The talking machine world (Aug-Dec 1919)

September 15, 1919 THE TALKING MACHINE WORLD 107 BIG EDISON CABINET CONTRACT FOR THE PULLMAN CO. Its Filling Will Require Entire Facilities of Great Woodworking Plant — Assembling Plant for Edison Phonographs Being Established in Pullman, 111. A most important business announcement was made last week by Thomas A. Edison, Inc., to the effect that the Edison Laboratories had given to the Pullman Palace Car Co., Pullman, 111., ranking as one of the world's largest workers in fine wood, an extremely big contract for cabinets for Edison phonographs, a contract which it is said will require all the facilities of the Pullman woodworking plant to fill. It is expected that the first deliveries of cabinets will be made during the latter part of September. In connection with this cabinet contract the Edison phonograph works are establishing a phonograph assembly plant immediately adjacent to the Pullman Palace Car Co.'s factory operations. The output of the Pullman Co., as well as that of the Edison cabinet plant in Wisconsin and of an Indiana cabinet manufacturing plant, will be delivered to this phonograph assembly plant for assembling, packing and shipping. This operation is to be an exceedingly large one and the details of it have been worked out with great care and thought. All of the parts and mechanisms will be built at the Edison laboratories in Orange and will be thoroughly inspected and tested before being shipped. A second inspection and test will be made at Pullman, 111., according to the high standards maintained at Orange. D. Lawson, who, recently, has been assistant superintendent and night superintendent of the Edison factory at Orange, will be superintendent of the new assembly plant. Mr. Lawson, who is well known to Edison jobbers and dealers in all parts of the country as one of the original Edison traveling mechanical instructors, has been identified with the laboratories for many years in various positions of responsibility and is considered an expert on the technique of manufacture of the Edison phonograph. The necessary layout work at the Pullman assembly plant is being personally supervised by Charles Luhr, works manager of the Edison Phonograph Works, and M. E. Wolf, construction engineer of Thomas A. Edison, Inc. MAKE CIGARS WHILE TALKER PLAYS Milwaukee Cigar Makers Speed Lagging Spirits With Latest Jazz — Nicotine Shuffle Proves Popular With Employes During Lunch Hour Milwaukee, Wis., September 5. — "Music while we work" is now the slogan of employes of the M. A. C. Cigar Manufacturing Co., 338 East Water street, and it is being proved hourly that music hath charms to soothe the most exhausted workers that ever made cigars. It wasn't so bad in the wintertime, for plenty of pep kept the workers springing jokes and near-jokes on one another, which made work fairly pleasant. But it all took time and cigarmakers — well, cigarmakers need every hour in the day. When summer came and spirits flagged no more did the sprightly quip enliven the day — the cigar manufacturing concern became as dull and quiet as Grand avenue on a Sunday afternoon. "Oh, gee, I wish we had a talking machine," sighed one of the workers one day. It was a brilliant idea. Next day a collection was taken up — 25 cents each from every man and woman who earn their living in the shop. The money was paid as the first instalment on a large talking machine equipped with two dozen of the latest dance and song records. Next day it was delivered at the shop and during the first hour, while the machine ground out "Minnie, Shimmie for Me," and "I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles," the output of cigars was doubled. The talking machine won a home instantly. Now it is kept constantly on the whirl, grinding out the latest songs while the workers work, and the cigars accumulate far more rapidly than of yore. The cigarmakers unconsciously keep time to the music, and everyone knows there are not many funeral marches among the popular music of the day. The machine is especially busy at the noon hour. Instead of loitering over lunches and perhaps making a quick excursion to the avenue for a bit of shopping or a thirst quencher the twelve girls and an equal number of male employes do a quick change from worker to ballroom-hound, and skip through the Nicotine Shuffle or other latest tobacco terpsichorean glides on the polished floor. Charles Fernandez, manager, heartily approves of the innovation, and suggests that if anti-tobacco laws should ever come into effect he and his workers could start a dancing academy and keep the home fires burning, all right. It's a great life, say all. M0TR0LA POPULAR IN LOS ANGELES C. H. Yates Tells of the Demand for This Specialty and Other Products Los Angeles, Cal., September 4. — Charles H. Yates, Pacific Coast distributor for the JonesMotrola, with headquarters at 311 Laughlin Building, this city, states that the demand for this device is far exceeding expectations. He has been using large advertisements in the daily and Sunday newspapers featuring the JonesMotrola, and the local dealers state that they have closed many sales in all parts of the State as a direct result of this publicity. In fact, Motrola business on the Pacific Coast has increased so rapidly that Mr. Yates is finding it difficult to secure sufficient stock to fill orders. In addition to the Jones-Motrola, Mr. Yates is the distributor for a complete line of phonograph accessories, and only recently took over the distribution of the Sterling reproducer, the Resurrectone reproducer and Torrington Uniform steel needles. 1 1 1 HAVE YOU HEARD THE NEW OkeH LISTS? All OkeH Records are 10-inch Double Faced Retail Price RECORDS The Best Hill and Dale Record on the Market The new OkeH Lists comprise the most popular song and dance lists on the market, together with the best selling instrumental, standard and sacred selections. A splendid library that meets with a ready sale. We offer you efficient service that will enable you to sell this quality record on a profitable, substantial basis. You will find this record proposition a sure winner. Write for dealer plan. We give OkeH dealers liberal discount. Harponola Co. OkeH Jobbers Celina, Ohio I 1