The phonoscope (Nov 1896-Dec 1899)

Vol. III. No. 4 THE PHONOSCOPE 13 and is making a big hit. He is the first and only banjoist to play in orchestra, up-to-date and we presume half the audience have heard him through the various talking-machines. Mr. E. D. Easton, President of the American Graphophone Company and of the Columbia Phonograph Company, will sail for Europe July 4th. Mr. Easton will be accompanied by Mr. Mervin E. Lyle, manager of the New York office of the Columbia Phonograph Company and also by members of his family. He will remain abroad until August, devoting some time to an inspection of the new German headquarters of his company established in Berlin. Within the past month the well-known firm of Hawthorne &Sheble, manufacturers of Phonograph and Graphophone supplies, of Philadelphia, have opened an exhibition salesroom at 43 Broad Street, New York City. This move was necessary on account of the rapid increase in their New York State and city business. Mr. E. A. Hawthorne, the senior partner, is in charge of the New York department and is prepared to make all comers feel at home. The wonders and novelties of this age of science and machinery will never cease. The writer recently paid a visit to the manufacturing department of Hawthorne & Sheble of Philadelphia, and was shown a gigantic drawing press ten feet high and weighing 32,000 pounds. This machine, by the use of dies and punches, will turn out the work of twenty-five hand spinners. With such facilities at their command, the trade is bound to gravitate in one direction. On and after Jul}' 15th the prices of the Bettini Micro-Diaphragms will be considerably reduced. Mr. Bettini has in course of preparation a catalogue which will be ready by July 15th, containing a great many new models of Micro-Diaphragms adapted to all classes of Phonographs and Graphophones, including the Edison Concert, the Columbia Grand, Home Grand, and Eagle machines. The list of records is also very much increased and prices greatly reduced. Len. Spencer and Harry Yeager have joined forces of the Knickerbocker Music Publishing Co., and the firm hereafter will be known as Hylands, Spencer & Yeager. Their new song successes are meeting with an enormous sale. The new coon song "You Don't Stop the World From Going 'Round" is being sung and whistled everywhere and is a big winner. The office is open day and evening and all professional singers and music dealers are invited to call. Jos. W. Stern & Co.'s new issues for the month of May are Taggart and Witt's new song of the sea, "Wait Till My Ship Comes In," a successor to their still reigning craze, "The Moth and the Flame ," Sadie Koninsky ' s new cake walk , ' ' Boardin ' House Johnson," said to equal her famous "Eli Green's Cake Walk," Dave Lewis's darky serenade, "My Alabama Lady Love," Ed Rogers' catchy, "The Oriental Coon," and Max S. Witt's new ballad, "My Little Georgia Rose." Mr. E. H. Kaufman, formerly connected with the Edison laboratory, but now of this city, returned from a business trip to the City of Mexico. The people of Mexico, Mr. Kaufman says, are as a whole fond of music, and probably the greatest musical critics are to be found in that country's capital. While the Edison Phonographs may be new to some of the people of this country, nearly all the wealthy families there have the finest of Edison's grand Phonographs as a part of their home entertainment. Mr. Kaufman was delighted with his visit. Owing to the rapid increase in their horn business Messrs. Hawthorne & Sheble of Philadelphia have extended their facilities for manufacturing, and have contracted for factory space four times as large as their present quarters. This progressive firm recently gave orders for several thousand dollars' worth of labor-saving automatic machinery, and hope to fill all orders without the tedious delay that often occurs in filling orders for Phonograph and Graphophone goods. We understand that this house recently closed one contract for eight thousand brass horns. How the business has grown ! Mr. J. S. Gonell who has been cashier and chief clerk for F. M. Prescott, sailed on the steamer Seguranca June 21 for Mexico City, via. Havana and Vera Cruz. Mr. Gonell speaks the Spanish language fluently and will represent Mr. Prescott's interests in Mexico, making his office address at Plazuela de Guardiola, Mexico City, Mexico. Those in Mexico and the Central American Republics interested in talking-machines and the latest American novelties will do well to communicate with Mr. Gonell at the above address. Mr. Gonell has promised an occasional letter for The Phonoscope. The Multiplex Phonograph Company of New York City have secured more spacious quarters in the front of the Sheridan building on Broadway for their offices which have been fitted up in elegant style. They have j ust completed two slot-machines, one being built on the style of a weighing machine in which there is no electricity required to operate it. You stand on a small raised platform, drop in your nickel or cent, as the case may be, place the tubes to your ear and have your choice of six different selections. The other device is a $5 Graphophone with the Multiplex attachment encased in a small, neat hardwood cabinet with lock and key which can be conveniently placed on a counter or show-case where the customer can have his choice of six selections or can hear a little of each by simply shifting the lever. Full particulars will appear in their advertisement next issue. Mr. Henry J. Hagen, of the firm of Harms, Kaiser & Hagen, has devoted all of his time of late to a new recording attachment. There has been a great deal of anxiety in the trade of late owing to the different methods used in the various recordtaking laboratories and the opinions received from the different dealers varying considerably. A loud record has been in great demand by some and a soft, musical record has been preferred by others. The loud record, though it contained considerable volume, lacked in tone, and the soft record, embodying musical tone and sweetness, lacked volume, so Mr. Hagen at once set to work to construct an attachment which would make a record containing volume without sacrificing the tone. It has taken considerable experimenting to get the desired effect, but he has been rewarded for his labors and has now succeeded in getting a record with sufficient volume, containing tone and quality as well . He has already placed on the market new records made on his new attachment and is now preparing to turn out the entire stock the same way, as they have already met with great success. The record room has been kept engaged steadily so no time would be lost in meeting with the demand. There is no doubt that Harms, Kaiser & Hagen are preparing themselves for a prosperous season and they are adding to their list of artists every week. Successful Evaskm of Slot flliacbme ©rber It does not require a man with an exceptionally good memory to recall the days when the police department waged a relentless crusade against the seductive slot machines, and compelled the owners of places of business where they were operated to discontinue their use. The machines were not destroyed, as the police willed that they should be, but were laid away for future use. For many months several hundred cellars and store-rooms connected with St. Joseph, Mo., drug stores and saloons have contained some choice specimens of the slot-machine family. They have become dust-covered and even moldy, but that will not impair their usefulness. A good husky porter can soon shine them up so they will be as bright and presentable as ever. It is possible that several hundred porters will be engaged in a task of this kind very soon, and, in fact, some of them have already been so employed. Barring some sweeping and unusual edict from the minions of the law, the slot machines will return. In fact, in many public places they are now in operation and the wheels go 'round as of yore. The imble nickel, however, finds its way over the bar instead of into the slot as formerly. After many months of cogitating the owners of the slot machines have hit upon a scheme to operate them without violating the order issued by the chief of police. Of course they did not all discover it at once, and all of them have not yet been let into the secret. The slot machines of the wheel variety, numbered from one to thirty, one which five and multiples thereof win, are the favorites. On each of them is a notice as follows : "This is not a slot machine. Pay your nickel at the bar and turn the wheel. Numbers 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 win." The young man who is willing to risk a little and take chances of securing five cigars for the price of one finds this an acceptable means of gratifying his sporting propensities. He is trying all the while to convince himself that he is not violating the law, because the ingenuity of the keeper of the place in which the machine is situated, has made this possible. The order which practically annihilated the slot machines last year permitted the use of those devices which guaranteed the player at least one cigar or drink for every 5-cent coin he invested. Of course there were a few numbers which won two or more, but the odds were so great against the player that he generally bought what he wanted in the regular way. This had the effect of relegating the most of the machines to the cellars and warerooms. It is claimed that the way the merchandise vending contrivances are operated now they do not come under the law against slot machines, as no money is played into the affair through the aperture made for that purpose. As a further protection against the officers of the law it is explicitly stated in the notices posted on the boxes that they are not slot machines. It is to be presumed that the authorities will denominate this new-fangled species of sport, an aesthetic form of gambling, and will make an effort to suppress it. The measure of success with which the attempt will be crowned can better be stated after the effort has been made.