The talking machine world (Jan-Dec 1906)

56 THE TALKING MACHINE WORLD. "In Milano," continued Mr. Hageu, with a distinct flavor of sunny Italy in liis voice, "I was very successful. Besides recording a large number of selections and choruses from all the principal operas, I obtained the full score of 'Rigoletto,' 'Aida,' 'Cavelleria Rusticana,' 'Faust' and 'La Boheme.' Up to this time the disc records of but one complete opera, that of 'II Trovatore,' is known in this country, being put out by the Victor Talking Machine Co. So you see, it was no small undertaking to record the full musical scene of these operas. In addition I have a large collection of instrumentals from the best known orchestras and band organizations in the whole of Italy. Of course, some singers, who are bound up in contracts, were unattainable, many of them having signed exclusively with the Ponotepia Co., owned and controlled by G. Ricordi & Co., the famous music publishers. This reminds me that not a few beautiful operas not yet heard in the United States are perfectly familiar to the people of the South American countries, and made so through the talking machine. "Am I glad to get back? Well, I should think so. People at home have no conception what the sight of the American flag is in a foreign port to the wanderer from his own flreside. It just makes your patriotic feelings boil over, and you feel like hurrahing every few minutes. "I met Henry B. Babson. the president of the company, in Milano, and he afterward went to Paris with E. Long, the manager of our export department, you know. Mr. Babson is no stranger in Europe. He has been over a number of times. You remember when he was in China and made that big coup on records? That was the time he came back by the way of the Trans-Siberian Railroad, going through Russia. This Siberian road run the trains only during the day, and at night everybody gets out and stops at the station, where the accommodations are far from palatial. Then the next morning the journey is resumed. South America is a great country, almost twenty-flve years behind us, but is the coming part of the world." EMERALD ISLE HAPPENINGS. Auxetophone Attracts Great Crowds at Public Concert — Present Season Destined to Excel Any in Volume of Business — Edison Machines to Make Announcements at Railway Station — Columbia Graphophone Used Instead of Band at International Foot-ball Match — Sterling Records Popular. (Special to The Talking Machine World.) Belfast, Ireland, Nov. 3, 1906. The Auxetophone still continues to attract large crowds to the Saturday evening concerts at Ulster Hall, this city; the perfect rendition of all classes of records by this "world's wonder," especially of songs by the great prima donnas Mesdames Melba and Patti, and the famous tenors, Caruso, Tamagno and Scotti, has begotten a love for "talkers" hitherto unexperienced by the wealthier section of music lovers. While the people wend their way homeward from the hall they become transfixed opposite the Edison factor's premises, to which they are drawn by the two powerful American CooperHewitt Mercury vapor electric lamps used by the proprietor (Osborne) for lighting his store, and particularly by the fascinating musical programme of popular "pantomime hits," rendered by the Columbia Twentieth Century sound-magnifying graphophone. No instrument can compare with the machine referred to for out-otdoor concerts; hundreds have confessed that they have hurried from adjoining streets in the expectation of hearing a military band pass the City Hall, only to discover as an agreeable surprise, however, that they had been listening to a band piece on the graphophone. "Sterling" records (one shilling) seem to be growing more popular every day. It is most interesting to watch from year to year the stock racks and shelves of an up-to-date dealer or factor, the quantities he holds of various records clearly indicating the popularity of the different brands. Although T. Edens Osborne has been selling gramophones since autumn of 1898, he reports that this season has been absolutely phenomenal so far as the output of gramophone and zonophone products is concerned. The Gramophone Company's yearly balance sheet has just been published, and the figures are highly gratifying; all the company's dealers in British Isles are delighted at results of the year's trading; there is probably no firm of talking machine manufacturers who are in closer touch with their dealers than the Gramophone Company; this is traceable to a widespread appreciation of their business methods, their prompt attention to orders, the courtesy displayed in their correspondence, and the kindly interest manifested by their manager, S. W. Dixon, in all dealers who loyally respect the price-maintenance agreements. The Columbia S. M. graphophone proved an excellent substitute for a band at the international football match (Ireland versus England), contested at Cliftonville, Belfast, a couple of weeks ago. Ireland was defeated. A talking machine enthusiast recently confessed she was so much enamored of her gramophone that she removed a partition wall and "threw two rooms into one," on account of the instrument being too loud. She could not conceal her feelings of remorse when told that the same result could have been achieved by placing a silk handkerchief in the trumpetOne of the ticket checkers at a local railroad depot recently complained of hoarseness occasioned by having to shout so frequently, "All tickets please"; he has just arranged to make a record on an Edison Standard of these words, repeated again and again for two and one-half minutes, and hopes the railway company's manager will permit him to use the phonograph at the ticket barrier as a substitute for his own vocal efforts. Odeon double-sided disc records are growing in demand; a large percentage of them sound loudly, clearly and sweetly on the auxetophone. 1 A ■«* 1 '-<t -J TOPHAM*S CASES are the original and standard. Build up your trade by carrying the standard rather than the imitation. For 36 Records These are a few styles only. 1855 Canadian Distributors R. S. Williams & Sons Co., Ltd. Toronto and Winnipeg, Canada. For 96 Records Something New and Exclus ve Willi Us. -Pioneer IVIanuiacturer "Write for complete catalogue and price list. 1906 For 48 Records All our cases are made from select lumber, covered with a genuine book cloth, imitation of seal grain leather. An inside Hange, which is cut from the solid wood, forming the top, thus giving strength and keeping out dust and dampness, is a point I claim exclusive to our case. Cylinders are made on especially constructed machines and are correct size and uniform diameter. By my special method of fastening in, they are absolutely aecure. JAMES S. TOPHAM WASHINGTON, D. C. New England Distrib utors for Disc and Machine Cases, M. Sleinert & Sons Co, Boston, Mass. 10 and 12 Inch