Presto

January, 1930
35
PRESTO-TIMES
CHRONOLOGY OF EVENTS
IN THE MUSIC TRADE IN 1929
JANUARY
An interview given by E. B. Bartlett, vice-president
of the W. W. Kimball Company, enlightened readers
of Presto-Times on sales conditions in the trade.
Hyman Stein became radio sales manager of the
Starr Piano Company, Cleveland.
E. P. Hagermeyer resigned his position as head
of the radio department of the Baldwin Piano Com-
pany, Denver, to accept a position at the Baldwin
factory. He was succeeded by C. M. Pettit.
At its annual meeting in Cleveland, the Music
Teachers' National Association unanimously passed a
resolution endorsing group piano instruction.
J. S. Atkinson, director of the Canadian Bureau for
the Advancement of Music, stated that "piano class
work is succeeding far beyond our fondest expecta-
tions."
The Kieselhorst Company, St. Louis, celebrated its
fifty years of success and service.
Two thousand Majestic dealers from New York
city and the immediate vicinity were guests at a ban-
quet in the Pennsylvania Hotel.
Charles A. Craig, who had been in charge of the
sales promotion department of the Sonora Phono-
graph Company, was appointed field sales manager for
the New York district.
Walter C. Hepperla, president of the Premier Grand
Piano Corporation, New York, resigned.
The Baldwin Piano Company purchased 317x390
feet of ground in Chicago Heights, 111., to provide
for future expansion.
The consolidation of the Touk Alanufacturing Com-
pany, 1912 Lewis street, Chicago, the S. E. Overtoil
Company, South Haven, Mich., and the Logansport
Furniture Company, Logansport, Ind , was announced.
Thirty-eight loyal employes who had been with the
Weaver Piano Company, Inc., York, Pa., twenty
years or more, were honored with a banquet.
Walter Ecker took charge of outside retail sales for
the Cable Piano Company, Chicago.
The board of directors of the National Association
of Piano Tuners, Inc., held its mid-year meeting Jan-
uary 13 at the National headquarters, 22 Quincy
street, Chicago, 111.
The Pedria division of the National Association of
Piano Tuners, Inc., together with the members of
the Capital division, which includes tuners from
Spfingfield, Bloomington, Decatur and Jacksonville,
held its first quarterly all-day meeting January 14 at
the Pere Marquette Hotel, Peoria.
John H. Parnham, president of the Everett Piano
Company, South Haven, Mich., and J. L. Barron,
vice-president, purchased a substantial stock interest
in the Howard Radio Company of Chicago under an
agreement that the Howard Radio Company was to
move its factory to South Haven and that the Everett
Company was to make all its cabinets. They were
made directors, of the company.
First steps were taken to unify Victor Talking
Machine Company and Radio Corporation of America.
The board of directors of the Radio Manufacturers'
Association met at Briarcl : ff Lodge, Briarcliff, New
York, January 11-12.
Albert J. Ford, once advertising manager for The
American Piano Company, New York, went into part-
nership with Leonard Davis, special sales expert, with
headquarters in San Diego, Calif.
The New England Music Trade Association pre-
pared to take an active part in the tercentenary of the
founding of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, to be cele-
brated this year in Boston.
Ralph B. Waite, well-known Chicago piano man,
became associated with the Cable Piano Company,
Chicago.
A meeting of travelers of the Chicago division of
the Baldwin Piano Company was held January 4
and 5.
The Schiller Piano Company, Oregon, 111., held its
annual meeting January 9, at which officers for 1929
were elected: Edgar B. Jones, president; Frank
Hood, vice-president; B. F. Shelly, secretary; and
C. F. Jones, treasurer.
The Gulbransen Company, Chicago, introduced its
"Home Series."
Regional and branch managers of the Capehart
Automatic Phonograph Corporation of Fort Wayne,
Ind, held a sales convention at the company offices,
then in Huntington, Ind.
The Chicago Piano & Organ Association held its
thirtieth annual dinner on Thursday evening, January
24, at the Union League Club, Chicago.
National distributors of Pan-American instruments,
at their annual meeting at the Pan-American factory,
Elkhart, Ind., January 8-9, pledged a more rigid policy
regarding discounts on band instruments.
George P. Bent's book, "Four Score and More,"
dedicated to Col. Edward Saxton Payson, was deliv-
ered to subscribers.
David B. Parsill, advertising manager of the QRS-
De Vry Corporation, died suddenly at the home of
his sister, Mrs. Mason, 5009 Central Park avenue,
Chicago.
William F. Boothe, formerly of New York and
Philadelphia, died in Los Angeles, Calif. Mr. Boothe
was a manufacturer of pianos in New York twenty-
five or thirty years ago.
Robert Steinert, president of the Jewett Piano Co.,
Boston, sailed for Europe with Mrs. Steinert.
Mrs. Emma Urchs, widow of the late Ernest Urchs,
manager of the wholesale and artists department of
Steinway & Sons, died at her home, 320 West 87th
street, New York, on January 5, in her 64th year.
Louis Leiter, 86 years old, president of Leiter Broth-
ers, Inc., Syracuse, N. Y., passed away in Miami, Fla.
music business and in his days as piano traveler. Mr.
Hudson traveled for years for the Jesse French &
Sons Piano Company, New Castle, Ind., in Ohio and
Pennsylvania.
Walter M. Gotsch. head of the Walter M. Gotsch
Co., Chicago, sailed for Europe on the "Berlin," Feb-
ruary 21.
The Sonotron Tube Co , Newark. N. J., leased the
Adam Schaaf factory at Central Park avenue and
Fillmore street, Chicago, and is manufacturing tubes
on a large scale.
The W. W. Kimball Co.,' Chicago, announced the
addition of a new style upright to the "Junior" group.
Adam Schneider, formerly of Julius Bauer & Co.,
celebrated 55 years of association with the music trade
on February 9.
Taylor C. White was appointed general sales man-
ager for the Fitzgerald Music Co., Los Angeles.
Herbert S. Mills, president of the Mills Novelty
Company, Chicago, died February 3 aboard his yacht
in Miami harbor.
Walton Perkins, reputed to be Chicago's oldest
pianist and a teacher there for the last fifty years,
died of heart disease at his home, 4021 Lake Park
avenue, February 8.
Fritz Weickert, Sr., a partner in the firm of J. D.
Weickert, feltmakers, since 1901, died suddenly in
Leipzig on January 10.
MARCH
An increase in tariff rates on organs and a contin-
uation of present rates on all other articles except
fretted string instruments and accessories was recom-
FEBRUARY
mended by the Music Industries Chamber of Com-
Lyon & IJealy, Chicago, absorbed the Bissell-Wei- merce in its brief presented before the hearings of
sert Piano Company, 26 South Michigan avenue, Chi- the Ways and Means Committee, House of Represen-
cago. Arthur Bissell and Henry E. Weisert imme- tatives, in Washington on February 18.
diately became associated with Lyon & Healy as vice-
Yelly d'Aranyi. brilliant young Hungarian violinist,
presidents in charge of the piano division.
was the star of the "At the Baldwin" program over a
The Baldwin Piano Company, Cincinnati, inaug- nation-wide radio chain March 3.
urated its "At the Baldwin" radio hour on a national
High honors in the Weaver sales contest, inaug-
hookup.
urated by the Weaver Piano Company, York, Pa.,
Officers and directors of the Gulbransen Company which ended December 31, went to L. B. Norfleet,
of Chicago were re-elected at the annual meeting.
Franklin, Va., with 10,625 points.
E. R. Fenimore Johnson on January 26 resigned as
The Gulbransen Company, Chicago, issued a new
executive vice-president of the Victor Talking Ma- supplement to the Gulbransen catalog, showing the
chine Company. He remains a director and member Home Series of instruments recently announced.
of the executive committee.
Fifty-one years of building the finest cornets known
The Chase-Hackley Piano Company, Muskegon, to the musical world by the C. G. Conn, Ltd., Elk-
Mich, went into receivership and was dissolved.
hart, Ind., culminated in the production of the latest
Lee S. Jones was appointed sales manager of the Victor, an instrument into which has gone all of the
J. P. Seeburg Company, Chicago, to succeed Charles skill and experience of a lifetime of hard work.
Stanley, who resigned.
Fernando A. Wessell of Wessell, Nickel & Gross,
The board of directors of the Musical Supply Asso- 10th avenue and 45th street, New York, who had been
ciation of America held a meeting following dinner at ill at his home in Red Bank, N. J., since February 21,
the Canadian Club, New York city, on Monday eve- was reported much better.
ning, January 28.
On Saturday evening, March 2. Steinway & Sons,
The Federated Radio Trade Association held its New York, through Mr. and Mrs. Theodore E. Stein-
annual convention in Buffalo, N. Y., February 18 way, invited their musical friends to a party in the
and 19.
warerooms of Steinway & Sons, Steinway Hall, at
The Baldwin Piano Company named R. E. McClel- 109 West 57th street. Three of the largest adjoining
lan and Clark F. Gross as its wholesale representa- showrooms in the main warerooms had been cleared
tives in Pennsylvania and Ohio respectively.
of pianos and very tastefully decorated with palms
Paul B. Klugh, vice-president of the Zenith Radio and flowers. The purpose of the party was to express
Corporation, began a six-weeks' tour of Europe, look- Steinway & Sons' appreciation of the friendly relations
ing after business interests as well as enjoying a that exist between the company and the musical pro-
vacation.
fession.
The Capehart Automatic Phonograph Corp., Fort
Mrs. Anna C. Wessell, aged 74 years, mother of
Wayne, Ind., elected J. E. Broyles secretary, whose Fernando A. and Arthur L. Wessell of Wessell,
recent position of sales manager had been filled by Nickel & Gross, New York, died on March 14 at the
the appointment of W. E. Deaton.
home of Arthur L. in Freeport, L. I., where she had
R. S. Williams Company, Ltd., Toronto, Out., with resided for a long time.
its three branch stores celebrated its eightieth anni-
The death, March 19, of Henry Dreher, president of
versary in the music business.
the fine old Dreher Piano Company, Cleveland, re-
Charles S Miller, general superintendent of the fac- moved an active and highly popular personage from
tories of the Aeolian Company, New York, resigned, the music trade field.
effective April 1.
Mrs. Charles Grundy of Morrisonville, the wife of
Equity receivers for the Welte-Mignon Corporation Charles Grundy, widely known in the piano trade,
New York, said that the assets are largely in excess of
died in Taylorville, 111.
the liabilities.
The Perfection Furniture Company, Chicago, moved
At the annual meeting of Hardman, Peck & Co., to larger quarters at 2267-69 Clybourn avenue.
New York, all officers and directors were re-elected.
Ampico Hall, at Atlanta, Ga., was opened at 193
The M. Schulz Company formally entered the field
Peachtree street.
of radio broadcasting on Friday, February 22, when it
The Brunswick-Balke-Collender Co., Chicago, an-
assumed sponsorship of Edward Barry's Radio Piano nounced that the directors of the company authorized
Lessons on WGN.
a dividend of 1^4 per cent payable April 1.
Edwin Jarrett became superintendent of the Hcn-
At the annual meeting of the stockholders of Kra-
kauer Bros., piano makers, Cypress avenue, 136th and kelman Piano Manufacturing Corporation, 709-17 East
137th streets, New York, held on February 5, the fol- 140th street, New York, succeeding Charles A. Giglia.
Zenith Radio Corp., Chicago, enlarged its factory.
lowing officers were elected: A. L. Bretzfelder, pres-
Officers of the Weaver Piano Company, Inc., were
ident; M. K. Bretzfelder, vice-president, and Arthur
re-elected at the annual meeting of stockholders.
Hahn, secretary and treasurer.
The Packard Piano Co., Fort Wayne, Ind., suc-
E. C. Hill took charge of the beautiful new Ampico
Hall, Milwaukee, Wis., which opened March 1, at 445 ceeded in finishing, packing, shipping and delivering a
piano on a rush order to a party in Salina, Kan., within
Broadway.
48 hours.
The Rudolph Wurlitzer Manufacturing Company,
The Radio Corporation of America leased the
North Tonawanda, N. Y., began the erection of a one- twenty-fourth floor in the new 261 Fifth Avenue
story addition to the local plant, 120 feet wide and
Building, New York, for executive offices.
525 feet long.
The Allen Hough Manufacturing Company, Ra-
The Radio Corporation of America, in expectation cine, Wis., purchased the Carryola Company of Amer-
of a record-breaking year for production of vacuum ica, Milwaukee. A new corporation, the Allen Hough
tubes, was enlarging and reorganizing its plant facili- Carryola Company, was formed, with assets over
ties at Bloomfield, N. J., Newark and Cleveland.
$500,000.
Sincere regret at the death of H. H. Hudson was
One of the most successful meetings ever held by
expressed in many places by friends he made in the the National Association of Musical Instruments and
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