Atlanta, offered $500 as a nucleus
for the fund.
Plans for the trip to the international convention
at Atlantic City in June were discussed and it was
announced that a special train of six Pullmans and
an observation car had been contracted for.
FOLLOW THE CROWD!
That is pays to follow the crowd is the belief
laid down for shoppers by the St. Joseph, Mo.,
branch of the J. W. Jenkins Sons' Music Co. this
week. This is said: "When people patronize a
certain concern to a marked degree there is always
a reason. For over forty years the J. W. Jenkins
Sons' Music Company has sold pianos and musical
instruments to the people of the Southwest, and
the people now go to Jenkins". The Jenkins Sons'
Music Company has only one price on an article.
When you buy a piano from Jenkins' you can know
that no one is being paid a commission on the sale.
The J. W. Jenkins Sons' Music Company buys in
quantity for thirteen stores and pays instant cash
for the goods. Consequently they can sell better
goods for less money."
H. M. Hulme, Packard Piano Company traveler
was in Chicago from Omaha, Neb., this week.
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