The talking machine world (Jan-Dec 1913)

22 THE TALKING MACHINE WORLD. FROM OUR CHICAGO HEADQUARTERS— (Continued from page 21). meanings than do those of the wax cylinders on the little phonograph machines that are working overtime daily in the office of Everett Shaw, official circuit court reporter. "With the opening of the Steger case it was apparent that court reporters were in for a long siege of shorthand work and transcribing drudgery. 'Necessity is the mother of invention,' they say, but in this case it might be worded to better advantage by using the word expediency, at least that is what it amounted to, for Mr. Shaw, distantly connected with the great Shaw publishing house, which is world-famed for its efficiency ideas, had one of his own, and in came the phonographs. "After taking down the evidence of the first part of a court session, he 'beats it' to the office at recess while his assistant takes his place at the reporters' table in the court room. "Back in the office, and in the quiet of its confines, he unfolds the story of the trial as recorded in the curves, dots and dashes of his shorthand notes. But the tale is not imparted in the usual way. "Only into the ever-open 'ear' of one of the machines does he tell his story. From one cylinder to another the story goes, as the smooth surfaces are scratched 'by the fine needle attached to the sensitive diaphragm of the recorder. "Then the process is reversed. The 'governor' is adjusted and the phonographic story retold at a slower rate, and as it's retold Miss Nellie Harrington and Miss B. Helene Grosman are there to record it 'forever' with their trusty typewriters. "And thus the phonograph has come to stay in Joliet stenographic fields, for Mr. Shaw is greatly pleased with the system, while his assistants are even more enthusiastic in their praise of it." Visitors to the City. Samuel Goldsmith, that distinguished member of the: Victor sales forces who sort of headquarters in Chicago, has bobbed up again smiling and busy as usual after a tussle with the "grip." ■ M. P. Baukin, of the Baukin Music Co., Beloit, Wis., was a visitor a few days ago. F. A. Smith, of Marshalltown, Iowa, was a recent visitor. Four years ago Mr. Smith bought out the Edie-Ward piano business at Marshalltown and has since conducted it under the name of the Central Music Co., while his son not long ago bought out the talking machine and small goods business formerly conducted by Mr. Schwieteft, now one of the leading talking machine salesmen at the local house of the Rudolph Wurlitzer Co., and has since run it under the name of the Smith Music Co. A Wonderful System. J. R. Cadell, of the inspection department of the Victor Talking Machine Co., spent several days among the jobbers and dealers in Chicago this week. His principal purpose was to examine the machines as they came in from the factory to see how they withstood the rigors of the journey, especially ■ as to the condition the motors were in after the journey. Furthermore, this gives him a final chance to know to a certainty just how they get away from the factory. Just another instance of the wonderful organization of the Victor factory and system and the ceaseless series of check-ups. "The Victor Co. is never satisfied with product or system," said Mr. Cadell. "It wants to better 'both whenever and wherever possible. Probably few people realize how thorough the Victor methods are. Why," he continued, "give me the number of a machine and I can tell you when and where it was built, who inspected it, the girl who 'played it, how many times it was played, who packed it, etc. Something like the same process can be gone through on the motor and the sound box. In fact, we know just what was done and who it was done by at every stage of progress." Some Columbia Changes. A. W. White, who has had charge of the St. Paul office of the Columbia Co., has been transferred to one of the other branch offices, while Mr. Herdmann, formerly of the Indianapolis office, has taken charge of the St. Paul headquarters. A. W. Roos, for the past year or so traveling auditor for the company, and who prior to that was for many years connected in important capacities with the Chicago offices, is now manager of the Indianapolis branch, while Thomas DeVine, who has been manager of the Indianapolis branch for some time, will now devote his attention to the Dictaphone exclusively in the Indiana metropolis. O. C. Junge, who has been manager of the branch at Providence, R. P., has now traveled over half-way across the continent to take charge of the Columbia interests in Omaha, Neb. Mr. Laurie Here. P. A. Laurie, assistant auditor-in-chief of the Columbia Co., and head of the traveling auditing forces, is a Chicago visitor. As the result of a grilling direct, redirect and cross-examination by the representative of The World, Mr. Laurie admitted that so far he had found nothing on the Chicago office except "good business." Keith's Exploring Exposition. Roy J. Keith, sales manager for the Talking Machine Co., returned last week from a trip to Milwaukee, Madison and the Twin Cities. At the. Wisconsin metropolis he witnessed arrangements made by the J. B. Bradford Piano Co. for the installation of a new Victor talking machine department. There will be line demonstration rooms upstairs, and display on the ground floor. At the State Capitol Keith found that W. W. Warner, the pioneer piano dealer and talking machine man, is going to retire from business this fall. His son, Paul Warner, has so many outside interests in the way of real estate and investments of various kinds that he simply cannot attend to it all, and is therefore also compelled to give up the music business. The talking machine department of the Wisconsin Music Co. is making rapid progress under the direction of the capable manager, Mr. Holtman. They are giving recitals which are proving big business pullers, and are following up the good work with well-written and widely ami judiciously distributed circulars. At Minneapolis, Mr. Keith says that W. E. Guylee, who has been manager of the Twin Cities stores of the Cable Company for years, but who was recently elected vice-president and director of the great corporation and who has now come to Chicago to assume the responsible position of sales manager, arranged before his departure for the installation of Victor departments in both the Minneapolis and St. Paul stores. The equipment will be unusually classy, booths and all that sort of thing. Mr. Keith also visited the various stores of the Twin Cities. Mr. Mathias is consolidating both his stores under one roof. He visited the departments of Foster & Waldo, of the North East Furniture Co. ; Raudentmsch & Sons, Howard Farwell & Co. and others. Parenthetically he says that he saw some mighty fine stores, and saw evidences of a mighty prosperous business all along the line. Within Our Gates. Mr. Olds, manager of the Victor department of the M. M. Claypool Co., Crawfordsville, Ind., with branch music stores at Kokomo, La Fayette and other Hoosier cities, spent a couple of days in Chicago recently, visiting the various stores and departments, posting himself on selling plans, window displays, etc. Paul Seeger, manager of the talking machine department of Edmund Gram, Milwaukee, spent a day or so with the Talking Machine Co., posting himself on the motor question. » Messrs. White, of the Milliken & White Music Co., Bay City, Mich. ; H. Schmidt, of H. Schmidt & Sons, Davenport, Iowa, and Mr. Burg, of the Burg Piano Co., La Crosse, Wis., were all visitors last week. Mr. Flenteye, who visits city trade for the Talking Machine Co., resides at Wilmette, 111. He works while he sleeps, so to speak, and couldn't possibly let a good prospect in his home town get •by, although legally his activities are supposed to be confined to the city of Chicago. Pie has just established the enterprising firm of A. Ii. Denamar & Son, of Wilmette, as Victor dealers. Lyon & Healy's Good Month. Lyon & Healy report that February was the biggest month, both in wholesale and retail, in the history of the talking machine department. This in spite of the shortage in the new types present now in a continually diminishing degree. The Victrola Muse, Ye heaven 'spired poets, ye. Choice souls whose customary habitation is 'mongst the heaven and sun-kissed clouds ! List, oh ! list, to your Brother Sweet, of Malta, 111., who, while he is not strumming his spiritually bedecked harp, is running the Malta Concert Hall, which is the name of his talking machine business. List, oh ! list, to a few of his inspired warblings which recently made melodious the pages of one of the Malta papers. After reading, let the alleged inspired and shining ones go hide their heads and mourn in sackcloth and ashes. They will all get the sack if they have not a care or twain. VICTROLA. Among Malta's fair daughters, is the Queen Of my heart's purest test. With grace, love and beauty supreme, In motives chased in judgment best, Guileless as sunshine, pure, lovable, clean Is VICTROLA, my treasure/my love, my rest. No soft southern zephyrs, more abundant in bliss To the careworn, weary, lonely man, Than the sweet confidence betrayed by a kiss, That inspires peace, like a joyful wan, In the thoughts, and ambitions of this Creature, beset by an unholy ban. No lake more tranquil, or brook more free, Than would be life's long journey, Sweetheart, in a cot or mansion with thee, No planet more brilliant, no heaven so bright, If together the journey we run, No shadow, no sorrow, all beautiful sun. But, VICTROLA, remember, if fortune or fate, In its cold heartless torture and hate. Should frustrate our dear cherished plan, Cold winter blizzards, that ravish the land, Would be as a May morning to compare, Witli my disappointment, horror, despair. New Talking Machine Company Organized. The United Talking Machine Co. is a newly chartered corporation for the manufacture of talking machines to be located in Chicago. 1h: incorporators are Robert Johns, A. F. Johns and E. E. Johns. Opens Columbia Department. The F. G. Smith Piano Co.. on Wabash avenue, has just opened a Columbia Graphophone department, handling the complete line of both machines and records. There is a fine window and floor display made on the ground floor, and the main department is on the third floor, where handsome booths are now being fitted up. A. D. Herriman, long in the Columbia service and a salesman and manager of high degree, is in charge. Another Piano Store in Line. W. W. Pushee, who conducts on his own hook a piano store handling the Cote pianos in connection with the Western headquarters of the Cote Piano Co. in the Republic building, has just added the Columbia line. This is the only upstairs exclusive Columbia department in the city so far as the writer knows, and it will, no doubt, prove a big success. Columbia Grand Grafonola. The first of the Columbia grand grafonolas to reach Chicago was received here by the local office, and is now on exhibition at their handsome warerooms at Wabash avenue and Washington boulevard. It is of symmetrical proportions. When the grand lid is up a peep inside reveals a fairyland of beauty antl, best of all, everybody goes into raptures over the tone. The general opinion is that the beautiful $500 instrument more than justifies all anticipations entertained for it. These Are Leading Sellers. M. M. Blackman, who has charge of the retail talking machine record department of Lyon & Healy, says that two of the very 'best sellers of the month in the artistic class are the intermezzo from "The Jewels of the Madonna" and "Where the River Shannon Flows," sung by John McCormack. Patrick with Phonograph Co. W. C. Patrick will travel for The Phonograph Co., the new Edison jobber in Chicago. Mr. Patrick is exceedingly well known, especially in the Eastern talking machine trade. For a number of years he was city salesman for Edison phonographs,, was later head of the Chicago branch of {Continued on page 24.)