Presto
Issue: 1920 1777 - Page 11
August 14, 1920.
WONDERS OF ROLL
MANUFACTURE
Unfailing Precision of Cunning Machinery in
Evidence to Visitor at the Clark Orchestra
Roll Company's Recently Equipped
Factory at DeKalb, 111.
Not many members of the trade, even among
those who take special interest and pride in their
playerpiano departments, have any practical idea of
the processes of player music-roll manufacture.
When the average salesman in the piano store takes
down a roll, adjusts it to the instrument and sits
down to demonstrate the powers of his favorite
playerpiano, or to give to some complicated com-
position its correct interpretation, he has little con-
ception of the intricate machinery, the patient
workmanship, and the genuine musicianship re-
quired to produce the long slip of firm paper whose
smooth surface is punctured about as multitudinous-
ly as that of a sieve. To him the irregular little
holes in the paper mean only that they serve to
release the air, or to permit it to rush in, to set in
motion the mechanism of the player action, and so
create the marvelous musical effects only possible
otherwise to skilled pianists.
But if any piano man were to find opportunity
to visit such an industry as that of the Clark
Orchestra Roll Co., at DeKalb, 111., he would quick-
. ly discover, a new interest in his business, and new
excuse to say, with the not over pious philosopher,
that he "had a new respect for God because of the
wonders of man." He would marvel at the more
than human accuracy and the unfailing precision of
the cunning machinery that marks out the symbols
that guide other machines to cut the paper, arid he
would recognize the skill of the quick lingered
artisans who lay out the "master rolls," and the
skilled musicians who arrange the written music
to adapt it to the greater possibilities of the player-
piano. For no twelve fingers of the human harfd
can produce upon any keyboard such effects as are
easily possible with the orchestra rolls.
Trip Through the Plant.
A trip through the Clark Orchestra Roll Co.'s
factory at DeKalb is alone a course of musical edu-
cation in the constructive sense. It gives an added
and an enlarged idea of the development of the
playerpiano and of the possibilities of the perforated
roll as a means to musical interpretation. Some of
the machines are so new that even veteran player-
roll men have probably no knowledge of them. And
there is no manner of roll that can not be produced
in the DeKalb factory, though at present the music
especially applicable to the electric pianos, orches-
trions and coin-operated instruments are having the
major share of attention.
This includes also the organ music rolls and rolls
for the combination instruments used in theatres
and other public places. But the ordinary rolls
may as quickly be produced, and the famous groups
of "ten hits" for electric pianos form a very large
part of the industry. These groups comprise ten
selections on a single roll, embracing dance rolls,
rhythmic airs and, in fact, every class of music in
great demand.
Inventions of E. G. Clark.
The Clark Orchestra Roll Co. is now established
in its new factory in DeKalb, where every recent
acquisition to the equipment of such an industry
has been installed. A number of the important
devices are the invention of President Ernest G.
Clark, and the plant has been arranged in every
detail by that gentleman and his son, Bayard Clark,
the company's secretary. The gentlemen are, re-
spectively, brother and nephew of the late Melville
Clark, whose name alone suggests the kind of
inventive genius by which the playerpiano has been
brought to its present place in the trade and
musical world..
In an early issue of Presto a "story" of the way
playerpiano rolls are made will appear in this paper.
And as the basis of the article the methods in use
at the DeKalb industry will be employed in telling
of the practical details. Meanwhile the following
from the August Bulletin of the Clark Orchestra
Roll Co. is of timely interest:
With August bulletin, Clark orchestra rolls are
introduced to the trade generally in a new and dis-
tinctive form.
After being sold many years only to the manu-
facturers of electric instruments, without bearing
any mark or name, they emerge under their own
individual title, proud of their record as master
musicians and desirous of a place in your roll
library.
Clark orchestra rolls are made for almost every
11
PRESTO
style of electric instrument from piano to pipe
organ. We have listed in this bulletin only our 65-
note rolls which are adapted to a wide range of
electric pianos.
ONE NAME BRINGS THREE
ADDITIONAL SALES
First Gulbransen Player So Much Appreciated That
Others Were Bound to Buy.
Talk of speed in sell-
ing Gulbransen player-
pianos! N. A. Ketchum
—good name for catch-
ing customers—is a mile-
a-minute salesman for
speed!
Here is the story, and
it goes to show the
power of the Gulbran-
sen - Dickinson C o m -
pany's national advertis-
ing work. An answer to one of the company's ads
came in from Kansas and they sent it to N. A.
Ketchum, manager'of the St.. Francis Piano Co., St.
Francis, Kans., on July 16.
Under date of July 26, the company received a
letter from him reading as follows:
Yours of the 16th, giving me the name of
,
of
, Kans., was received on July 21. On July
22 I drove up to the home of this party, a distance
of 125 miles, found a —
player on trial, and
sold him a Country Seat Model Gulbransen. I
started for our Oberlin store, a distance of 50 miles,
to get the player but was delayed 5 hours in
—
with car trouble.
While the car was being repaired I sold a Gui-
bransen to
and a straight piano to
,
both living at
. Delivered the Gulbransen
to Mr.
the next morning, boxed up the
for shipment and returned to St. Francis
that evening, and on this return trip sold a Gul-
bransen to
, 12 miles south of
and 60
miles from St. Francis, delivering this player the
next day.
It is needless to say that I am very grateful to
you for sending me this one name which led to
three more sales.
Yours very truly,
St. Francis Piano Co.,
N. A. Ketchum.
"We give Mr. Ketchum credit for being a good
salesman," said H. A. Stewart of the Gulbransen-
Dickinson Co., "but perhaps one reason for his being
able to work so fast was because the people he
called upon may have read about the Gulbransen in
our national advertising and therefore readily com-
prehended what he was talking about when he at-
tracted their attention to Gulbransen playerpianos."
INTERNATIONAL CO. ASSIGNS.
The International Piano Mfg. Co., of Fall River,
Mass., of which Wm. J. Ennis has had control for
some time past, made "an assignment on June 30th.
On petition of three creditors, a receiver was ap-
pointed on August 1st, and the court named the
following gentlemen to take charge of the com-
pany's affairs: Milton E. Reed, J. J. Marshall and
E. N. Kimball. No statement of the assets or lia-
bilities has been presented: Mr. Kimball is the
well known piano man of Boston. He has been offi-
cially connected with the Fall River industry for
a short time back. The International Piano Mfg.
Co. succeeded to the business of the Edmund Cote
Piano Co., at the time Mr. Ennis took control.
REPUBLIC TRAVELER IN OHIO.
Wm. R. McAllister, Republic sales representa-
tive, is at present on an extensive trip covering all
player roll dealers in the state of Ohio.
His reports back to the home office in New York
are most optimistic, predicting a tremendous fall
demand and business in the player roll industry.
Dealers everywhere are active after the summer
slump and are on their toes to start the fall busi-
ness early in September.
STORY FAMILIES GO EAST.
E. H. Story, president, and F. F. Story, treasurer
of the Story & Clark Piano Company, and their
wives have gone East on an extensive automobile
trip. They intend to drive through the White
Mountain regions of New Hampshire as a part of
their itinerarv.
OFF FOR THE NORTH.
Henry P. Veatch, Chicago manager of the Pack-
ard Piano Company's business, left on Tuesday
night of this week for Escanaba, Mich., and many
other northern cities. He expects to be back in
Chicago on August 23.
PLAYER PIANO WEEK
PROMISES SUCCESS
List of Manufacturers Who Favor Plan of
Special Week During Which Players
Shall Be Especially Featured.
At a meeting of the committee on National
Playerpiano Week, Monday afternoon, at the New
York Piano Club, reports were received showing
enough support by manufacturers to insure the suc-
cess of the movement. Allotments were made of
proportion of expense to be borne by manufacturers
of player actions,, player pianos and music rolls.
A telegram was received from Otto Schulz, of
Chicago, president of the National Piano Manufac-
turers Association, asking for allotments of ex-
pense to be borne by Western manufacturers as
their share of the promotion. This information was
sent by wire to be presented at a meeting held in
Chicago Tuesday afternoon.
All information indicates that the movement for
a National Playerpiano Week is being received very
favorably throughout the country. A large per-
centage of Western manufacturers will doubtless
be heard from immediately following the meeting
in Chicago. Among the manufacturers who have
already advised the committee of their desire to
participate in National Playerpiano Week, October
16th to 23rd, are the following: Estey Piano Co.,
Bush & Gerts, Aeolian Co., Bogart Piano Co., J. &
C. Fischer, Whitman Piano Co., Bjur Bros. Co.,
Autopiano Co., Weaver Piano Co., DeRivas &
Harris Mfg. Co., Bennett & White, The Q. R. S.
Co., Simplex Player Action Co., Pratt-Read Player
Action Co., Standard Pneumatic Action Co., Am-
phion Player Action Co., Milton Piano Co., Wm.
Tonk & Bro., Inc., Vose & Sons Piano Co., Lester
Piano Co., Kohler & Campbell, Inc., M. Schulz Co.,
Laffargue Co., Standard Action Co., Wickham
Piano Plate Co.
Following are some of the expressions from a
few of the manufacturers who have given their en-
thusiastic support to the movement:
Estey Piano Co.: "We are heartily in accord
with the National Playerpiano Week campaign, and
you may add our name to your list of manufactur-
ers backing this movement."
Bjur Bros. Co.: "Replying to your circular letter
of the 29th inst., we wish to say that we are only
too pleased to participate in National Playerpiano
Week, and await further instructions."
Bennett & White: "In reference to yours of the
30th outlining plans for National Playerpiano Week,
kindly note that we would be glad to co-operate
with you in any way possible."
Wm. Tonk & Bro.: "We have your favor of the
30th ult, and in reply would state that we approve
of what is being done in support of National Player-
piano Week, and we want to be considered one of
these supporters. We presume that the committee
will keep us informed as to what is going on."
Bush & Gerts Piano Co.: "We are in receipt of
your favor of July 30th relative to National Player-
piano Week. This looks good to us, and we
naturally want to bear our share of the expense of r
putting National Playerpiano Week across."
0UT=0F=T0WN DEALERS
ENCOUNTERED IN CHICAGO
Men in Search of Pianos and Players Make Things
Lively in Offices.
H. H. Hart, manager of the piano department of
The May Company, Cleveland, Ohio, was in Chi-
cago on Wednesday of this week. He called at
various offices of Chicago piano manufacturers.
Howard Hart is one of the live business men of the
Ohio metropolis.
H. Schreiber, piano dealer of Red Bud, 111., was
in Chicago on Wednesday of this week on vacation.
C. F. Heine, of Hinckley, 111., was in Chicago on
Wednesday of this week on his way to Michigan
for a vacation. He will call again at Chicago on
the way back homeward.
A. G. Ogren, piano merchant of Rockford. 111.,
stopped at some of the piano manufacturers' offices
in Chicago on Wednesday of this week. He was on
his way to Boston and other eastern points.
H. L. DRAPER GOES NORTH.
H. L. Draper, vice-president and treasurer of
The Cable Company, Chicago, started north out of
the city on Wednesday night of this week. He
expects to spend some time on Grand Island, in
Lake Superior, not far from the Pictured Rocks.
Mr. Draper spent his summer vacation there last
year, and he says that he may be pictured as wear-
ing an overcoat some morning when the August
hervt is at its extreme in Chicago.
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/
WONDERS OF ROLL
MANUFACTURE
Unfailing Precision of Cunning Machinery in
Evidence to Visitor at the Clark Orchestra
Roll Company's Recently Equipped
Factory at DeKalb, 111.
Not many members of the trade, even among
those who take special interest and pride in their
playerpiano departments, have any practical idea of
the processes of player music-roll manufacture.
When the average salesman in the piano store takes
down a roll, adjusts it to the instrument and sits
down to demonstrate the powers of his favorite
playerpiano, or to give to some complicated com-
position its correct interpretation, he has little con-
ception of the intricate machinery, the patient
workmanship, and the genuine musicianship re-
quired to produce the long slip of firm paper whose
smooth surface is punctured about as multitudinous-
ly as that of a sieve. To him the irregular little
holes in the paper mean only that they serve to
release the air, or to permit it to rush in, to set in
motion the mechanism of the player action, and so
create the marvelous musical effects only possible
otherwise to skilled pianists.
But if any piano man were to find opportunity
to visit such an industry as that of the Clark
Orchestra Roll Co., at DeKalb, 111., he would quick-
. ly discover, a new interest in his business, and new
excuse to say, with the not over pious philosopher,
that he "had a new respect for God because of the
wonders of man." He would marvel at the more
than human accuracy and the unfailing precision of
the cunning machinery that marks out the symbols
that guide other machines to cut the paper, arid he
would recognize the skill of the quick lingered
artisans who lay out the "master rolls," and the
skilled musicians who arrange the written music
to adapt it to the greater possibilities of the player-
piano. For no twelve fingers of the human harfd
can produce upon any keyboard such effects as are
easily possible with the orchestra rolls.
Trip Through the Plant.
A trip through the Clark Orchestra Roll Co.'s
factory at DeKalb is alone a course of musical edu-
cation in the constructive sense. It gives an added
and an enlarged idea of the development of the
playerpiano and of the possibilities of the perforated
roll as a means to musical interpretation. Some of
the machines are so new that even veteran player-
roll men have probably no knowledge of them. And
there is no manner of roll that can not be produced
in the DeKalb factory, though at present the music
especially applicable to the electric pianos, orches-
trions and coin-operated instruments are having the
major share of attention.
This includes also the organ music rolls and rolls
for the combination instruments used in theatres
and other public places. But the ordinary rolls
may as quickly be produced, and the famous groups
of "ten hits" for electric pianos form a very large
part of the industry. These groups comprise ten
selections on a single roll, embracing dance rolls,
rhythmic airs and, in fact, every class of music in
great demand.
Inventions of E. G. Clark.
The Clark Orchestra Roll Co. is now established
in its new factory in DeKalb, where every recent
acquisition to the equipment of such an industry
has been installed. A number of the important
devices are the invention of President Ernest G.
Clark, and the plant has been arranged in every
detail by that gentleman and his son, Bayard Clark,
the company's secretary. The gentlemen are, re-
spectively, brother and nephew of the late Melville
Clark, whose name alone suggests the kind of
inventive genius by which the playerpiano has been
brought to its present place in the trade and
musical world..
In an early issue of Presto a "story" of the way
playerpiano rolls are made will appear in this paper.
And as the basis of the article the methods in use
at the DeKalb industry will be employed in telling
of the practical details. Meanwhile the following
from the August Bulletin of the Clark Orchestra
Roll Co. is of timely interest:
With August bulletin, Clark orchestra rolls are
introduced to the trade generally in a new and dis-
tinctive form.
After being sold many years only to the manu-
facturers of electric instruments, without bearing
any mark or name, they emerge under their own
individual title, proud of their record as master
musicians and desirous of a place in your roll
library.
Clark orchestra rolls are made for almost every
11
PRESTO
style of electric instrument from piano to pipe
organ. We have listed in this bulletin only our 65-
note rolls which are adapted to a wide range of
electric pianos.
ONE NAME BRINGS THREE
ADDITIONAL SALES
First Gulbransen Player So Much Appreciated That
Others Were Bound to Buy.
Talk of speed in sell-
ing Gulbransen player-
pianos! N. A. Ketchum
—good name for catch-
ing customers—is a mile-
a-minute salesman for
speed!
Here is the story, and
it goes to show the
power of the Gulbran-
sen - Dickinson C o m -
pany's national advertis-
ing work. An answer to one of the company's ads
came in from Kansas and they sent it to N. A.
Ketchum, manager'of the St.. Francis Piano Co., St.
Francis, Kans., on July 16.
Under date of July 26, the company received a
letter from him reading as follows:
Yours of the 16th, giving me the name of
,
of
, Kans., was received on July 21. On July
22 I drove up to the home of this party, a distance
of 125 miles, found a —
player on trial, and
sold him a Country Seat Model Gulbransen. I
started for our Oberlin store, a distance of 50 miles,
to get the player but was delayed 5 hours in
—
with car trouble.
While the car was being repaired I sold a Gui-
bransen to
and a straight piano to
,
both living at
. Delivered the Gulbransen
to Mr.
the next morning, boxed up the
for shipment and returned to St. Francis
that evening, and on this return trip sold a Gul-
bransen to
, 12 miles south of
and 60
miles from St. Francis, delivering this player the
next day.
It is needless to say that I am very grateful to
you for sending me this one name which led to
three more sales.
Yours very truly,
St. Francis Piano Co.,
N. A. Ketchum.
"We give Mr. Ketchum credit for being a good
salesman," said H. A. Stewart of the Gulbransen-
Dickinson Co., "but perhaps one reason for his being
able to work so fast was because the people he
called upon may have read about the Gulbransen in
our national advertising and therefore readily com-
prehended what he was talking about when he at-
tracted their attention to Gulbransen playerpianos."
INTERNATIONAL CO. ASSIGNS.
The International Piano Mfg. Co., of Fall River,
Mass., of which Wm. J. Ennis has had control for
some time past, made "an assignment on June 30th.
On petition of three creditors, a receiver was ap-
pointed on August 1st, and the court named the
following gentlemen to take charge of the com-
pany's affairs: Milton E. Reed, J. J. Marshall and
E. N. Kimball. No statement of the assets or lia-
bilities has been presented: Mr. Kimball is the
well known piano man of Boston. He has been offi-
cially connected with the Fall River industry for
a short time back. The International Piano Mfg.
Co. succeeded to the business of the Edmund Cote
Piano Co., at the time Mr. Ennis took control.
REPUBLIC TRAVELER IN OHIO.
Wm. R. McAllister, Republic sales representa-
tive, is at present on an extensive trip covering all
player roll dealers in the state of Ohio.
His reports back to the home office in New York
are most optimistic, predicting a tremendous fall
demand and business in the player roll industry.
Dealers everywhere are active after the summer
slump and are on their toes to start the fall busi-
ness early in September.
STORY FAMILIES GO EAST.
E. H. Story, president, and F. F. Story, treasurer
of the Story & Clark Piano Company, and their
wives have gone East on an extensive automobile
trip. They intend to drive through the White
Mountain regions of New Hampshire as a part of
their itinerarv.
OFF FOR THE NORTH.
Henry P. Veatch, Chicago manager of the Pack-
ard Piano Company's business, left on Tuesday
night of this week for Escanaba, Mich., and many
other northern cities. He expects to be back in
Chicago on August 23.
PLAYER PIANO WEEK
PROMISES SUCCESS
List of Manufacturers Who Favor Plan of
Special Week During Which Players
Shall Be Especially Featured.
At a meeting of the committee on National
Playerpiano Week, Monday afternoon, at the New
York Piano Club, reports were received showing
enough support by manufacturers to insure the suc-
cess of the movement. Allotments were made of
proportion of expense to be borne by manufacturers
of player actions,, player pianos and music rolls.
A telegram was received from Otto Schulz, of
Chicago, president of the National Piano Manufac-
turers Association, asking for allotments of ex-
pense to be borne by Western manufacturers as
their share of the promotion. This information was
sent by wire to be presented at a meeting held in
Chicago Tuesday afternoon.
All information indicates that the movement for
a National Playerpiano Week is being received very
favorably throughout the country. A large per-
centage of Western manufacturers will doubtless
be heard from immediately following the meeting
in Chicago. Among the manufacturers who have
already advised the committee of their desire to
participate in National Playerpiano Week, October
16th to 23rd, are the following: Estey Piano Co.,
Bush & Gerts, Aeolian Co., Bogart Piano Co., J. &
C. Fischer, Whitman Piano Co., Bjur Bros. Co.,
Autopiano Co., Weaver Piano Co., DeRivas &
Harris Mfg. Co., Bennett & White, The Q. R. S.
Co., Simplex Player Action Co., Pratt-Read Player
Action Co., Standard Pneumatic Action Co., Am-
phion Player Action Co., Milton Piano Co., Wm.
Tonk & Bro., Inc., Vose & Sons Piano Co., Lester
Piano Co., Kohler & Campbell, Inc., M. Schulz Co.,
Laffargue Co., Standard Action Co., Wickham
Piano Plate Co.
Following are some of the expressions from a
few of the manufacturers who have given their en-
thusiastic support to the movement:
Estey Piano Co.: "We are heartily in accord
with the National Playerpiano Week campaign, and
you may add our name to your list of manufactur-
ers backing this movement."
Bjur Bros. Co.: "Replying to your circular letter
of the 29th inst., we wish to say that we are only
too pleased to participate in National Playerpiano
Week, and await further instructions."
Bennett & White: "In reference to yours of the
30th outlining plans for National Playerpiano Week,
kindly note that we would be glad to co-operate
with you in any way possible."
Wm. Tonk & Bro.: "We have your favor of the
30th ult, and in reply would state that we approve
of what is being done in support of National Player-
piano Week, and we want to be considered one of
these supporters. We presume that the committee
will keep us informed as to what is going on."
Bush & Gerts Piano Co.: "We are in receipt of
your favor of July 30th relative to National Player-
piano Week. This looks good to us, and we
naturally want to bear our share of the expense of r
putting National Playerpiano Week across."
0UT=0F=T0WN DEALERS
ENCOUNTERED IN CHICAGO
Men in Search of Pianos and Players Make Things
Lively in Offices.
H. H. Hart, manager of the piano department of
The May Company, Cleveland, Ohio, was in Chi-
cago on Wednesday of this week. He called at
various offices of Chicago piano manufacturers.
Howard Hart is one of the live business men of the
Ohio metropolis.
H. Schreiber, piano dealer of Red Bud, 111., was
in Chicago on Wednesday of this week on vacation.
C. F. Heine, of Hinckley, 111., was in Chicago on
Wednesday of this week on his way to Michigan
for a vacation. He will call again at Chicago on
the way back homeward.
A. G. Ogren, piano merchant of Rockford. 111.,
stopped at some of the piano manufacturers' offices
in Chicago on Wednesday of this week. He was on
his way to Boston and other eastern points.
H. L. DRAPER GOES NORTH.
H. L. Draper, vice-president and treasurer of
The Cable Company, Chicago, started north out of
the city on Wednesday night of this week. He
expects to spend some time on Grand Island, in
Lake Superior, not far from the Pictured Rocks.
Mr. Draper spent his summer vacation there last
year, and he says that he may be pictured as wear-
ing an overcoat some morning when the August
hervt is at its extreme in Chicago.
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/
Future scanning projects are planned by the International Arcade Museum Library (IAML).