The talking machine world (Jan-June 1918)

60 THE TALKING MACHINE WORLD March IS, 1918 New York gave Stracciari an ovation. Stracciari has given the Columbia April program a splendid record —the song to the courtiers, from "Rigoletto." Every opera lover will enthuse when he hears this one. Columbia^ Graphophone Co. Wool worth Building, New York FREIGHT CONGESTION CHIEF DIFFICULTY IN PORTLAND Volume of Business Only Limited by Ability to Meet Demands — Dealers in Every Line Under Stock Handicap — Early Relief Expected — Reserve Supplies Help Out Portland, Ore., March 4. — When the freight congestion is relieved Portland, Ore., will have talking machines in nearly every home — at least it so appears from the demand. This demand, by the way, is almost too great for the supply. Talking machines and records are short in stock in nearly every music house in Portland. Wheeler Dodds, head of the Victrola department of the Ira F. Powers department store, says it is impossible to get records enough to satisfy customers. The Gadsby Furniture Co., which has recently added the Columbia machine to its stock, while pleased with the success of the new department, regrets the freight conditions which seriously handicap the business. C. E. Moore is in charge of this department and its success is largely due to him. All the music houses that carry the Victor, Columbia, Edison, Sonora, Brunswick and Stradivara are feeling the effect of the railroad difficulty. Eilers Piano House, which has one of the largest talking machine departments here, is selling the machines and records so fast that a new supply will be imperative in a short time. H. A. Raynor, manager of the phonograph department of this company, is cheerful in spite of a growing shortage of goods and predicts a good spring trade with plenty of goods coming. Sherman, Clay & Co.'s immense stock of Victrolas is well looked after, but business is so good that even this big stock must be exhausted unless more Victrolas and records are received. P. B. Norris, of the Wiley B. Allen Co., is also selling machines and records much faster than they are coming in. Business men, in other lines as well as in the talking machine trade, believe, however, that there will soon be a great improvement in the transportation problems for the Pacific Northwest. The car shortage in Oregon on the Southern Pacific lines has been entirely wiped out in the last few weeks and a slight surplus recorded. A few months ago there was a shortage of more than 2,000 cars on this one line. The Oregon Washington Railroad & Navigation Co. has almost wiped out its car shortage and the Northern Pacific and Great Northern promise to have a surplus in a short time. The Hyatt Talking Machine Co. has a big supply of Victors, Columbias and Edisons, but they are selling fast. Records are plentiful in the various houses, but there are certain popular records that are impossible to obtain. The Harold S. Gilbert Piano Co., which is also carrying the Columbia, is running short of machines. Bush & Lane is eagerly awaiting the arrival of a carload of Sonoras which are on the way. The G. F. Johnson Co., which carries the Victrola, is looking for more goods, as is. the Wakefield Music Co., which is doing such a big business with the Brunswick machine that the sup ply will have to be renewed in a very short time or there will be a lot of disappointed customers. The Edwards Furniture Co. has a big supply of Brunswick and Unola machines, but these cannot last all spring. James Loder, formerly manager of the talking machine department of the Wiley B. Allen store at Portland, Ore., is now manager of the talking machine department for the Bush & Lane house here. Mr. Loder is so well known by Portland people and has such a big following that his customers depend very much upon his opinion. The Bush & Lane people consider themselves singularly fortunate in securing him. Mr. Loder is very much interested in the Sonora talking machine, which is sold exclusively in Portland by Bush & Lane. Mr. Loder says the Victrola, the Sonora and the Columbia make a splendid combination and satisfy the tastes of all customers. Taylor C. WThite, manager of the local Victrola department of Sherman, Clay & Co., has made this department of the well-known music house one of the most efficient on the Pacific Coast. Maud Powell, the famous violinist, has been a Portland visitor for several weeks, giving a concert late last month. She visited the Sherman, Clay store and expressed her delight at the beauty and excellent service shown in the talking machine department. Miss Powell said it was the most beautiful Victrola department she had seen on the Pacific Coast and she congratulated Mr. White on the attractive surroundings. Miss Powell, who makes records exclusively for the Victrola, may well be pleased with the appreciation shown her by Portland people whose demand for her records, which has always been great, has enormously increased since her concert. Harry Lauder visited Portland, Ore., February 13 and gave a talk to the soldiers and gave two concerts, one a matinee and the other in the evening. Since then the demand for Lauder records has been enormous. Even before Lauder came to Portland the news of his approaching visit, which was announced as a final one, caused a rush for records. A handsome Victrola has been purchased from Sherman, Clay & Co., Portland, Ore., by the Jewish women of the B'nai B'rith Society and sent to the Soldiers' Club at Tacoma, Wash., a club established by this society for soldiers and sailors of all creeds and denominations. . I. W. Lane, manager of the phonograph department of the Graves Music Store, Portland, Ore., -is visiting friends in Waco, and San Antonio, Tex. Mr. Lane will return in April. Henry Schmidke, who has been traveling representative of the local branch of the Columbia Graphophone Co., has been promoted to the position of assistant manager. Charles V. Jones, former manager of the San Francisco branch, lias been made factory traveling repre sentative covering the territories of the Portland and Seattle branches. Mr. Jones has been meeting with success in his first trip out of the Portland branch. R. C. Coltart, former assistant manager of the Portland branch, now becomes assistant manager of the San Francisco branch. The Calef Bros. Furniture Store sold out all except one of its Pathe machines. A carload is reported on the way, due to arrive any day. Calls have been greatest for the $75 and $100 oak machines. An attractive window display at the Edwards Furniture Co. has done much to enhance sales of the Brunswick machine. J. E. Allen, manager of the department, has succeeded in making it one of the best in the city. A. R. Palmer, manager of the Olds, Wortman & King talking machine department, says that the Brooks machines have been finding a ready sale. Good sales of the Stradivara machine are reported by the Hudson Arms Co. and the Remick Song Shop. Visitors at the talking machine department of the G. F. Johnson Piano Co. are disposed to linger there because of the comfortable, wellventilated, attractive demonstration rooms. The new house, which has been in business only four months, has many well-satisfied Victrola customers, due largely to the courtesy, efficiency and salesmanship of Mr. Johnson and his splendid corps of assistants. The Wiley B. Allen Co. reports an unusual big business in the Victrola department. G. V. Taylor, head of the piano department, says that Paul B. Norris, the new Victrola manager, is making a wonderful record and that this indefatigable work is bringing results. The Wakefield Music House reports large sales of Brunswick machines and records. February trade was a record-breaker and March has started off even better than February. Spring trade promises to be the greatest in the history of Portland. Lack of records is one of the big features noted in the Portland trade. Miss Olga Binder, of the record department of the Wiley B. Allen Co., is almost dismayed at the lack of popular records in stock. While the Wiley B. Allen Co. has an enormous stock of records, the demand for patriotic and popular records has been so insistent that the immense supply is rapidly becoming exhausted. rCHUBERTt "Phonograph RECORDS The greatest series of 75c. records ever made. 10-INCH DOUBLE SIDED ALL STARS ALL SELLERS New list by 15th monthly. Dealers, write for list and prices BELL TALKING MACHINE COMPANY 44 WEST 37th STREET. NEW YORK