The Edison phonograph monthly (Mar 1903-Feb 1904)

EDISON PHONOGRAPH MONTHLY. A PUBLICITY METHOD THAT OTHER DEALERS MIGHT FOLLOW. John E. Finney, successor to The Ray Co., at Savannah, Ga., gave a complimentary concert with an Edison Triumph Phonograph to Mistletoe Camp, No. 4, W. O. W., at its annual banquet and installation of officers on January 8. Mr. Finney operated the machine personally and worked up considerable "ad" talk during the evening. The following programme was given : 1. Southern Smiles — March Edison Military Band (Note absence of "Scratch' 'and "Blast" effects.) 2. Up in a Cocoanut Tree — Song Billy Murray 3. Le Secret-Polka — Cornet Solo. .John Hazel 4. Sammy — Song Harry McDonough 5. Laughing Water Edison Concert Band 6. Down in the Depths — Song Frank C. Stanley 7. Waldmere March. .. .Edison Military Band 8. When Kate and I Were Coming Through the Rye Byron G. Harlan 9. Peaceful Henry Edison Concert Band 10. The Girl You Love — Song Harry MacDonough 11. Donkey Laugh Peerless Orchestra 12. In Silence — Song Arthur Clifford 13. Any Rags — Medley. .Edison Military Band 14. Jack Tar — March. . . .Edison Concert Band 15. Violin Solo Chas. D'Almaine 16. Piano Solo Frank P. Banta 17. Thy Beaming Eyes — Song. Arthur Clifford 18. Amourese Vals Peerless Orchestra A PRIMITIVE DIAPHRAGM. John Rogers, of the Knoxville Typewriter Exchange. Knoxville, Tenn., recently wrote : It is truly said that "Necessity is the mother of invention," but it is curious to see what necessity brings forth sometimes. For example, note the enclosed diaphragm which we have just taken out of a reproducer sent in from a remote mountain district. The diaphragm was a piece of thin tin, plain solder had taken the place of stratena, and the rubber gasket was a piece of rubber cut with scissors. It would be interesting to know how this device reproduced sound. NEW RECORD BOX. We are planning to adopt a new style box for packing single Records. It will be made so that it will not be necessary to wrap the Records in cotton. It will be slightly over 2% inches in diameter and 4^ inches long. It will have a countersink top and bottom of nearly a half-inch so as to hold the Record firmly on the peg inside the box. We cannot yet say when we shall begin to use this box. Reference is made to it in order that Dealers may know of its size in putting in new racks or re-arranging their present racks. A WORD FOR THE GEM. "One of our regular customers called last week," wrote C. J. Heppe & Son, of Philadelphia, recently "and made this remark : T want to buy a Phonograph as good as the one I have just sold. I have had a Gem for two years, and last Saturday evening one of my neighbors called and asked if I would sell it; I told him I paid $10 for it and couldn't sell it for less, but that it had been running for two years. The neighbor went home and in half an hour came back with the $10, saying he would rather have a machine that had been run two years than a new one he did not know anything about.' Out customer purchased a Standard and went away much pleased. QUEEN VICTORIA'S PHONOGRAPH MESSAGE. Sir John Harrington — for he has been knighted by King Edward — is the only person who ever succeeded in inducing the late Queen Victoria to talk into a Phonograph. And she did this reluctantly, merely because he explained to her the immense weight that a message from her to the Emperor of Abyssinia conveyed in that fashion would have upon the I monarch of Ethiopia. Queen Victoria, however, stiuplated that once her message had been delivered to the 1 negus the record should be destroyed, and I pledged Sir John Harrington to see to this in j person. Menelik was so delighted at hearing ; the Queen's voice that he promptly demanded I that the record should be handed over to him. But Sir John naturally was obliged to defer I to the commands of his royal mistress, and, taking hold of the record, he stamped it to pieces in the presence of the negus. — London letter to the Chicago Daily Tribune. A LETTER FROM HALIFAX. 9 Matlock St., Lee Mount, Halifax. I now have great pleasure in thanking you for the Edison Phonograph Monthly. Both myself and friends have read and looked it over many times. It puts us people right up to date. It tells us what to look out for and what is coming, and, best of all, what is popular. I have been using Concert Records up till now for exhibiting, but I have taken large cylinder off and put a small one on, with just one an Edison's. It is a pleasure to look at a selection of Records at the present time — every one an Edison's. It is a pleasure to look -at a Edison Gold Moulded Record, and much mOre to hear one. I think I ought to know when I hear one, having been in the line twelve years. There is a lot of cheap rubbish on the market here at the present time — Record destroying machines and all kinds of "moulded" rubbish. By the way, I am sorry to see that my countrymen should stoop so low as to throw dirt by advertising as they have done against the Gem Machine. In my estimation it is the neatest, compact and best little machine that has ever been produced at the price, and always gives satisfaction. I never knew any one to rue his bargain yet. Alfred Hoyle.