The talking machine world (Jan-Dec 1909)

THE TALKING MACHINE WORLD. 35 FROM OUR CHICAGO HEADQUARTERS ROOM 806, NO. 156 WABASH AVENUE, E. P. VAN HARLINGEN, MANAGER. July Wholesale Trade Very Satisfactory — Lull Looked for This Month — Good Demand for New Victrola 12 — G. M. Nisbett's Mexican Experience — E. C. Plume's Vacation — Edison Phonographs in Canada — German Talking Machine Men in Town — DaynesBeebe Music Co., Salt Lake City, Appointed Columbia Jobbers — A New Cylinder Record Cabinet — Some Recent Trade Visitors — High-Class Advertising. (Special to The Talking Machine World.) Chicago, 111., August 7, 1909. Talking machine jobbers say that trade in July more than held its own with a year ago. Prospects are for a quiet August, but orders already in hand for September shipment furnish a foundation for a belief in an unusually strong fall trade. All conditions are favorable. Travelers returning from the West say the wheat in nearly all sections is in excellent condition as the yield has been good and the berry large and the standing wheat in fine condition. Oats and barley also make a fine showing. The new Victrola 12, which was described fully in last month's World, is selling nicely and the demand is beyond expectations. Nisbett in Role of Toreador It is always pleasing to record notable instances of heroism and particularly if the heroes happen to be members of the trade in which the recorder is interested. The many friends of George M. Nisbett know him to be a fine fellow and an excellent phonograph man, but few peihaps realize that he has in him the stuff of which Kosciuskos, Admiral Deweys and Grace Darlings are made. Read the following from the Mexican Herald, published in the City of Mexico, issue of July 15, and judge for yourself. "A party of ladies, in charge of G. M. Nisbett, general manager of the Mexican National Phonograph Co., had a thrilling experience at Cuernevaca a couple of days ago. The party consisted of Mrs. G. M. Nisbett, Miss Margaret McCarty, Miss Kathleen McCarty and Miss Donnelley. "While descending the steep trail to the famous falls of San Antonio the party was met by half a dozen bulls which were coming up the trail after having been to water. At sight of the bulls, even before the animals made the least demonstration, the ladies scattered in all directions, leaving Mr. Nisbett to dispute the path single-handed with the bulls. "The animals had by this time become frightened at the antics of the ladies and began to toss their heads in ominous fashion, but Mr. Nisbett proved a valiant fighter and with the aid of a handful of rocks succeeded in forcing the animals from the trail. But they rushed wildly to and fro and several of the ladies had narrow escapes from being gored by the animals. "After the bulls had finally been forced from the path, Mr. Nisbett began his search for the fair members of his party, and it took him considerable time to round them all up and lead them in safety up the steep hill." Plume Family Take the Plume. E. C. Plume, western wholesale manager of the Columbia Phonograph Co., is, as usual, spending his summer vacation of a fortnight's duration, at Penelwood Farm, Berriem Springs, Mich. He is accompanied by the whole blessed family. It's a great combination. When Plume returns in the evening, after a hard day's combined work and pleasure shooting alligators, Mrs. Plume, as a prelude to supper, brews him, with her own fair hands, a cup of the finest coffee that mortal ever quaffed. Plume, Jr., besides being an expert golfist, has cultivated things domestic to the extent that he can bake the most delicious rolls which serve to make the coffee kaffee klatsch a most distinguished success. Bagshaws Visiting the Trade. The Bagshaw Brothers, of Lowell, Mass., and of talking machine needle fame, were here recently on one of their joint trips, which always proves most welcome to their many friends in the trade. Opportunities in Canada. "System," the business magazine published in this city, has an article on winning trade in the new Canada, which describes the opportunities for United States manufacturers in the great Northwest territory of the country to our North. It describes the methods used by different companies in their invasion of Canada. Some establish a subsidiary company, with a branch factory on Canadian soil. Others do business direct with Canadian concerns and while framing their advertising to appeal to Canadians make no effort to identify themselves as Dominion industries. The latter is the case with the National Phonograph Co., and "System" reproduces a couple of Edison advertisements, in which the address is given as 124 Lakeside avenue, Orange, N. J. , One of the these advertisements bears a picture of a Highland laddie with his bagpipes, and among other things says this: Carlisle Said "That music was the least disagreeable noise he knew. Few people will agree with Carlisle. Some people like noisy music. "Did you ever hear the skirl of the bagpipes, for instance? You can hear it perfectly on an Edison phonograph. The point is to have an Edison phonograph, a great household entertainer, which brings into the home just the sort of music or other entertainment that you like." Then the consumer is told that there is a jealer near him who will take pleasure in demonstrating the phonograph, etc. Visitors from Germany. Chicago has had a couple ol very interesting visitors the past week. They were Otto Heinemann, director of the Carl Lindstrom corporation of Berlin, one of the largest talking machine manufacturers in the world, and Paul Kretschmer, the manager, and who a few months ago opened an office in New York City for the purpose of showing their goods to exporters with a view of inducing them to buy the German machines for export to South America, Mexico, etc. Mr. Heinemann, who is accompanied by his wife, arrived recently in New York and with Mr. Kretschmer, is making a tour of the country, studying the conditions of the American market. He is a courteous gentleman of aristocratic appearance and" while speaking little English, speaks that little well. For an extended conversation he uses Mr. Kretschmer as an interpreter. An Interesting Chat. "To my mind the talking machine industry, with all of its marvelous development, is still little more than in its infancy," said Mr. Kretschmer in a talk with The World. "The taste for music is constantly growing and in no manner can people satisfy this desire in such a varied manner or at such small cost as through the talking machine. "As regards conditions in the United States a lew leading concerns by their commendable activity and remarkable cleverness have succeeded in creating a great market. It seems to me that without infringing on any of their devices possessing intrinsic value that it is possible for foreign manufacturers to do business in this country as they do in other parts of the world. Our company, for instance, would like a fair share of the American business just as the American companies are getting their share in other countries. For instance — The Gramophone companies in Europe control practically the same patents and trade marks as the Victor Co. You are, of course, aware that the German Gramophone Co. has opened retail stores in such cities as have no distributors under their own name. These stores are all handling our machines in orderto meet the demand for a cheaper machine than the Gramophone and thus enable them to increase their sale of records. I think that there is a market for a cheaper machine in this country and it would not interfere, in my opinion, with existing lines but would increase the business by reaching different classes of trade, who would prove good record buyers in the aggregate." "W natever the American view may be on the subject treated in the above interview the opinions quoted are interesting as showing the attitude of the other fellow. Mr. and Mrs. Heine SECTIONAL CYLINDER AND DISC RECORD CABINETS Resembles a Handsome Sectional Book Case. The sections for cylinder records are equipped with thirty three compartments, each compartment holding four cylinder records, each section having a total capacity of 132 cylinder records. The sections for disc records are equipped with forty compartments, each compartment being subdivided for three disc records, each section having a total capacity of 1 20 records. The record filing capacity in these cabinets is unlimited. Write for descriptive catalogue and dealers' special prices. COMPARTMENT FILING CABINET CO. 426-28-30 TWENTY-NINTH STREET, CHICAGO, ILL.