Presto
Issue: 1927 2113 - Page 11
11
PRESTO-TIMES
January 29, 1927.
TRIBUTE TO 0. K. HOUCK
| PIANO CO. IN MAGAZINE
Anglo-American Review of London Prints
History of Memphis Concern Established
Forty-three Years Ago.
Tribute to the public policy and to the rapid growth
of the O. K. Houck Piano Company, Memphis, Term.,
with branches in Nashville, Term., Little Rock, Ark.,
and Shreveport, La., is paid in the Anglo-American
Review, a monthly magazine published at London,
England, and devoted to modern industrial methods.
The article, interspersed with photographs of offi-
cials and founders of the firm, occupies two full pages,
and seems to testify to the international reputation
which the O. K. Houck Piano Company has estab-
lished in more than forty-three years of operation.
The organization of the business is described, with
a glimpse into the life of its founders, J. C. Houck
and his son, O. K. Houck.
O. K. Houck, the article states, went to Nashville
with his parents in 1873. He entered the employ of
the old Nashville American, and being in need of
more funds, worked on the side in the music store
of his uncle, Jesse French. After about a year his
health failed and he went to driving mules in the
Rocky Mountains. This arduous outdoor work re-
stored .his health, and he returned to Memphis, after
several years, to establish with his father, J. C.
Houck, the piano business in existence today.
"In turning to the immense business which has
been built by the O. K. Houck Piano Company we
are 'turning to a business which is more than usually
built on an ideal. Its ideal was that more or less
common one—service, but it was combined with a
profound study of how to put that ideal into practical
operation with the result that the business is closer
to its ideal than most businesses.
"An important event in the case of O. K. Houck
was in 1909 when he issued his famous 'one price'
affidavit. This was a sworn statement in which he
MASCOT
The World's Leading Small
Electric Piano
TAKES UP SMALL SPACE
MAKES LARGE EARNINGS
declared that he would not sell pianos as they were
then mainly sold, according to the price that could he
got for them, the commissions to be paid for their
introduction, and so on; but that he would charge one
price for one given instrument, no matter where or
under what conditions it was sold. He was laughed
at by the other dealers as one who did not know
profit when he saw it, but the policy paid."
J. F. Houck, a son of the late J. C. Houck and a
brother of the late O. K. Houck, is president of the
company; W. T. Sutherland is vice-president and
general manager, J. G. McConnell is treasurer, and
J. F. Houck, Jr., is secretary.
The Nashville branch of the company is under the
direction of A. L. Garthwaite.
BUSY CHICAGO JOBBER
FILLING MANY ORDERS
Bee Hive of Matt Kennedy, 209 South State Street,
Where Extensive Line Is Represented.
Matt Kennedy, well known in the piano trade
throughout the country, and wholesaler distributor of
the Premier, McPhail, Schaff Bros, and other lines,
in the middle west, makes an encouraging report of
conditions in the trade. Mr. Kennedy and his group
of capable piano travelers have made much use of the
Pullman cars since the first of 'the year. Jumping
from town to town and visiting music merchants has
resulted in many signatures on the dotted line, all of
which refutes the present hullaballoo that there is
slow demand for pianos.
"The trade is wonderful," said Mr. Kennedy to a
Presto-Times representative on Thursday. "We
have had a record January and there is no reason to
believe that the trade will slow up in the immediate
future.
429 W. Superior St., Chicago
At the annual meeting of the Gulbransen Com-
pany, Chicago, on Tuesday of this week, the old
officers were re-elected. The report for the year 1926
disclosed a most satisfactory condition. The Gul-
bransen officers are: A. G. Gulbransen, president
and treasurer; C. Gulbransen, vice-president; Edward
B. Healy, secretary. The directors are A. G. Gul-
bransen, C. Gulbransen, Edward B. Healy, A. H.
Pletcher, D. A. McDermott, L. W. Peterson, A. H.
Boetcher and C. H. Berggren.
DAN PAGENTA'S NEW ROLE.
Dan Pagenta, popular piano traveler, is now con-
nected with Matt Kennedy, 209 South State street,
Chicago, wholesale distributor of the Schaff Bros.
Co.'s line, of Huntington, Ind. Mr. Pagenta will
travel the states of Wisconsin, Minnesota, Missouri,
Iowa, and Illinois.
Becker Bros.
Manufacturer* ot
HIGH GRADE PIANOS
and PLAYER PIANOS
Factory and Wareroomb
the Heppe, Marcellus and Edouard Jules P1&O>
manufactured by the
A QUALITY PRODUCT
FOR OVER
QUARTER OF A CENTURY
-s : =--=^z^^r=i:f==\ tst
In explanation of New York curb market manipu-
lation of the Estey Welte Corporation stock, which
has caused some interest in the trade, George W. Git-
tins, president of the company, issued a statement on
Tuesday in which he said:
"No officer of this corporation is in the market
either as a buyer or seller of Estey Welte stock, nor
are they personally interested in the market move-
ment of the corporation's securities. I had no infor-
mation of today's market action until after 2 p. m.
Today's break in the market price of our stock does
not in the slightest degree reflect any condition in our
business.
"Our present operations are larger and more profit-
able than at any time in the past, and our prospects
are encouraging, to say the least. Our financial con-
dition is excellent. The market action in the stock
today is in our opinion entirely the result of profes-
sional trading.
The progress of the Estey Welte Corporation has
been almost phenomenal, and the Welte Mignon in-
struments are in steadily growing demand.
THROUGH THE MILL
FOR THIRTY YEARS
W. J. Behr, president of the New York piano com-
pany bearing his name, recently received a six-page
letter which contained truly remarkable information.
Some excerpts from it follows:
"Something more than thirty years ago, while I
was living in St. Paul, Minn., I bought one of your
pianos, an upright grand. All these years this piano
has had hard usage; for the past twenty years I have
been giving music lessons, and the piano has traveled
much and widely—was lost for six weeks one winter.
At one time when we moved from one of the Flor-
ida Keys to Miami the sailboat was caught in a
hurricane and the piano on the open deck weathered
the storm. In reality it has not even had the usual
care given to a piano as much of the time I have
lived where it was difficult even to have it tuned.
But until the great hurricane we had September 18
it has always been a real piano, even yet it is not
beyond repair. It can be easliy realized how I have
become attached to this instrument. If I possibly
can, I want to buy another piano, naturally I cannot
think of any other piano than a Behr Bros, after
my experience. Your piano has stood this climate
better than any piano I know."
After making inquiries with regard to the purchase
of a new Behr Bros, instrument the writer offers
her well loved piano for use as a demonstration piece.
To comment upon this splendid letter would be to
"paint the lily."
NEW MISSISSIPPI STORE.
767-769 Tenth Avenue, New York
R. V. Nielsen, Picayune, Miss., has recently opened
a music store and music studio at that place, and has
put in a full line of sheet music and small goods
along with a stock of pianos.
The Original Small Piano
STRICH & ZEIDLER, Inc.
Made and marketed by specialists in small
pianos. Valuable territory still open.
Write for our effective sales plan.
HEPPE PIANO COMPANY
are the only pianos In the world with
Three Sounding Boards.
Patented In the United States, Great Britain*
France, Germany and Canada.
Liberal arrangements to responsible agents only*
Main Office ,1117 Chestnut St.
PHILADELPHIA,, PA.
Progress of Welte Mignon Has Been a Marked
Feature of the Trade Since New
Organization Was Completed.
Minneapolis Music Teacher Tells of Behr Bros.
Piano, Which Has Had Stormy and
GULBRANSEN OFFICERS RE-ELECTED.
Adventurous Career.
Your territory may be open
Western Electric Piano Co.
GEO. W. GITTINS EXPLAINS
FLURRY IN STOCK MARKET
THE LITTLE PIANO WITH THE BIG TONE
MIESSNER PIANO COMPANY
126 Reed St.
Milwaukee, Wis.
POOLE
•^BOSTON-
GRAND, UPRIGHT and PLAYER
AND
HOMER PIANOS
740-742 East 136th Street
NEW YORK
GRAND AND UPRIGHT PIANOS
ANO
PLAYER PIANOS
Enhanced content © 2008-2009 and presented by MBSI - The Musical Box Society International (www.mbsi.org) and the International Arcade Museum (www.arcade-museum.com).
All Rights Reserved. Digitized from the archives of the MBSI with support from NAMM - The International Music Products Association (www.namm.org).
Additional enhancement, optimization, and distribution by the International Arcade Museum. An extensive collection of Presto can be found online at http://www.arcade-museum.com/library/
PRESTO-TIMES
January 29, 1927.
TRIBUTE TO 0. K. HOUCK
| PIANO CO. IN MAGAZINE
Anglo-American Review of London Prints
History of Memphis Concern Established
Forty-three Years Ago.
Tribute to the public policy and to the rapid growth
of the O. K. Houck Piano Company, Memphis, Term.,
with branches in Nashville, Term., Little Rock, Ark.,
and Shreveport, La., is paid in the Anglo-American
Review, a monthly magazine published at London,
England, and devoted to modern industrial methods.
The article, interspersed with photographs of offi-
cials and founders of the firm, occupies two full pages,
and seems to testify to the international reputation
which the O. K. Houck Piano Company has estab-
lished in more than forty-three years of operation.
The organization of the business is described, with
a glimpse into the life of its founders, J. C. Houck
and his son, O. K. Houck.
O. K. Houck, the article states, went to Nashville
with his parents in 1873. He entered the employ of
the old Nashville American, and being in need of
more funds, worked on the side in the music store
of his uncle, Jesse French. After about a year his
health failed and he went to driving mules in the
Rocky Mountains. This arduous outdoor work re-
stored .his health, and he returned to Memphis, after
several years, to establish with his father, J. C.
Houck, the piano business in existence today.
"In turning to the immense business which has
been built by the O. K. Houck Piano Company we
are 'turning to a business which is more than usually
built on an ideal. Its ideal was that more or less
common one—service, but it was combined with a
profound study of how to put that ideal into practical
operation with the result that the business is closer
to its ideal than most businesses.
"An important event in the case of O. K. Houck
was in 1909 when he issued his famous 'one price'
affidavit. This was a sworn statement in which he
MASCOT
The World's Leading Small
Electric Piano
TAKES UP SMALL SPACE
MAKES LARGE EARNINGS
declared that he would not sell pianos as they were
then mainly sold, according to the price that could he
got for them, the commissions to be paid for their
introduction, and so on; but that he would charge one
price for one given instrument, no matter where or
under what conditions it was sold. He was laughed
at by the other dealers as one who did not know
profit when he saw it, but the policy paid."
J. F. Houck, a son of the late J. C. Houck and a
brother of the late O. K. Houck, is president of the
company; W. T. Sutherland is vice-president and
general manager, J. G. McConnell is treasurer, and
J. F. Houck, Jr., is secretary.
The Nashville branch of the company is under the
direction of A. L. Garthwaite.
BUSY CHICAGO JOBBER
FILLING MANY ORDERS
Bee Hive of Matt Kennedy, 209 South State Street,
Where Extensive Line Is Represented.
Matt Kennedy, well known in the piano trade
throughout the country, and wholesaler distributor of
the Premier, McPhail, Schaff Bros, and other lines,
in the middle west, makes an encouraging report of
conditions in the trade. Mr. Kennedy and his group
of capable piano travelers have made much use of the
Pullman cars since the first of 'the year. Jumping
from town to town and visiting music merchants has
resulted in many signatures on the dotted line, all of
which refutes the present hullaballoo that there is
slow demand for pianos.
"The trade is wonderful," said Mr. Kennedy to a
Presto-Times representative on Thursday. "We
have had a record January and there is no reason to
believe that the trade will slow up in the immediate
future.
429 W. Superior St., Chicago
At the annual meeting of the Gulbransen Com-
pany, Chicago, on Tuesday of this week, the old
officers were re-elected. The report for the year 1926
disclosed a most satisfactory condition. The Gul-
bransen officers are: A. G. Gulbransen, president
and treasurer; C. Gulbransen, vice-president; Edward
B. Healy, secretary. The directors are A. G. Gul-
bransen, C. Gulbransen, Edward B. Healy, A. H.
Pletcher, D. A. McDermott, L. W. Peterson, A. H.
Boetcher and C. H. Berggren.
DAN PAGENTA'S NEW ROLE.
Dan Pagenta, popular piano traveler, is now con-
nected with Matt Kennedy, 209 South State street,
Chicago, wholesale distributor of the Schaff Bros.
Co.'s line, of Huntington, Ind. Mr. Pagenta will
travel the states of Wisconsin, Minnesota, Missouri,
Iowa, and Illinois.
Becker Bros.
Manufacturer* ot
HIGH GRADE PIANOS
and PLAYER PIANOS
Factory and Wareroomb
the Heppe, Marcellus and Edouard Jules P1&O>
manufactured by the
A QUALITY PRODUCT
FOR OVER
QUARTER OF A CENTURY
-s : =--=^z^^r=i:f==\ tst
In explanation of New York curb market manipu-
lation of the Estey Welte Corporation stock, which
has caused some interest in the trade, George W. Git-
tins, president of the company, issued a statement on
Tuesday in which he said:
"No officer of this corporation is in the market
either as a buyer or seller of Estey Welte stock, nor
are they personally interested in the market move-
ment of the corporation's securities. I had no infor-
mation of today's market action until after 2 p. m.
Today's break in the market price of our stock does
not in the slightest degree reflect any condition in our
business.
"Our present operations are larger and more profit-
able than at any time in the past, and our prospects
are encouraging, to say the least. Our financial con-
dition is excellent. The market action in the stock
today is in our opinion entirely the result of profes-
sional trading.
The progress of the Estey Welte Corporation has
been almost phenomenal, and the Welte Mignon in-
struments are in steadily growing demand.
THROUGH THE MILL
FOR THIRTY YEARS
W. J. Behr, president of the New York piano com-
pany bearing his name, recently received a six-page
letter which contained truly remarkable information.
Some excerpts from it follows:
"Something more than thirty years ago, while I
was living in St. Paul, Minn., I bought one of your
pianos, an upright grand. All these years this piano
has had hard usage; for the past twenty years I have
been giving music lessons, and the piano has traveled
much and widely—was lost for six weeks one winter.
At one time when we moved from one of the Flor-
ida Keys to Miami the sailboat was caught in a
hurricane and the piano on the open deck weathered
the storm. In reality it has not even had the usual
care given to a piano as much of the time I have
lived where it was difficult even to have it tuned.
But until the great hurricane we had September 18
it has always been a real piano, even yet it is not
beyond repair. It can be easliy realized how I have
become attached to this instrument. If I possibly
can, I want to buy another piano, naturally I cannot
think of any other piano than a Behr Bros, after
my experience. Your piano has stood this climate
better than any piano I know."
After making inquiries with regard to the purchase
of a new Behr Bros, instrument the writer offers
her well loved piano for use as a demonstration piece.
To comment upon this splendid letter would be to
"paint the lily."
NEW MISSISSIPPI STORE.
767-769 Tenth Avenue, New York
R. V. Nielsen, Picayune, Miss., has recently opened
a music store and music studio at that place, and has
put in a full line of sheet music and small goods
along with a stock of pianos.
The Original Small Piano
STRICH & ZEIDLER, Inc.
Made and marketed by specialists in small
pianos. Valuable territory still open.
Write for our effective sales plan.
HEPPE PIANO COMPANY
are the only pianos In the world with
Three Sounding Boards.
Patented In the United States, Great Britain*
France, Germany and Canada.
Liberal arrangements to responsible agents only*
Main Office ,1117 Chestnut St.
PHILADELPHIA,, PA.
Progress of Welte Mignon Has Been a Marked
Feature of the Trade Since New
Organization Was Completed.
Minneapolis Music Teacher Tells of Behr Bros.
Piano, Which Has Had Stormy and
GULBRANSEN OFFICERS RE-ELECTED.
Adventurous Career.
Your territory may be open
Western Electric Piano Co.
GEO. W. GITTINS EXPLAINS
FLURRY IN STOCK MARKET
THE LITTLE PIANO WITH THE BIG TONE
MIESSNER PIANO COMPANY
126 Reed St.
Milwaukee, Wis.
POOLE
•^BOSTON-
GRAND, UPRIGHT and PLAYER
AND
HOMER PIANOS
740-742 East 136th Street
NEW YORK
GRAND AND UPRIGHT PIANOS
ANO
PLAYER PIANOS
Enhanced content © 2008-2009 and presented by MBSI - The Musical Box Society International (www.mbsi.org) and the International Arcade Museum (www.arcade-museum.com).
All Rights Reserved. Digitized from the archives of the MBSI with support from NAMM - The International Music Products Association (www.namm.org).
Additional enhancement, optimization, and distribution by the International Arcade Museum. An extensive collection of Presto can be found online at http://www.arcade-museum.com/library/
Future scanning projects are planned by the International Arcade Museum Library (IAML).