Presto

September 18, 1920.
NEW ENGLAND TALENT DISPLAYED A POLICY FOR
A recital, novel and interesting, recently given at
the Welte-Mignon Studios in Fifth Avenue, New
York, under the auspices of the Estey Piano Com-
pany, brought to the attention of musical New-
Yorkers a remarkable group of youthful New Eng-
land talent. George H. Wilder, head of the Wilder
School of Music of Burlington, Vt., and a number
of his pupils presented a program of diversified
vocal and instrumental numbers that both surprised
and delighted the large assemblage. The ages of
ity and purity of soprano quality; Miss Genevieve
Gale, whose playing of Mendelssohn's "Rondo
Capricciono" was heartily applauded; Miss Gladys
Cantlin, a pianiste of great natural talent and prom-
ise, who presented Homer Bartlett's Grand Polka
d'Concert; Albert Adams Proctor, a young basso
of great promise, whose singing of "The Clang of
the Forge" proved a triumph for the lad and com-
pelled his reappearance in another number.
Others in the company who participated in the
recital, but are not pictured here, are: Miss Irene
1—Miss Margaret George, soprano. 2—Miss Genelin, pianiste. 6—Miss Kathleen Virginia Stay, mezzo
vieve Gale, pianiste. 3—Albert Adam Proctor, basso.soprano. 7—Miss Florence Manseau, soprano.
A—Miss Lucy Hope, pianiste. 5—Miss Gladys Cant
the embryo artists range from ten to twenty years,
the youngest of the company being Miss Lucy
Hope, a dainty and diminutive pianiste whose cap-
ability and assurance as an accompanist amazed her
hearers as much as her charming modesty won
their hearts.
Others of the company whose portraits appear
herewith are: Miss Kathleen Virginia Stay, mezzo
soprano, who sang "Nymphs and Fauns," by Bem-
berg, with great charm and a display of tone and
power; Miss Margaret George, coloratura soprano,
whose rendition of the Mad Scene from "Lucia"
completely won her audience; Miss Florence
Manseau, a charming French girl, who sang the
"Shadow Dance" by Meyerbeer with great flexibil -
O'Brien, flutiste, aged 11, Miss Irene Wilder, singer,
and Miss Rosella Villemaire, flutiste, all of whom
did full credit to the teachings of Mr. and Mrs.
Wilder and contributed largely to the reputation of
these capable musicians as instructors. Several of
these pupils have had but comparatively brief
schooling, little Miss Hope having studied but
three years in all, yet their showing in the Fifth
Avenue recital was pronounced wonderful as a
whole.
Both Mr. and Mrs. Wilder, as well as their many
talented pupils, are enthusiastic admirers of the
Estey piano, which they use exclusively in their
work and to which they have united in an eloquent
testimonial.
STEWART H. PERRY WINS
IN TITLE TOURNAMENT
ry, lifting him an army peg higher. "But I think
another blanket might come in handy."
"Sholy, sholy, cunnel," acceded the porter with a
face-wide exhibition of ivory. "Ah'll git it right
away."
"A thousand thanks, general," said Mr. Perry
when the man appeared with the desired article.
"Don' you' mention it. Ah's pow'ful glad to serve
yo', Admiral.
"I appreciate it, Bishop, and—"
"Hoi' on hoi' on," was the retort. "Dar's only
one puhson in de universe whut's higher'n a bishop,
an' Ah knows Ah ain't Him."
Incidentally He Finds There's No Official Handle
Higher Than Bishop.
The traveling man is very appreciative of a bit
of keen repartee, the humorous kind that has no
trace of freshness. The companionship of a fellow
traveler who is really witty is a boon, just as the
"fresh guy" is a bore in the long or short intervals
between points. A Pullman porter with the gift
of repartee is often a pleasant stimulus for the tired
mind. Stewart H. Perry, eastern traveler for the
A. B. Chase Piano Co., Inc., New York, recently
encountered one of the joyous kind when he traveled
in a West Shore train from Canajoharie to New
York.
, Mr. Perry had often tossed the pleasant word
with this veteran of the road, who is black as the
ace of spades and patriarchal in his dignity. He
is awake at all hours of the night as if sleep had
never been discovered or invented. On this occasion
he was as free as ever in bestowing titles.
"Yo'alls gotter 'nough pillews, cap'n?" he asked
after he had fixed Mr. Perry's berth.
"Sure, major," magnanimously replied Mr. Per-
FRIESTEDT WILL IS FOUGHT.
A petition was filed in the Circuit Court at Chi-
cago Friday by the Union Trust Company against
heirs of the late Luther P. Friestedt, millionaire, so
that the will could be construed properly. Friestedt
was head of the Friedstedt Underpinning Company
and also of the United States Music Company, of
which his son, Arthur A. Friestedt, is now head. The
petition states that certain jewelry owned by a for-
mer wife of Friestedt is now claimed by the widow,
a second wife, Mrs. Alice L. Friestedt, 2806 Sheri-
dan road, and that it is uncertain whether she is en-
titled to the jewelry. Another disagreement is
whether Mrs. Friestedt is entitled to full occupancy
of the Sheridan road residence.
THE PIANO HOUSE
A Vital Necessity for Success Which Has as
Requirements to Sound Business, Fore-
sight, Honesty, Simplicity and a
Rigid Firmness.
A business house without a policy is like a ship
without a rudder. It is rather a commonplace simile
but clear. But why should a business house be
without a policy? Why, indeed! Because policy is
nothing more than the common law under which a
given business is conducted. The true policy-maker
in business affairs is a man with his feet firmly on
the ground today, and clear insight into tomorrow,
and perhaps a fair guess about the day after. He
lays down broad, just, simple statutes for the gov-
ernment of the business, sits tight and enforces
them as the problems arise.
The necessity for a definite policy in the piano
business is an obvious thing. If a piano business is
alive at all it usually seethes with energy working
at cross purposes, just like a healthy, busy nation.
And the policy-maker must be firm. A great many
times a year he is asked to shut his eyes to breaches
of the minor provisions of his statutes, or pressure
is brought to bear to have a new ruling passed to
cover a given case.
The Breed Is Rare.
Policy-makers are rare. That is wise policy-mak-
ers who lash themselves to the masts of their policy
barques to ride all storms with them because they
believe in their staunchness. A great many men fail
in business generally and quite a few from time to
time in the piano business. In the piano business
as in all other businesses a number of men are mis-
fits. Houses open and fail because they really are
unnecessary under the circumstances. Other neces-
sary ones wobble along until some day their policy-
makers arrive. Then they succeed. It is only once
in a coon's age that the enterprise and the policy-
maker start out together.
The elements of a sound business policy in the
piano industry or piano business are not many.
Foresight, honesty, stability and simplicity are the
requirements. Foresight first, because today's sales
and production really rest on yesterday's energy
and planning. Amazing as it sounds every one in
business does not understand this. The ones who
do have a large advantage.
The Blind Optimists.
There are happy-go-lucky piano dealers who oc-
casionally arouse themselves to a frenzied activity
after sales. They look upon the sales field as a
place filled with ripe prospects ready to be gathered
at all seasons when they can feel stimulated for the
effort. The real policy-maker in charge of a piano
business sees opportunities as twigs to be bent to-
day in the way he desires them to grow in the years
to come.
The man without a policy for his business lacks
perspective. He is liable to enthusiastically embark
on elaborate plans for enlargements with slight con-
ceptions of the cost or any definite notion where he
is going. He may be on the right track even at that.
But some day the cost frightens him and he gets
cold feet. Bingo go the half-baked plans. When
business lacks foresight something is always hap-
pening to the steering gear or the sparking ap-
paratus when the directors and stockholders have to
get down and get under to tinker. When a piano
house is known to the customers and the public for
honesty and square dealing you may be sure it has
a guiding policy that is lived up to.
NEW FIELD-LIPPMAN STORE.
Every aid to pleasant sales has been provided for
the new store of Field-Lippman in Fort Worth,
Tex. In it is shown the utilization of all the ad-
vantages designed for modern wareroom. The
formal opening will take place some time in Octo-
ber, according to the Manager E. I. Conkling.
Business, however, is proceeding without the glory
of the dedicatory exercises. The new Fort Worth
store of the Field-Lippman Co. is provided with
six sound-proof booths, two for demonstrating
piano rolls and four for demonstrating talking ma-
chine records. The decorative scheme throughout
is ivory.
RETURN FROM WILDS.
Louis M. Kesselman and Michael J. O'Driscoll,
the president and vice-president, respectively, of the
Kesselman-O'Driscoll Co., 517-519 Grand avenue,
Milwaukee, returned this week from a fortnight's
recreation tour into the wilds of North Wisconsin
and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
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