The Edison phonograph monthly (Mar 1903-Feb 1904)

EDISON PHONOGRAPH MONTHLY. AND BETTER LfSTS TO COME. A Philadelphia Jobber wrote: "If you keep on making Records as fine as October and November lists you will put the record up Salt River." We have no desire to do such an unkind act, but have no hesitancy in saying that the December list is even better than the two months named, and that each month in the future will find a similar improvement. Every month will contain pleasing novelties, and the entire list will be so .good that no one will err who places an order for the entire lot. THE I. C. S. LANGUAGE COURSES. University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wis., Oct. 30, 1903. International Correspondence Schools, French Department, Scranton, Pa. Dear Sirs: — It is a very great pleasure to me, I assure you, to add my name to the list of those, your students, who have found that the Phonograph Method does teach French. The conversation, grammar and composition courses have proved practical and interesting, also I must add, though the world has not t)een accustomed to expect anything interesting in the usual dry-as-dust grammar. That the said usually dry-as-dust grammatical matter has been so presented as to seem a necessary and not at all disagreeable comment on the lesson, the usual method being quite the reverse, reflects great credit on the I. C. S. system. As to the Phonograph Records: every person studying a foreign language with the intention of learning to speak it should have the help of these Records. For acquiring an accurate pronunciation the Phonograph offers one great advantage, an advantage that cannot be too strongly emphasized : — tireless repetition of a word or phrase, endless repetition if you please. Some persons with quick auditory perception may learn a new sound upon once hearing it, or upon hearing it a small number of times. The majority, however, are not so blessed. The new sound must be dinned into the ear before it is fixed. The Phonograph will do, here, what very few teachers attempt to do, or in fact can do. As to the "kind of French" the machine speaks, several of my French-speaking friends who were at first a little inclined to scoff at the idea of "machine-made language," are quite ready to testify to the purity of the Parisian accent. The course as a whole offers a practical means for making rapid and thorough progress toward a very real and solid "speaking acquaintance" with the language. Perhaps I can offer no surer proof of my estimate than this : that I wish you to send me the Spanish Records and text-books. If any other word from me can be of any use to you I will be glad to have you offer suggestions. Yours very truly, R. B. Macnish, Instructor. LETTERS SENT TO OLD DEALERS. When the new Agreement went into effect on September 1st, we took off from our mailing list the names of all Dealers who had not signed the new Agreement. We found that there were quite a large number of such names. Believing that it was not businesslike to drop them without some further attention, we sent out a letter to all such, asking why they had dropped the Phonograph business and had not signed our new Agreement. This letter fell into the hands of persons who had signed the new Agreement, but for one reason or another, the Agreement either had not been sent to us by their Jobber or we, had failed to get their names on our mailing list. These are now being straightened out as quickly as possible, and we shall shortly have back on our mailing list all Dealers who are entitled to be there. We ask the indulgence, either for the Jobbers or ourselves, of those Dealers whose names have been dropped by us through no fault of their own. We would also ask all Dealers to keep us advised of any changes in their addresses and to write us if their printed matter is now coming to them with errors in the address. A CORRECTION. Through an error the paragraph in the November issue of the Edison Phonograph Monthly, concerning the furnishing of Phonograph music at a New York City wedding, was credited to S. B. Davega, of East 14th street As a matter of fact the music was furnished by I. Davega, Jr., of 802 Third avenue and 125 West 125th street, New York. AN EDISON RECORD PLAYED 3,000 TIMES. Memphis, Tenn., Oct. 28, 1903. I noticed in your October number where one Edison Record was played 1,525 times. I can go you one better, as I have a customer here in Memphis who says he played one on a slot machine 3,000 times. How is that for the wear of Edison Records? W. L. Hughes, Manager for the Ray Co., Memphis, Tenn. LIKES OUR PLAN OF ASSISTING DEALERS. Tupelo, Miss., Nov. 2, 1903. I write to thank you for the names you sent me of parties who wrote you in regard to Edison Phonographs and Records., I wrote each and succeeded in selling Mr. ■ , of Ripley. I like your plans of business, also the protection afforded by having each Dealer sign Agreement. J. R. Philips.