Presto

Presto Buyers' Guide
Analyzes and Classifies
All American P i a n o s
and in Detail Tells of
Their Makers.
PRESTO
Ertabtohed t»84. THE AMERICAN MUSIC TRADE WEEKLY
Presto Year Book
The Only Complete
Annual Review of the
American Music In-
dustries and Trades.
10 cent.; $2.00« r«.r
CHICAGO, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13, 1924
NEW YORK WAKES
TO CONDITIONS
Unwonted Activity Just Before the Coming of
the Week of Gift-Giving and
Festivities of the
Star.
MOSTLY PERSONAL MENTION
The New Piano Row of Manhattan Already Out-
shines the Old One That Helped Make Fifth
Avenue Famous.
All the workers, and the smilers, and the piano
sellers along the soon-to-be gorgeous new Piano Row
of Manhattan arc feeling well. They beam upon the
crowds that move along West Fifty-seventh street,
and pause to look into the splendid warerooms. And
they bow graciously, and smile broadly, when the
prospects enter and express the customary desire to
hear as well as to see.
Fifth avenue, is always an interesting place, filled
with the movement of business. This is not a New
York concern; not even an altogether U. S. A. con-
cern. It reaches out over the civilized world, and the
men who control it are themselves good signals of
the great house they have constructed.
First Vice President Wm. B. Armstrong is the
man most accessible, because usually at his desk.
And he is never slow to express himself. How he
did it with regard to Presto, and some of its work-
ers, would make a red covered book look green.
But he does it in kindly fashion and he leaves no
deep sting after the operation is over.
Vice President Frank E. Wade has been at the
Amphion factory, in Syracuse, for a week and one
misses Vice-President "C. A. Wagner, who is at the
Chickering offices in Boston. If any piano concern
is busy, then the American Piano Co. is just that—and
more. Its many long arms of industry make that the
normal condition, but just now—well! And the
Ampico and the Chickering are doing some really
artistic printed publicity.
Premier Grand Progress.
President Walter C. Hepperla of the Premier
Grand Piano Corporation, is out of town. Perhaps
not many in the trade know how near the Premier
came to being a "western" piano, also. The acquisi-
tion, by the New York industry, of the old Bush &
The New Piano Row.
Gerts plant, in Chicago, was as close a call as a
And there are new piano wareroom effects along split rail on the track of an express train. But it
fell through just as it was thought to be a cinch.
Fifty-seventh street. From the really magnificent
But the factory of the Premier Grand in New York
Chickering Building, and the stately Steinway build-
ing, the row of fine piano houses is impressive as no- is a giant and should keep the trade satisfied for a
where else in the world. And this is not an exaggera- while.
tion, either.
W. P. Haines & Co.
Turning from Fifth avenue into the new Piano Row,
Thos. Linton Floyd-Jones, of the W. P. Haines &
almost the first thing seen is a piano display. The Co., is putting in a share of his time at the factory
balcony-like reception room of the Story & Clark in Leominster, Mass. The company is very active,
Piano Co. is a novelty most pleasing. And, adjoining, the demand for W. P. Haines, Bradbury and Web-
the Sohmer & Co. wareroom must attract any critic ster instruments, showing a steady increase. Mr.
of business elegance.
Jones was on a business trip, however, this week.
The recently-opened Chickering building has been
Christman Piano Co.
reviewed in Presto; so has the new Steinway Hall.
Nowhere can more elegant, more imposing, or more
Henry Christman, of Christman & Sons, is out
complete palaces of trade and art combined be found. of the city this week. The factory, on East 137th
And that means that New York is "doing things" in street, is a substantially busy place. The word was
the industry associated with art, as in other things. that orders are coming in better than before in many
The Star of Empire may take its way westward, but months. The favor of the Studio Grand continues
in New York the stars of the piano are moving north- in the trade.
ward.
Another World Tour.
A Talk with McDonald.
Max De Rochemont, of Laffargue & Co., is about
If you happen to be a "trade paper man," you have ready to start on his trip around the world. He will
missed a lot if you have never listened to Alex Mc- be absent several months, but nothing is said about
Donald, of Sohmer & Co., etch his views of what his business intentions, though probably there will be
your business should be like, and what the result of
more people abroad who will know the Laffargue
your efforts should signalize. For Mr. McDonald is when he comes back.
himself one of "them lit'ry fellers," and he could make
Awaits Mr. Stanley.
a better music trade paper than has yet dawned.
But Mr. McDonald couldn't be bought at any price,
At the offices of William Tonk & Bro., Inc., on
for he is a piano lover, and all who have had any Tenth avenue, the head of that fine old house was
close association with the Sohmer piano know that the anticipating the arrival of Charlie Stanley, of Grand
instrument is one that wins and' holds the real piano Haven, Mich., who is on his way to Paris to reor-
lover—the lover of real pianos, to be more accurate.
ganize the factory of Gaveau & Co. Mr. Tonk has
And Mr. McDonald believes that a music trade a neighborly interest in the Paris industry, and Mr.
paper should be a real newspaper; that it should come Stanley wanted to discuss matters with him before
out wet with the first fall of the dew that gathers,, taking the boat.
before the others are up in the morning. But if
Presto could print all the news that it has, it would
indeed be a trade "newspaper," but it wouldn't have
FINE PORTLAND, ORE., TRADE.
any friends, and the confidences, spoken or implied,
The Portland, Ore., branch of Wiley B. Allen has
that it would violate would cause it to deserve oblivion been featuring the Ludwig Dainty Grand recently, by
in short order.
attractive window displays and extensive newspaper
No, Mr. McDonald, a trade paper can not be a advertisements, with excellent results, according to
newspaper in the newspaper sense. It must be more. Frank M. Case, local manager. Mr. Case also an-
It must be constructive, and usually that is just what nounces that they are anxiously awaiting the first
news is not. Presto prints more "new" matter than shipment of the Ampico in the Mason & Hamlin.
any other music trade paper; but not all of it is He anticipates good business with the instrument, as
"news." There are few scissors or paste pots 'round the Mason & Hamlin, for which the Wiley B. Allen
about the offices of this paper and the "copy" is Company has been the Pacific coast representative
all in MSS.
for years, appeals to those musicians and music lovers
But Mr. McDonald can advise and suggest, and who want the best that money can buy.
even direct Presto at any time. And what he says
will be listened to, for we know that he is usually
FIRE WRECKS NEW PIPE ORGAN.
right, and that he is one of the men who know
Fire, believed to have started from an overheated
of what they speak.
Business with the splendid Sohmer piano is good. furnace, wrecked the interior of the Mount Zion
If more orders came in, probably some of the dealers English Evangelical Lutheran Church, 81st and May
streets, Chicago, on Tuesday of this week. The new
would be disappointed.
The American Piano Co. headquarters, still on $25,000 pipe organ was destroyed.
PAUL J. HEALY DIED
IN PARIS ON TUESDAY
Second Son of the Late Founder of Old Chi-
cago Music House Had Given Up
Business Years Ago.
News of the death of Paul J. Healy, at one time
president of Lyon & Healy, Chicago, proved a sur-
prise to most members of the trade. Mr. Healy fol-
lowed the late Charles Post as head of the big music
house founded by his father. He was the second
son of the late P. J. Healy. His elder brother,
PAUL J. HEALY.
James, severed connection with the business long
before the founder died.
Paul Healy was of the positive type of tempera-
ment, and he introduced several wholly new plans
into the old house, some of which proved advan-
tageous. His revolutionary change in the famous
line of pianos represented by Lyon & Healy was one
of the events which stirred up some excitement in
trade circles, but as a rule his ideas were progressive,
in keeping with the Healy traditions.
Paul J. Healy was born in Chicago forty-nine years
ago, and, after graduating from Fordham College,
New York, entered the firm and worked his way up
to the highest executive office.
He married in 1907 Miss Marie Alexander of Chi-
cago. In 1915 he retired from business, and since
then had spent most of his time in California and in
Europe. He was in Switzerland with Mrs. Healy all
last summer. They had no children.
A heart attack some time ago presaged his death,
which, it is believed, was caused by the same trouble.
Mr. Healy was a member of the Chicago Athletic
Association and of the Midwick Golf Club of
Pasadena, Cal.
TO MOVE IN DES MOINES.
The Wilkinson Music House, Des Moines, Iowa,
will be in occupation of its new quarters in time to
take advantage of the Christmas rush. This firm is
one of the progressive kind whose efforts to stimulate
business never flags. For quite a while the necessity
for more space for showing the goods was an obvious
fact. In the new quarters 6,000 square feet are avail-
able for the purposes of the firm.
A. B. CHASE IN ALLIANCE, OHIO.
The Roath Piano Co., Alliance, Ohio, is featuring
the A. B. Chase pianos in its strong campaign for
Christmas sales. The company was recently ap-
pointed the exclusive selling agents in Alliance and
vicinity for the A. B. Chase pianos, made by the
United Piano Corporation. The complete line will be
carried by this store.
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