The Edison phonograph monthly (Mar 1906-Feb 1907)

EDISON PHONOGRAPH MONTHLY. PANORAMIC VIEW OF FACTORY IMPROVEMENTS. The above picture, while not as clear as we would like, furnishes a splendid idea of the great increase now going on in the Edison plant at Orange, N. J. It is taken from the roof of the four-story concrete building of the Edison Storage Battery Co. The dark building with the brick chimney at the left is the rear of Mr. Edison's Laboratory. Immediately to the right of this is the new office building, 137 feet long and 50 feet wide. Beyond the laboratory and running to the extreme left of the picture is the new Record building 70x240 and five stories high. A further extension of this building, 135 feet long, is planned for the spring. To the right of the office building is the extension to No. 18, 50x120 feetjn size and five stories high. Connecting with this is the extension to No. 17, also 50x120 feet in size, with a connecting building 50x60. The three latter buildings will be really one structure 150x120 feet and five stories high. Still further to the right is the four-story concrete extension to No. 2, erected a year ago. This is 40x180 feet in size. At the extreme right is the concrete power house 50x80 and 25 feet high, also put up last year. The last two and the office building are the only ones fully occupied. Three floors of No. 18 extension are partially in use. Practically all of the present great output of Phonographs and Records is being made in build ings that do not show in this picture, a statement that will give the trade some idea of the facilities we shall have when our plans are fully carried out. The above picture covers a distance of 1000 feet. The new gas making plant that we are building is now being equipped with the necessary machinery and apparatus and will be in operation in a few weeks. This plant occupies a one-story concrete building on the north side of Alden street, constructed especially for the purpose. The building is not shown in the above picture. The plant will manufacture what is known as producer gas. It is obtained from coal by a process which differs from that used in' producing ordinary illuminating gas. The process is so much cheaper that where the ordinary gas costs $1 per thousand cubic feet, the new gas plant will give the same results for thirty cents. The plant will have a capacity of 60,000 cubic feet per hour, which will be sufficient to run the wax pots in the shop where the Phonograph Records are cast. The company will, for the present, continue to use gas from the Public Service Corporation in the japanning and tool shops, and for the running of the forges, but if the new scheme is a success it will gradually be extended to these departments, and in time over the entire allied Edison works and in the new storage battery buildings. INSTRUCT THE DEALERS. Jobbers can do no more profitable work for themselves than to strive to make every Dealer a better Dealer. By this we mean not merely to endeavor to sell him more goods but, when you sell him any goods at all, show him how to sell them in turn. This means telling him how to carry his stock neatly, conveniently and attractively; how to make window displays; how to demonstrate machines and Records to prospective customers; how to advertise in newspapers, by mail and otherwise ; how to get and distribute printed matter furnished by us through Jobbers, and how to keep up a stock. It means doing everything possible to keep a Dealer informed about trade conditions. This sort of work is being done by many Jobbers and they claim that it has been a great factor in the growth tff their business. There is not a firm doing a jobbing business that could not find it equally beneficial if they would do like