The phonoscope (Nov 1896-Dec 1899)

u , ■ , r-— ---'j^,. _ _ Xetters This column is open to any of our patrons who have a complaint to make, a grievance to ventilate, information to give, or a subject of general interest to discuss appertaining to Sound Producing Machines, Picture Projecting Devices, Slot Machines, Amusement Inventions or Scientific Novelties in general. Can anybody give me any information as to on what Mr. Thos. Arinat, of Washington, D. C, bases his claim to the invention of the vitascope, generally attributed to Mr. Edison ? I fail to see how a real estate dealer can dispute with a man of Edison's world-wide reputation, an invention which must needs be the outcome of a life time devotion to science. T. L. Your issue of The Phonoscope received with thanks. Pleased to see at last sensible persons publishing a journal for the interest of phonograph, graphophone and kinetoscope users. Whoever gets your paper will be happy to consider himself a subscriber. I know I do. Enclosed please find one year's subscription. While phonographs, kinetoscopes, etc., are secondary in my business, I think well enough of it to have eight phonographs, one cabinet graphophone, fifteen kinetoscopes, and in a few days a vitascope, X-rays, electric piano and many fine imported automatic musical and other instruments which probably give me the largest plant of the kind in the New England States. It is 3'our duty to put on guard all of our great phonograph and supply firms against filling the market with duplicate records called " high grade," while the original remains in their cabinets. It is a race now between the fake and best films who will make and sell the most cylinders. To facilitate their works, they use these white soft blanks, no more of those good and hard dark blanks. This process will do more harm to the legitimate phonograph exhibitors than anything else. Of course amateurs will not perceive this at once, but when they do, good-bye phonograph amusements. Yours respectfully, L. I have a spring motor phonograph which runs perfectly smooth and even, but about the middle of each cylinder the springs give a jump and very often throws the reproducer out of track. Can any reader of The Phonoscope enlighten me on this point? Inquiry, New Orleans. Editor of The Phonoscope : If you will kindly grant me a little space in your journal, I wish to receive a little light. I wish to ascertain the reason why so many records crack after using a short time? I have always handled my records with great care, but they will crack on me and, of course, I must consign them to the ash barrel. Perhaps some of your readers could give me a pointer on this question. Yours, F. C. E., Lowell, Mass. ©ur Corresponbents Norfolk, Va. — The Richmond Stereopticon Advertising Company, which was organized in in this city, intend to establish a branch office for an exhibition to be given in Norfolk. The company is composed of several leading business men, and have been operating very successfully for the past two months upon their canvass located on the corner of Sixth and Broad streets. This novel form of "reaching the eyes" of the people in the interests of Richmond merchants and manufacturing businesses is a repetition of the canvass at THE PHONOSCOPE Herald Square, New' York City, which attracted so much attention. Mr. K. Hoyt Stone, Jr., of Brooklyn, N. Y., who has had considerable experience with stereopticon machine in the North, has been secured as advance agent for the company. Williams. Memphis, Tenn. — The phono, business here in Memphis is about like every other business, very quiet. The vitascope had a four weeks' run at the Auditorium for which Mr. Miller told me he received $1,000. It came in at the close of the regular performances, giving seven pictures, with a change each week, and it proved a drawing card. He claimed the right for Tennesee. There was a snide imported concern here at the same time, I can't now recall the kind of 'graph it was. The greatest hit of the season was Morris's illusions from Paris a d London. For a ten cent show it was immense, and took hundreds of dollars from the city. A few months ago two young men stopped at a fashionarle boarding house and pronosed to exhibit a little graphophone, and our city license inspector wanted to pull them for $50 only, and if I mistake not, it was $50 a day. I called to see them twice, but they were out each time. Now, tell me if some of our big men who have some influence in Washington can get Congress to prohibit such an outrage. If a sister state wants to show her nakedness or act the pirate or robber, should not the united sisters object and put their veto on such conduct? I succeeded in getting the 1895 Legislature to cut the license on photograph galleries from $150 to $75 per annum. Even a little tintype tent is taxed the same, so I say don't come to Tennessee. We have many noble people, but the\ do not predominate. Solomon knew the truth when he wrote this Proverb : ' ' When the wicked rule, the people mourn." How does this strike these times ? How would it fit our Washington, D. C, as well as Europe? W. T. Brooks. Sandusky, Ohio. — The Sandusky, Ohio, city council have at last disposed of the famous slot machine ordinance which came up for second reading last month. Upon motion of Charles Miller the rules were suspended and it was passed to the final reading. Then the question of its passage came up, and the ordinance was downed in less time than it takes to tell about it, and Sandusky is now one of the few cities of its size in this state allowing the operation of slot machines. Those voting in favor of the ordinance and prohibiting the running of the machines are as follows : Chandler, Coles, Fettel, Gilcher, Walsh, Windisch, Zimmerman and President Miller — S. Those opposed to the ordinance were Buehrle, Close, Horn, Chas. Miller, Moltz, Schatz, Stang, Wagner, Zeitzheim and Zistel. Mr. Nusly was excused before the vote was taken up. Emons. Portland, Ore. — " Begorra business is bad in Portland I " as " Casey " says in "The Auctioneer," and that don't half tell the story for the past month. For the thirty days just past, ending December 29th, business fell with me to less than one half the month previous. Of course, the exceeding cold weather in the early part of the month answers for a good part of the trouble, and the holidays for the rest. People will save up for Christmas, and while they are saving the phonograph suffers. The vitascope is here, showed two weeks at at Cordray's Theatre, then "set up" on Third street. Is doing fair business, I think. The aniniatiscope then came and cast anchor at the Third and Stark, but remained only a few days ; has now g»ne to the Sound. It opened at . the Olympia. These are the only two out of the very January-February, 1897 many projecting instruments on the market that I have seen. They both work very fine and give good satisfaction ; think they are a long jump ahead of the kinetoscope. Mr. W. L. Wright is the discoverer of the animatiscope and made the first two in this city, then removed to San Francisco, where he formed a company who are now manufacturing. Had Mr. Wright opened in this city as he intended last February he would have been the first to expose the projecting instrument on this continent. In the November Phonoscope I notice what ' ' Leonard " says of white cylinders, etc. He says that ' ' late records are not nearly as good as they were three and four years ago." This is exactly the opposite to my experience, which is this : Every kind of record that I know of — r>nd I buy all the makers' — has improved one hundred per cent, during the past two years. Take Hunting, Myers, Gaskin, Quinn and Spencer, and they never made such records as they are now making. The same may be said of all the bands, especially Issler's Orchestra. An Issler is as sure to be good as a gold dollar is good for one hundred cents, and I have had several recently that are man-els. In regard to white cylinders, I am quite sure that they are the best. I can name four that I have taken more than $50 each on — two of them are now in my box and the other two I sold a few days since for $1.50 each. This is simply my experience. There is nothing lost by giving it. I go for the white cylinders all the time — 'til they make something better. I have just ordered a barrel of blanks, and "all white " was in the order. Let us endeavor to get the best for everything, keep our instruments in order and the phouograph will win out. Monroe. Bnswers to Covresponbence All questions pertaining to Talking Machines, PictureProjecting Inventions, Automatic Coin-in-Slot devices, Amusement Inventions, etc., will be cheerfully and fully answered in this column. Inquiries for this department should be addressed, Information Department, The Phonoscope, 4 East Fourteenth Street, New York, U. S. A. -J* J* J* <M <l* The Phonoscope. Gentlemen : Will you please answer me the following questions in your next issue? Does the slot phonograph business pay? Why are there so many wanting to sell second-hand slot cabinets ? What are its greatest drawbacks? Are hotels generally given a commission for putting them in ? What kind of records seem to take best in slot machines? Are they being run for one cent or a nickel? Which pays or takes best, one-way tube or horn ? What slot device do you consider the most perfect? What is the usual life of an original and of a duplicate record ? Does a rubber mandrel interfere with the clearness of a record? H. B., Ottawa, Ont. 1. — Yes, if you place your machines in a good location, keep them in condition and use up-todate records. 2. — Probably because part}' wishes to change the style of machine or cabinet. 3. — We know of none. 4. — Yes. 5. — Records of the latest popular songs. 6. — A nickel. 7. — According to location ; if in a quiet place, a horn ; if in a bustling business location, tubes. 8. — New Englnad or Kansas device. 9. — We cannot answer, as a good duplicate will sometimes outwear a poor cut master. 10. — Not at all. You must have rubber mandrels on your slot machines as they allow the records to expand or contract with the change of weather without cracking.