The talking machine world (Jan-Dec 1915)

4 THE TALKING MACHINE WORLD. "EDISON WEEK" A BIG EVENT IN SAN FRANCISCO. Visit of Great Inventor to Exposition Centered Special Interest in This Occasion in Which Many Dealers Participated — Delay in Shipments Owing to Panama Canal Slide — Victor Co. Presents "I Pagliacci" in Pantomime — New Sonora Agents — News of Month. (Special to The Talking Machine World.) San Francisco, Cal., November 2. — The temporary closing of the Panama Canal to traffic inconvenienced the local talking machine distributers to a considerable extent. Several large shipments were held up at the canal and immediate measures had to be taken by local firms to prevent a serious shortage in stock. In some instances duplicate orders were wired at once to come by rail, and the situation is now being relieved by the arrival of these goods. Other lots have been rerouted to come through the Straits of Magellan. Such shipments are due here about November 20, in ample time for the holiday trade, so no further serious difficulties are anticipated. Celebration of Edison Week. While Edison Week was celebrated generally throughout the United States, it probably meant more in San Francisco than in any other city of the entire country on account of the presence of the great inventor. He and his party arrived on Monday, October 18, and remained until the 26th. They spent much of their time at the exposition, and numerous social events and special programs were arranged in their honor. Greater interest has not been shown in anyone's presence at the exposition during the entire period than in Edison's The crowning event was the observance of "Edison Day" on the 21st. If any proof of his popularity were needed it would have been found on that occasion, when thousands of exposition visitors gathered at Festival Hall, where the formal exercises were held. Before the exercises Mr. Edison was President Moore's guest of honor at a luncheon in the Administration Building. A feature of the afternoon program was the presentation of an exposition commemorative medal to Mr. Edison by President Moore. Samuel Insull, of Chicago, lifelong friend of the inventor, delivered the oration of the day, following a vocal solo by Miss Christine Miller, a young artist who assists Mr. Edison in his tone testing experiments. After the ceremonies she gave a free recital with a phonograph, reproducing her voice to demonstrate the accuracy of the records made in the Edison laboratory. A special exhibit of Edison's inventions in the Palace of Transportation was crowded all day. The day's festivities were brought to a fitting close by a great illuminative display, including an "Edison Salute" of rockets which consumed a half-ton of explosives ; an exhibition drill by the fireboats, and an illuminated aeroplane flight. T. A. Edison Visits Downtown Shops. While in San Francisco Mr. Edison visited the downtown talking machine establishments, at all of which handling Edison products special window displays were featured. Mr. Edison spoke enthusiastically regarding the outlook for holiday trade. He said he thought there would be ample Edison records, but he was afraid the machine supply would hardly be sufficient for all requirements. In speaking of his future plans, he said : "We are going to have scientific music next. I am going to produce all the symphonies of Beethoven by phonograph, so that one can hear them as perfectly as if listening to a big philharmonic orchestra. I am constructing a huge concrete bowl, forty-two feet in diameter, arranged with wires which will catch all the sound waves. I will place all the musicians underneath this bowl, and not a single sound wave will escape reproduction. As it is now, many sound waves get away." Another feature of Edison Week was a private hearing on Friday evening of Miss Christine Miller in a number of her favorite songs at the Scottish Rite Auditorium. On that occasion Miss Miller' consented that Edison's recent laboratory recreation of her voice be heard in comparison. Chas. K. Haddon a Visitor. Charles K. Haddon, vice-president of the Victor Talking Machine Co., was a recent visitor to San Francisco and the exposition, and word has been received that President Johnson and Mrs. Johnson will visit the Pacific Coast shortly, probably arriving here the latter part of November. Getting Victor Goods by Rail. Andrew G. McCarthy, of Sherman, Clay & Co., says that they had quite a bit of Victor goods held up at the Panama Canal when the slide came, but that they are getting shipments through by rail, so they can handle orders quite promptly again. He looks for a record holiday business. He enjoyed a duck hunt recently with Leon F. Douglas, of the Victor Co., who makes his home in San Rafael, Cal. Give "I Pagliacci" in Pantomime. The Victor Talking Machine Co., in co-operation with the Panama-Pacific Exposition, presented Mile. Louise Le Gai and company in the pantomimic form of Leoncavallo's masterpiece, "I Pagliacci," and, for divertissement, "La Tzigane," in Festival Hall, on the exposition grounds, Wednesday evening, October 27. Lovers of the beautiful in ballet there enjoyed an evening of music and dance unique in its beauty, superb in its perfection of detail, and exceeding in elegance even the high standards previously established by Victor productions arranged under the supervision of Manager Everett Worthington, of the Victor Temple. The production attracted so much attention that it was repeated the following evening with even greater success than on the opening night. W. S. Gray Back from the East. W. S. Gray, Pacific Coast manager of the Columbia Graphophone Co., is back from an extended Eastern trip, and he says he found Columbia stores busy in every city he visited. F. R. Anglemeir, manager of the local branch of the Columbia Co., says the November list of records is meeting with popularity here, especially the Marimba record, which was made at the exposition in this city by the famous Marimba Band that has been attracting large crowds to the Guatemala Building. Hale Bros. Enlarge Department. The Victor department, on the third floor of the Hale Bros.' department store, has been greatly enlarged and improved. It is under the management of Miss Mae Springer, and she is arranging many special events to stimulate interest in this part of the business during the winter months, the first being Wednesday afternoon concerts in the Pompeian Court on the sixth floor. H. C. Capwell Co. Opens Edison Department. A new Edison department is being added by the H. C. Capwell Co., which conducts one of the leading department stores in Oakland, Cal. It will be under the supervision of O. S. Grove, and is being nicely fitted up. Clarence Anrys, son of the general manager of the Wiley B. Allen Co., who has been connected with the talking machine department at the San Francisco store for some time, is now in charge of that part of the business at the Oakland store. New Sonora Agents. F. B. Travers, manager of the Sonora Phonograph Co., says the holding up of shipments at the Panama Canal inconvenienced his firm for a short time, but that rail shipments are now coming through so orders can be handled quite promptly again. He made a trip down the San Joaquin Valley recently, during which he arranged for several new agencies in that section. He was gone ten days, and in that short time placed the line in eight different towns. About the same time a deal was consummated whereby the Bush & Lane Co. secured the exclusive wholesale agency for Sonora Phonographs in the States of Washington and Oregon. The addition of the new agencies will care for a greatly increased demand for Sonora goods on the Pacific Coast, and Mr. Travers says business at the local store is going ahead very satisfactorily. Very Sorry, We Haven't That Record In Stock One of our dealers writes us that by reason of being obliged to say the above to their customers repeatedly last year, their till "missed approximately $500.00." And to guard against a repetition this year they placed with us a stock order for 666 Victor Records of 299 selections which by experience they felt would be difficult to get promptly during the rush season. Upon delivery of the order, this dealer writes us as follows: "WHY WE LIKE EASTERN SERVICE" "We wish to congratulate your efficient Wholesale Department upon the delivery of our order for 666 Victor Records, selected from 299 title numbers. Every Record we desired was sent us — in other words, the order was filled 100% complete." While We" Do Not Claim To Be Able To Fill All Orders Complete We Do Claim|That Eastern Service Is the Best Successful New England Dealers Are Using It, Why Not You ? THE EASTERN TALKING MACHINE CO. 177 TREMONT STREET, BOSTON, MASS. Largest Exclusive Victor Distributors in the East