The talking machine world (Jan-Dec 1914)

THE TALKING MACHINE WORLD. 33 From Our Chicago Headquarters CONSUMERS' BUILDING, 220 South State Street, E. P. VAN HARLINGEN, MANAGER. (Special to The Talking Machine World.) Chicago, III., March 10. — Trade in talking machine circles is fine — it's great — especially in the record line, if the trade could only get all the records it wanted. Machines are fairly plentiful and factories have very few complaints on this score. ~The shortage in the record supply is due to a great extent to the dance craze which seems to grow rather than to diminish. The call for this class of records, in addition to the regular increase in record business which comes at this time of year, has caused factories to work full capacity and yet leaves a great percentage of unfilled orders — a percentage far in excess of last year's shortage. This, in spite of the fact that factory capacities have been greatly increased. Dealers are promised relief within a very short time, but, inasmuch as most of them heard this story some weeks back, there are some who are inclined to be pessimistic. Harry Lauder Poses. L. C. Wiswell, manager of the talking machine department at Lyon & Healy's, has on his desk, photographs of Harry Lauder, the great Scotch commedian, in two very new and attractive poses. The photographs were taken in Mr. Lauder's apartment in his recent visit to Chicago, and appeared to be the best likenesses of the "world's highest salaried entertainer" that have ever been taken There is also a new photograh on Mr. Wiswell's desk of Pietro Diero, whose Victor, records, accordeon and concertina, have met with such a demand during the last few months of the dance craze. L. K. Cameron Improves. L. Keene Cameron, formerly retail manager of the Victor department of the Rudolph Wurlitzer Co., has written a letter to assistant manager, Fred A. Siemon, in which he says he is enjoying the climate of the Southwest immensely and that his health is much improved. Henry Saak Wants More Stock. Henry Saak, well-known Columbia talking machine dealer of Milwaukee, was in the city recently making arrangements with the Columbia Co. for the installation of a very liberal stock in his new store, 1002 Vliet street. Mr. Saak reports that he has built four large demonstration booths that give every opportunity for the proper demonstration of machines and records. Mr. Saak has extended the glass show windows of his store front so that they are conspicuous to the people cm the street for a lung distance. Good Columbia Business. C. F. Baer, manager of the Chicago office of the Columbia Graphophone Co., reports very satisfactory increase over the first three months of last year. "There has been a tremendous demand for records," said Mr. Baer, "and our catalog of dance numbers has been drawn on very heavily. We anticipated these conditions and very fortunately were able to fill 90 per cent, of our record orders. Prominent among the more popular records is our number 55531 which consists of 'Y Come La Va,' a tango, and 'Puppschen,' a one-step, played by Prince's band. As an illustration of the popularity of the record, I want to say that one dealer, in sending in his order, asked for five times as many of this number as for any other. "The immense amount of advertising that we have been doing lately is making itself felt with irresistible force, and created such a demand that our stock of records and one style of our machines were nearly exhausted. This condition, however, was remedied at once." Talking Machine Co. Notes. A new and handsome edition of the booklet entitled, "Our 500 Best Sellers," has been prepared by Salesmanager Roy Keith of the Talking Machine Co., and is just being issued to the company's dealers. These booklets have been used to good advantage for some time past by dealers all over the West who use them in circularizing their patrons. The records listed in the booklet are the result of long experience in supplying records and are particularly interesting in view of the fact of the present great record shortage. Another interesting help, issued by the Talking Machine Co., is in the form of a pad listing ten popular favorites which is designed to be placed around the dealer's store where it can be secured easily by the record buyer and the sheets used to jot down the number of records, and, at the same time, offer a number of good suggestions that arc often quickly acted upon. E. L. Barker is a new addition to the traveling sales force of the Talking Machine Co., and left on his initial trip March 9. Mr. Barker has been assigned to Indiana and Michigan, formerly covered by Geo. P. Cheatle. Mr. Cheatlc will continue to call on a number of the dealers in those two States and will also do some additional work the nature of* which has not yet been decided upon. Another addition to the company's force is in the person of H. E. Whitman, formerly of Elmira, N. Y., who last week took up his duties as floor salesman. To Enlarge Kimball Space. The talking machine department of the W. W. Kimball Co. has enjoyed a remarkable business since its recent organization under Mr. Cullen's direction, and plans are now under way that will probably involve the removal of the entire department from the second floor to the third floor where a greatly increased space is possible. Big Crowd Witnesses Dancing. Kenneth Holman, manager of the newly organized La Grange Talking Machine Co., of La Grange. The Chicago Office of The Talking Machine World has removed to new and larger quarters at 1024 Consumers' Building, 220 So. State Street. 111., last Tuesday and Wednesday nights gave the citizens of his town an opportunity to witness the dancing of Mr. Kucker and Martha Courtney, the young people who have been drawing crowds to the Talking Machine Shops. The program was arranged in much the same way as at the Shops with the tango, hesitation, maxixe and Brazilian demonstrated with the aid of the Yictrola. La Grange came in a body, and crowded the shop so thoroughly, that show windows were endangered, and an officer had to be called to see that no damage was done. Iowa Dealer Optimistic. A. C. Moore, manager of the Edison and Victor departments of the Pelletier Co., Sioux City, la., was a visiting dealer of last week. Mr. Moore looks to a big year in 1914, and cites as one evidence of the prosperity that has visited that section of Iowa, the fact that at the recent Auto Show, held in that city, almost a million dollars worth of machines were sold. Shops Dancing Continues. The Talking Machine Shops continues to draw new customers to its attractive quarters through the medium of the dances described in last month's World, and probably will entirely through March. Mr. Kucker is now seen with a new (Continued on pac/c o4.) The Practical Fibre Needle Cutter— THE WADE The Wade The Wade The WADE embodies the right principle, worked out through long experience. It is simple, durable and accurate. It trims the needle at an angle resulting in the best tone. The WADE cutters are made of the best steel and are absolutely guaranteed. The WADE is the most economical cutter. It has a selfacting stop, which prevents waste and enables one to get from 12 to 15 perfect playing points. No. 1 is a very popular cutter which has given excellent service. No. 2 has a double action, making it especially easy to operate and affording the most powerful cut of any tool made. 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