The talking machine world (Jan-Dec 1912)

THE TALKING MACHINE WORLD. 7 What happens when a customer asks you for a Bispham record? If you haven't the goods you're stuck— stuck bad, because there's no substitute for Bispham. Columbia Phonograph Co., Gen'l Tribune Building, New York "OH, DO NOT BE DISCOURAGED!" Despite the Howlers That Crop Up Each Presidential Year, the Country Is Not Going to the Dogs — Spellbinding Will Not Undermine Foundation of the Country. There is an old hymn that for years has been lustily sung by tens of thousands in camp meetings and revivals, the opening words of which are, ''Oh ! do not be discouraged !" It is an invitation to hope, to the upward look, to an advance along optimistic lines. It is a hymn that might well be adapted to secular, to political, to business and to national things. There is nowhere a need of the dark forebodings and the dismal prophecies which are a fad among a class of bilious prophets to-day. They point miserably to the efforts made by a few to tear down and belittle, forgetting the fable of the fly on the wheel, who imagined that he was the wheel itself. "About this season," to paraphrase the old almanac, "look out for the howlers." A Presidential election is pending, and the gentlemen who are out and desire to get in, and the gentlemen who are in and have no desire to get out, find themselves in need of issues about which the country must rally if it would be saved. It is nothing new. The country has been going to the dogs every four years since the days of Washington. The liberties of the people have been in danger, the ballot corrupted, the voters unfit to be trusted, the constitution tottering, the judiciary unfit, the old flag a fluttering reminiscence of heroic days, every time the platform orators have been let loose and the newspapers looking out for the city or country printing. They are sawing the air as usual to-day, and yet, brethren, isn't it a good time to strike up the old hymn and sing it with a will : "Oh ! do not be discouraged !" The country is all right. The people are all right. The Constitution is built upon a rock as solid as it was in the days of our fathers. The old flag flies to-day over more free people; over people more secure in their freedom ; over a wider area of the world; over more wealth employed in expansion and development ; over labor that works less and is paid more; over a greater volume and a better assortment of human happiness, and more advanced intelligence and education than it or any other flag ever before, here or elsewhere, in the history of the world. As the orator howled from a western stump some years ago : "This country, fellow citizens, are all right — and don't you forget it!" The sensible people are not forgetting. HELPS IN VOCAL TEACHING. Clarence B. Ashenden, one of the leading voice teachers of the South, who occupies a studio in the Watkin building, Dallas, Tex., has installed a Columbia Grafonola and finds it a great help in illustrating certain pieces for his pupils. Almost any kind of a bargain offering will attract buyers, but it takes quality in the goods sold to make steady customers. RECITALS AS TRADE GETTERS. Some Excellent Work Being Done by the Abelowitz Phonograph Co. in Upper New York. The Abelowitz Phonograph Co., 1353 St. Nicholas avenue, New York, is securing an excellent business by means of special Victrola recitals. All through April weekly concerts were given on Wednesday afternoons, and the printed programs contained twenty numbers which were admirably selected, appealing to every form of musical taste. The entire arrangement of the programs and the general plan of campaign were admirable and entirely in line with the suggestions which have appeared in these columns, from time to time, as best illustrating a progressive policy of doing business. In discussing the programs which are distributed to patrons throughout the territory, the Abelowitz Co. states : "In our new quarters, which we have opened recently, we have space to accommodate from forty to fifty persons. We issue new programs weekly and arrange to play about twenty selections. During the course of the recital our Chester Abelowitz describes to the audience the Victor in detail, which is certainly received with great interest. We are pleased to say that as a result of our first concert we sold two Victrolas. There is everything to lead us to believe that these recitals will draw us a good deal of business. Besides issuing programs, we announce the recitals in the local newspapers of our district. It is surprising to note the amount of letters we receive the day preceding the concert requesting us to reserve seats. Chester I. Abelowitz, who has recently joined our forces, is devoting a good deal of time and is very much interested to make these Victrola recitals an absolute success. Business for the opening month in our new salesrooms was more than expected, and with the amount of advertising we are doing we are bound to receive a good share of the Victor business in our locality." MUTES PRESENT AN OPERA. Members of Cast Imitate Actions of Characters in "II Trovatore" While Gramophone Furnishes the Voices. Verdi's "II Trovatore" was presented in full at the Vaudeville Theater in Paris recently with mute actresses as the "chorus," while a gramophone in the prompter's box supplied the voices as well as ah orchestral accompaniment. The principals as well as the chorus had nothing to do but to imitate the motions of singing to the notes of the gramophone. They were elaborately costumed, exactly as if the whole opera was being played under new conditions. The performance was criticised on the ground that the voices supplied to the chorus from the gramophones were not sufficiently loud in comparison with those provided for the "singers" from the same source, while the different instruments were heard unequally. These defects, it is stated, will be corrected. TALKING AND SINGING DOLLS. Something of the Claims of the Klingsor Works Regarding Talking and Singing Dolls — What Their American Representative Says. In reference to a patent described in The Talking Machine World for March bearing upon talking and singing dolls, F. J. E. Isaac, representative in the United States for the Klingsor talking machine specialties, with headquarters in Chicago, writes The Talking Machine World as follows: "I take the liberty of calling your attention to the fact that this particular patent represents nothing new. Our London Klingsor works, which, no doubt, are known to you, have long held patents for life-sized singing dolls and figures used for advertising purposes in all countries except the United States. The reason that the American public is so little, or not at all acquainted with singing dolls like the "Klingsor," which is nothing else but a talking machine in some other form, is to be attributed to the so-called "Berlin monopoly." The patents of this company simply prevented the manufacturing of this novelty elsewhere. Inasmuch as these Berlin monopoly patents have not expired, the singing dolls, as well as the "Klingsor Resonnanz talking machines," will soon be introduced to the people of the United States. A clipping of our London catalog of 1908 is enclosed." The enclosure referred to consists of an illustration and description of "Arnola," the wonderful talking and singing doll, clothed in an attractive and modish costume. There certainly should be a market for such a specialty as the talking machine doll in this country, particularly around the holidays. FORBIDDEN TO MAKE RECORDS. Shuberts Issue Drastic Order to Principals of Winter Garden Company — Actors May Fight Decision and Court Proceedings Result. All of the principals of the Winter Garden company recently received an order from the Shuberts, it is said, forbidding them to sing for phonograph records. The Shuberts say that their contracts with the actors are for their exclusive services, and also that "singing into a talking machine is liable to injure the voice, as several grand opera stars have discovered." The players have found the making of records a profitable source of revenue, and some who have been most successful have been Al Jolson, Stella Mayhew, Jos Collins, Billee Taylor, the Courtenay sisters and Mildred Elaine. It is expected that the singers will resent the order and probably will let the question go to the courts for a decision as to a manager's right to prevent thenmaking money this way. When you really want to get ahead you quit criticising the bad things you see in your business and spend all your time creating good things. Build a backbone into your business. The Equitable Phonograph Co., of 120 Delancey, street, New York, has changed its firm name to Spiegel & Rodbar.