The talking machine world (Jan-Dec 1906)

54 THE TALKING MACHINE WORLD. 1897, has been in Chicago for the past three, weelis, making the circuit of the outlj'ing theaters with the Man's Broken Promise Co. He has a role built on the Uncle Josh order, and has been permitted to introduce some of his original monologues and specialties. In spite of the fact that he becomes a bit pensive when he thinks of the imitators who have broken into his peculiar field., he is the same jolly optimistic Cal. of yore. On Tuesday and Friday mornings of last week he gave a demonstration of record making at the Columbia headquarters at 88 Wabash avenue. He shot some of his standard numbers, laugii and all, into the recorder, and they were reproduced with great effect through the Twentieth Century graphophone. Before he left New York he made a new batch of Uncle Josh records at the Columbia laboratory. They include Uncle Josh's visit to the dentist, his experience with labor unions (a splendid piece of satire), the wooden wedding of Uncle Josh and Aunt Nancy, the descriptive reading for the quartette in "The Meeting of the Hen Roost Club," and a number of others. Mr. Stewart is now making records exclusively for the Columbia Co. Joel Mossberg, who has made a number of successful records of Swedish folk songs and Swedish renditions of standard songs for the Victor Co., is a Chicagoan. He has done considerable work in light opera, is the basso of the Sixth Presbyterian Church choir, and teaches. The big factory of the Salter Manufacturing Co., 102-108 North Oakley avenue, is busily engaged taking care of the large demand for their excellent line of record and music cabinets. The new styles. No. 705 disc and No. 710 cylinder record cabinets, are experiencing something very like a boom. Manager A. D. Geissler, of the Talking Machine Co., reports that October sales for Victor talking machines and records exceeded the boisiness of any month since the inception of the house. The latest member of the Talking Machine Co. force to set the wedding bells tingling is Virginius W. Moody, city sales manager, who was married the other day to Miss Ethel M. Hannah, of Dallas, Tex., at the home of the bride's parents in that city. The Chicago Stand Co., 266 Wabash avenue, Chicago, have added a number of important firms to their list of jobbers of the Chicago Horn Support for Edison machines the past month. The device has some very distinctive points of merit, and the demand for it is growing at a rapid rate. C. L. Hibbard, who has been district manager of the business phonograph department of the National Phonograph Co., has been promoted to the position of Western manager, a new position created with the inauguration of the broader policy adopted by the company relative to the distribution of their commercial machines. Mr. Hibtard has just returned from a visit to headquarters, bringing his new honors with him. While in the East Mr. Hibbard will, of course,; make his headquarters in Chicago, as in the past, but will travel to some extent, establishing agencies for the business phonograph. Edwin C. Barnes, who has heretofore been a member of the Chicago selling force, has been made district manager. L. L. Lewis, manager of the language department, is proud of some of the students he has on the list. Burton Holmes, the famous lecturer, has studied German through the International Correspondence Schools' course, and is now taking Spanish through the same medium. NISBETT ENTHUSIASTIC. Wholesale Manager of Babson Bros. Has Splendid Record in Talking Machine Field — Interesting Chat Regarding His Experiences. THE BOYD=HARRISON CO. Have Just Opened Up in the Automatic Musical Instrument Field and Promise to be an Influential Factor in the Trade. (Special to The Talking Machine World.) Vvorld Office, 195 Wabash avenue, Chicago, 111., Nov. 10, 1906. A new concern which promises to be a strong factor in the automatic musical instrument field is the Boyd-Harrison Co., which has just been organized, and will apply for articles of incorporation in a few days. The principals are both men of experience in the talking machine and coincontrolled fields. W. T. Boyd founded the business of the Indiana Talking Machine Co., and was its president. Later he became widely known to the trade of the country as a member of the traveling force of the Zonophone Co., and has recently been in charge of the automatic department of the Chicago house of the Rudolph Wurlitzer Co. J. W. Harrison was at one time connected with the Columbia Co. in Chicago, and was afterward manager of their Indianapolis store for two years. Returning to Chicago he took charge ot tne automatic electric piano department of the Cable Company, and when the talking machine department was established assumed charge of it in addition to his other duties. The Boyd-Harrison Co. will make leaders of the Standard and Favorite electric pianos, but will also handle other automatic specialties, together with premium goods and advertising novelties. Their thorough knowledge of the coincontrolled proposition will enable them to give dealers valuable advice as to the best methods c.c handling this branch of their business. The company have established offices and salesrooms in the Willoughty Building, Nos. 6 and 8 Madison street, corner of Michigan avenue. (Special to The Talking Machine Vi'orld.) World Office, 195 Wabash Ave., Chicago, 111., Nov. 10, 1906. The talking machine has no more enthusiastic exponent than George M. Nisbett, wholesale manager for Babson Bros., of this city. He has been a material factor in the development of the business in the West, and has seen its growth from the fake class, where it was once placed by gen GEOKGE sr. KISBETT. eral opinion, into the musical instrument art class. Like all men who are thoroughly conversant with present-day tendencies, Mr. Nisbett believes that the industry is only in the beginning of its larger development. When Mr. Nisbett first became connected with the business in 1895, the talker was still largely a mail order proposition, and he started in with Montgomery, Ward & Co. His ability soon manifested itself, and it was not long before he was practically the head of the department. He had the title assistant manager and buyer, but in reality was the whole thing, as the nominal head had a number of other departments to look after. The intelligence and energy with which the department was conducted attracted attention, and in 1900 he became a member of the force of the National Phonograph Co., traveling CRESCENT TONE REGILATOR IVo. 1 for VICTOR and ZOIVORHOINE Disc iVlachines, INo. 2 for EDISOIN and COLUIVIBIA Cylinder iVlachines, can be attached in ONE minute. Simple in construction. Very neat appearance, DOES NOT WEAR ON THE RECORDS; the volume of sound can be regulated WHILE THE MACHINE IS PLAYING; it does away with the annoyance of having to stop the machine and change the needle in order to get a variation in the volume of sound. With the CRESCENT TONE REGULATOR the change is instantaneous. You can also give expression to the music. The sale on this little Regulator has been phenomenal and we are novr selling the largest Jobbers in the country. It is one of the best selling accessories in the talking machine line. This device is the invention of Mr. Frederick Sheppy. formerly mechanical expert with Lyon & Healy, of Chicago, and application for patent has been made by him and is now pending. We are the sole licensees lor the mannlacture of the " Crescent Tone Regulator" and will protect our customers in the sale of same. Retail price is $1.00. If you do not handle the Crescent send for sample and discounts. CRESCENT TALKING MACHINE CO. 3749 COTTAGE GROVE AVENUE CHICAGO, ILL.