The talking machine world (Jan-Dec 1911)

14 THE TALKING MACHINE WORLD. TRADE ON THE PACIFIC COAST. March Sales in Excess of Those for February — Conditions Generally Are Excellent — Columbia Machines as Prizes in Newspaper Contest — Shortage in Victrolas — Hauschildt Musx Co. to Continue Talking Machine Lines — Heine Piano Co. to Reopen Department in Downtown Store — What the Various Managers Have to Report Anent Business. (Special to the Talking Machine World.) San Francisco, Cal, April 7, 1911. Eugene W. Scott, local manager of the Columbia Phonograph Co., reports that business conditions in this ctiy are excellent, and the March sales have considerably exceeded those of February in all the lines which are carried by this company. Mr. Cyrus, traveling salesman for the local office, has been spending some time in the Sacramento country and has found business in that region very good, considering the high water following the heavy rains in the late winter. The San Francisco Chronicle, which is running a large prize contest, has added a Grafonola Regent to its list of prizes. A matter of considerable congratulation for the office in this city is the fact that the San Francisco Call will inaugurate a big contest on April 1 in which it will (jflcr $1,200 worth of Columbia machines. Considerable interest has been shown of late in the records of singers who have been in San Francisco during the past few weeks. Following the Bonci concerts an especially heavy sale of Bonci records was noticed, and already interest is being shown in the Alexander Heinemann records, as Mr. Heinemann is soon coming to this city. Andrew G. McCarthy, vice-president of Sherman, Clay & Co., is still laboring under the same difficulty of getting enough Victrolas to supply the orders which this firm are constantly getting from various portions of this end of the country. The Eastern trade is so busy, he says, that the manufacturers find it hard to supply both sides of the continent, and the West is suffering slightly for that reason. Shipments are being received all the time, but orders still keep ahead of the shipments. It is expected that larger shipments will soon be forthcoming. A decided increase in business during March of this year was noticed over that of the same month last year, and the outlook for the coming months is very encouraging. The Hauschildt Music Co., who are now finishing their first month's sale of the stock of Clark Wise & Co., will carry all the lines of talking machine goods that were carried by the retired firm. Richard Wise, who has been making a specialty of talking machines for years with the Clark Wise Co., will take charge of this department on April 1 for the Hauschildt Music Co. This firm will spend considerable effort in extensive advertising, and expects to build up one of the largest talking machine departments on the Coast. J. J. Black, of the talking machine department of tile Wiley B. Allen Co., speaks very highly of present business conditions in this line. City trade, he says, is exceedingly good. Among the branches which are making a good showing are the Oakland and the San Jose stores. Mr. Black notes an increased demand for the higher class of goods during the past few months. The general tendency is toward the VictorVictrola and other high-class goods. The new style VictorVictrola now on the market about three months is selling very well and is supplying a long-felt want. Along with increased sales of thi3 machine is to be noticed a decrease in sales of the horn machine. Mr. Black mentions the lack of Victrolas, orders for which are more numerous than the goods to fill them. A large shipment is expected within two weeks. F. P. Corcoran will soon make a business trip, visitingvarious branches of the Wiley B. Allen Co. He will devote his time specializing on the Victrola end of the business for the spring selling campaign. Lawrence Wilson, who has been with the Wiley B. Allen Co. for many years, will now serve that firm in the capacity of pubHcity manager, and intends to arrange for some attractive window displays in various branches at once. While the record business is making hardly as great a showing, in comparison with that on machines, as it did a month or so ago, it is keeping up extremely well. Among the records which are especially popular just now are a number of selections from grand opera, the Neilson records, and the admirable Scharwenka records of the Columbia Co. The Heine Piano Co., which started out in their downtown store with a talkmg machine department, which was later abandoned, announced their intention recently of reopening this adjunct to the business, and are now making preparations. An entire floor will be given to this department, and the stock will be put in within a few days. With the new arrangements he has made for the conduct of the talking machine business, Mr. Heine is confident of making it a success. W. A. Voltz, Western representative of the National Phonograph Co., has been making his headquarters here all month, but has been away most of the time making trips to outside points all over rorthern California. He reports great success, and considers conditions in this district favorable for a good season. Pie expects to complete his work in this vicinity before long. A. R. Pommer, head of the Pacific Phonograph Co., is getting in a lot of special talking machine goods, which he expects to use in extensive window display work. This will be one of the fea tures of his advertising campaign this summer, by which he expects to bring out a larger demand foi' Edison goods. This company are keeping their large storage space well filled up, and will continue as before to keep their stock complete in every way. The Fitzgerald Music Co., of Los Angeles, handling the Columbia line, are making a strong leature of their talking machine department, making it one of the main features in all publicity vi'ork THE PHONOGRAPH IN MEDICINE. By Gordon LloyDj. M.D. It is now proposed to use the phonograph as an aid to diagnosis. Perhaps the greater part of what we know of the heart and its diseases has been learned by listening at the chest. Each contraction of this vital organ is accompanied by two sounds, the ''first" and "second" sounds, respectively, and when anything goes wrong with the heart the normal sounds are altered and new sounds added. Of these added sounds, the "murmur" caused by the leakage of the valves of the heart is most significant. The writer has long revolved in his own mind the idea of utilizing the phonograph as a means of recording these sounds, so that the physician might study them at leisure in his own office, submit them to consulting specialists and reproduce them before students for purposes of instruction. And now comes the news that Cabot of Boston, probably America's leading diagnostician, has taken up the plan seriously and intends to harness this triumph of Edison along with the X-ray and other mechanical contrivances for the study of man diseased. By this means all the remarkable "heart cases" discovered in the great clinics of Berlin, Vienna or New York may be preserved and issued to students the world over as "records" for study. And in consequence our ability in one of the most elusive and difficult phases of medicine will be tremendously enhanced. The mortality records show that physicians themselves die from heart disease more frequently than from any other cause. And by the aid of the phonograph the time will come when the doctor may listen to his own heart. Moreover, the taking of phonographic records at regular intervals will enable us to compare accurately the action of the lieart to-day with its action three months ago. Also breathing sounds, which tell much of the condition of the lungs, may be recorded, preserved and compared. And our great-grandchildren will be able to hear us breathe and the beating of our hearts as. well. SIXTEEN YEARS' EXPERIENCE Handling Talking Machines, Records and Accessories Does Count VICTOR Experience is a great teacher. The results of our experience are yours to command. Especially if these goods are handled exclusively. Just hovv^ much it counts you can easily demonstrate to your own satisfaction by placing your orders with us for Victor and Edison Machines, Records and Supplies, and becoming familiar with Eastern Co. service. THE EASTERN TALKING MACHINE CO. 177 TREMONT STREET BOSTON, MASS. DISTRIBUTORS OF EDISON AND VICTOR MACHINES, RECORDS AND SUPPLIES EDISON If you do not handle our GRAND OPERA NEEDLES you are not supplying your customers with the best.