Presto

December 9, 1922.
PRESTO
Christman
"The
First
Touch
9
Tells'
{Reg. U. S. Pal. Off.)
That The Artistic Line Of
UPRIGHTS
GRANDS
and PLAYERS
of the CHRISTMAN PIANO
CO. are Different in Tone,
in Touch, in Appearance, and
in all that makes a piano
beautiful.
VALUABLE TESTIMONIAL
FOR THE TONK PIANO
Organist of Prominent Church in Haarlem,
Holland, in Letter to Makers, Gives Proof
of Estimation.
There is nothing so effective in citing the merits of
a piano as the spontaneous statement by the profes-
sional musician. In the following eloquent letter to
William Tonk & Bro., Inc., New York, from the
organist of one of the leading churches in Haarlem,
Holland, the tone of the Tonk is commented upon
in a frank and glowing manner by its owner. The
Tonk has admirers in every foreign country and a
great many of them are men or women in the
professional field.
These are exacting customers
when it comes to tone and expressions of apprecia-
tion, when they come to the Tonk piano manufac-
turers, are properly prized. The following is the
letter from the Haarlem artist:
Amsterdam, Holland.
William Tonk &Bro., Inc.:
Some weeks ago I forwarded you a photograph of
the combination of my studio, consisting of a Tonk
piano and a Pleyel (French-make) pedal-piano. I
have been using that piano since the beginning of
1910 up to the end of last year, and my opinion about
your make, named on the photo as the "Amati of
Pianos," may give you sufficient proof about my
estimation.
With regard to the new instrument, which I have
received from you the beginning of this year, I can
simply say that it is wonderfully fine of tone and it
simply shows that you arc continually busy to further
improve the quality of your instruments.
You may use this letter as you may think fit.
Wishing you every success, I am dear sirs,
Yours faithfully,
CAREL ROEST,
Organist Remobstrant Church in Haarlem,
Holland.
DOES BRILLIANT BIT
OF AMPICO PUBLICITY
Mrs. A. Denny DuBose of Bell-Welburn Piano Co.,
Memphis, Creates Advertising Occasion.
And the Christman
REPRODUCING GRAND
stands alone in its class,
which is the highest.
The Famous
Studio Grand
Only 5 feet Long
Wins Critical Appreciation at once.
"The
First
Touch
Tells"
(Reg. U.S. Pal. Off.)
And Now is the Best Time to
Begin to win trade which will
insure Better Business next
year.
Write to-day for
particulars.
Christman Piano Co.
597 E. 137th Street
New York
The Bell-Welburn Piano Company, Memphis,
Tenn., provided an admirable bit of Ampico publicity
recently, and the results testify to its brilliancy.
Mrs. A. D'enny DuBose, who is connected with
the Bell-Welburn Piano Company, arranged a musi-
cal program for an afternoon tea at the home of Mrs.
W. P. Brown, one of the leaders of Memphis society,
featuring two of the best known amateur singers in
the city, with accompaniments played by the Ampico
Memphis published large stories in their society col-
umns, announcing this jsvent, together with pictures
of the singers, Mrs. Sam Bowen and Mrs. Claude
Tully.
The Ampico acted not only as accompanist but like-
wise as soloist, playing re-enactments of interpreta-
tions by Olga Steeb, Mischa Levitzki and other well
known artists. Newspaper accounts told of the pro-
longed applause that was given these numbers. One
criticism calls it the most artistic recital ever put on
in Memphis. The result was that, in the course of
the next week, the Bell-Welburn Company turned
a number of Ampico prospects into certainties.
BEETHOVEN'S INSPIRATION
AND A MODERN PIANO
Writer in Newspaper Tells of the Singing Quality of
the Steger.
"Have you heard the story of how inspiration for
the Moonlight Sonata came to Beethoven?" asks the
"Shopper" in the Chicago Evening Post, and contin-
ues; "The master was walking along a narrow street
one moonlight night absorbed in thought. Suddenly
his attention was aroused by the sound of piano music
coming from one of the most unpretentious homes.
Entering without hesitation, the great musician as-
cended to the second floor and taking his place at the
piano improvised his exquisite sonata to the wonder
and delight of everyone.
"Imagine then what added pleasure Beethoven
would have enjoyed had the instrument been a Steger.
For the artistic Steger, tho essentially a home
instrument, is capable of meeting the most exacting
requirements of master musicians. With its beautiful
resonant tone, the Steger finds favor among those
who appreciate the best in music. This splendid in-
strument will delight you with its marvelous respon-
sive action, its sympathetic singing quality, grace of
design and perfection of detail.
"To appreciate it fully however, you should hear it,
This you may do at the Steger building, northwest
corner of Wabash avenue and Jackson boulevard.
Here you will find a wonderful display, both of
pianos and player-pianos. Steger Grands arc avail-
able in a variety of sizes including the extremely
small grand. Convenient terms may be arranged in
purchasing 1 , I'm told."
ONE WAY TO ALLEVIATE
THE PRESSURE OF ORDERS
How the Gulbransen-Dickinson Company Is Holding
the Good Will of Its Dealers.
The Gulbransen-Dickinson Company, of Chicago,
as well as practically all other important piano manu-
facturers in Chicago, have been rushed with orders
for pianos until it has become an impossibility to sup-
ply all the instruments needed, at once. This pre-
sented the problem of distributing the pianos prop-
erly to where they were most required.
Instead of filling a few orders to the complete
large order, and leaving the other dealers without
any at all, the Gulbransen company devised the
scheme of apportioning the pianos which could actu-
ally be manufactured among all who ordered, with
consideration of the actual need, and of the amount
of business previously done. In this way, al! the
dealers are getting some Gulbransens, and feelings
of disappointment, which might be caused by eniire-
ly slighting a large number of piano houses, are
being avoided.
LABOR CONDITIONS ARE
RAPIDLY GETTING BETTER
Much Has Been Said About Shortage of Factory
Skill, But With Little Reason.
The Ways and Means Committee of the Citizens
Committee of Chicago has issued a statement in
which the eradication of certain evil labor disturb-
ances is told. First of all, says the statement, "graft
has been eliminated; so has the jurisdictional strike."
And continues:
The elimination of one single item alone—graft—
has more than justified the committee's activities.
During the Dailey investigation, a prominent archi-
tect testified, you may recall, that 5 per cent of the
total cost of a building went for graft in one form
or another. Based on Chicago's $180,000,000 build-
ing boom, the committee has saved the community
$9,000,000 on this one item.
Scarcely less important has been the outlawing of
the jurisdictional strike. Witness after witness be-
fore the Dailey commission testified as to the way
he was blackjacked into paying tribute—in one in-
stance $47,500—to labor extortionists through the
calling of strikes on his building.
Whatever helps the community helps the indus-
tries. There is no "graft" in the piano industry—
never has been. It is said, however, that there is a
shortage of piano making skill and labor, but this
difficulty is being overcome. Heads of piano indus-
tries are working on the problem. There are no
other troubles in the piano industry and the Mew
Year will dawn under propitious circumstances.
THE LATE F. G. THEARLE.
Fred G. Thearle, who, as was noted in last week's
Presto, died November 22nd at his home in Chicago,
was well known throughout the United States in the
music and jewelry business. He was a member of
the C. H. Knights-Thearle wholesale jewelry house
of Chicago and president of the Thearle Music Com-
pany of San Diego. His music company in San Diego
is one of the largest in California. He himself had
a wide acquaintance among the men of the
music, industry on the Pacific Coast. He was espe-
cially interested in church music and did much to pro-
mote interest in it and to develop it to higher stand-
ards. For a number of years he managed the annual
May festival of all the Sunday schools of Chicago at
the Auditorium. He also had a reputation in Chicago
as a choir singer.
BUYS DENVER BUILDING.
The building at 60-64 South Broadway, Denver,
Colo., Jias been purchased by Laman & Johnson
piano and talking machine dealers. Plans for the re-
modeling of the structure are now being drawn. The
building has a fifty-foot frontage which will allow for
the installation of spacious show windows. When the
remodeling plans are carried out the firm will have an
up-to-date store for a growing music business.
CHRISTMAS SALES.
Piano salesmen say that Christmas buying has
started early this year and that they have sold a
great number of pianos for holiday delivery, the only
drawback in some places being that they cannot get
sufficient instruments to supply the demand.
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