The talking machine world (Jan-Dec 1913)

40 THE TALKING MACHINE WORLD. FROM OUR CHICAGO HEADQUARTERS— (Continued from page 39). schools some fifteen in number have been gotten into line. The advertising value of such a move must be something wonderful. Baish with Lyon & Healy. Lyon & Healy have a penchant for men trained in the Victor road service for their wholesale talking machine department. H. C. Baish, long with the Victor Co., and lately traveling for them in Minnesota and the Dakotas has joined the Lyon & Healy forces and is greeting visiting dealers in the warerooms of the Victor wholesale. He will also probably make short special trips from time to time. Visitors and Personals. H. H. Schwenker, traveling repair expert for the Victor Talking Machine Co., has been in the city for some days going over matters with the repair departments of the local Victor distributers and rendering services that are most thoroughly appreciated. Mr. Schwenker's present trip wilL take him to the Pacific coast. This time he is calling on the jobbers only. He spent Thanksgiving with F. H. Herndon at the latter's home at Wheaton, 111. Among the visiting dealers the past fortnight were E. M. Reynolds, Canton, 111., W. J. Runyon, Crawfordsville, Ind., C. K. Austin, Battle Creek, Mich., Alonzo Wookey, Wookey & Co., Peoria, 111.; George Eicholz and wife, Milwaukee; Howard Williams, Delavan, Wis.; Mr. Gensch, Gensch-Smith Co., Milwaukee; L. F. Biddinger, L. F. Biddinger & Co., Kenosha, Wis. Charles W. Unbehan, who is just embarking in the piano and talking machine business on his own account at Quincy, 111., was in the city recently placing orders for his opening stock. Mr. Unbehan has been the manager of the Quincy branch of the Guest Piano Co., of Burlington, Iowa and upon the branch being closed bought the fixtures and is opening for himself in the same location. He will carry a full line' of Victor goods. A. W. Wheelock, a large crockery and glassware merchant at Rockford, 111., has added talking machines, fitting up a well-equipped department. Joseph Jiran, 1333 West 18th street, has recently installed several new demonstration booths. He handles both Victor and Columbia goods and has lately made an especial effort on the larger machines with excellent results. He does a big business in Bohemian records. Louis Solar, 3558 West 20th street has recently enlarged his store and reports an increased Columbia and Victor business. W. E. Parker, mechanical engineer of the Columbia factory at Bridgeport, Conn., was a recent visitor at the company's Chicago headquarters. Fred A. Siemon, assistant manager of the Rudolph Wurlitzer Co., visited the Victor factory at Camden, N. J., recently. Talks on the Opera. Lyon & Healy have inaugurated a new feature in connection with the afternoon concerts in Victor Hall which is attracting a great deal of deserved attention. For an hour every afternoon Miss Henriette Weber gives a talk on the opera to be given by the Chicago Opera Co., at the Auditorium the following evening, illustrated by selections from the Victor Catalogue. Miss Weber's talks are admirable in every way. She tells the story of the opera and analyzes the principal musical numbers in a clear non-technical manner. Miss Weber has an enviable reputation as a concert pianist both in New York and Chicago and has recently attracted attention by a series of lecture recitals Sunday evenings at the Art Institute where she has the assistance of members of the Thomas orchestra. Urban Dietrich, of W. H. Dietrich & Sons, department store and pianos, was in the city recently and made arrangements for the establishment of a Victor department. He will have personal charge of the new department. Columbia Co. Occupies New Quarters. Although they can hardly be described as fully settled in , their fine new quarters at 12-22 North Michigan avenue, both the wholesale and retail departments of the local branch of the Columbia Graphophone Co., are now occupying the new location and some adequate idea of the new home of the Grafonola can be obtained. The retail department moved only on Monday of last week to the new store on the ground floor of the Ward Building at 14 North Michigan avenue. The start was very auspicious, for though the carpenters and decorators were still at work, a number of outfits were sold on that day. The store is light and airy and has two handsome windows, one of which contains the first of the Columbia Grand Grafonolas in the colonial style of case in Circassian walnut. The front of the store, a space about twenty-five feet square, is used for reception and general sales purposes. The decorations are in white and tan and handsome golden oak furniture has been installed, the whole effect being distinctly bright and pleasing. Three service tables are provided where customers can select the records they wish played from catalogues, with the assistance of salesmen. There are seven demonstration booths of white enamelled woodwork and plate glass, three on each side of the store and one large one in the rear. The retail record stock is in the rear and is in charge of a clerk who delivers them to the salesmen. The semi-indirect system of lighting is used,, the fixtures being particularly artistic. Mr. Byers the retail floor manager has his office in the front of the store, while the cashier's cage is conveniently located near the entrance. * The wholesale department and general offices which occupy a large portion of the entire seventh floor giving double the space of the old quarters are being rapidly gotten into shape. The offices occupy the Michigan avenue frontage, District Manager Fuhri and local manager C. F. Baer occupying private offices and the Dictaphone department having estensive quarters with enlarged space for the "school." The machine and record stock rooms are excellently arranged and the repair department occupies large and well lighted space in the rear. Some particularly interesting systems are being installed which will be described in a later issue. \mong the Retailers. A. B. Crosby, a well-known sporting goods dealer, of Aurora, 111., is preparing to greatly increase his activities in the talking machine line and has built a seventy-five foot addition to the rear of his store which he will fit up in an elaborate manner with six demonstration booths. The Varieties Co., of 1074 Milwaukee avenue and a branch on the same street has opened still another store at Chicago and Ashland avenues. They handle Columbia goods at all three stores. Edward Selbman, proprietor of the Northwestern Talking Machine Exchange, at 2033 Milwaukee avenue and one of the largest dealers outside the loop has just opened a branch at 2051 Milwaukee avenue, a couple of blocks from his present location. Mr. Selbman has prepared for the proper handling of the holiday trade by installing four soundproof demonstration booths at his main store". He handles Columbia, Victor and Edison goods. Goes to Porto Rico. Arthur Penberthy, son of Edward Penberthy, Victor dealer, at 7100 North Clark street, is one of the fortunate young men to succeed in securing a position with the government as a teacher in the public schools of Porto Rico. Motor Truck a Help. The Rudolph Wurlitzer Co., has provided a material help for its retail talking machine department in the new two-ton covered motor truck that is exclusively devoted to the delivery of Victor machines. The truck can handle a load of twelve of the larger sized Victrolas with ease and is making the heavy deliveries of the recent good business without the slightest trouble. The Victor name and trade-mark as well as the name of the Wurlitzer Co. are displayed prominently on the sides of the truck. Meek Now Bent Manager. Harry C. Meek, formerly manager of the talking machine department "of the P. A. Starck Piano Co., is now at the head of the Victor department of the Geo. P. Bent Co. A. J. Goswiller. who has been connected with the P. A. Starck Co. for several years, is to handle the talking machine branch of the business. Department Stores Doing Well. A canvass of the large department stores of the city would indicate that this year will show appreciable increase over business last year at this time. The estimates run all the way from a 100 per cent increase predicted by one department manager to the rather pessimistic opinion of another to the effect that an even break with last year would be the most that could be expected. Klingsor to be Presented. The officers of the Klingsor Talking Machine Co., of America, have come to the conclusion that one of the best ways to present their product will be by means of a recital or demonstration to which will be invited all local dealers, jobbers and others interested in the trade. This demonstration, which will be given probably in one of the large recital halls in the city, will occur immediately after the return of Theodore Isaacs, president of the company, from Europe. Mr. Isaacs' arrival is expected about December 15. Communications recently received from Mr. Isaacs at Hanua, Germany, indicate that the last details for the importation of motors and other parts are being completed and that a large supply has been made available for every one of the six styles that the company will produce and which will range in price from $25 to $200. Louis Schram, treasurer and general manager, says that the entire six styles will be finished in mahogany and the various shades of oak. Let the Good Work Go On. The refining influence of the talking machine is shown by a recent incident. One of the large Wabash avenue houses sold a machine to a West Side saloon-keeper for his place of business. Within a few days an additional lot of records was purchased and they included "Sweet Spirit Hear My Prayer" and "Dreams of Galilee." Held for Grand Jury. W. E. Clark who was arrested on a charge of . larceny preferred by C. E. Goodwin, general manager of The Phonograph Co., was given a hearing by Municipal Judge Mahoney, December 2 and was held for the grand, jury in bonds of $1,000. Raising Sales Standard. E. A. Fern, who since the first of the year has been the sole owner of the talking machine business of Tresch, Fern & Co., 130 North Fifth avenue, is doing an excellent business on the Victor, Columbia and Edison disc and cylinder machines. "My experience this year has shown that a man can do things if he makes up his mind to" said Mr. Fern. "Until a few months ago we had never done very much in the expensive machines although we had a mighty nice business in the medium and low priced types. I simply made up my mind that notwithstanding our location is not so favorable to the high grade trade as other sections of the loop district that I was going to get some of it nevertheless. Well, I made a point to ask customers for the names of some of their friends who had no machines. I worked the mails more thoroughly than ever and spent a lot of time myself in the evenings going after Victrola, Edison disc and Columhia table machine trade. Actually our business is swinging to the $200 and $250 machines very largely." Tresch, Fern & Co., are Chicago jobbers for the Union attachments whereby Victor and Columbia records may be played on Edison machines and vice versa, and which are made by Union Specialty and Plating Co., of Cleveland. Big Edison Business. The Phonograph Co., reports that November was their biggest month, the amount of business both wholesale and retail. being limited only by the supply of goods. The handsome main floor warerooms are daily crowded with people listening to demonstrations of the Edison disc and the beautiful little recital hall in the rear plays to excellent business. Use of Fibre Needle Increasing. Chicago dealers and jobbers generally report that the sales of the fibre needle are constantly increasing. An additional indication, of this is found in the remarkable increase in the business of the Wade fibre needle cutter. The inventor, S. O. Wade, reports that the business of November was double that of the corresponding period of last year. This and the fact that eighty per cent, of the jobbers of the country are handling the Wade cutter in large quantities testifies to the merits of the device.