The talking machine world (Jan-Dec 1910)

12 THE TALKING MACHINE WORLD. SOLID WOOD (NOT VENEERED) The — = MUSIC MASTER WOOD HORN is easily sold by the dealer. He finds it only necessary to have a patron hear a musical selection with the MUSIC MASTER WOOD HORN. There is wonderful improvement of tone compared to the same selection heard with a metal or veneered wood horn. The reproduction is rendered rich and full, due to the resonance of the MUSIC MASTER WOOD HORN, which is constructed of solid wood on the same scientific principles as the soundingboard of the piano or the body of the violin. HAVE ONE SENT ON APPROVAL Your choice of solid Oak, Mahogany, or Spruce, for any make or style of cylinder or disc machines. If your jobber cannot supply you, we would be very glad to send you a sample line of our horns on approval, and if you are not entirely satisfied with the superior merits of the MUSIC MASTER, you would be at liberty to return them to us for credit. SHEIP & VANDEGRIFT, Inc. PHILADELPHIA, PA. TRADE NEWS FROM INDIANAPOLIS. Closing Months of Year Boost Twelve Months' Average — Carlin & Lennox Close Out Talking Machine Department — Trustee for Indiana Phonograph Co. — Columbia Co. Have Good Holiday Business — Lively Victor Trade Reported — D. Sommers & Co. in New Quarters — McCormack's Love of Erin — With the Moving Picture Houses — Cut Down Circulation of Free Libraries. (Special to The Talking Machine AA"oild.) Indianapolis, Ind., Jan. 6, 1910. The Christmas trade in talking machines in Indiana and Indianapolis, and in fact the trade for the entire year, was not up to former standards, although the three closing months showed a steady improvement, which it is hoped will continue during the new year. Carlin & Lennox, one of the biggest piano firms in Indianapolis, desiring to give all their time to their piano business, have decided to discontinue the handling of talking machines. Charles Craig has been appointed trustee for the Indiana Phonograph Co. (Edison jobber), at the request of the National Phonograph Co. and two or three banking institutions of Indianapolis. Mr. Craig says that the business of the Indiana Phonograph Co. has not been bad, and all the trouble, he says, was due to slow collections. He says everything will be running all right in a short time. The company had a good Christmas business, he said. Mr. Craig was the propiietor of the Indiana Phonograph Co. before k passed to the present management. Mr. Phillips, the credit man of the National Phonograph Co.. was in Indianapolis several clays last week. Mrs. Kresch, travelling representative of the National Phonograph Co., also was in the city over Christmas. -The Columbia Phonograph Co. had a satisfactory Christmas business, and had sold out all types of machines by Christmas Day. The for hornless machines was unusually big. Several orders were held over because of a scarcity of the supply. The four-minute indestructible records of the Columbia Co. are meeting witli a hearty reception. The special merits of these records seem to appeal to the buyers. Manager Devine, of the Columbia Co., says the Grafonola Regent, that is, the library table style, is meeting with great favor among the clubs and societies. The first one of these machines received by the Indianapolis store has been placed in the Columbia Club, the high-class Republican club of Indiana, and is spoken of highly by the members. The Musical Echo Co. and the Wulsonner Stewart Music Co., Victor distributors, report a satisfactory Christmas business. This department in the Wulschner-Stewart store is in charge of Joseph i^evi, late of Lyon & riealy, of Chicago. Mr. Kipp, of the Kipp-Ling Co., wholesalers and jobbers in Edisons, says the Christmas business of this firm was satisfactory. The new grand opera records, he says, are meeting popular approval, and many orders have been booked for the Amberola, the new $200 machine. D. Sommers & Co., big home furnishers, who recently established a talking machine department, have moved into their new building in West Washington street. This company handle the Columbia line. Their new home is one of the finest in Indianapolis. On the opening day handsome souvenirs were given away, and hundreds of people visited the store. The talking machine department is on the third floor, and is handsomely equipped. The love of the Irishman for his native land is shown by the January Fonotipia Grand Opera double disc records received by the Columbia 2o. It should be said that all records are made from molds and on all oi the records made by John McCormack, the great Irish tenor, the following inscription is found, "John McCormack, Ireland Forever." It is customary for those who produce records to place their names on the molds so they will appear on all records as an attest of genuineness, but it is not customary to place any additional inscription. "The Irishman is certainly zealous for his country," said Manager Devine, of the Columbia store, when he found the inscription. The weather for some time has been against the moving picture show business and five-cent vaudeville houses of Indianapolis. For a part of the last month the weather has been extremely cold, below zero a part of the time. Ordinarily cold weather does not hurt the moving picture business, but in zero weather the people do not usually stop for tne shows. The moving picture houses are continuing to keep open on Sunday and donating a part of their proceeds to their self-constituted charity society in order to come within the law. The ministers also are still deploring this practice. The Christian Pastors' Association, at its last meeting, adopted resolutions against the practice. The resolutions were presented by the Rev. Harry G. Hill, who created a sensation recently by flourishing a glass of beer from his pulpit as an evidence of the violation of the liquor laws. Eliza G. Browning, city librarian, in her monthly report, said that a five-cent theater was i esponsible for a decrease of 50 per cent, in the circulation of books from the Riverside Branch Library. The theater was opened in the last month, she said, and there was a decrease of 111 books in the circulation for the month. Miss Browning said that a talking machine was the chief instrument in drawing crowds to the fivecent show, and she recommended that the school board place a talking machine in the library This matter was taken under advisement. RECORD VICTOR BUSINESS. J. R. Richards, manager of the piano and talking machine departments of Fred'k Loeser & Co., Brooklyn, N. Y., reports that the sale of Victor outfits during December and thus far in January have broken all previous records of the department.