The talking machine world (Jan-Dec 1910)

THE TALKING MACHINE WORLD. Ramsdell stopped off for an hour on Friday; Lucker and Blish had their plans disarranged and went later, and Mr. and Mrs. Pierce were the only ones who showed up Saturday as per schedule. They lunched with H. B. Hopkins, of Lyon & Healy, took in "Madame Sherry" in the afternoon, and finally found when they boarded the train quite a little bunch of talker people after all. There was Fred Sienion, assistant manager of the Chicago house of Wurlitzer; John Otto, in charge of the retail Edison department of Lyon & Healy's, and L. V. B. Ridgway, Lyon & Healy's Illinois talker salesman. They presumably had a fine trip, as no reports of casualties have reached Chicago as yet. Lawrence McGreal, of Milwaukee, was another Westerner who had planned to go with the Chicago crowd, but had to change his plans. Arthur D. Geissler was in the East during the convention, but was unable to attend, being detained by important business in New York, much to his regret. Just before he left for California yesterday he was eagerly inquiring as to the result of the ball game at Atlantic City. J. F. Bowers, of Lyon & Healy, left for Asbury Park, N. J., with his family early last week, and after seeing them nicely located for the summer ran over to take in the convention. The New Columbia Opera Records. The new Columbia operatic records, made by the artists of the Boston Opera Co., are gradually coming on sale at the Chicago branch of the company. Those that have so far made their appearance have been greeted with delight by the company's patrons. It's an imposing list, and beginning with the Lucia sextet on one side and the Rigoletto quartet on the other, sung by distinguished artists, is certainly a forerunner of a strong line. The Grafonola Mignons have made their appearance the past month, and from the orders being taken at this end it is easy to forecast a demand calculated to tax the company's facilities to the limit. Improvements at Lyon & Healy's. Five years ago Lyon & Healy had one small room devoted to machine sales on the main floor, into which those interested were invited to step after listening to the concerts in Victor Hall. The growth has been steady. Additional rooms have been added from time to time, and when alterations now in progress are completed the machine department, including Victor Hall, will embrace practically all of the Adams street side of the store, and covering a space about 150 feet long by 25 feet wide. From the Adams street entrance up to the larger corner window facing on Wabash avenue there will be nothing but talking machines and phonographs. Victor Hall will be enlarged to a seating capacity of over 100. There will be three Victor rooms, one Edison room and one room devoted to the I. C. S. language course system. The rooms will be handsomely decorated, draped and connected by folding glass doors so that they may be thrown into one if desired. Joe Vasey, manager of machine sales, and his assistant, John Otto, will preside over as handsome and extensive quarters as can be found anywhere. The great retail record department, with its dozen demonstrating rooms, remains, of course, on the fifth floor. How We Grow. H. B. Hopkins, L. C. Wiswell's assistant in charge of wholesale, has been extremely busy of late, recovering from the effects of a week's vacation in the northern woods, attending to additional duties in Wiswell's absence at the Atlantic City convention and, with it all, getting home on schedule time to greet a small daughter who recently made her advent in the Hopkins household. Speaking about babies. F. A. Cook, assistant retail manager at the Columbia Co., is the proud dad of a fine nine-pound boy, who arrived just too late for the fight at Reno. Progress in the Ghetto. Barney Olshansky, who has for years done an almost unbelievable talking machine business in a little hole in the wall at 130 Jefferson street, just south of Thirteenth, in the West Side ghetto district, has moved into a fine large store at 1252 Jefferson, which comports more with the size of his business. It is nicely fitted up and has three good-sized private demonstration rooms, besides a large machine floor. Barney also has a branch at 723 Twelfth street. Geissler to the Coast. Arthur D. Geissler, general manager of the Talking Machine Co., arrived home on Wednesday of this week, and left on Thursday for the Coast, where he will join his wife and babies, who preceded him. They will spend some time at Ross Valley, at the foot of Mount Tamalpais, in Marin County. Later on Mr. Geissler will meet Leon F. Douglass, of the Victor Co., at San Rafael, and they will spend a glorious fortnight deer hunting and fishing. Mr. Geissler will, of course, visit his friends in 'Frisco and other points before returning. They will be gone until the latter part of August. On his way east he visited St. Louis, to visit the Victor jobbing headquarters of the Aeolian Co., and also inspected the departments at the Aeolian branches at Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Fort Wayne and Dayton, which are now well under way, and he spoke especially of the beautiful department at Indianapolis, which is finished throughout in silver ash, in an individual style of architecture, and the appointments of which are perfect. The Cincinnati Victor departments will also be established at the Aeolian stores at Huntington, W. Va., and Middletown, O., which are under the control of the Cincinnati branch. He spent some time in New York with Messrs. Perkins and Schaad, of the Aeolian Co. The New York department, which he declares will be the finest in the country and will occupy the entire eighth floor of Aeolian Hall, will be open about Sept. 1. Mr. Geissler brought back with him the news that O. A. Gressing, who so capably managed the St. Louis Talking Machine Co. for the past two years and until its purchase by the Aeolian Co., has been appointed general manager of the talking machine interests of the Aeolian Co., making his headquarters at Aeolian Hall, New York. Various Personals. W. C. Fuhri, district manager of the Columbia Phonograph Co., left to-day for a short visit to headquarters in New York. C. F. Baer, manager of the Chicago office, returned this week from a brief trip to St. Louis, Burlington, Davenport and Rock Island. At the latter point he made arrangements with Wm. Schaeffer & Son to handle Columbia goods on a large scale, and secured a substantial initial order. F. A. Scheuber, president of the Scheuber Drug Co., of Livingston, Mont., exclusive Columbia jobbers for Montana, Wyoming and part of the Dakotas, is expected in Chicago Monday. He will probably go east on a visit to the Columbia factories in company with E. C. Plume, western wholesale manager. A. P. Grigg, the well-known piano and talking machine dealer of Davenport, la., was in the city this week on his way east. He is reported as having sold 25 Victrolas so far this year. W. W. and E. A. Parsons have been whooping things up in a vigorous fashion since they resumed charge of the Columbian commercial machine interests in this city. Dictaphones are being placed with some of the largest concerns in the city, and in many cases the old type machines are being replaced with the latest models. Andrew McCarthy, treasurer of Sherman Clay & Co. and manager of the talking machine department, spent several days in Chicago on his return from his bridal trip to the East. Gus Eilers, of Portland, Ore., and in general charge of the Eilers talking machine interests, also spent some time in Chicago on his return to the Coast. Wieboldts to Handle the Columbia. Wieboldts, the big department store on Milwaukee avenue, and, in fact, outside the loop, has just added a complete line of Columbia goods, including the entire record catalog. This is a bit of fine work on the part of City Salesman Ed. Blimke. Roy Keith, sales manager of the Talking Machine Co., returned on Tuesday from a ten days' vacation spent at Crystal Lake, in northern Michigan. ' . . . Dan Creed, credit man for the Talking Machine Co., had a fortnight's seance with jury duty, which appropriately terminated last Saturday. Auxetophone Used in Lecture. Myron Blackman, manager of the record department of Lyon & Healy, accompanied by an Auxetophone, ran down this week to Streator, 111., and assisted Prof. M. J. Corey in his lecture on "Verdi, the Most Popular of the Italians," illustrated by stereopticon views. The Verdi operatic numbers heard through the medium of Auxetophone, ran down this week to Streator, great audience and greeted with frequent applause. Aeolian Publicity. The Aeolian Co. gave their talking machine department considerable publicity in the dailies the past month. Open Branch on Jackson Boulevard. The Talking Machine Co.'s new branch store at 43 Jackson boulevard opened the latter part of last month, and in spite of the hot weather experienced, is giving promise of proving a winner. George Davidson has personal charge of the new store. Fibre Needle Progress. The number of large dealers throughout the country who are taking hold of the fibre needles in a strong way is constantly increasing. The B & H. Fibre Manufacturing Co. are busily engaged in their enlarged factory in making preparations for the largest fall trade in their history. President F. D. Hall made a hurried trip to the East the past month. Charles Wiswell, who went with the Victor Co. as their traveler in the State of Maine the first of the year, is back in Chicago on his vacation. A. V. Chandler, the efficient Illinois representative of the National Phonograph Co., is taking a fortnight's vacation after a year of hard and resultful plugging. A PERMANENT DISC NEEDLE. (Special to The Talking Machine World.) Chicago. 111., July 9. 1910. Morris Levine, the talking machine dealer of Highland Park, 111. and the inventor of several specialties in the talking machine line, has been granted a patent on a permanent needle for disc talking machines. It consists of a small garnet set in a steel shank, which fits into the needle arm in the same manner as a regular steel needle. These needles will be ready for the trade in about 30 days. They will retail for $2 each, and are guaranteed for one year, while it is stated they will last for an unlimited period. It is claimed that they will not wear the record as much as the steel needle. Mr. Levine will market his product under the name of the Permanent Needle Co. THIS IS THE FAMOUS WE WANT EVERY DEALER TO HANDLE THIS FAST SELLINC ARTICLE. PRICE SO CENTS. Regular Discount to the Trade. Send for descriptive Circular and printed List of Jobbers who keep " T1Z-1T " in stock. If your Jobber does not handle this Connection yet we will supply you. Ons dozsn lots, prepaid, S3.60 Free sample to Jobbers Manufactured by KREILING & COMPANY 1504 North 40th Avenue Cragin Station Chicago, III.