The Phonogram, Vol. 2:1 (1892-01)

THE PHONOGRAM. The Louisiana Phonograph Company, Limited. 9 The Louisiana Pho- nograph Co. does not complete its first year’s work until well along in March of the pres- ent year, but the first of January is the con- ventional period for retrospection and re- sume, and some of'the resultsbf our’work may not be uninter- esting. Looking over the most vitally interest- ing statistics of the company's condition, namely, the cash receipts, we find the largest receipts from any one source are from direct exhibition in the city of New Orleans, and, of these exhibition receipts the larger part is from “ automatic ” ■work. This is largely due to the favor- able field New Orleans offers for such work, but principally to the way in which it has been managed. The company began its operations with the conviction that the phonograph was a legitimate and attractive source of amuse- ment, and one that, properly maintained, need not lose its hold upon public favor, and accordingly it was decided that com- paratively few machines should be placed in the city on public exhibition—that all music used, should be first-class and suf- ficiently varied, and that such a close watch should be kept upon the machines that the disgust and loss of prestige, con- sequent upon failure to operate, should be avoided. It was intended at first to open a phonq- grapli parlor, similar to that operated so successfully in the Cincinnati Arcade, by the Ohio Phonograph Co., but the utter impossibility of securing a suitable loca- tion made this impracticable, and it was therefore decided to place the automatic phonograph in the various 'suitable busi- ness establishments of the city. In ac- cordance with the general plan of work, it was settled that, not only would no per- centages be paid to the proprietors of such places, but that no machine would bo put iu any place unless the proprietor would agree to see that it was not abused or used improperly in the absence of the com- pany's inspectors. On the other hand, the company agreed to get the machines up in attractive shape, to keep them in first-class condition, and to change the selections upon the machines daily. Under these regulations over one hun- dred applications for machines were re- ceived by the company, coming from the best and most desirable places in the city, where the phonograph was wanted as an attraction and an amusement for patrons. The first machine was put out in the early part of March in Eugene May’s Palace Drugstore on Canal street. This is one of the handsomest and most ornate drug stores in the country, having the finest fountain and the best soda trade in the city, and its selection for the initia- tion of the exhibition business was very fortunate. The machine made an instan- taneous hit, antT ftrd*results were very sur- prising. Week after week the machine worked steadily^almost day and night, and the receipts from -this one machine, for its first three months, averaged over fifteen dollars per day. This machine was,rapidly followed by- others, and while it was the most success- ful machine placed in the city, the receipts from all were Mp^st encouraging and well sustained. These results were not obtained, how- ever, without the closest care and atten- tion. Thoroughly competent inspectors were provided, and one was assigned to every eight or ten machines. Nothing was required of the inspector but to at-