Music Trade Review

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THE
MATERIAL USED IN DISC RECORDS.
Important Decision
Judge Hazel in
Graphophone Co.
of Victor Talking
struction of Part
Handed Down Monday by
Favor of the American
Who Dismissed Complaint
Machine Co.—Strict Con-
of Berliner Patent.
MUSIC
TRADE
REVIEW
Bid TALKING MACHINE DEAL.
Harger & Blish Purchase Entire Stock of
Premium Machines from the Victor Talk-
ing Machine Co.—Who Discontinue This
Branch of the Business.
One of the biggest talking machine deals yet
recorded was made last week when L. F. G-eis-
sler, General Manager of the Victor Talking
Machine Co., sold to Harger & Blish, Victor
distributers at Dubuque, la., their entire stock
of Premium machines, aggregating some ten
thousand outfits. Some idea of the size of the
deal may be gained when it is understood that
if delivery was made in a single shipment a full
train of twenty cars would be required to trans-
port them.
With reference to the deal, the Victor Co. are
sending out the following letter to their Prem-
ium trade:
"The Victor Talking Machine Co. have decided
to discontinue the Premium Machine Depart-
ment. The enormous growth of the business
in our regular line is overtaxing our factory
capacity and precludes our giving proper at-
tention to our Premium Machine Department.
In this emergency we have just concluded a
deal with Messrs. Harger & Blish, of Dubuque,
la., our largest premium jobbers—to purchase,
and have sold to them our entire stock of Prem-
ium machines, both styles 1 and 2—all that are
at present made up, as well as those in the
process of manufacture in our factory.
"This sale was probably the largest single
and outright sale of talking machines that one
person ever consumed. Harger & Blish are in
a position to extend you exactly the same service
and prices as we have in the past, and in all
probability will offer you other inducements
that will be very attractive.
"Shipments will be made either from Dubuque
or Camden, N. J., whichever preferred by the
dealer. We have taken the liberty of refer-
The contention over the validity of the Ber- ring your correspondence to Messrs. Harger &
liner patent relative to the use of the free swing- Blish, assuring you for them their prompt and
ing stylus in reproducing sound, sustained in the courteous attention. Yours very truly,
lower court, is now pending on appeal, argument
"Louis F. GEISSLER, Gen. Mgr."
having been heard January 17.
On commenting on the above we wish to
say that Harger & Blish have the distinction
of concluding the largest single purchase of
CAPITAL STOCK INCREASED.
talking machines on record.
The deal places the above firm in complete
Talkophone Co. Will Make Extensive Additions
control of the entire Victor Premium business
to Central Avenue Plant.
throughout the whole United States, and they
are to be congratulated for their enterprise in
(Special to The Review.i
securing for themselves so important a con-
Toledo, O., Feb. 19, 1906.
The capital stock of the Talkophone Co. is to tract. The deal will enable them to get into
be increased from $500,000 to $1,000,000, $250,000 closer touch with the premium using trade
of the increase to be used in enlarging the plant and no one values its great possibilities more
than they.
now located on Central avenue.
The present Victor contract together with
At the annual meeting of the company to be
held on February 28, it is expected that D. V. several exceptionally strong, attractive Prem-
R. Manley, formerly of the Home Savings Bank ium propositions, that they are at present ex-
Co., will be elected treasurer, but with no other ploiting, should develop all kinds of business
for them during 1906.
changes in the management of the company.
It is the plan of the company to erect build-
ings for the purpose, so that in time all of the
NEW CATALOGUE OF WIRE RACKS.
records sold by the company will be made in
Toledo rather than in New York, as is now the
The Syracuse Wire Works, of Syracuse, N. Y.,
case.
will have ready for distribution on Saturday
next their latest catalogue No. I l l , devoted to
"The Heise System" of wire racks for all styles
ENLARGEMENT OF VICTOR FACTORY.
of talking machine records. This catalogue il-
Contracts were closed this week for an addi- lustrates all the various styles and will give net
tion to the factory and office building of the prices to all except talking machine jobbers.
Victor Talking Machine Co., Front and Cooper Like all the literature issued by this house the
streets, Camden, N. J. The building will form catalogue will be handsomely gotten up and care-
a portion of the future six-story building extend- fully edited, and will prove of great interest
ing eastward on Cooper street and harmonizing to dealers desirous of adding to the equip-
ment of their stores.
in design with the present building.
Under the ruling of Judge Hazel, United States
Circuit Court, New York, a strict interpretation
o<- construction is placed on that part of the Ber-
liner patent relating to the material used in the
manufacture of disc records, and the complaint
of infringement is dismissed. The decision was
handed down Monday, in the equity suit of the
Victor Talking Machine Co. and the United States
Gramophone Co. against the American Grapho-
phone Co., Horace Pettit, of Philadelphia, appear-
ing for the complainants, and Elisha Keller Camp
and Philip Mauro for the defendants. The patent
which the defendants were charged with infring-
ing, is No. 548,623, issued October 29, 1895,
to Emil Berliner, who assigned it to the com-
plainants, "for sounds records and methods for
making same." The decision goes into the con-
struing of the meaning and intent of patents, and
how broad they should be treated in their prac-
tical application. In reference to the process em-
ployed the court cited one of Berliner's claims, in
which the following positive statement was
made: "A sheet of hard rubber and celluloid to
bo excellent material from which to make such
duplicates." Judge Hazel then declared the pat-
entee should be held down to his claims of inven-
tion, no more, no less, under the rulings of the
courts in parallel cases, in finality saying: "My
conclusion is that in the manufacture of said rec-
ords the defendant does not embrace the material
specified in claims 3, 4 and 5 of the patent in suit,
and therefore is not an infringer of such claims.
It. follows that the complaint must be dismissed
with costs." The case will probably be carried
up for review to the United States Circuit Court
of Appeals, which will be final.
JOSEPH LEIMERT A VISITOR.
NEW COLUMBIA JOBBERS.
Joseph Leimert, retail manager of the Cable
Co.'s establishment in Chicago, has been visiting
Philadelphia and New York this week, making
final arrangements for the installation of a talk-
ing machine department which will be conduct-
ed on high-class lines.
Walter L. Eckhardt, manager of the Columbia
Phonograph Cb.'s wholesale department, re-
turned Saturday last from a two weeks' run
through the middle west, giving the most of his
time to Ohio, where he has accepted the fol-
lowing jobbers additional to those already an-
nounced: Eclipse Musical Co., Cleveland; Ball-
Fintze Co., Newark; Perry B. Whitsit Co.,
Columbus, and Hayes Music Co. Others are
under consideration. It is Mr. Bckhardt's pur-
pose to establish five jobbing houses in Greater
New York, whose names will be made public
early next month. C. S. Gardiner is doing great
business for the department, his sales reaching
surprising figures as per official statement.
CLEVER REPEATING ATTACHMENT
For Standard and Home Phonographs Manu-
factured
by the Edisonia
Co.—Highly
Praised for Its Many Merits.
A repeating attachment for Standard and
Home phonographs which is destined to win
admirers and purchasers the world over is that
just placed on the market by that enterprising
concern the Edisonia Co., of Newark, N. J.
This clever little device can be placed on the
phonograph and adjusted with the fingers in a
moment—without drilling holes or disfiguring
the machine in any way. The ingenious and
simple yet absolutely perfect mechanism insures
instantaneous action, and it repeats automati-
cally until the machine runs down or is stopped.
The Edisonia Co., the patentees and makers
of this attachment, are to be congratulated on
the possession of so valuable a contribution to
HUSt'NIA CO.'S 1CKPKATING ATTACHMENT.
the betterment of the talking machine. During
the past two months they have been overwhelmed
with orders for this device, which they have
been delayed in filling somewhat on account
of the congestion in the metal market and the
d.fflculty in getting supplies fast enough. They
are now prepared, however, to make shipments
promptly and will be glad to mail a sample,
prepaid, to dealers, for Standard or Home ma-
chines, at $1.50. The retail price of this at-
tachment is $2.25.
JOHN KAISER'S GOOD TRIP.
John Kaiser, who has been traveling Pennsyl-
vania and New York State for the Douglas
Phonograph Co., returned to New York Saturday
last with a batch of orders to his credit. He un-
earthed a number of new dealers, whom he fixed
up with his line and lots of practical advice for
the successful conduct of their business. Being
one of the "old guard," Mr. Kaiser has a standing
as an expert in talking machines in all the
branches.
The Victor Co. recently sent out an inquiry to
their distributors, asking their opinions regard-
ing the advisability of referring in their maga-
zine advertising to the fact that their distributors
would be pleased to sell the Victors on the in-
stalment plan. Almost without exception, the
distributors replied that they were agreeable to
the idea, and thought it an excellent one; but
what the letter brought out in the replies, un-
solicited, was the excellent opinions which the
distributors held of the advisability of selling
Victor goods on the instalment plan.
On Saturday the new Stieff warerooms on
Prince's street, Wilmington, N. C, were formally
opened with a concert, which was largely at-
tended.