The talking machine world (Jan-Dec 1908)

THE TALKING MACHINE WORLD. 15 MILWAUKEE'S BUDGET OF NEWS. Wholesale Trade Shows Up Much Better Than Anticipated — L. McGreal Furnishes Stock for New Gimbe! Department — Schuster Department Store Also to Handle Talkers — Hoeffler Mfg. Co. Doing Well With Edison Line — Talking Machine Men on Merchants' Tour — Recent Trade Visitors. (Special to The Talking Machine World.) Milwaukee, Wis., July 8, 1908. The wholesale trade in the Milwaukee talking machine field is being maintained far better than was anticipated earlier in the season and several dealers are reporting that sales are larger in total than at the same period last year. This condition of affairs, considering the depression that has been experienced in so many lines, is considered to be remarkable. Indications about the state all point that this excellent wholesale trade 'will not only be retained, but is to be increased during the summer months. Retail trade in Milwaukee is temporarily a little quiet with a few dealers, but the leaders in the field are finding conditions to be of the best. The summer resort season is opening with the result that sales have been increased and repair work has been given a great impetus. Fall trade, which is expected to exceed all previous records, is expected by all of the Milwaukee dealers, who are laying their plans accordingly. Collections are much better than they have been since the financial depression and cash sales are more in evidence than for some time. Cases of repossession of machines have ceased to be met with, say the dealers. July records are selling well and dealers say that the usual summer demand for the lighter class of records is being experienced. The Edison Bryan records have made a decided hit in Milwaukee and records containing talks by the Democratic leader are much sought for. Records of the great composers are selling well as usual. Lawrence McGreal, with Miss Gannon, attended the convention at Atlantic City of the National Association of Talking Machine Jobbers. Mr. McGreal was scheduled for the reading of papers before the convention. An extended line of Edison and Victor talking machines and records will soon be opened at the Gimbel department store in this city. The complete stock will be secured from Lawrence McGreal. A foreign line of machines has always been handled by this big department store, which has found that Milwaukee requires the American styles. A new manager will soon be secured for the talking machine department of the establishment. The Schuster department store, one of the newest and finest in this city, has also made arrangements to carry the Edison and Victor. Mr. McGreal is being complimented for his success in educating the Milwaukee department stores to the fact that the talking machine field can be made one of the most profitable branches of the business. The three other leading department stores of the city, Boston store, Espenhain's and Barrett's, also maintain a good trade in the talker line. The Edison business phonograph is steadily becoming more popular in Milwaukee and the Hoefller Mfg. Co., the Milwaukee and Wisconsin agents for the machine, are experiencing success in this new line, which is in charge of J. H. Becker, Jr. "We have just sold four of the machines in the new Caswell building here in the city," said Mr. Becker, "and we have orders placed for two more. These machines were sold to lawyers, who are finding the business talker to be far in the lead of stenographers. I expect to sell twenty of the machines in this one building alone. The sale of Victor Victrolas is going on unal^ted and we have sold two this week." A. D. Herriman, manager of the Columbia Phonograph Co., reports having some extra fine sales in Twentieth Century machines, which are much sought for by summer resorters. ' Sales Manager Marx, of the Regina Co., was a recent Milwaukee visitor. The Regina music boxes are much in demand, say the talking machine dealers who handle the line. Lawrence McGreal, one of Milwaukee's leaders in the talking machine field, made a marvelous hit on the recent annual excursion of the Milwaukee Merchants and Manufacturers' Association, which included a tour of South and North Dakota and southern Minnesota. Mr. McGreal was accompanied by William P. Hope, northwestern representative of the National Phonograph Co., as well as Victor Victrola and an Idealia Edison. The party of eighty-four representative Milwaukee business men was highly entertained en route. At each station visited by the party Mr. McGreal and Mr. Hope gave concerts and furnished the music for the entertaining programmes that were presented by the visitors. Mr. McGreal believes that the plan was an excellent advertising scheme for the Edison and Victor. H. C. Smith, Edison talking machine dealer at Whitewater, Wis., for some years, recently visited Milwaukee wholesalers and placed a $500 order in the Edison line. P. C. Jackson, of the Jackson Co., Muskego, Wis., also secured a stock of leading machines for his establishment. H. Lappley, of Mazomania, Wis., D. Harding, of Ludington, Mich., and H. Hathaway, of Graff & Co., Spring Lake, and his wife were also callers on the jobbing trade. William P. Hope, northwestern representative of the National Phonograph Co., is spending his vacation with his parents at Spirit Lake, la. Simon Goerke, with two establishments in the city, has discontinued his branch at 611 Grand avenue and removed the stock to the store at 405 Chestnut street. Mr. Goerke, who is one of tne pioneer Milwaukee talking machine dealers, is of the opinion that better results will be met with by combining the two establishments. William A. Schmidt, with Lawrence McGreal, has organized within the last month 17 agencies about Wisconsin for the handling of the Edison and Victor machines. The Huseby Co., dealers in talking machine supplies at 454-456 Grove street, this city, recently had a narrow escape from a disastrous fire which was caused by fireworks. Damage re sulting to the building was fully covered by insurance. Voices of the great composers brought back in all of their richness recently entertained an enthusiastic audience at the club rooms of the Hotel Pfister, Milwaukee, at a private concert given by Lawrence McGreal and H. M. Neberlein, Victor representative. TALKERS ON THE FLEET. Tars Well Supplied With These Music Makers. (Special to The Talking Machine World.) San Francisco, Cal., June 29, 1908. The "Boys in Blue" on board our ships of war are more familiar with the talking machine than are many so-called "land lubbers." This was particularly noticeable when the Atlantic fleet touched the different points of the Pacific coast by visitors to the ships. The first sound that greeted your ears as you neared the great battleships would be the strains of the "Merry Widow Waltz" coming from a nearby porthole. In looking over the ship you would run across them from forecastle to fireroom. At least every ship had not less than five, some owned by the officers and others by the boys, who find great pleasure in them while lying about the decks in the sun or huddling up together under an eight-inch turret In the rain. Each ship maintains a talking machine fund with which to purchase nefw records, and each member of the crew donates something to the secretary each month for this cause. The records in some cases are kept by a librarian, who has a systematic arrangement for keeping them. In the officers' quarters we often find Victrola's, and in one case an Auxetophone. A brand new begging stunt was recently exposed in Berlin, when a vagrant was arrested for visiting private houses with a talking machine which, when started; poured out a heartrending tale of the owner's misfortunes. He never .failed to capture money. VICTOR DISC TALKING MACHINEIS AND RE.CORDS Iberbert p, jfrencb Dealer in ualRiug fBlacbittes SUPPLIES AND PARTS EDISON PHONOGRAPHS and GOLD moulde:d RECORDS Potsdam, N. Y,, May 11th, 1908. The Zed Company, New York. Dear Sire: — The records were rec'd O.K. and I wish to say that in volume and clearness they are far beyond my expectations; if the general run of them are as good as these, "and I do not doubt but what they are," it will be Zon-o-phone records that I shall handle hereafter instead of ... . At the time your records came in there was a musician in my store and when he heard the instrumental selections he said they came the nearest to the real thing he had ever heard ; every one that has heard them say they are fine. Thanking you for your prompt shipment and assuring you that you will receive more orders from me, I am Yours Respectfully, Herbert P. French. Mr. Herbert P. French is one of a great number of dealers that have made a "hit" with our "Hits." Have you heard' this month's great hit, "The Daddi Records," Mr. Dealer.? Come and hear them or write us. THE ZED CO., 77 Chambers St., New York