The talking machine world (Jan-Dec 1912)

THE TALKING MACHINE WORLD. 25 L. J. GERSON ENTERTAINS STAFF. Manager of the Talking Machine Department of the John Wanamaker Store Acts As Host for the Employes of the New York Department on Labor Day at His Farm Near Palisades, N. Y. — Have Enjoyable Time. The staff of the talking machine department of John Wanamaker's New York store had a thoroughly delightful outing on Labor Day, when the members were entertained by Mr. and Mrs. Louis cept at Brookdale, where, nevertheless, it was cloudy and threatening, and as a necessity the outdoor entertainment originally planned was curtailed. However, the day was spent almost wholly out of doors, and the "boys and girls" helped themselves to such sports as tennis, baseball, croquet, riding and walks through the woods and fields. In the middle of the day an old fashioned country chicken dinner was served in the house, covers being spread for twenty-one. The crowd returned to the city about 7 p. m. looking tired but quite happy and thoroughly ap THIRTY YEARS OF ELECTRIC LIGHT. Employes of Wanamaker's Talking Mac Jay Gerson, at their country place, "Brookdale," in Rockland County near the town of Palisades, N. Y. When the party reached the railroad station at Sparkhill automobiles were in waiting to take them the two and one-half miles to the farm, which is on the State line and about half a mile from the Hudson River. Labor Day was chosen for the outing for it was a legal holiday and coming at what is practically the end of the summer provided a fitting close for the vacation season. It rained almost everywhere on Labor Day ex hine Department at Mr. Gerson's Farm. preciative of the generosity of Mr. and Mrs. Gerson. Among those invited were: Alexander Russell, H. B. Bertine, Martin B. Lynch, Edward J. Kiernan, Alice M. Dillon, Anna C. Deady, Yetta Klinger, Charlotte S. Conroy, Helen L. Slade, Bertha C. Johnson, Geo.' M. Boyce, James G. Martin and wife, J. H. D. Rehberger, Chas. J. Collins, James Bratherton, Sadie Davidson, John P. Rice, Joseph Fonte and wife, Howard Arnold, Nelson Hartford, Samuel Terry, Rose Flavin, James Livingston, Rebecca Morton and Mr. Van Wulven. GRINNELL BROS; EXPANSION. Talking Machine Departments of the Grinnell Business to Be Benefited by Recent Incorporation of the Concern with Capital Stock of $3,750,000 — Employes Become Interested in the Business. (Special to The Talking Machine World.) Detroit, Mich., Sept. 10, 1912. The talking machine department of the various stores of Grinnell Bros, are destined to share in the advancement which is sure to accrue through the incorporation last month of this, the largest retailing and manufacturing establishment in the music trade in this city, and which controls twenty-six branch stores in Michigan and Ontario, Province of Quebec. The capital stock of the new company is $3,750,000, all paid in, and the officers include the three Grinnell brothers, Clayton, Ira L. and Albert A. Grinnell, Clinton' L. Nye, head of the financial department, and Seward E. Clark, general manager of the branch stores department and of the big store in this city. Two million dollars of the stock is common and $1,750,000 is preferred, which is subject to redemption at par thirty years hence at a par value of $100 per share and carries interest at 7 per cent., payable quarterly, cumulative and payable before any dividend shall be set aside or paid on the common stock, thus offering full protection to the holders of the preferred. The assets of the company include $216,500 in cash, stocks and interests in Detroit, Kalamazoo, Lansing, Flint, Ypsilanti and Hancock valued at $790,315.26, including a lease for ninety-nine years on the real estate occupied by the Grinnell Bros.' Detroit building at 243-245-247 Woodward avenue, copyrights on forty-one sheet music compositions valued at $100,000 and three patents on playerpianos. The stock of the corporation is divided into 37,500 shares, of which Clayton A. Grinnell holds 6,250 shares of preferred and the same of common, Ira L. Grinnell holds similar amounts of each kind of stock, Albert A. Grinnell five hundred of preferred and five hundred of common, Clinton I. Nye a hundred and fifty shares of each kind and S. E. Clark fifty of each kind. Grinnell Bros, have been in business here for more than a quarter of a century, but always as a partnership. They have advanced from a small beginning to a position of influence throughout the State, having a branch store with a resident manager in every city of more than 10,000 population in Michigan, with the exception of Grand Rapids. The firm also : has a manufacturing plant in Detroit which compares favorably with a big proportion of those in the country, and a smaller one in Windsor, from which their Canadian trade is supplied. Grinnell Bros, have long handled Victor talking machines and records with great success. "Have you ever read the article on how to tell a bad egg?" asked the Inquisitive One at the hotel table. "No, I'. haven't," replied the Traveling Salesman, "but my advice would be, if you have anything to tell -a bad egg, why, break it gently." It Was on September 4, 1882, That Thomas A. Edison Started the World's First Central Station in New York City — An Interesting Description of the Event. Thirty years ago, or to be more precise, on September 4, 1882, Thomas A. Edison started in operation the world's first central station for the supply of incandescent electric lighting for commercial purposes. It was 3 o'clock in the afternoon of that day, in an old brick building, a converted warehouse, in lower Pearl street, New York, that steam was turned into a single dynamo and current was sent through underground cables into about 400 lamps that had been distributed through a territory about a mile square. The newspaper accounts of the demonstration read curiously in this day. While it was generally admitted that the exhibition had been a success so far as proving that the incandescent bulbs gave light, there was a dubious feeling running through the reports as to whether the invention could be made commercially successful. In the Sun's report Edison's appearance on that occasion was thus described : "He wore a white high crowned derby hat and collarless shirt," and in an interview which followed Mr. Edison was quoted : "I have accomplished all that I promised. We have a greater demand for light than we can supply at present, owing to the insufficiency of men to put down the wires." Since that day thirty years ago, this city has had electric lighting with only two interruptions, the second and most serious one of which was in 1890, when the old Pearl street station was destroyed by fire. On this occasion before the flames even had been routed, new dynamos were ordered. In less than four hours' time service had been re-established in other quarters. One of the old "Jumbo" dynamos, designed by Edison himself, was saved from the . fire, and is now treasured as a relic of the old days. Thirty years ago fifteen miles of underground cable sufficed to connect all the installations. Now 1,400 miles of "underground" sends current to 5,250,000 lamps, while the bills are ticked off by 159,000 meters. The first electric motor was put on the lines in 1884. For six months previously it lay upon the shelf before any one could be found who was willing to experiment with this novel apparatus. Today in New York City 337,000 horsepower is used in motors. Instead of the old reconstructed brick building at 257 Pearl street that housed the six "Jumbos," as the old time generators were called, there are now two Bastile-like structures covering two city blocks. LOST MOTION AVOIDABLE. Lack of System in Shipping and Handling Goods a Big Factor in Costs. There are too many merchants— not only retailers but wholesalers— there is too much lost motion in selling and reselling, shipping and reshipping, and every time the goods are handled, on goes an extra to the price, which does not add to the value of the article to the consumer. Ask any merchant if there are not too many in the distributing market; he is sure to say yes. Of course, it is always the other fellows that ought to get out— but that does not alter the fact that the excess of shopkeepers is recognized. The problem is to eliminate waste or reduce its sting. A great howl goes up about mail-order houses. I do not care to defile or defend them. I do say that there must be some reason for this great development in business, and it strikes at a part of our distributing methods that needs attention.— M. W. Mix. The man who loafs on his job soon discovers that every day in the year is Friday the 13th.