The talking machine world (Jan-Dec 1907)

THE TALKING MACHINE WORLD. 47 TALKERS IN THE SOUTHWEST. The Musical Critic of a Los Angeles Paper Dilates on the Growing Popularity of the Talking Machine in That Section of the Country — Notable Personalities Who Are Talker Enthusiasts— Some of Their Favorites. The editor cf the musical department of the Los Angeles (Cak) Sunday Times is greatly impressed with the musical possibilities of the talking machine, and the growth of sales in the leading makes of machines and records. In a recent issue of that paper appeared the following article regarding those popular music makers : Southern California now beats the world for "canned music" — the music which Sousa complains about, and which he patronizes so faithfully, both to the continued edification of his many admirers and his own financial profit. The talking machine trade, which represents all grades of rnusic, from such perpetrations as "Dearie" to Wagnerian music drama, has grown in this city to gigantic proportions. A prominent dealer said yesterday that without exception, the enthusiasm of the Southwest over "records" was not equaled in any other part of the United States. Trade journals are taking it up. Eastern manufacturers are paying their best attention to Southern California business. Several weeks ago a single house in this city received one shipment amounting to five carloads. Not long ago a single consignment oi' records here amounted to 450,000 records. The purchase of new records by patrons, not counting the introduction of new customers, amounts in the big local music stores to many hundreds of dollars each day. These facts are significant, and are as novel in the musical field as was the sudden rise and enormous gain in popularity of the automobile in the realm of outdoor pastimes. A remarkable epidemic of talking machine fever has developed among men who are locally prominent. Fred Eaton, for example, has toted an investment of half a thousand dollars to Inyo, and with it he has sudden.y become a convert to fine art. His personal favorites are the stars of the Metropolitan opera company, though he says he has taken "a little foolish stuff" to amuse a certain coterie of his country auditors. Arthur Letts has turned into a Caruso crank. His beautiful machine plays nothing else, practically, and every preserved specimen of the great Italian tenor's voice has found a niche in his private musical laboratory. Howard Huntington has turned impresario, and gives talking machine concerts at the Jonathan Club. Recently he had an audience of 200 men at one of his "affairs." His list of records is declared to Be selected with a connoisseur's taste. Nat Goodwin has developed a fad for classical music. His contraction of the disease came during his recent visit to Los Angeles, and he also has an unusually good bunch of records. The rrog Book "RANIDAE" gives you the practical knowledge how to breed, feed and raise Frogs. The book is interesting and tells you of a new industry that returns large profits. Price, postpaid, 25 cents (Coin). Meadow Brook Farm Co. Box 16 Allendale, New Jersey Colonel G. Wiley Wells, of Santa Monica, who is confined to his house by invalidism a great deal of the time, is credited with possessing the most valuable collection of all, valued at several thousand dollars, and representing practically every high-class record that has been turned out by the leading companies. Mrs. T. S. C. Lowe is another enthusiast, and has in her collection more than 1,500 choice records. Dr. H. Bert Ellis is a devotee of the "old-time" music, and has an unusually good representation of this, besides possessing a very good grand opera repertoire. William Richardson, one of the best-known salesmen, tells of many queer tastes. A prominent physician here bought a $200 machine for nothing, but records in Russian and ancient Hebrew. Later he came back mysteriously for fifty blank discs — presumably to try his own tongue in these strange pronunciations. A pretty young woman, just a debutante, owns an extensive set of Chinese records — and nothing else. One musician has a fine list of men's voices and instrumental numbers, but will not listen to a woman's voice in any machine. Another man buys nothing but women's voices. One retired capitalist will never depend upon his own judgment in buying records for 'use in his own library. His specimens are all selected by other people. And so the diversion goes. RECORD REPRODUCTION PERFECTED By Means of the Phonometer, the Latest Contribution to the Development of the Talking Machine, Commands Attention. With the growth of the talking machine business many and invaluable are the inventions and improvements made for the development and enhancement of sound reproduction. Few, indeed, besides the experts possibly, give but passing attention to the speed of the machine. There is a fixed number of revolutions of the disc that develops the actual quality and pitch of the voice' or instrument recorded. It is seldom, however, so it is claimed, that the regulation speed is maintained. As any arrangement or device possible to invent that operates on. the governor; or, in other words, the present speed indicators and regulators used cannot remain accurate, it is claimed, the wearing of the parts through friction, etc., naturally causes the device to become inaccurate. To remedy this defect is the object of the Phonometer, a device illustrated and described on another page of The World. This speed meter, the first and only one of its kind, made on the principle of centrifugal force, and therefore accurate, when attached, instantly indicates the number of revolutions per minute that the machine is running, and the connection on the dial of the machine can be made accordingly before playing the record. This little instrument is spoken of as indispensable if the true individuality, lifelike realism and peculiar quality of the record is to be had. The Phonometer go3s a great way toward making records more salable through the perfect attainment in voice reproduction, and should become an invaluable article to every dealer and talking machine enthusiast. It is manufactured by the Phonographic Music Co:, 39 South Ninth street, Brooklyn, N. Y. James S. Boyd, the Columbia Phonograph Co.'s agent in Janesville, Wis., claims to have been presented by various corporations, including the Standard Oil Co. and the Southern Pacific Railroad, and is endeavoring to interest government officials in his cause. In "The Spoilers," now playing on the road, the villain, pursuing the heroine to a dance hall, hisses: "To the Victor belongs" "Yes," interrupted the comedian, "to the Victor belongs his master's voice — and they've got it copyrighted." ENTHUSIASM Create the right kind in your customers and your sales will be made easier. BY WAY OF ILLUSTRATION :— "We have given close .study to other style Flower Horus along with the 'Mega,' and find that it is impossible for us to work up the same amount of enthusiasm while demonstrating Edison I'honographs with any other horn attached to them. Would add, too, that our Dealers have followed our lead, and judging from the small number of other styles ordered, they are extremely partial to the fibre horn." "We have been for some time pushing both sizes of the 'Mega' Flower Horn whenever we show an Kdison machine in our salesroom, and it is a rare thing that we fail to impress on the customer's mind that it is the best horn made." is without a peer as an ideal sales medium. Perfect In Timbre Built on the Principle of the Sounding Board. That principle should mean to you more and better sales of machines and records. If you have not as yet made the acquaintance of our product it will pay you to order samples from your jobber. Any one of our regular models will prove to you The Mega can be relied upon to pro duce RESULTS Colored plate Sets of the Mega free upon request. Designation— Senior Flower Decorated— Royal Blue vf?l?s«A ^'Sgs^ i^^^^ y^s^Sfev <^isSSi^. E. A. & A. G. SCHOEnEL MAKERS Broad St., Maspeth, Queens Co., N. Y.