The phonoscope (Nov 1896-Dec 1899)

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Vol. I No. 8. THE PHONOSCOPE letters 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* Pottsville, Pa. I highly commend your correspondent "one who has been artistically done ' ' in the way he exposes the French glass fraud, and there are too many other modes to deceive the unwary customer in cheap records, etc. I call to mind a case where we ordered from a certain dealer twelve records of good, lively selection from their catalogue. What did we get ? Three out of the twelve ; the other nine were substitutes of old stock, slow music, and not in line or similarity to what was ordered originally, and after complaining to the firm, we were congratulated in getting what we did, as "other companies charged double the price for records." Very consoling indeed. About the French glasses we have this to say : A certain firm sold us glasses at twenty-five cents ; later on we sent them fifty cents and ordered two glasses No. 6. We received one glass instead of two ; supposing it to be French we said no more about it. We used it five months and it broke. It was a good glass notwithstanding, as long as it lastsd. However, we thought best to have some on hand. We bought five glasses for fifty cents, and to be candid and tell the truth, we find no difference in the producing quality of either kind ; neither of them had any heavenly blue nor peacock tints around the edge except the price charged for them. Keep it up, brother, and let us expose such frauds. A Victim. ©ur Correspondence Portland, Ohe. Editor the Phonoscope: Dear Sir. — It has been a long time since your magazine has had anything to offer from Portland' so perhaps a few words from this "bailiwick" will be of interest to your readers. Business with the phonograph is moving about as usual, showing a little improvement. The "Projectoscope" came here in May, Messrs. Wilson and Grousbeck opening with it at 268 Morrison Street, where they still are showing to good business. They have fitted up quite a nice little theatre, and with a change of bill every week, they are drawing the best people in the city. These same parties have also started another machine in Seattle, and are doing good business there. Mr. Shields, in connection with the "City and Suburban Railway" has been giving "illustrated concerts" at "Portland Heights," during the summer, and are having large audiences. They also use the "Projectoscope." Since April last the phonograph has had to pay license in this city. You can take your choice, two dollars and a half per day, seven dollars and a half per month, or ten dollars a quarter. Your correspondent is the only one thus far who has had the timidity to take out a license in Portland. The slot machine license went into vogue at the same time, but it being purely a gambling game, the license is only one half that of the phonograph. Should any of the readers of the Phonscope like to see the photograph of the council who passed this ordinance, I will gladly forward them a copy. I think I shall send Mr. Edison a copy to hang in his laboratory. The court here had decided that the license on slot-machines is illegal, and that it is also illegal for one to run a slot-machine, so the owners do not pay any license, but they still run the machines. This is rich, it is good, "cussed good!'' as "Artemus Ward" used to say. We have just returned from a trip to the two great watering places of the North Pacific, "Long Beach," in Washington, and "Clatsop" in Oregon. We combined business with pleasure, did a little business, and a much larger pleasure. A week ago we received a call from Edgar Caypless Esq., of Denver, Colorado, Mr. Caypless is on a vacation tour, doing the Pacific coast, is now at Pugat Sound, aud will return again to Portland, for a weeks stop. Mr. Clypless, has four phonographs and 1,760 records in his house. He tells me that he has had made by an expert machinist in Denver a reversible motor phonograph, so he can play the record from start to finish, reverse the motor and play from finish to start. He says that you get some very funny effects from this. The Verascope has been here with the "FitzCorbett" contest, under the management of Mr. W. K. Wheelock, "Dan" Stuart's partner. They gave four performances at the "Marquam Grand," to crowded houses. I think everybody was satisfied with the pictures, and nearly every one was satisfied that the fight belonged to "Fitz," from the first to the fourteenth round (inclusive.) Mr. W. L. Wright who made the first projecting instrumeut, (the "Animatiscope") was here with Mr. Wheelock, going with them to Astoria, from whence he returned to San Francisco, Mr. Wheelock with the show going to the Sound. I learned from Mr. Caypless that our singer Mr. Gaskin, is in Europe. That's right, George, take a good vacation, and "see all the places" and "spend sixty cents for you've been there three days" as "Hiram Wilkius" says, and when you come back to sing for us again please, George, sing two verses, and sometimes a "refrain," on each cylinder and the phonograph men all over this country will rise up and call you blessed! Selah. X Xeoal flottces James J. Corbett, the ex-champion pugilist, and William A. Brady, his manager, have entered suit in the equity branch of the United States Court for New Jersey against Thomas A. Edison. The bill wae filed last month by Alexander Simpson of Jersey City. It asks for an injunction to restrain Edison from manufacturing and selling the films of the Corbett-Courtney sparring match. The bill alleges that Corbett was induced to spar before the camera by a corporation known as the Kinetoscope Exhibition Company, under a contract which stipulates that Corbett and Brady shall be the sole and absolute owners of the films produced. The bill further alleges that Mr. Edison was fully cognizant of the terms of this contract, and despite the agreement, has made and sold the pictures and has received great sums of money from the Kinetoscope Company, and has widely advertised the kinetoscope; that Edison has no right to produce or sell the pictures which he is making and selling in large qauantities, although Corbett and Brady have that exclusive privilege. It is charged that Edison was not a party to the agreement, and is taking advantage of the fact and deriving a handsome revenue from the sale of pictures. Application was made in the United States Circuit Court last month by the American Graphophoue Company , of Washington, D. C, against the United States Phonograph Company of Newark, N. J., for an injunction restraining the latter company from using a certain patent for improvement in speed regulators for motors. Two patents for an invention of this character had been granted to different individuals. The Interference Examiner of the Patent Department said the patents interfered, and the patent granted to Thomas H. McDonald and owned by the Graphophone Company was entitled to a decree of prior invention. The suit instituted is to restrain the Phonograph Company from using the patent granted to Francis L. Capps and owned by that company. The ordinance adopted by the council on July 12, 1897, prohibiting the exhibition of kinetoscopic pictures of prize fights goes into effect at Eos Angeles, Cal. Violation of any of the provisions of the ordinance is deemed a misdemeanor, and punishable by a fine not exceeding $50, or imprisonment in the city jail for a term not exceeding fifty days. Judgment by default in $263.08 was entered last month in the minutes of the Circuit Court in a case on contract of the Edison Phonograph Works against Abraham Mendel. United States Circuit Judge J. G. Jenkins, sitting in chancery, last month issued an injunction on the prayer of the Veriscope Company, Dan A. Stuart, president, against the exhibition of the Philadelphia and other films in a Clark Street museum. The bill filed, and upon which the restraining order was granted, also carried with it an accounting, under the provisions of which the Veriscope Company will demand a settlement. This is the first successful attempt made tending to protect the national and international copyright granted the Veriscope Company for the Corbett and Fitzsimmons moving pictures. The attorneys for the Veriscope Company will now institute individual action for damages and an accounting against the owners of all theatres and buildings where the copyright of the company has been infringed upon. ©ur jForeton Correspondence Sydney, N. S. W., July 5, 1897. The Phonoscope Publishing Co. Dear Sirs. — Your valued paper did not reach us this mail, and we trust it has not gone astray in course of post, as so many American publications are always doing, owing, no doubt, to their value being fully appreciated by some of the people. Business is dull in Australia from a variety of causes, and it is mid-winter. We are exhibiting the vitascope, and two other picture-projecting machines are also on view in the city, while about twenty are roaming round the country. One man has just sold out his outfit at a very low figure. It was an excellent outfit and all in good order. There are now samples of nearly every make of projecting-machine in Australia, as two or three new ones have just arrived. The Lumiere instrument was the first to commence business, and it took the cream, up to $2,000 per week for a long season. We have seen a few German machines, but they are no improvement. The public have been looking forward to the advent of the Fitzsimmons-Corbett fight films, but all the interest has now died out, or nearly so. Now anxiously awaiting for the arrival of the films showing some of the events in London in connection with the Queen's Record Reign Celebration, Yours truly, W. J N. O.