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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
Cbc Small Goods trade
A COLUMBIA ZITHER ENTHUSIAST.
COLUMBIA DISC GRAPHOPHONE.
Secretary Foquc in an Interesting Chat Accounts
for Columbia Zither and Phonoharp Progress.
The Latest Surprise Offered the Public by t'e
Columbia Phonograph Co.—Will take a Lead-
ing Place in the Disc Machine Field.
A. N. Foque, secretary of the Phonoharp
Co., was in town early in the week on a visit
to J. Leverett Pierce, president of the com-
pany, at the New York offices, 415 Broad-
way. He has since started on a Western
tour in the firm's interests, and expects to be
absent from the headquarters at Boston about
three weeks.
Mr. Foque is a Columbia zither and pho-
noharp expert and enthusiast. The Review,
during a brief talk with him on Tuesday sug-
gested that he might state briefly his views
concerning the reasons for the constantly
increasing popularity of the Columbia zither.
An opinion, stated in a general way, of the
merits of that instrument as compared with
others was asked for.
In response, Mr. Foque said: "We never
attempt to compare our products with others.
We admit no rivals, nor do we acknowledge
so-called competition. The Phonoharp and
Columbia zither are in a class by themselves,
above and beyond all others. I am not say-
ing this in any spirit of boastfulness. Facts
talk. It is a fact that the jobbers buy our
goods. They buy them because they find that
there is a demand for them.
"The demand comes partly because we use
enterprising, up-to-date methods and adver-
tise widely and systematically. But that
demand would be spasmodic and temporary
if merit of the most substantial kind did not
bring about our endorsement from the peo-
ple who buy, use and recommend the instru-
ments. The Columbia zither and the Pho-
noharp are too firmly intrenched in public
favor to fear competition. The people want
them. That much our order books show.
And they want no other."
INCORPORATED.
Articles of incorporation have been filed
for the National Graphophone Co., of Hu-
ron, S. D., with a capital of $3,000,000.
The incorporators are Geo. D. Miles, John E.
Norton and Philip Lawrence.
DEATH OF APPRAISER McLAUGHLIN.
James McLaughlin, for (many years the
expert appraiser of musical instruments,
toys, etc., in the Customs service for the Port
of New York, died last week at his home,
975 Herkimer street, Brooklyn. A widow
and three children survive him.
Tl«te$, Piccolos,
Guitars,
mandolins, Banjos, Zithers
And €wrv Instrument
Chat's musical • •
JOHN C HAYNES & CO,
Importers and Manufacturers,
451 Washington St., Boston, Masi.
Nothing has occurred, in years, in con-
nection with the talking machine business,
that has caused more of a sensation than
the recent announcement that the Columbia
Phonograph Co. was to put a disc grapho-
phone on the market. The fact has prob-
ably been lost sight of that when the grapho-
phone was invented it was brought forward
in two forms—as a disc machine on which
the recording stylus makes a zig-zag cut,
and as a machine using cylinders on which
the recording stylus makes a straight cut of
varying depth. These machines each had
their advantages and the question as to which
was the better one to manufacture was left
to the public for decision, with the result
that the demand for the one using cylindri-
cal records grew from a small beginning to
enormous proportions, while there was prac-
tically no call for the disc type. Thus, for
years, the model of the last named instru-
ment has awaited the possible coming of the
day of its utilization. Graphophones using
the cylindrical records have, in the mean-
time, been sold in all parts of the world, by
the hundreds of thousands and the art of
record making has been carried, year by
year, to a higher point of excellence, until
the Columbia record of to-day is among the
perfected products of human ingenuity.
In the years that have been passing while
the graphophone has been changing from
a crude talking machine to the wonderful
instrument that is now universally accepted
as the best, if not the only satisfactory ma-
chine in use, other manufacturers, recog-
nizing the impossibility of making progress
in competition with the graphophone and the
world renowned Columbia records, have
brought out, under various names, imperfect
disc machines, and while their sale has been
limited, sufficient interest in them, with the
constant increase in the army of talking ma-
chine users, has finally been shown to warrant
the Columbia Phonograph Co. in supplying
a first-class machine of the disc description.
It is built on more scientific lines than the
disc machines of other makers and is superior
to them in every respect. Instead of being
a hybrid thing, it is a graphophone, with all
the advantages of that well-known and highly
valued instrument, with its mechanism skil-
fully adapted to the use of indestructible
disc records, similar to, though far better
than those used by other disc machines.
The facilities of the Columbia Phonograph
Co. for manufacturing graphophones of
every conceivable kind, as well as records
of surpassing merit, are so far in advance
of those of their little rivals, that the mere
announcement that they will now furnish a
disc graphophone has brought heavy advance
orders from all points of the compass. With
this entrance into a field where small con-
cerns have accomplished a little, but not
very much, the Columbia Phonograph Co.
takes possession of the entire business, hav-
ing won its commanding position by deserv-
ing it and by right of having been the first
in the field with every improvement that
tended to advance the art.
GEO.
VARRELMAN RETURNS.
George Varrelman, president of the Sym-
phonion Manufacturing Co., returned on
Saturday ,froni Europe, where he has been
for several months on special business con-
nected with the development of the firm's
affairs. He was a passenger on the "St.
Paul." Mr. Varrelman left the city again
for the Symphonion factory, Asbury Park,
on Monday afternoon. It is understood that,
during his absence in Europe, several impor-
tant transactions were consummated, involv-
ing numerous new patents and new plans.
A. Littauer and R. R. Duffin, now traveling
in the interests of the Symphonion, are send-
ing in very encouraging reports. They find
that dealers and firms handling the Sym-
phonion music boxes appreciate the dura-
bility and tone of these instruments. The
case designs, both large and small, meet with
general approval, and the prices are con-
sidered "right." Under such conditions, it
is easy to understand why the volume of
factory output steadily increases from month
to month.
SOME INTERESTING VIOLINS.
[Special to The Review.]
Lewiston, Me., Oct. 7, 1901.
N. S. Taylor, the well-known Lewiston
violin maker, is just varnishing in his new
shop on Lisbon street a violin of his build-
ing, of interesting antecedents. The instru-
ment was fashioned by Mr.Taylor from adia-
gram sent to him by James Duncan, who used
to work here in Lewiston. Mr. Duncan now
lives in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. He dis-
patched the diagram across the water direct
to Mr. Taylor, having obtained it from Wm.
O. Honeyman, of Dundee, Scotland, the au-
thor of "The Violin and How to Master It,"
and other works on the king instrument, and
a novelist of note. The drawings were taken
from the famous Guarnerius in the posses-
sion of Mr. Honeyman. The top of Mr.
Taylor's violin is of that celebrated old Bath
mill extraction. The back was presented to
Mr. Taylor by W. E. Parlin, of Weld, who
said that the wood was so old that he had
lost track of the years.
Beside this violin Mr. Taylor has been
diligently engaged through the past sum-
mer in completing two others. One is a
Paganini Gaurnerius obtained from the au-
thentic drawings sent on by John Freder-