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THE
the pressure for one at home, or for the proposed
consolidating of the third and fourth class mat-
ter at an eight-cent a pound rate.
It is probable that with the countries where
we have so many ties as with Prance and Eng-
land, the volume of business will be consider-
able. This gives the Custom House people some
bother, where packages must be opened for the
assessment of the tariff.
NEW MUTE FOR THE VIOLIN.
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
WITH THE TALKING MACHINE MEN.
BUSY TIMES IN PHILADELPHIA.
WILL REPLACE CHEAP PIANO?
Victor Co. to Remove Their Offices to Camden—
Many New Records Now Under Way—Some
Distinguished Owners of Victor Machines.
This is the Mission of the Talking Machine—
Its Wonderful Progress and Possibilities.
(Special to The Review.)
13Y I I . SIIANLEY JONES, LONDON, ENO.
Is the talking machine a nine days' wonder,
Philadelphia Pa., March 18, 1905.
A Simple Contrivance Which Is Easily Tried.
The Victor Talking Machine Co. have their or is it to take a permanent place as a means of
A new mute has been devised for the violin, plant in Camden running as good as before the providing music in houses where music of any
which acts by direct pressure on the strings fire. They are able to do more work now than other kind is impossible? The question is one
(just as in the case with the soft pedal of a ever before, as they have installed ten additional which is frequently asked, not only by members
presses. They are a little back in their orders, of the public, but even—perhaps it would be
piano); that is, it simply reduces the volume of
tone without changing its quality. All mutes in but expect, by the end of this month, to be in true to say especially—by those engaged in the
present use act indirectly on the strings by being excellent shape. By the first of April, and there- talking machine trade. The answers given by
temporarily clamped to the bridge, in order to in- after, they will turn out more records than they different people vary considerably, and although
crease its weight. Some of the power of the vi- have ever done before. The business of the firm probably the general opinion is that the talking
brating strings is thus absorbed by this heavier has been growing with great rapidity, and it will machine has come to stay, there are not wanting
bridge; hence, the quantity of sound is reduced facilitate matters very much when they will be those who believe that, in a few years' time, its
and the violin is said to be muted. These ready to instal their offices in connection with popularity will, practically speaking, be a thing
clamped mutes are always in the way of the bow the factory in Camden, removing from the Com- of the past.
There can be little doubt that, rapid as has
hand and produce a disagreeable nasal and buzz- monwealth Trust building, this city. This move
ing tone, because the contact with the bridge is will be made the last Saturday in April, and the been the progress of the graphophone during the
always imperfect. At these points of imperfect firm will be ready to do business in Camden on past few years, we are on the eve of still greater
developments in the near future. It is not to be
contact independent vibrations are set up, which, the 1st day of May.
Eldridge R. Johnson, president of the Victor expected that we are yet anywhere near finality
not blending with the fundamental tones, pro-
duce this nasal discord most objectionable to a Co., is at present in St. Augustine, Fla., as well in the recording and reproduction of sounds; in
musical ear. A parallel to this action may be as A. C. Middleton, secretary of the company. all probability the next few years will see as
observed by striking a cracked bell. The new Mr. Johnson has been down for some weeks, but great an advance as has been achieved during
mute in question may be had for the asking in Mr. Middleton only joined him last week. They the past decade. The graphophone of to-day, far
almost any business office and consists of a small will both remain for five or six weeks.
ahead as it is of earlier crude efforts, is prob-
The firm are branching out considerably. They ably just as far behind the machines which will
one-eighth-inch rubber band, about two inches
long. It is applied by inserting one end of the are establishing new agencies all the time. One be selling ten or fifteen years hence. One of the
loop in the open oval cut in one side of the of their most recent is the firm of W. H. & L. C. main obstacles to the introduction of the graph-
bridge; the other end is then stretched over the Wolf, of Altoona, Pa., who have been ordering ophone into many homes is, no doubt, the popu-
bridge on top of the strings and inserted simi- heavily.
lar impression that the talking machine is still
larly in the opposite opening. It is thus always
When the firm move their offices to Camden only a scientific toy, and that anything to which
ready for use and is never removed until time they will also remove their laboratory at present the generic name of "phonograph" can be ap-
has destroyed its elasticity—it can be thrown located at 1424 South 10th street. This is where plied is something capable of emitting only
into or out of use in an instant. To use, one side their record laboratory is located.
weird screeches and scratchings without the
of the loop should be placed on the strings about
They have been getting out new records rapid- slightest pretensions to musical quality of tone.
one-quarter inch forward of the bridge. When ly. Among these new ones are a number repre- People who hold this idea are familiar to every-
not in use it should be placed behind tlie bridge, senting Arthur Pryor's Orchestra in classic se- one engaged in the talking machine trade, and
where, being beyond the lines of vibration, its lections. It may interest owners of Victors to if there is one thing more amusing than their
action is nil. Heavier or lighter bands than the know that the following rulers possess Victor
ignorance it is their wonder and astonishment
one described may be required by certain vio- talking machines and a collection of records:
when they hear for the first time a really up-to-
lins in order to get the best results. In practis- Queen Alexandria of England, King Carlos of
date graphophone. The work of converting this
ing for any great length of time on new or rough Portugal, King Alfonso of Spain, King George of
large section of the community is progressing,
violins this mute will be found very desirable.
Greece, Pope Pius X., the Sultan of Turkey and but much yet remains to be done.
President Diaz of Mexico. For the last named
I believe that in the near future the grapho-
ruler the firm have just completed the finest ma- phone is destined to replace, to a very great ex-
PATENT OFFICE A SOURCE OF GREATNESS. chine ever built, and President Diaz's apprecia-
tent, the cheap piano which is to-day so com-
tion of it is shown by an autograph letter which mon a feature in the homes of the lower middle
Several years ago, according to a writer in the
the firm have received.
and upper working classes. Anyone engaged in
New York Herald, Japan instituted an official
Among the recent great singers who have sung selling talking machines on instalment terms is
search "for the secret of a powerful nationality,"
and conceded that secret to the liberality of the to the Victor machine are the following: M. Pol aware that one of the commonest (and best)
guarantees of the bona fides of a would-be pur-
United States Patent Office. The Herald writer Plancon, bass; Mme. Louise Homer, contralto;
explains: "A special commissioner in the per- Sig. Antonio Scotti, baritone; M. Marcel Journet, chaser is the production of a file of receipts from
some other house dealing on instalment terms.
son of Korekiyo Takahashi was sent from Tokio bass, and M. Francisco Nuibo, tenor.
A frequent purchase in this manner is a piano
to Washington to make an official study of Amer-
BELIEVES IN ADVERTISING.
running to £15 or so, which, probably, is inca-
ican conditions and report upon them. Mr. Taka-
hashi called upon Dr. P. B. Pierce, at that time
The new talking machine department in Simp- pable of affording anything approaching music
the examiner of designs in the United States Pat- son-Crawford's great emporium looks more like and will never be played on by any single mem-
ent Office, and in the course of a conversation the a flower garden a-bloom than anything else with ber of the family to which it belongs.
In view of the possibilities latent in the graph-
doctor asked why; it was that Japan was so anxi- the glowing colors inside the talking machine
ous to establish a patent office. 'B^or this reason,' horns. Mr. Whitbeck, the manager, says that he ophone, I do not believe this kind of thing is
likely to go on. The music to be obtained from
said the commissioner. 'We have been asking in has done quite a bit of business in this line since
the graphophone is better than could be obtained
Japan, "What has made the United States such the opening of the place. He has a remarkable
a great nation in such a short time?" We have assortment on hand ami people who have hun- from a piano of the type I have just mentioned,
even if there were anyone in the house who
investigated, and we have found that it was pat- dred dollar machines think nothing of spending
ents, and we will have patents.' Senator Platt, another $15 for one of these lily-petalled horns. could play it, and the selection of available mu-
speaking in 1884 on a bill for the reorganization The recitals daily attract a great number of peo- sic is, of course, infinitely greater. Even the
of the Patent Office, declared that the establish- ple and, according to Mr. Whitbeck, this is done addition to the fifteen guinea piano of one of the
ment of the Patent Office in 1836 'marked the simply through advertising. "There is nothing numerous types of automatic player will not give
most important epoch in the history of our de- in the world like advertising," said this gentle- the variety of results to be obtained from a high
velopment—I think the most important even in man, "all you have to do is to look at the com- class graphophone. In the absence of the auto-
the history of our government from the Constitu- mercial enterprises which are of tremendous im- matic player, to attain even very moderate pro-
portance. I believe if one could only advertise
ficiency demands an amount of time and hard
tion to the Civil War.' "
sufficiently there is nothing in the world which
work which can only be rarely devoted to the
could not be sold in that way. Of course when
study of music by those who have to work hard
NEW MUSICAL CONCERN.
there are as many attractive points as there are far their daily bread.
The William R. Haskins Co. have filed articles in the talking machine it simply makes our end
In the vast bulk of middle class homes, more-
of incorporation with the Secretary of the State of it that much easier that's all, but the thing over, the gift of musical executive ability is
of New York, to deal in musical instruments; that counts every time is the printer's ink."
either absent or circumstances render it certain
capital, $5,000. The incorporators are: Helen
that it can never be developed. The graphophone,
M. Currey, Jersey City; Susanna Prank and Isa-
The Griggs Music House, Davenport, la., hav?
on the other hand, affords to such homes as these
bel Haskins, New York.
fitted up a talking machine department.
an inexhaustible supply of music of any kind