Presto

PRESTO
PLATT MUSIC COMPANY
CELEBRATES BIG EVENT
Eighteenth Anniversary of Founding of the
Business in Los Angeles, Cal., Com-
memorated in Novel Way.
SIX STORES PARTICIPATED
Beginning as Sewing Machine Salesman, Mr. Platt
Has Built One of Largest Establishments in West.
The Platt Music Co., of Los Angeles, recently
celebrated its eighteenth anniversary with two events
of interest and importance. One was a house boat
and beach festival for employees and friends of the
firm; the other was a great sale in which sweeping
reductions were made amounting to a total mark
down of $50,000.
The six stores of the Platt Music Co. closed their
doors early in the afternoon and the employees went
down to San Pedro, where the center of festivities
was the houseboat of Marco Hellman, president of
the Merchants' National and Hellman Banks. Over
two hundred people were present, among them a few
special guests, including Mr. Hellman, Beeman P.
Sibley, western representative of the Kohler Indus-
tries; Herbert L. Clarke, well-known cornet player;
A. S. Farquharson, secretary of the Music Trades
Association of Southern California.
L. A. Fleischmann acted as master of ceremonies,
calling on every department and branch of the or-
ganization for a musical number. Unsuspected tal-
ent was discovered and rewarded when Robert
Turner, a messenger boy at the main store, made a
great impression in a piano solo. He will become a
demonstrator on the main floor as a result of not
"hiding his light under a bushel." Miss Katherine
Mason also played the piano. Eddie Klein, of the
Long Beach branch, rendered several effective saxo-
phone numbers, and Edwin Lester, manager of the
Western Avenue branch, made the hit of the eve-
ning with a "Mr. Gallagher and Mr. Shean" parody
concerning Mr. Epstein and Mr. Platt. Mr. Platt
made a friendly and moving speech in which he
praised the loyalty and enthusiasm of his employees.
This impressive celebration of a great organization
of six stores and over two hundred employees brought
to mind the beginnings of the Platt Music Co. eigh-
teen years ago. At that time Ben Platt was in Los
Angeles as a representative for the Singer Sewing
Machine Co., and who told him that his next jump
would take him to Mexico. Mr. Platt liked Los
Angeles better than he liked the idea of Mexico. He
resigned.
He met a friend who was a dealer in second-hand
pianos, formed a partnership and opened a store to
sell second-hand pianos and sewing machines. His
initial stock of instruments was one used piano. They
sold it for enough money to buy two more used
pianos and the business was established. Building up
sale by sale, Ben Platt developed his business
through eighteen years until today he puts over in
his six beautiful stores a quarter-of-a-million-dollar
sale.
WORE THEIR WAR BONNETS
TO BUY THEIR PIANOS
Indians Were First Customers of Pioneer Music
House at Sioux City, Iowa.
There are few who remember the battleworn coun-
try of the northwest when there were but few white
settlements and when Indians in war paint and
feathers trooped through the country for long dis-
tances. There are a few people yet who remember
when the Schmoller & Mueller Piano Company was
organized in Iowa.
It was in 1859, two years before the Civil war, a
year before the telegraph, ten years before the Union
Pacific wended its way through Council Bluffs, two
years before Omaha got its charter. And at this late
day a good story of the pioneer days comes from
the old music house about the time when Indian
fighters made the first telegraph connections at
Omaha. This was a year after Schmoller & Mueller
Piano Company was organized to supply the new
country with music.
Among the early patrons of the house of Schmoller
& Mueller, goes the story, were Indian warriors, who
trooped into the tiny store and offered their drums
and head-gear in payment for musical instruments.
Among the first customers of the house were mem-
bers of the early Mormon settlement at Council
Bluffs.
When Omaha began to make rapid strides, the
September 29, 1923
Schmoller & Mueller house moved their main head-
quarters across the river and began to see visions of
future possibilities. The influence that music has
had on the enlightenment of the settlers of this
country would be difficult to estimate.
As the country grew in wealth and prosperity
Schmoller & Mueller enlarged their business to
take care of the growing trade until today their busi-
ness reaches more than a million dollars a year. They
have held exclusive agencies for some of the highest
grade pianos for more than a generation.
And it was sixty-four years after the first Indians
trooped into the Schmoller & Mueller store that
Charlie Thompson, the Smith, Barnes & Strohber
traveler, discovered oxoline and let Mr. Schmoller
into the secret of it. Mr. Thompson presented the
first sample to the Council Bluffs piano man less
than a year ago.
•=•=•:•=•:•:•:•=•=•:•=•::•:•:•:•:•:»
CASE OF DANZ PIANO CO.
AGAINST THE WURLITZER CO.
IN EVERT
DETAIL
Reflections Upon the Attitude of the Defendants as
Published Were Not Justified.
In an item which appeared in Presto of August
8th, concerning a charge brought by the Danz Piano
Co., of. Anaheim, Cal., vs. the Rudolph Wurlitzer Co.,
in which officials of the latter were said to have tried
to "force" the former concern to "sell its stock,"
there were unfair statements. Presto regrets this,
and does not hesitate to apologize to the Wurlitzer
Company, and particularly to Howard Wurlitzer,
whose name appeared in the article as published.
The report of the Anaheim case, as printed in
Presto was an extract from a local newspaper, in
which "coercion and threats'' were charged against
the Cincinnati house and its head. No one who read
the item could have believed that other than fair
methods on the part of Mr.. Wurlitzer were em-
ployed in the case. Presto knows nothing of the
case except the publication in the local paper and
regrets that the item was inadvertently republished
in these columns.
As
ARTISTIC
HADDORFF PIANO CO,
ROCKFORD.ILL.
Wholcaal* Office*:
N*w T«rk Cftf
13tW.«ndSt.
CUca*
. Micfc%«i At*.
S*n
:•=•=•=•=•=•:•:•=•:•:•=•»:•=•=•:
NELSON-HOLZER PIANO MFG.
CO. IN HANDS OF A RECEIVER
Latest Industry Started by H. P. Nelson Fails
Because of Lack of Capital.
To follow the trail of piano-maker H. P. Nelson
from his first success to his latest financial failure
would be like witnessing one of "Bill" Hart's movie
picture thrillers. For Mr. Nelson has been so long
conspicuous that he would be missed even to drop
out wholly and completely. His latest was the Nel-
son-Holzer Piano Mfg. Co., which was thrown into
a receivership last week with liabilities of $20,000 and
assets of less than one-fourth that amount. The
newspapers printed an unfair statement that the lia-
bilities were $66,000 with no assets.
Mr. Nelson's financial backer in his latest industry,
with factory at 832 North Wells street, Chicago, is a
member of the realty and bond firm of Leight &
Holzer, Chicago. Mr. Holzer declined to make any
statement further than that, aside from the failure,
"everything was all right."
H. P. Nelson has tried hard to recover from his
business failure of years ago. He is an energetic
piano maker of unquestioned ability, but fortune has
seemed against him. His last industry was devoted
to the manufacture of grand pianos exclusively.
STORY & CLARK ACTIVITIES.
E. M. Love, secretary of the Story & Clark Piano
Company, Chicago, is this week on a business trip
through the South, covering the states of Tennessee,
Kentucky, Alabama, Georgia, and Arkansas. E. H.
Story, president of the Story & Clark Piano Com-
pany, has just returned to headquarters in Chicago,
from a visit to the factory in Grand Haven, Michi-
gan.
R. A. Burke has returned from a short business
trip to Indianapolis, where he spent the latter part
of last week.
MAY ERECT SIGN.
When the board of public works of Goshen, Ind.,
held its regular session at the city hall last week the
petition of Wilbur Templin of Wilbur Templin's
Music Stores, for permission to erect a sign in front
of the new music store, 206 South Main street, was
granted.
Rogers & Wilson, Goshen, Ind., has made extensive
interior improvements in its store. The firm was
established in 1871 by Elias C. Wilson and Charles
B. Rogers.
C ncinnati Factor.es of The Baldwin Piano Company
SUCCESS
is assured the dealer who takes advantage of
THE BALDWIN CO-OPERATION PLAN
which offers every opportunity to represent
under the mos favorable conditions a com-
plete 1'ne of high grade pianos, players and
reproducers
For tnjormailon Wrilt
in $iano Companp
Incorporated
CHICAGO
ST. LOUIS
DALLAS
CINCINNATI
INDIANAPOLIS
LOUISVILLI
New YORK
DENVIB
SAN FRANCISCO
H
t
The Heppe, Mar cellus and Edouard Jules PlftOO
m anufactured by the
HEPPE PIANO COMPANY
are the on' y pianos In the world with
Thre e Sounding Boards.
Pacented in the United States, Great Britain,
Prance Germany and Canada,
Liberal arrangerr lents to responsible agents only.
MainO ffice ,1117 Chestnut St.
PH [LADELPHIA. PA.
When in doubt refer to
PRESTO BUYERS GUIDE
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