The talking machine world (Jan-Dec 1911)

46 THE TALKING MACHINE WOULD. From Our Chicago Headquarters ROOM 806, NO. 37 SOUTH WABASH AVENUE, E. P. VAN HARLINGEN, MANAGER. Every indication Points to Large Increase in Trade in Talking Machines for 1911 as Compared with Previous Year — Shortage of Low Priced Hornless Machines a Serious Hindrance to a Larger Trade — Women's Clubs and the Talking Machine — Otis Bigelow to Handle Victor Talking Machines — Edison Jobbers Report Steady Increase in Business Throughout Territory — Great Activity at All Columbia Branches — Victor Co. Restrain Local Representative of Polyphon Co. — Wurlitzer Co.'s Greatest Victrola Day — Talking Machine Co. Carry on a Great Cabinet Campaign— Other Items of Interest. (Special to The Talking Machine World.) Chicago, 111., Dec. 9, 1911. November made a good showing for itself in both a wholesale and retail way; fully as good as that predicted as a result of the excellent October business. It is fully apparent now that in spite of two or three mid-year months, displaying a slight loss over last year, that 1911 will wind up a mighty fine volume of business with a notable increase over 1910 to its credit. There is no doubt that the shortage of the lower priced hornless machines will reduce the amount of the December business to some extent, nevertheless the forehanded dealers who placed their orders early are not in such bad shape, and there is evidence to show that .the horn machine is by no means so dead as a superficial survey of the situation might lead one to believe. Jobbers and retailers here declare that the demand for the high-priced hornless machines is showing no diminution. The Chicago jobbers, at least, prepared for the demand, and in fact devoted their energies all summer to accumulating large stocks. The fame of these stocks has spread abroad, and within the last two or three weeks several instances have been reported to your correspondent of Eastern jobbers writing to friends in the Chicago trade, saying that they could not get positive assurance from the factories that their demands could be met and inquiring whether the Chicago houses could help them out. These inquiries have been answered in the negative, showing that the jobbers here have faith in the disposal of the high-priced machines. ^ The holiday business is in full blast in local retail circles. No better evidence of the fact that the talking machine business is on a strong staple basis could be found than a comparison with other branches of the music trade. The talker is in the lead indubitably. Good Hint from Aurora, III. The Aurora Woman's Club, which is affiliated with the Illinois Federation of Women's Clubs, has been enjoying a series of Grand Opera Concerts, in which grand opera is given complete with the aid of the Victrola and assistance of local talent. The club has a membership of 400. Last year they entertained the members with six operas and this year are running a series of three operas, repeating each one once, giving the first performance at the club rooms in the afternoon and the second performance at one of the member's homes in the evening so that the men who find it impossible to get away in the afternoon may attend. Miss Alice Doty Wernicke, a pianiste of considerable repute, interprets by use of the piano that part of the score which is unobtainable in records. During the recent production of ths opera "Carmen," one of the vocal soloists, who is assisting the club, interpreted the Spanish dance in costume. The rendition of the music is supplemented by papers on the life of the company and the artists who have made the various roles famous, and some of the members who have made a study of the operas and have witnessed the latest performances, read papers descriptive of the stage settings and other aetails, so that the members are given as adequate an idea of operatic works as can be obtained without seeing a performance given by one of the great companies. Egerman & Randolph, Victor dealers at Aurora, are the originators of this idea, and have been instrumental in insuring its popularity and success. Just in Time for Holiday Trade. Otis Bigelow, the well-known music dealer of Dowagiac, Mich., South Bend, Ind., and Chicago, ,has just qualified as a Victor dealer in Chicago. Mr. Bigelow did not tackle the large city proposition until a couple of years ago. He opened here with pianos alone, and until a few weeks ago had restricted quarters in a second floor location. Now he has the ground floor store at 215 Wabash avenue, occupied until last year by the Columbia Co. and has seized the opportunity afiforded by his increased facilities to join the talking machine cohorts. It has been a wonder to many why the great Republic building at the corner of Adams and State , streets, has so far been exempt from invasion by the talking machine. There are any number of piano concerns in the building, most of them occupying crystal front stores facing the elevators on the various floors. The Schaeffer Piano Mfg. Co., which has its offices and warerooms on the third floor, has now come into line and has established a Victor department in charge of Mr. Vining, retail manager. Report Increased Edison Business. Local Edison jobbers all report a large increase in the ever-staple Edison business, attributable to the new standardized Edison type, the exceptionally heavy advertising on Edison records, and the introduction of the new style amberola. The Edison retail dealers report the same condition of affairs. The Edison Company have been doing some very timely advertising in all of the dailies, carrying out the idea, that Marguerita Sylva is the same great star of the musical comedy, "Gypsy Love," on Edison phonograph records that she is on the stage of the Chicago Opera House, where the show is now having a big run. Every Edison dealer whom your correspondent has talked with says that this publicity is selling a lot of Sylva records. Interesting Uses of the "Talker." A great deal of attention has been given by the daily papers the past few weeks to unusual uses of the talking machine. At a recent meeting of the Borrowed Time Club of Oak Park, the members of which are all septuagenarians, and therefore living on borrowed time, the voices of two deceased members were heard through the medium of records taken while they were alive. 'Ihe voices of the dead were heard, not only in stories of pioneer days, and also in favorite religious songs, in which their living comrades joined. The accounts of the remarkable gathering of the Oak Park Society stirred up the members of the great Chicago Historical Society, which maintains a building devoted to mementoes of the early days of Chicago and of records showing the development of the western metropolis along all lines from year to year. The directors have under consideration the matter of systematically collecting records of reminiscences and of interviews with pioneers still living, and of men and women prominent in civic, political, commercial and literary circles. The voice of John Alexander Dowie was heard a few Sundays ago, delivering a spiritual message at a meeting presided over by Wilbur Glenn Voliva, general supervisor of the Zion forces, at the Tabernacle on Michigan avenue. Dowie, while alive, made a number of records on an old Columbia grand cylinder graphophone. It was one of these records which was used with such dramatic efifect. According to the dailies, former followers of Dowie "sat with bated breath, and some wept as they listened to the voice of their dead leader." Some Clever Retail Stunts. E. T. Van de Mark, one of the enterprising talking machine dealers outside the "Loop" district, has made some important changes and improvements in his store at 305 E. 43rd street in preparation for the holiday trade. The former booths have been torn out and two large "demonstration rooms," each 9 x 12 feet in size, substituted therefor. These rooms are cosily furnished and have mantled, mirrored fireplaces which are thoroughly realistic in every respect with the exception of the fire logs electrically lighted, giving just the right effect. The mantles are handy for records and the mirrors give the women customers a chance to adjust their millinery. "Van" evidently understands the eternal feminine. A live ferret makes itself at home around the window display and through the store, succeeding, it is claimed, in ferreting out considerable trade. Van de Mark handles both Columbia and Victor goods. Wins Prize for Collections. The Columbia Phonograph Co., general, of-" fered a substantial cash prize for the branch office making the greatest increase in cash receipts during the month of October as compared with September. C. F. Baer, manager of the Chicago office, submitted a report which, after due comparison, was found to distance all competitors, and the check from the home office arrived a few days ago. With his customary liberality Mr. Baer distributed the proceeds among the employes of the collection department. Other Columbia Items. The local retail business of the Chicago office is reported as double that of a year ago, while the wholesale stacked up a gain of over 60 per cent in November as compared with a year ago. The new model Dictaphones with the metal cabinets are said to" be going in fine shape. One of the large windows of the store contains a handsome display consisting of a young woman engaged in demonstrating little Number 6 Dictaphone. Both the machine and the fair operator attract mtich attention. Eugene Green, the coon song artist and record maker, while in the city recently bought two Columbia machines, a Regent and a Mignon, one for himself and one for a friend. District Manager W. C. Fuhri, recently returned from an extended trip during which he visited the Columbia branches at New Orleans, Little Rock, Memphis, Kansas City and St. Louis. In spite of the fact that conditions in the South .are somewhat backward owing to the tendency to hold cotton for higher prices, Mr. Fuhri says that business men consider the future as very bright, and that the Columbia stores are doing a better business than a year ago. While in St. Louis Mr. Fuhri saw F. L. Scott, manager of the Dictaphone department of the Columbia branch there, march into the store with a check for 60 machines installed in the general offices of the Missouri Pacific Railroad. The machines had been put in place only a week or so before and some one was inquiring when the order was going to be signed when Scott came up with the check. A. W. Roo6, Mr. Fuhri's chief assistant, is on an auditing trip to Memphis, St. Louis and New Orleans. Frank Downe, who has been doing work for the railroad department in Chicago, has gone to Kansas City to take charge of the Dictaphone department there. Frank Dorian, general manager of the Columbia Dictaphone department, was a recent visitor at the Chicago office. George F. Standke, formerly in charge of the retail sales at the Xansas City branch, has gone to Memphis, Tenn., where he will manage the branch there with jurisdiction over an extensive territory in a wholesale way. {Contmued on page 48.)