The talking machine world (Jan-Dec 1914)

THE TALKING MACHINE WORLD. 15 The new Columbia dance records are absolutely in strict dance tempo, and why shouldn't they be? They have been recorded under the direction of the highest authority on modern dancing —Mr. G. Hepburn Wilson. Ask for the new Columbia dance circular. ( Write for "Music Money," a book "full of meat' for those Columbia Graphophone Company dealers interested in quick and frequent turnover of capital.) Wool worth Building, New York AT THOS. A. EDISON'S OLD HOME. Mrs. Ilsen Takes New Disc Phonograph to Old Edison Homestead in Milan, O., and Gives Concert for Benefit of Mr. Edison's Cousin "Twinsy," Who Tells of "Alvies' " Boyhood. (Special to The Talking Machine World.) Cleveland, O., January 8. — From the depths of a massive Edison disc phonograph, looming out of all proportion in a tiny "6 by 7" bedroom, floated the beautiful old "heart song," carrying with it the rare, gripping sentiment of a lifetime. For the little bedroom, in the unpretentious oldfashioned cottage at Milan, O., was the room where the greatest mechanical and electrical genius of all time, Thomas A. Edison, first saw the light of day 66 years ago. And just outside in the front parlor — the huge mahogany cabinet filled the bedroom — the "old folks" listened, with heads almost reverently bowed, to the most perfect reproduction of the human voice obtainable — the result of 35 years' unceasing study by the "big-headed boy" they all knew so well. Memories Bring Tears. The last strains died away. The old home "where the old folks stay" was silent. Then the lovable, white-haired cousin of the wizard inventor, Mrs. Nancy Elizabeth Wadsworth, named by Edison's mother and nicknamed by Edison himself "Cousin Twinsy," broke the awed hush. "It's too wonderful, isn't it?" she asked appealingly. "He's just the same little Alvie to me; I can't think of him as the mighty, wonderful man the world sees." And throughout the long, wonderful day, Thursday, when "Alvie" came back to the "old home" through the medium of his talking machine, the eighty-year-old boyhood confidante of the twentieth century's superman just marveled and voiced her pride in her wonderful boy. Mrs. Isa Maud Ilsen, the first woman ever to represent Edison, who has been giving recitals in Cleveland to demonstrate the new Edison diamond-disc phonograph— probably the inventor's greatest achievement — conceived the idea of taking the beautiful product of his brain into his boyhood home in Milan. So Milan and the home folk enjoyed a red letter day in history — and, most of all, "Cousin Twinsy," whose pretty ringlets of gray hair fell occasionally over the eyes that never lost their prideful glow. "Oh, you've forgotten the horn," Mrs. Wadsworth exclaimed when the phonograph had been unpacked. The explanation that the horn was ingeniously concealed left the aged woman mystified at the wonders wrought from her Alvie's abnormally large head. Tries to Hatch Goose Egg. "Of course, I never dreamed Alvie would be such a great man, but I always knew he'd succeed," related Mrs. Wadsworth joyously. "The day his father went out on that green hill over there and pulled him off a stump where he'd turned purple with cold while he was sitting on a goose egg to hatch it, I said it showed he was thinking of things. "But I was young and Alvie got a whipping just the same. "However, when Alvie took a boy, who lived in that house across the road, and filled him all full up with seidlitz powders to make him fly, I almost believed what his teacher said about him being addled. "Oh, how I wish Samuel — that's his fathercould have lived long enough to see how high Alvie's gone in the world — doing things for humanity. Alvie's pa always said 'his head's too big.' Alvie did have a large head, the largest I ever saw on a boy of his age." Several of the old songs restored her youthful pertness. First, she examined the great instrument standing in Alvie's room. Makes Good Early Promise. "Alvie once said to me : 'I'll make iron and wood talk some day, Twinsy,' " Mrs. Wadsworth remarked suddenly, arousing from a reverie of retrospection. "He's done more than keep his word, hasn't he? It seems as though he must have been living for centuries to do all he has — but I keep seeing the little boy I put to bed." The cottage proved far too small to house the old friends and neighbors, so sentiment had to be waived a little, and the library secured for an evening recital. Two hundred of the 700 population appeared on two hours' notice. Twinsy and her daughter Metta were both there. "To think I used to pull his hair and stick my tongue out at him," gasped a "girl" of seventyfive, Mrs. A. J. Barney. Memories and anecdotes of Edison were murmured admiringly. BUILDS UP~LARGEJICTOR TRADE. Wm. K. Kaplan & Co., Jamaica, N. Y., One of the Most Successful Talking Machine Houses in Vicinity of New York. One of the most successful of the talking machine houses in Queens County, N. Y., which constitutes one of the boroughs of Greater New York, is that of William K. Kaplan & Co., 316 Fulton street, Jamaica, who in summing up the business of the company for the months of November and December, just past, state that it shows an increase of nearly 100 per cent, over that of the same period of 1912, and the quality of the business is also a most pleasing factor, the higher priced machines and records being in greatest demand. In order to take care of its growing business the company has just completed the remodeling of the rear section of its store for the purpose of making room for extra demonstration booths for the Victrolas. An entire new lighting system has also been installed. In addition to Victrolas, W. K. Kaplan & Co. also handle pianos and playerpianos with much success. ANALYZING INITIATIVE. Initiative consists of doing on the spot without being told and without complaining what the other fellow never thought of doing— and didn't do when he was told. HEAVY TRADE IN INDIANAPOLIS. Christmas Business Surpasses All Previous Records— Stores Handle Profitable Saturday Night Trade — Columbia Co. Stock Cleaned Out Temporarily — News of the Month. (Special to The Talking Machine World.) Indianapolis, Ind., January 7. — Christmas trade in the talking machine business here exceeded all expectations of the dealers, who assert that the holiday trade of 1913 was nearly twice as heavy as the Christmas trade of 1912. Talking machines and records were scarce articles around the stores when the doors closed on Christmas Eve. The Columbia Graphophone Co.'s local branch thought for a while that a number of customers were to be disappointed, but at the last moment the express company came along with twenty-eight extra machines and thus saved the day. The Stewart Talking Machine Co., Victor distributors in Indiana, had the best Christmas trade in the history of the house. W. S. Barringer, manager of the company, worked day and night in handling the large volume of business. The company's warerooms were emptied by the onslaught of Victor buyers. The talking machine department of the Aeolian Co.'s branch also had a huge Christmas trade. Victor machines by the carload were shipped in for the Aeolian Co. The Kipp-Link Co., the energetic distributers for the Edison machines, also experienced gratifying sales, especially of the new Edison disc machines and records. Most of the stores are still closing at 6 o'clock on Saturday evenings, but the Columbia Graphophone Co. and the Kipp-Link Co. say the public just won't let them close up before 9 p. m. Saturday. Apparently, there is a large class of talking machine owners who like to come downtown Saturday night and buy records for the next week. The volume of business done by the talking machine stores which keep open is surprising. The managers of the stores would prefer to close up, arguing that the stores would get the business anyway, but the machine owners demand service on Saturday night. Records are scarce in the Columbia Graphophone Co.'s store, and the getting of more records is the problem which is bothering the management. While the writer stood in the store Saturday afternoon the salesmen had to say again and again, "We're sorry, but we are out of that number." The popular records simply can't be kept in stock at all times. The patrons of the store, however, appeared to realize that the store was not to blame, and would promise to return in a few days when a new shipment would arrive. "My Skylark Love," by Denni; "Marriage Market," by Jacob; Mad Scene from Lucia, and Caprice Viennois, by Ysaye, are among the records which are hard to keep in stock. Advertising is nearly fool-proof. No persistent advertising of an article of merit has ever failed in the United States.