The talking machine world (Jan-Dec 1908)

6 THE TALKING MACHINE WORLD. MUNICIPAL TALKING MACHINES. Manchester Paper Makes Novel and Interesting Suggestion — Machines for the Public as a Means of Stimulating the Musical and Artistic Tastes of the Masses. TALKER USED AS DECOY That the talking machine has won a place for itself in England is evidenced oy the suggestion that the municipality provide machines and high-class records in order to develop the refined tastes of the people. The suggestion, which recently appeared in the Manchester Evening Chronicle,read as follows: "Many and varied as are the schemes for the solution of the social problems, my self-esteem prompts me to give mine the premier place. It has the advantage of being cheap, and not costing the rate-payers anything like the aniount they are spending in maintaining the present system of poor relief, which, were my plan adopted, would be entirely unnecessary. I have lately had occasion to observe the influence of music in developing the taste, and all by means of a gramophone, ^.iy neighbor, from whistling Zuyder Zee, has climbed to the heights of Gounod, and I hope soon to hear Mozart and Wagner. This has suggested my scheme, which is as follows: Let the corporation purchase a large stock of gramophones, and an innumerable quantity of records of the best music. These could be supplied to the citizens on the same lines as books at the public libraries. I have mentioned that the records should be of the best music, but this does not necessarily imply classical music. Folk songs and some of the very few good popular songs might well be used for a start, and the public taste gradually developed, until Beethoven became as necessary as bread and Wagner as refreshing as water. "An orchestra in every home!' would make a glorious election cry. Nietzsche said art was the great stimulus to life, and we can imagine the effect of familiarity with the best music on people's lives. There would be a great regeneration of society through the benign influence of music — • in fact, the social revolution by gramophones. Schubert in the slums! Mendelssohn for mechanics! Bach for butchers! Chopin for charwomen! 'The world's great age begins anew,' we could sing — with gramophone obligate. Here, then, is a great field of municipal reform hitherto quite neglected. Even the Fabian Society have not included in their program the municipal supply of gramophones. The way to build 'Jerusalem in England's green and pleasant land' has now become quite plain." Is it not plain from the foregoing that the missionary efforts of the leading companies, adds the Talking Machine News toward making the journalist better acquainted with the talking machine, have borne good fruit? Some New York boys have a yell which goes like this: Pooh! Pooh! Harvard! Pooh! Pooh! "i'ale! We learn our lessons through the mail! We're no dummies! We're no fools! Rah! Rah! Rah! Correspondence Schools! Also Some Interesting Data Relative to Its Rapidly Increasing Popularity. I make it my business to keep my eyes and ears open in order that they may drink in all things of interest which come their way regarding the talking machine, and it is with a great deal of pleasure that I find myself able at this time to announce most emphatically the fact that its popularity is wonderfully in the ascendant. Glaucing-through the pages of the Philadelphia North American the other morning on my way to the office. I chanced upon the following; mil HUNIfR m D[coy 'Honk-Honk,"" Says ^Machine on Bow of His Boat. — They Can't Resist It. Georgetown, Del.. Dec. 14. — Ace Goodhill, of Millsboro, is liaving wonderful success gunning for wild geese on the Indian river with the aid of a modern phonograph. His method is to set the machine loaded with "honli-honli'' in the bow of the boat, and then, when the geese answer the call, to pick them off. The geese fly to the slaughter, he says, and he had to shoot so fast that a rest was necessary to cool his gun. He says he brought in a boatful, and now fears the next legislature wili pass a law forbidding the use of phonographs. Interesting, is it not? I considered it so to the extent of making a sketch of the event which I trust will demonstrate to the readers of the World how very practical phonographic gunning reallj is. At lunch time I overheard a conversation between two well dressel gentlemen at the next table which I thought equally entertaining: "I suppose you were at the Van Astors last night?" "Sure thing, and say, they certainly had us guessing too, if any one should ask you." "Guessing, what do yoft mean?" came the mildly interested query. I heard the sharp scratch of a match and then as the pungent odor of a Turkish cigarette filled the air, the first voice resumed. "We had just reached the salad course when from a bower of ferns and holly at the end of the dining hall came the unmistakable voice of Melba singing Tosti's Goodbye. Conversation ceased on the instant. Glances of wonder came and went upon the faces of the guests. Miss Fairfax, who happened to be my partner upon this joyful occasion, turned to me with a shrug of her adorable shoulders, 'Is it possible that our hostess' has engaged Melba to-night?' and then realizing at once the utter absurdity of the question, 'Of course not. forgive me for being so stupid, but who can it be? We have no soprano in Philadelphia who can compare with that wonderful voice.' " "Well, who was it? What celebrity has dropped in on us unawares? Tell a fellow, can't you? Why so deucedly dense?" "I'm not dense; it was Melba all right" — "Oh stuff! what are you stringing me for? You don't expect me to believe that, do you?" drawled the first voice in disgust. "My dear innocent friend, you are not being strung; it was the renowned Melba, or rather the reproduction of her marvelous voice in all its original purity — a talking machine, my boy, a talking machine." "By Jove! what won't they do next? Wonderful! Wonderful!" The voices ceased, and with a scraping of chairs and a "Thank you, sir," from the obsequious waiter, they were gone. In the evening while holding down an orchestra seat, I heard an exchange of phonographic witticisms which I trust will prove as edifying to my readers as it did to me. The scene of this hilarity was Keith's Theatre and the act was a vaudeville sketch rendered by a wonderfully gowned soubrette and a ridiculously dressed comedian. After the echoes of the opening chorus had died away much to the delight of the distinguished audience (You will remember my statement relative to being present myself) the comedian remarked with a solemn wink at the sea of faces beyond the footlights, "It speaks for itself." "What does?" inquired she of the wonderful go ■mi. "The phonograph." (Vociferous applause.) "Aint he the wise one, though?" the fair maid simijered in an aside to the audience. Then turning to her team-mate, she continued her dramatic discourse, "Say, you think you're so awful smart, tell me. please, what the first talkin' machine was made of?" "Cert', dat's a cinch — a rib." It is entirely needless to state that this finale brought down the house. Summing up the above, which happened all in one day too, think of it. does it not bear out my remark that the popularity of the "talker" is wonderfully in the ascendant? What say you, Mr. "Talker" Man? Afterword — The writer has wondered since penning the above w-hether Mr. Earl Goodwin does not owe him a good cigar, or can he collect from the World joke department? Howard Taylor :\!idd!eton. NON METALLIC SPAULDING LINEN FIBRE HORN Gives Perfect Keprodiictioii of Vocal and Instrumental Tones. Different from other horns, being madt^ in one piece, withont joints or scams. More Durable Than Wood or Metal TILH LINEN KIHKL: MA'IT^KIAL OVlvR coMi-s r\ui rattll:, vjhkatiox and METALLIC (jrALITllCS so comnu)n in other horns. Heantifnllv linished in Onartered Oak and Mahogany. J. SPAULDING & SONS CO. TnlkiiiK Machine Horn Dept. Rochester, N.H. Vsk voiir \'ii tor Distnlniiois for .Siimplos ami I)i-iil(;r's Prin-s. N ictor Piittorn Only