Presto

August 25, 1923
PRESTO
THINGS SAID O R SUGGESTED
Docs the writing and publishing of hymn-tunes and
Gospel Songs pay? There has been conclusive evi-
dence that at one time it did pay, most emphatically
The once-great music house of the John Church ;
Co., in Cincinnati, owed its greatest growth to the
much-discussed and frequently, if politely, cussed
"Sacred Songs" of the Moody & Sankey stripe.
And there are indications, of material nature at
least, that the ragtime of the church and Sunday
school is still profitable.
*
*
*
At the south end of beautiful Brandt Lake, in the
Adirondack Mountains, is the summer home of E. S.
Lorenz, of the hymn and song book publishing house
of Lorenz Brothers, of Dayton, Ohio, and New York
City.
The spacious and picturesque Lorenz estate is
directly east of the equally beautiful summer place of
Albert Jacob, of the New York piano industry of
Jacob Brothers.
It is up there, amid the stately hills, that Mr.
Lorenz composes his tunes and writes his useful
treatises on choir singing and what the ministers
should know about music—but don't!
* * *
Brandt Lake, by the way, is one of the smaller, but
most beautiful, of the chain of lakes that nestle in
the Adirondacks. It is near Loon Lake and Lake
George. Close to the shores of the latter is the sum-
mer home of another of the New York piano manu-
facturers—Frank Decker, of Decker & Son.
Mr. Decker is up there now enjoying the wonder-
ful scenery, the splendid roads and the blackberry
picking, which is at its height this week. There are
few places in the world more beautiful or wholesome
than the Adirondack slopes, and the number of new
summer homes there attest the fact that people—in-
cluding music men—know it.
* * *
It has often been observed that the really strong
men. in any field of industry, profession or diplomatic
work, are very apt to be the quiet ones. They don't
call out loud as they pass by. They must more often
be sought out than be expected to hunt you up, even
if you think you are entitled to special consideration.
Men of the kind are usually pretty busy in their
thinking departments, even if they don't always seem
that way. And there are piano men of that kind.
* * *
A few days ago a small group of men associated
with the piano industry met in the railway station in
Albany, N. Y. One of them had just come in from
the D. & H. road, which runs up through the Adiron-
dacks to Montreal. The others were western men,
homeward bound, who had stopped in the quaint old
capital of New York State to see the Boardman &
Gray factory. .They fell to discussing other piano
men, and especially the methods of some of the
leaders. One of them was a widely known whole-
sale piano salesman.
*
*
*
"You've taken some big orders in your time," re-
marked one of the three piano men to another one.
"Yes, T have, and perhaps it's strange that the bigger
the orders the easier they have come.
"I once worked a whole week to sell two samples
to a dealer in Washington. After I had succeeded in
interesting my customer, I went to the hotel pretty
well tired out. Just as I was about to take the trafn
for home, I ran into another piano man—a manufac-
turer, and a large producer, who still finds it neces-
sary to "fill in" with other instruments occasionally.
And he represents the other kind of buyer."
* * *
Naturally, the listeners assumed that the salesman
might not care to disclose the identity of his "easy
buyer." But it wasn't so. "The piano manufacturer-
buyer," continued the salesman, "just asked: 'Has
your house any pianos you want to sell, or are you
jammed with orders? We can't make them as fast
as we want them, and perhaps I might give you an
order.' "
It sounded good. "I'll sell you," said the sales-
man. And, although the train was to leave within
ten minutes, the salesman had entered an order for
six carloads before he boarded it.
The buyer, in that case was Charles Jacob, of the
big New York industry.
"But," the salesman was asked, "did Mr. Jacob
exact a special price?"
"Not at all. On the contrary, he knew what pianos
were worth and didn't even comment on my figures
at all."
There was an illustration of the difference in buy-
ing of a large man, who knows, and many little ones
who either just think they know or really don't
know at all.
* * *
When the late Samuel C. Osborn announced his
intention to build up a great piano industry by selling
grand pianos for $350 at retail there were a few who
considered his scheme seriously. But when the little
grand piano appeared it was at once seen that it was
in some important respects something of an innova-
tion.
Practical piano makers, who examined it, expressed
the opinion that someone had introduced something
really new. Especially the case construction and
iron plate presented good points, and evidently, too,
the actual cost of production could be cut in an ap-
ciable degree.
* # *
A good degree of the saving in the production of
the Osborn grand was due to an ingenious piece of
machinery—or, more accurately, a power press, which
had been devised.
There were piano men who said that the notion
had so much merit that they would like to have the
machine. When Mr. Osborn failed, and then died,
the assets of his company were sold at auction. A
"lump" sum was paid for the unfinished pianos and
materials. But the important, and original, press
was carted away to a junk shoo, having been sold for
old iron.
Since then several piano manufacturers have been
trying to find it. A case of tardy hindsight again.
* * "*
Several of the piano manufacturers have country
places, and one or two are farmers, in so far as that
they possess ample lands and herds of cattle. Of the
latter is E. P. Johnson, of the industries which bear
his name at Elgin and Ottawa, 111., respectively.
Mr. Johnson is a successful piano manufacturer.
He has accumu'ated a good-sized fortune. He also
has a splendid farm not far from Ottawa. He is a
!over of tine cattle, and he has one of the best herds
in Illinois.
But Mr. Johnson has discovered that all losses arc
not in the piano business. Within a short time his
farm was visited by the state inspectors whose busi-
ness it is to condemn tubercular cattle.
It isn't possible for the layman to tell whether a
cow or a bull is free of the germs or not. Often the
best-looking Jerseys may be infected. The inspec-
tors looked over and tested a herd of 80 of Mr.
Johnson's choisest cattle and condemned 44 of them.
The money loss ran well into the thousands—about
$6,000. It is customary for Uncle Sam to allow a
"rebate" of one-third the appraised value of the
animal. So that, it may seem, and Mr. Johnson will
tell you, the piano business isn't anywhere near the
end of the list in the matter of troubles, and in
actual profits—well, you know it's there.
STEINWAY & SONS PRICES
ADVANCE ON THREE STYLES
Famous New York Industry Explains that Increasing
Ccst of Production Makes Move Necessary.
A change in wholesale and retail prices of Stein-
way pianos will become effective on September 1.
The change means an increase in the prices of the
three smaller styles of grands, to-wit: Styles M, O
and A, and is necessitated by the constantly increas-
ing cost of labor and material.
Due to the high quality of workmanship demanded
by Steinway & Sons they have not reduced wages
in their factories from the high peak reached dur-
ing the war period and since then increases in many
departments over those figures have been granted.
Of course the advance in price will not in any de-
gree affect the demand for Steinway pianos which
has for some time been in excess of production. And
the absolute justice of the increase is clearly illus-
trated by the statement from which the foregoing an-
nouncement is made.
GULBRANSENS RETURN.
A. G. Gulbransen, president of the Gulbranscn-
Dickinson Co., Chicago, and C. Gulbransen, vice-
president and factory superintendent, reached New-
York Wednesday morning of this week on the steam-
ship "Stavanger-Fjord." They have been on a six
weeks' trip to Norway and Sweden. They will stop
at Buffalo en route to Chicago.
A FINAL DIVIDEND
In the matter of the National Piano Co., of Bos-
ton, the Bankruptcy Court has ordered the distri-
bution to the creditors of a final dividend of 8j/$%.
The dividend on this basis has been mailed to cred-
itors. From the amount there was deducted 5%, in
accordance with the arrangement with the Creditors'
Committee in 1916.
New Profit
For the Music Dealer
Music dealers must either be satisfied with a slow,
natural growth of business or must hunt out fields of
NEW PROFIT. And, that's just exactly what the
Miessner offers.
The many prospects for the Miessner type piano in
your locality can be sold no other instrument. So this
business in no way interferes with regular business.
Tendency toward smaller homes, better music in
schools, clubs, lodges, hotels, etc., is greatly increasing
this field of new profit.
"The Little Piano with the Big Tone"
The Miessner is today first in development. It is the
product of high specialization—the one type of piano
built by the Miessner Piano Company. Scientifically
constructed, an achievement in low tension stringing,
it's more than just a small piano, 3 ft. 7 in. high. Like
the highest priced grands it has no metal in the sound-
ing board. Attempts to imitate the Miessner have
fallen far short on account of its specialized stringing
and construction.
Think what you could do with such a piano in this
new, rapidly growing field. Then write for our at-
tractive dealer proposition.
MIESSNER PIANO CO.
126 Reed St., Milwaukee, Wis.
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