The talking machine world (Jan-Dec 1913)

52 THE TALKING MACHINE WORLD. FROM OUR CHICAGO HEADQUARTERS— (Continued from page 51). cago to meet his two young sons, who were on their return home from California, where they have been attending preparatory school. C. L. Davidson, of the Talking Machine Shops, has reduced his girth five inches chasing Victrola prospects this hot weather. George Davidson absolutely refuses to chase Victrola prospects when the thermometer is at Turkish bath temperature, and has therefore gained the "ong bong pwong" which C. L. now misses. Miss Pauline Tischler, ol "the shops," says that there is positively nothing in the rumors set flying by her visit to Cleveland, O., on vacation bent. At least, there is no definite information to be given, out at the present time. E. A. Vaughan, an enterprising talking machine dealer of Princeton, 111., was a recent Chicago visitor. W. C. Fuhri, district manager for the Columbia Graphophone Co., spent a week at headquarters in New York last month. Had Good Month. The Chicago office of the Columbia Graphophone Co. reports that June showed an astonishingly large increase as compared with the correspondingmonth of last year. At the rate of gain the first half of the month it would have been a record bieaker. As it was, in spite of the killingly hot weather the latter part it made a gain of 50 per cent, over June of 1912. Mr. Byers, the retail floor manager, says that the remarkable thing about his business is that the more expensive machines are selling now. Judging from his St. Louis experience, the smaller machines of the portable type should be the strong summer sellers. Convention Bound. A merry crowd of talking machine men left on the Wolverine special train on the Michigan Central for Detroit, from whence they were to go by boat to Buffalo. L. C. Wiswell, who was the prime mover in the special; F. H. Siemon, of Wurlitzer's, and James, I. Lyons formed the Chicago contingent. At Lyon & Healy's. Lyon & Healy report a good June, a notable increase over the corresponding month of last year. The company is taking advantage of the comparative slackness of the summer season to further perfect their Victor service. They are also arranging for the accumulation of the largest possible stock of Victrolas of the various types, and their record stock is to-day probably the largest and most com-plete they have ever had. James F. Bowers left a week ago for Asbury Park, N. J., to see his family nicely located for the summer. After attending the convention at Buffalo he will return to Chicago and rejoin his family later. A great deal has been said in the dailies the past few weeks about the proposed construction of a magnificent new building for Lyon & Healy on" the site of the Wellington Hotel, Jackson and Wabash avenues. While it is true that negotiations have been under way looking to such a consummation for some time, nothing definite has resulted. No deal has been closed as yet, and from present indications will not be until after the summer vacation. Whether this particular deal is closed or not, there is no doubt but that the great house will within the next two years find themselves housed in a fine new structure which will give them the added space and facilities they need for their business. Wurlitzer Improvements. Extensive changes have been made in the wholesale department of the Chicago house of the Rudolph Wurlitzer Co., located on Wabash avenue a couple of blocks south of the general offices at 329-31 Wabash avenue. The record bins have all been moved and arranged in such a way as to increase the facilities for the prompt handling of record orders, while the storage space for Victrola stock has been rearranged and greatly enlarged. The company has made preparations for a big fall and winter business. The business for the first six months of this year is reported as showing a lun far ahead of the corresponding period of last year. Good Outlook for Edison Disc. C. E. Goodwin, general manager of the Phonograph Co., returned ten days ago from an Eastern trip, during which he visited Washington, New York and the Edison factory at Orange. He says that the company is now getting its record output on a satisfactory basis. Fifty additional presses are ready for delivery and installation, and the prospects are that they will be able to meet the wholesale demands of the trade by August. Mr. Goodwin looks forward with natural gratification to the near approach of the time when they can fill the insistent demands of the many Western dealers who have signed up on the Edison disc. TWO VERY EFFECTIVE SUMMER WINDOW DISPLAYS Attract Attention in Chicago, Namely Those of the Rudolph Wurlitzer Co. and Lyon & Healy Both of Which Are Described and Illustrated on This and Adjacent Page. (Special to The Talking Machine World.) Chicago, 111., July g. — Wabash avenue now boasts of two window displays illustrative of the use of the talking machine for camp and summer resort life, and which because of their ultra-realism of use. Purling water actually purls from a grotto near by. An axe rests with its head imbedded in a fallen tree. Grass is growing, live ducks and ducklings swim in a pond or wander at will over the landscape, a rabbit or two browse at tender Lyon & Healy's Artistic and Effective Victor Window. attract daily crowds of people who, if they are not blades of grass, pigeons roost in the tree 'branches immediately induced to buy, at least have the talking machine idea indelibly imprinted on their minds. The large north window of the Rudolph Chi or nest in the eaves of the hut. About the only artificial thing in the window is a camp fire made of red cloth underneath which are electric lights. Over it hangs a kettle which looks as though it Summer Window of the Rudolph Wurlitzer Co., Chicago. cago house of the Rudolph Wurlitzer Co. contains a decidedly lifelike reproduction of a "lodge in some vast wilderness." There is a log-house made out of real logs, with a homely bench in front on which is a primitive looking wash basin. The towel hanging near by appropriately shows signs had rendered long and faithful service. On a stump is a $25 Victrola waiting to entertain the owner, who has evidently gone down stream after a big pickerel, which he lost yesterday but is bound to get to-day. (Continued on page 54.)