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THE
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
45
With the Makers and Sellers of Talking Machines
i
TRADE NOTES FROM PHILADELPHIA.
Victor Talking Machine Co.'s Artistic Offices—
Strawbridge & Clothier's New Move.
(Special to The Review.)
Philadelphia, Pa., Oct. 3, 1905.
Every one is assuring me of the tremendous
business thnt is being done in talking machines.
The Victor talking Machine Co.'s offices in the
Arcade Building are the talk of the town. The
walls are handsomely decorated—handsome
paintings ir oil on each of the panels are as fine
as anything in the city. The Victor business has
grown beyond all expectation as to possibilities
in that line, and the firm at their Camden factory
and main offices, are simply flooded with orders,
and are continually increasing their corps of
workmen to handle it. And while this firm have
the cream of the business, all the other firms
seem to be coming in for a good share. One of
the latest departments to open was that at Straw-
bridge & Clothier's and that firm have taken on
several new men to assist in handling the busi-
ness, and the department is busy from morning
until night.
SOME NEWS FROM PITTSBURG.
Talking Machine Co.'s New Quarters—Car-
negie's
Order—Bentel
Co. Enlarge—
Handling American Record Co.'s Goods—
Smith to Open in Allegheny—New Disc
Machine—Other Items.
(Special to The Review.)
Pittsburg, Pa., Oct. 2, 1905.
The opening week of October in Pittsburg
talking machine circles in the year 1905 bids fair
to become red letter week so far as this particu-
lar business is concerned. This is true not alone
when the volume of business is considered, but
when one looks over the field and notes the
changes that have been made in the management
in this district, the new stores which have been
opened, and the general air of renewed activity
that seems to pervade the entire trade.
Mr. Henry, in connection with Patrick Powers,
the well-known talking machine man of Buffalo
and New York, has opened a large wholesale and
retail talking machine store at 619 Penn avenue,
under the title of the Talking Machine Co. of
Pittsburg. They will handle all lines of goods:
Victors, Edisons, as well as Columbia, and will
be both retailers and jobbers. They have fitted
up their large storeroom in handsome style, and
cannot help but make a favorable impression
upon the trade.
The Theodore F. Bentel Co. have been appoint-
ed Pittsburg wholesalers and distributors for the
product of e Hawthorne & Sheble Mfg. Co. and
the American Record Co. In order to make room
for the additional stock that will be required
under this new arrangement, Mr. Bentel has
added to his present storeroom another immedi-
ately adjacent, so that he will have just double
the floor space which he formerly had. The par-
tition between the two rooms has been removed
and the store will be fitted up in the finest style.
There will be a retiring room in the rear for
ladies, which will be fitted up in Flemish oak
and furnished with a writing table, pens and
paper for their convenience. Aside from this
there will be several sound-proof rooms added,
in which the records can be played without con-
flicting the one with the other. Mr. Bentel's
formal opening was noted for a window display
which was decidedly novel. There was an In-
dian tepee, beside which sat a full-blooded Indian
in native costume, and a United States army
officer patroled the front of the window.
W. J. Smith, who for the past eight years has
been an attache of the well-known Hamilton
Music House of this city, has severed his connec-
tion with that concern and will, about the 20th
of September, launch into the talking machine
business at 121 Federal street, Allegheny, under
the firm name of Smith & Bitner. Mr. Smith is
a competent talking machine man and one who,
with the energy which he has displayed in the
past, cannot fail but make good.
FAMOUS NOVELIST ADMIRES
The Talking Machine and Uses It Constantly
for Purposes of Dictation.
The Rev. Cyrus Townsend Brady, the famous
novelist, is a great admirer of the talking ma-
chine and was one of the first to employ it for.
purposes of dictation—in fact, his first accepted
novel saw life through a talking machine. Speak-
ing of his early attempts in the domain of litera-
ture, Mr. Brady said recently:
"I wrote three stories because I was convinced
that I could write, sent them all over the United
States, and had them returned, all except one,
which I lost, and have never heard of since."
Then twelve years intervened before he re-
gained his courage. Twelve busy years, reading,
reviewing, attending to parochial duties, and
writing for parochial publications.
"At the end of this time I decided that I would
begin another novel, but being uncertain of my
ability to dictate I got a talking machine, shut
myself in my room, and leaning on my elbows,
talked my first chapter into the machine," he
said.
"It was tiresome, because one could not erase
or correct, and sometimes in the middle of a
sentence the cylinder gave out and the dialogue
ended in a blurring buzz. When it was finished
I got a young lady of moderate demands to
transcribe this phonograph chapter on a type-
writer. Then I assembled the family and read
it to them. I t was received far from respect-
fully—some of my listeners jeered, literally
jeered." He threw up his hands in memory of
that horrible moment and then laughed, snapped
his teeth, and looked serious.
"You finished it, and the book is still selling
now," I said in the silent pause that followed.
"I did finish it, and it is still selling very well,"
he said, quietly.
THE RECORDING TELEPHONE.
This instrument, which is designed to legal-
ize all transactions by telephone, may be con-
nected with the ordinary Bell-Edison instrument.
You ring up "Central," as usual, get your vis-a-
vis, and go at him. Every word uttered by both
speakers is recorded and can be utilized in
court if necessary. If a member of the smart
set telephones to his inamorata, his darling
wifey may slip into the office turn a lever and
have the entire conversation repeated, recog-
nizing the voices. If you telephone an order to
your broker to buy 1,000 shares of Steel pre-
ferred at 100, and he pretends you said 102, you
can "nail" him by the record. Handy, isn't it?
An expert in the line, who has traveled the
country over, and makes it his business to look
out for choice openings, recently declared that
in his judgment the best locations and oppor-
tunities for a live, progressive dealer, with ideas,
enterprise and industrious, of course, were in
Pittsburg, Pa.; Kansas City, Chicago and St.
Louis.
By a New York Jobber a first class salesman,
retail and wholesale, to take charge of Edison
Phonograph Department. Give full particulars
and state salary expected. Address: J. 1*1. B. C ,
care of fluslc Trade Review, 1 Madison Ave., N.Y.
JUDGE HAZEL'S DECISION
Sustaining the Berliner Patent Much Discussed
—Great Victory for Victor Co.—Case Will be
Appealed—Possibly Shop Rights Will be
Granted.
The news that Judge Hazel, United States Cir-
cuit Court, New York, had sustained the Berliner
patent, published exclusively in last week's Re-
view, created no end of excitement in trade cir-
cles. The Victor Talking Machine Co., Camden,
N. J., the complainants and owners of the patent,
are in command of the disc making situation if
the decision is sustained on appeal. The opinion
can be reviewed by the United States Court of
Appeals, and their decision will be final. As it
stands, the decision is broad and sweeping as to
the principle involved, and the Victor Co. are
given a "decree adjudging the validity of the pat-
ent and its infringement, and for an injunction
against the use of the machines or devices made
in violation of claims 5 and 35 of the patent in
suit, with costs."
Under this decision the Victor Co. may arrange
a working basis or grant "shop rights" to other
manufacturers; and this was done with the Amer-
ican Graphophone Co., the defendants in the test
case prior to the commencement of the suit. Other
companies declare that if the American Grapho-
phone Co. fail to appeal, they will, in the mean-
time filing- the customary bond of indemnity and
proceeding with their business as usual, as is
permitted under the law.
DOUGLAS PHONOGRAPH CO. NEWS.
C. V. Henkel, treasurer and general manager
of the Douglas Phonograph Co., who made a trip
to Buffalo, N. Y. t on special business of impor-
tance, returned to New York Wednesday. A. P.
Petit, chief of staff, and Mr. Henkel's right-hand
man, starts for the West Sunday. The company
put in a new safe of mammoth size this week,
and now John Kaiser feels better, as his "wad"
is now certainly proof against attack.
FACTORY REMOVED TO AUBURN, N Y.
The factory of the International Record Co.
has been removed from New York City to Au-
burn, N. Y., only the laboratory being retained
in the former place. C. H. Woodruff, the treas-
urer of the company, will be the general manager
at the factory, and the information was given
that O. D. La Dow, who formerly occupied this
office, is no longer on the salary list. O. A. T.
Bradley will continue to travel for the company.
RISE IN THE PRICE OF ALUMINUM.
On account of the heavy deliveries of alumi-
num to Japan and Russia, for war purposes,
there is now an unprecedentedly small quantity
of that metal obtainable in the open market.
Prices have gone up over 50 per cent., and quick
deliveries cannot be obtained under any circum-
stances. Most firms decline to bind themselves
to make any deliveries whatever within six
months of date of order. This matter has great-
ly disturbed the phonographic trade, as it is in-
evitable that prices will rise still higher, which
will result in buyers of phonographs having to
accept brass or nickeled horns as a substitute
for aluminum.—Phonographische-Zeitschrift.
Among the visitors to New York this week
were: George E. Ornstein, sales department Vic-
tor Talking Machine Co., Camden, N. J.; W. Jury,
vice-president and general manager of Johnston's,
Ltd., Toronto, Canada; Henry Winkelman, man-
ager talking machine department, Oliver Ditson
Co., Boston, Mass.