The talking machine world (Jan-Dec 1914)

THE TALKING MACHINE WORLD. 7 DANCE MUSIC HAS THE CALL ON THE PACIFIC COAST. Present National Dancing Crare Has Good Effect on Volume of Record Sales — Wiley B. Allen Co. Business Shows Big Gain — Sherman, Clay & Co. Officials Visiting Branches — Bacigalupi Business Divided — Byron Mauzy Store Remodeled-^Other Trade News. (Special to The Talking Machine World.) San Francisco, Cal., February 6. — Talking machine distributers and dealers here are very well satisfied with the way in which business has kept up since the holidays. In spite of stormy weather, retail sales have been fully up to normal, and the shipping movement has been gratifying. A strong feature of the business the past month has been the steadily increasing demand for dance music; San Francisco seems to have gone dance mad, and no one is profiting more by the craze than the talking machine interests. Everywhere a big demand is reported for dance records, and the trade anticipates an unusually large spring business on account of this particular demand, as it does not seem to interfere with the sale of other records. Naturally an increased demand for machines is expected also. Heavy Gain in Talker Department. George R. Hughes, assistant manager of the Wiley B. Allen Co., says the closing of books for the year while revealing that the volume of business in the piano department barely held its own, the talking machine department showed a decided gain, the holiday season being a banner one in that part of the business, both here and in San Francisco and at the branch stores. Jas. J. Black, manager of the talking machine department here, reports a strong demand for the Style XI Victor Victrola, and he says the popularity of the new dances has stimulated the demand for medium priced records to a noticeable extent. To Visit Sherman, Clay & Co. Andrew G. McCarthy, treasurer of Sherman, Clay & Co., and manager of their wholesale and retail Victor business, planned to visit the company's interests in the Northwest this month in company with Phil T. Clay and Geo. W. Bates, auditor of the company, when they made their annual trip of inspection, but did not get away with them, so will now make his trip a little later. Big Demand for Columbia Dance Records. At the local warerooms of the Columbia Graphophone Co. the year is reported starting off in a very encouraging manner, with a rapidly increasing demand for dance records. F. Anglemier, manager of the wholesale department, says he has already booked a good many orders for numbers appearing on the March list. A new man has been added to the local traveling force in the person of Clifford P. Le Roy, who has been in the office for some time. In future C. J. Moore will devote his attention to the city, and Mr. Le Roy will look after the country. Mr. Moore returned a short time ago from a visit of several weeks to his home in Kansas City, where he spent the holidays. While away he visited the Columbia interests there, in Denver and other cities where he stopped. George P. Metzger a Visitor. George P. Metzger, advertising counsel of the Columbia Graphophone Co., spent a few days in San Francisco the past month while on a tour of the country, making an inspection particularly of the retail situation. This was his first visit to California. Bacigalupi Business Divided. The talking machine department of Peter Bacigalupi & Son has been separated from the electric piano part of the business, the former-having been taken over by Peter Bacigalupi, Jr., who has been in charge for a long time, and Mr. Bacigalupi, Sr.. acquiring all interest in the other part of -the business. In the talking machine department a jobbing and retail business is conducted in Edison and Victor products. Byron Mauzy Store Remodeled. Extensive improvements have been inaugurated at the store of Byron Mauzy on Stockton street including the enlargement of the ground floor space and the installation of an additional show window, which will afford opportunities for specialized win dow displays. Mr. Mauzy maintains a large talking machine department, and has just recently added the Edison disc phonograph, which he will feature in addition to Victor and Columbia lines. Chas. S, Mauzy, son of the proprietor of the store, has been made manager of the talking machine department. He has started to learn the music business from the bottom up, having spent considerable time since he left college at factories in the East, and for several months having been connected with the selling force of his father's store here. Manager Beck Wants More Space. P. H. Beck, who operates the talking machine department in the Kohler & Chase store here, is now negotiating for more space. He says the business has gone ahead very gratifyingly in the six months he has been there and that it has already become necessary to provide additional accommodations. He is now located on the mezzanine floor, but hopes to move to one of the upper floors of the building this spring. A. A. Schell, general manager of the music departments of the Emporium, says business has kept particularly well in the talking machine department since the holidays. Here Columbia products are handled exclusively. THREE NEW EDISON ARTISTS To Make Their Debut in the Edison Blue Amberol Record List for April — The Three Have Long Been Prominent in Church, Oratorio and Concert Work in the United States. Month after month Thomas A. Edison, Inc., is in creasing the roster of artists who are making Blue Amberol records. The April list will contain three newcomers in Beulah Gaylord Young, Grace Couch Embler and Frederick Gordon MacLean. The first named of the three singers has been a mem long been popular as a singer in prominent churches in New York and Brooklyn, and has also done oratorio and festival work with Nordica, Bla'uvelt and other noted singers. She has also been head of the large glee club in Brooklyn called "The Embler Glee." She makes her debut in the Edison Blue Amberol list in Wm. R. Chapman's "Lullaby." The third artist, Frederick Gordon MacLean, is a New Yorker whose musical career started when a boy, having been associated with some of the leading boy choirs up to the time he commenced to study singing. In recent years he has been conFrederick G. MacLean. nected as a soloist with prominent churches in all parts of the country, and has been prominent in quartet and concert work, and as a director. At the present time he is the baritone soloist in St. Gregory's R. C. Church, Brooklyn. He will make his debut in the Edison April list, with an old favorite, "My Love Nell,'' which he sings with verve and charm. Beulah Gaylord Young. Grace C. Embler. her of the Victoria Ladies' Quartet, popular in club, concert and church work, and is also soloist at the Thirty-third Street Collegiate Baptist Church, New York. Her voice is of beautiful quality, perfectly placed and her first number for the Blue Amberol list is "My Chain of Memories," by Mrs. Herbert Ingraham, a pleasing selection. The second artist, Grace Couch Embler, has TO TRAVEL FOR COLUMBIA CO. (Special to The l alking Machine World.) Kansas City, Mo., February 6. — One of the recent additions to the local staff of the Columbia Graphophone Co. is H. C. Clowdsley, who will travel through Oklahoma and Kansas as the successor to John Ditzell, who has taken charge of the Columbia department of the Blass department store in Little Rock, Ark. 3 THAT SELL ON FIRST SIGHT \ T the left is the new UNION Sound Box just out, taking Fibre or any make of needle. ' It is the latest improvement in sound reproduction, and fits all Disc Machines. UNION TALKING MACHINE SPECIALTIES Gold plated, Nickel or Oxidized $20 per dozen net The upper right-hand illustration shows the UNION Modifier, a quick selling device, giving Edison, Victor and Columbia owners absolute control over the volume of sound. The lower illustration shows UNION No. i for playing Columbia and Victor records on Edison Machines. UNION No. i contains the UNION Modifier feature. Write to-day for descriptive folders and prices on these three easy selling specialties. All persons selling goods infringing our patents are liable to suit for such infringement. THE UNION SPECIALTY & PLATING CO. 409 Prospect Ave., Cleveland, Ohio Gold, Nickel or Oxidized $5 per dozen net UNION No. 1 Gold Plated, Nickel or Oxidized, $10 per dozen net Patent No. 776-672, others pending.