The talking machine world (Jan-Dec 1911)

40 THE TALKING MACHINE WORLD. FROM OUR CHICAGO HEADQUARTERS. (Continued from page 38,) records, etc., etc. Then they visited the principal talking machine establishments of Philadelphia, and moved on New York with a like purpose in view. Here was where their hero stunt was pulled off. Mr. Cheattle went with a friend to visit the Tombs. Just as they were entering a prisoner, the lirst, according to the newspapers, to escape from the ancient jug, leaped from a second-story window, landing on the sidewalk beside the talking machine man. The jailbird started on a lively sprint for liberty, and Cheattle followed after, stopping his man a block from the Tombs amid a shower of bullets from guards and policemen. Cheatle and his exploit were given considerable space in the New York dailies the next morning. Various Retail Items. The S. X. Swan Piano Co., Freeport, 111., who recentl}' opened an exceptionally tine music store, have qualified as 40 and 10 Victor dealers. Will A. Young, of Fort Wayne, Ind., recently bought the talking machine business of Guy Conklin, of that city, and has fitted up a fine Victor department in his piano store. The Packard Piano Co., Fort Wayne, Ind., has recently added a Victor department at their retail store, and have fitted handsome demonstration booths and are going after the business in an energetic manner. Alden, Biddinger & Co., Kenosha, Wis., have erected a new buiying for their extensive music business, and are giving extensive space to their talker department, with handsomely equipped booths for both Edison and Victor goods. Mr. Gramas, of the firm of Pappas & Gramas, piano and talking machine dealers, 1140 Wilson avenue, has bought out his partner's interest. He is putting out two solicitors, and is preparing for an aggressive fall campaign. The Geo. P. Bent Co. are equipping a special \'ictrola salesroom on the ground floor of their handsome building at 214-"21(i South Wabash avenue, in addition to their talker warerooms on the second floor. The Garfield Music Co., 2840 West Madison street, and the Kenwood Piano Co., 740 East Forty-seventh street, have recently added talking machines. The Kressler Music Co.. La Porte, Ind., have rer cent'y added a talking machine department, and have inaugurated regular recitals Wednesday and Saturday evenings. .\mong the retail dealers visiting Chicago recently are the following: Julius -Schmidt, of H. Schmidt & Sons Co., Davenport and Muscatine, la.; Paul Warner, of W. W. Warner, Madison, Wis., on his return from a lake trip ; Mr. Smith, of the Wisconsin Music Co., Madison, Wis. ; C. M. Lennhart, Mattoon, 111.; Alonzo Wookey, of Wookey & Co., Peoria, 111.; R. D. Richardson, Richardson, 111., and Robert Fulton, of Waukegan, 111. W. \^aughn Robinson, a well-known piano, musical merchandise and talking machine dealer, and who also maintains branches at Shanghai, TslenTsien and Singapore, passed through Chicago recently on his biennial tour around the world, during which he always visits his trade friends in Chicago and New Y'ork. He has an extensive trade among the European and American residents of the cities along the Chinese coast. Aeolian Company Improvements. Important changes are being made in the ground floor frontage of the Chicago store of the Aeolian Co., which will give greater opportunity for the display of Victrolas, and also provide an entrance on Michigan avenue. At present, customers can only gain access to the store through the rotunda of the Fine Arts building. The Aeolian Co. furnished a Victor Victrola, also a Weber Pianola piano for the summer normal school held at the Northwestern University in Evanston. They were used to illustrate lectures on the use of these instruments in teaching interpretation and in inculcating musical appreciation on" the part of the pupils of the public schools. O. C. Searles, manager of the talking machine department of the Aeolian Co., spent a portion ot his vacation last week in automobiling through Illinois. Interesting Columbia Moves. .\ quartette of Chicago concertinaexperts have been in New York making records at the Columbia Laboratory. The quartette includes Louis Zoller, the talking machine dealer at 3534 West Thirty-sixth street; Thomas Kosatka. a dealer at 142-5 West Eighteenth street, and a friend of each. They are said to be the first records of the old German concertina, and include eight Bohemian, two German and two Polish selections. Norbert Wicke, a Polish musical comedian, has also returned to Chicago from New York, where he made some records at the Columbia Laboratory. C. F. Baer, manager of the Chicago office of the" Columbia Co.. has returned from a trip to the factory at Bridgeport and to headquarters in New York. He found the factory very busy and preparing for a big fall business. Mr. Baer, in response to inquiries, learned that the Casey-Jones record, by Collins & Harland, No. A-907, has proven the biggest seller in the Columbia double disc catalog. The records at the Chicago office show that the "Herd Girl's Dream" (flute, violin and harp) has been the largest seller here. F. A. Cook, of the traveling force of the Chicago office, is on the way to the Pacific Coast for his vacation. E. O. Zerkle, who travels Wisconsin for the Columbia Co., was in the city the other day, after a vacation spent in wooing the finny denizens of Lake Poygon. Mr. Zerkle says that many dealers in his territory have had a rather better summer trade than usual, owing to their having pushed the summer resort business. They have found the Favorite, the Columbia $50 hornless machine, a fine implement for cultivating business with the vacationers on account of its moderate price and portability. The home of D. S. Ramsdall, ttie assistant manager of the Chicago office of the Columbia Co., has been brightened by the advent of a small girl of pleasing presence and marked musical ability. Business and Prospects. July wound up with a good volume of business for the Talking Machine Co., with a balance in favor of 1911. Sales Manager Roy Keith notes a more liberal buying movement since the first of month. "In the States immediately tributary to Chicago,'' remarked Mr. Keith, "crop conditions are exceptionally good, and the general outlook is for a fine fall trade." L. C. Wiswell, of Lyon & Healy, notes a particularly large number of inquiries from merchants contemplating adding talking machines. He regards it as an indication of general business prosperity when substantial merchants contemplate extending their lines. With the Vacationers. F. H. Siemon. assistant manager of the Chicago branch of the Rudolph W urlitzer Co., has returned from a fortnight's vacation spent at Saugatuck, . Mich. L. Kean Cameron, manager of the Wurlitzer retail, leaves this week for Spring Lake, Wis., and after a fortnight's fishing will go on a cruise of the lakes. A. B. English is in charge in his absence. H. B. Hopkins, assistant to Manager L. C. Wiswell, of Lyon & Healy's, left this week, accompanied by his family, for a two weeks' vacation at Mercer Lake, Wis. New Salter Music Cabinets. The Salter Manufacturing Co., large manufacturers of talking machine cabinets, this city, are preparing to manufacture music cabinets on a more extensive scale than before. They will shortly publish a catalog showing some thirty styles of music and music roll cabinets, including some very handsome colonial and mission designs. It is manifestly unfair to the merchant who pays his bills to have in his vicinity competition of the slow-pay order. Salter Mfg. Co. 337-343 North Oakley Avenue CHICAGO No. 788. The top of this cabinet is 21 inches square and made especially for the new $50.00 Columbia Favorite Machine. Makers of Salter's Patent Felt Lined Shelf Cabinets For other styles, write us lor our New Catalogue If your jobber don't handle our line we can supply you. No. 776. Made for the three Victor Victrolas, 9, 10 and 11. We put rim on this cabinet, if wanted, to fit any machine.