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TH
MUSIC TRADE
41
REVIEW
With tke Makers and Sellers of TaJking Machines
COLUMBIA CO. IN ROCHESTER.
TALKING MACHINE IN NEW ROLE.
NEW CONCERN IN PITTSBURG.
New Store Opened Under Agreeable Auspices-
Siegel-Cooper Handle Columbia Goods.
Displacing the Street Organ and Attracting
Better Audiences.
W. E. Henry to Open on His Own Account
About September 15—Will Carry All Lines.
On the first the Columbia Phonograph Co.'s
new store at Rochester, N. Y., was opened for
business. This enterprise is the property of Wal-
ter L. Eckhardt, manager of the general com-
pany's Eastern end, with headquarters in New
York. It is needless to add, perhaps, that the
place has been furnished and decorated a la Eck-
hardt, in which figures Antwerp oak as to the
woodwork, steel ceiling of cream, sea-foam green
colorings, metal trimmings of brass, etc. To
hear Mr. E. describe the store in his inimitable
manner is like listening to a chapter from the
"House Beautiful."
Commencing next week, Siegel, Cooper & Co.,
New York, will carry a complete line of the Co-
lumbia Co.'s goods. The order is said to be one
of the largest on record.
TWO NEW SALESMEN
Join the Forces of the Victor Distributing &
Export Co.
Two new salesmen have been added to the trav-
eling corps of the Victor Distributing & Export
Co., New York, namely, R. S. Pribyl, who is now
calling on the trade in Pennsylvania and New
York State, and G. W. Meinrath, with territory
to be assigned by D. Mitchell, the vice-president
and general manager. The indefatigable Doty
still pursues the even tenor of his way.. The
management is rather inclined to discourage the
"chief of staff" designation as applied occasion-
ally to any one of his very capable road men,
their selling records apparently appealing more
strongly to his practical business sense.
The company are sending out a strong circu-
lar letter to the trade dealing with the merits
of their products.
UNIVERSAL CO.'S NEWS.
Owing to a severe attack of hay fever, Henry
B. Babson was compelled to abandon his West-
ern trip for a while at least.
L. E. Goodday, who at one time was a leading
New York jobber, and since a road man for the
Universal Talking Machine Mfg. Co., returned
from his vacation this week and goes on trip
Monday through New Jersey, Pennsylvania and
New York State.
Newporters have hailed as a delightful novelty
the "talking machine luncheon" given by Mrs.
Charles H. Berryman for a group of the older
married set. She had a great talking machine
placed in a corner of the dining room behind a
screen of palms and long-stemmed yellow roses.
Thus hidden, the machine gave out sounds sur-
prisingly true to the original. Melba's icy, flaw-
less voice was heard, and there were arias by
other operatic artists. Mrs. Berryman asserts
there is no need of bringing in an orchestra when
it is so easy to have machine-made melody.
Last week the Musical Echo Co. opened a new
store at 1339 Chambers street, Philadelphia, in
the Mint Arcade. It is a place of unusual propor-
tions, beautifully decorated in stucco work, and
where the Edison as well as the Victor line will
be handled. In Pittsburg and New York desir-
able locations have been secured, and which will
be in readiness as soon as the leases and altera-
tions have been completed. H. H. Endres, the
general manager of the entire chain of stores,
stated to The Review that the concerts given by
the company at Atlantic City, N. J., had been
one of the features of the beach this summer,
and a success beyond their fondest expectations.
The hand-organ of years ago, with the familiar
attachment of a mangy monkey, is so rarely seen
since the advent of the mechanical piano as to be
regarded as a curiosity. Now a new arrival to
the street piano on wheels has put in an appear-
ance, and in time we may see that instrument of
torture relegated to the back alley junk heap.
A few nights ago an Italian appeared in the
vicinity of Washington Square with a very good
talking machine mounted on a pushcart arrange-
ment, and opened up his concert. In a short time
he had collected a big crowd around him, and it
was with difficulty that the "cop" on the beat
managed to keep a path opened for pedestrians.
Whenever a record of some popular song was
placed on the machine, hundreds of voices took
up the refrain, and calls of "play it over" were
not infrequent. The repertoire presented was a
good one, embracing every variety of selection.
It goes without saying that the "tambo" passed
by his colleague received far better attention than
is usual, and the verdict of the street arab was,
"he's got dem pianers skin't."
TRADE NOTES
(Special to The Review.)
Pittsburg, Pa., Sept. 5, 1905.
What is unquestionably the biggest event in
the talking machine trade in this section for the
past seven years is the retirement of Manager
W. E. Henry, of the Columbia Co.'s store here,
from the service of that concern and his entry
into the business on his own account. The
change will take place formally between the 1st
and 15th of September, and Manager Henry will
be ready for business early in the same month.
FROM THE IRON CITY.
(Special to The Review.)
Pittsburg, Pa., Sept. 5, 1905.
The transfer of the business of W. C. Norris, of
Youngstown, O., to F. J. Sponseller, of Pittsburg,
was one" of the talking machine events of the
month. Mr. Sponseller, who was for many years
a member of the staff of the Pittsburg Post in
its advertising department, became interested in
the talking machine business, and his interest
grew until, like the infant, "he could not be satis-
fied until he got in it." His business name is the
Mahoning Phonograph Co., and manufacturers of
up-to-date talking machine stuff will make no
mistake in putting him on their mailing lists.
We warn them in advance, however, that no one
need attempt to sell Mr. Sponseller any "gold
bricks."
The American line of ten-inch disc records
which is being exhibited by the Theo. F. Bentel
Co. in their Liberty avenue store, is making quite
a hit. Mr. Bentel during his recent trip abroad
met a number of distinguished Britishers, and
made some warm friendships. His experiences,
however, only made his reverence for the Stars
and Stripes more pronounced, and his display of
the latter as a background for the American rec-
ords shows that this devotion is more than mere
sentiment. Mr. Bentel is having a big trade in
Edison machines and records, which are becom-
ing more popular in this section every day.
The Victor people are putting in a fine line of
their machines and records at the store of the
Pittsburg Phonograph Co. Manager Wagner
smiles a satisfied smile, and says, "Look out for
us."
The talking machine department of the H.
Kleber & Bro. store has been refitted, and the dis-
play made of Edison and other goods is fine.
When asked about the preparations for the fall
trade, the manager of the department smiled and
said: "Fall trade? Why, in this store we don't
know where the spring trade merges into the
summer and where the latter runs into fall. We
do business all the time." That's the kind of talk
that makes business.
Among the talking machine dealers who have
been doing yeoman service in boosting the busi-
ness is the old-established house of Myer New-
berger & Co., of Parkersburg, W. Va. You can
buy from them anything in the line, from a
needle to an Edison grand or Twentieth Century.
The trade would be better off for more of their
kind of dealers.
W. E. HENRY.
He has associated with himself one of the
strongest talking machine men in the country,
and has leased a store on one of the principal
streets of Pittsburg. He will carry all lines of
goods, and will make a special point of catering
to the dealers in the territory in which his name
has so long been a household word. "We are
going after the business," he said, "and we pro-
pose to get it." Manufacturers of anything in
connection with the talking machine business
will do well to get into communication with Mr.
Henry.
The Eastern Talking Machine Co., Boston,
Mass., is one of the very prosperous concerns
of the country. Last year it declared a dividend
of over 30 per cent., and perhaps this will be
exceeded for the current fiscal period. Starting
with a capital of $7,500, it is now ambling along
cheerfully and contented, with their financial
standing rated at $75,000 and not owing a dollar.
Edward L. Chase has opened a music store in
the Jones Block, Los Gatos, Cal.
Anything
And
Everything
in
TALKING
MACHINES
Wholesale
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