The Edison phonograph monthly (Mar 1903-Feb 1904)

EDISON PHONOGRAPH MONTHLY. PHONOGRAPH RECORDS AS PART OF A SCHOOL EXHIBIT. The public schools of Milwaukee, Wis., are to be represented at the St Louis Exposition this year, and part of their exhibition will be Phonograph demonstrations of class work, recitations, etc. The school authorities took up the matter with McGreal Bros., of Milwaukee, as agents for Edison Phonographs and Records, and another talking machine company. In spite of special inducements on the part of the latter, the Board of School Directors awarded the contract to McGreal Bros, at full list prices. Following is a copy of the official order : BOARD OF SCHOOL DIRECTORS, MILWAUKEE, WIS. Henry E. Legler, Secretary. Milwaukee, Dec. 29, 1903. McGreal Bros., 173 Third Street, City: Gentlemen— The World's Fair Committee of the Milwaukee Board of School Directors have awarded to you the contract for supplying Edison (largest size) Phonograph Records and Cabinets at the following figures : 1 Phonograph with brass horn (30 m.) $35.00 2 Home Phonographs at $30 60.00 2 Sets of three-way ear tubes at 50 cts. a way 3.00 3 Cabinets No. 517 in weathered oak at $17.50 52.50 Records at 25 cents each. Time consumed in taking records, 50 cents per hour ; work to begin January 18. Henry E. Legler, Secretary. McGreal Bros, have agreed, to furnish a man, a Phonograph and the necessary apparatus for making Records, and about ten days will be consumed in visiting the different schools. This contract is a distinct endorsement of the Edison product, for the school authorities went over the matter with unusual care, finally selecting the McGreal Bros.' proposition at a higher figure than offered by the competing company. Dealers in Edison Phonographs and Records who visit the St. Louis Fair during the coming Summer should look up Milwaukee's school exhibit and inspect the result of this new feature. The Milwaukee Free Press on January 17 said of this matter : "Singing of Milwaukee school children will be heard at the Louisiana World's Fair in St. Louis as the result of the departure of the School Board. It has engaged McGreal Bros., 173 Third street, dealers in Phonographs, to make Records of the voices of the children. These Records will be sent to the Edison Laboratory at Orange, N. J., where they will be duplicated and sent to the Fair. "Nearly every school in the city will be represented. A class from each school, the number being left to the discretion of those in charge, will be taken to the offices of McGreal Bros., where a record of their singing ability will be made by Phonographs. About 100 Records will be taken. It is the intention of those in charge to have twelve classes a day taken to the offices, and each class will be allotted one-half hour. "McGreal Bros, have brought Harvey Emmons to the city to conduct the taking of records. Mr. Emmons has been engaged in this line for fifteen years with the National Phonograph Company, of Orange, N. J., a part of the Edison Company. He arrived in the city yesterday with special paraphernalia." LOYAL DEALERS. One of the most gratifying things in connection with our business is the loyalty to the Edison product shown by Jobbers and Dealers everywhere. It has always been a feature in which th-e officials of the National Phonograph Company have felt the greatest pride, but it has never been so strongly manifested as in the past five months. Our salesmen meet it everywhere. Whenever an official of the company comes in contact with one of the trade he finds that Edison Phonographs and Records are being pushed to the exclusion of other goods. Letters from all parts of the country are full of kind words for Edison goods and the National Phonograph Company. All of this is gratifying to the company because it shows that the trade has realized beyond question that our chief aim is to sell our product through Jobbers and Dealers and not at retail. It is a complete recognition of our policy, and shows an absence of distrust on the part of the trade. It is a strong approval of the plan we are following in restricting prices, protecting the trade and prosecuting those who violate our Agreement; a plan that grants no favors to a few, but treats all with absolute uniformity. There will be no change in this plan, but on the contrary nothing will be left undone to make it more effective in increasing the business of Jobbers and Dealers. VISITING JOBBERS The visiting Jobbers from out of town during January were the following: William Werner, of Easton, Pa,; S. J. Francis and D. R. Harvey, of the Iver-Johnson Sporting Goods Co., Boston; John N. Willys, of the Elmira Arms Co., Elmira, N. Y. ; W. O. Pardee and H. L. Ellenberger, of Pardee-Ellenberger Co., New Haven, Conn.; H. E. Fredrickson, Omaha, Neb. ; J. M. Linscott and G. A. Patten, of the Boston Cycle and Sundry Co., Boston; Louis Buehn, of the Wells Phono. Co., Philadelphia; W. D. Andrews, of Syracuse, N. Y. ART CALENDAR EDITION EXHAUSTED. The edition of the Phonograph Art Calendar is now exhausted and no more orders from the trade can be filled. This calendar was everywhere conceded to be one of the most attractive issued by any firm for advertising purposes.