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42
THE
THE HOOSIER POET AND THE VICTOR.
James Whitcomb Riley to Make Records of
Some of His Famous Poems for the Victor
Co.—Will Have Wide Sale Everywhere.
(Special to The Keview.)
Indianapolis, Ind., July 27, 1912.
Though the Victor Co. was not just ready for
the public to know that that company had induced
James Whitcomb Riley, the Hoosier poet, to put
on records the most famous .of his poems, that fact
has leaked out, and now the story is being told
everywhere. It probably will be some time before
any of the records are put on the market for sale.
It was not very long ago that Mr. Riley bought
a Victrola, and it was rumored then that he was
to make a number of records for the Victor Co
But the whole thing became known a few days
ago when Mr. Riley called in Booth Tarkington
James Whitcomb Riley.
and Meredith Nicholson, the novelists, and sev-
eral other friends, to hear the first "proofs."
Mr. Riley's voice is not exceptionally strong, but
when one sits near the Victor and hears the poet
reciting "Out to Old Aunt Mary's" it is hard to
believe that it is not the poet himself boxed up in-
stead of only his voice. When he says "I am as
bald as you are gray" in the beginning of the poem,
a feeling of pathos comes over the hearer. The
voice is so full of feeling as the words of the
grown-up child who remembers his visits to Aunt
Mary's are read.
Among the poems chosen by Mr. Riley for the
records are "Out to Old Aunt Mary's," "Good-
by, Jim," 'The Happy Little Cripple," "When the
Frost Is on the Punkin,' "The Rain," "An Old
Sweetheart of Mine,' "The Raggedy Man," "On
the Banks of Deer Creek."
The ordeal was at times tedious for the poet,
who recently recovered from a serious illness. Mr.
Riley, however soon learned to "throw his words."
He said: "There is something wierd and eerie in
hearing one's own voice with its very intonations
and shadows coming out of a box."
MUSIC
TRADE! REIVIEIW
pipes have valves controlled by key arms, just like
the ordinary cornet, but they lead into a music roll
with perforations on it like the usual music roll.
This roll is caused to revolve automatically, and
as it turns around the musician blows steadily
through the horn, and whatever piece is on the
roll is reproduced. With a good collection of rolls
any man can earn the reputation of being an ac-
complished cornetist.
MAX STRASBURG CO. EXPANSION.
(Special to The Review.)
MUSIC IN THE AUTO-HORN.
The Peculiar Request That Has Come to the
Office of Henry W. Savage.
From Sunbury, Pa., to the office of Henry W.
Savage there came recently a query regarding
the consideration that would be demanded for the
privilege of playing the airs of "Little Boy Blue,"
"The Merry Widow," "Somewhere Else" and
other musical comedy and operatic successes
controlled by that manager, on automobile
horns, said horns to be sold promiscuously
to whomsoever will buy them. The writer,
signing himself Allan L. Pencross, explains
that he has perfected a plan for equipping auto
horns with miniature talking machine disc records,
which he intends to put on the market as soon as
the patents covering this method of sound repro-
duction have expired. He enthusiastically dis-
cusses the possibilities of tremendous fortune lying
in wait for the genius who makes it possible for
the rich farmer to lessen the tedium of his jour-
neys of inspection by tickling his ear with the
strains of popular music, which his absorption in
farm duties and his distance from the theatrical
district make it impossible for him to enjoy in a
playhouse. Pencross draws a vivid picture of a hun-
dred thousand tired business men skidding from
their suburban homes in the morning and back in
the evening to the accompaniment of tunes calcu-
lated to»drive the most active- care into retirement.
Detroit, Mich., July 27, 1912.
The enlargement of the Max Strasburg Co., the
Victrola Shop, announced in these columns re-
cently, has taken on a larger scope. Also it will
inaugurate a new departure in merchandising, as
tar as Detroit is concerned, at least.
There are now a good many piano stores which
handle talking machines. In this case that order
will be reversed. The Max Strasburg Co. will still
be "The Victrola Shop," with more Victrolas than
ever, and an enlargement of the Columbia busi-
ness, and the pianos will be the secondary line.
Tnis does not mean, either, that the pianos handled
will be of a secondary variety. Negotiations now
are in progress for the agency of one of the very
best pianos in.the world. Two or three of leading
piano houses have been after it, but could not land
it. The objections made to them by the manu-
facturers do not apply in the case of the Max
Strasburg Co., however.
Mr. Strasburg's idea of adding a line of pianos
IMPRESSED BY THE VOICE.
came through an experience rather odd in the talk-
ing machine business. In a deal for a $200 Vic-
How Col. Harding Conquered the Hostility of
trola he took in a piano at a valuation of $175 and
African Native Tribes Through Use of the
sold it for $300, which, with Ihe $25 cash he re-
Talking Machine.
ceived, made some profit on the sale of one talking
machine. Before the week ended he had taken
The well-known advertisement picture "His Mas-
in another piano and sold that also, demonstrating ter's Voice" has been as it were humanized in the
the possibilities of a quick turning over of money
heart of Africa. Colonel Harding, in his intended
through such channels.
—and ultimately successful—attempt to ascertain
So straightway he began negotiations for the the sources of the Zambesi, feared the hostility of
first floor of a new building which is to be erected
the native tribes on the way. So he induced Lew-
adjacent to his present quarters, and for a line anika, the native king of Barotzeland, to issue ap-
of the kind of piano necessary to make his busi-
propriate orders to the chieftains subject to him.
ness a success.
He spoke these orders into a talking machine and
Colonel Harding took the records and an instru-
ment along with him. When they came across a
DISPOSES OF McGREAL BUILDING.
chieftain they made him listen to the spoken order.
(Special to The Review.)
These local potentates were decidedly more im-
Milwaukee, Wis., July 30, 1912.
pressed than if their master had appeared in per-
Lawrence McGreal, local Edison jobber, has dis-
son, for here was his disembodied voice, and they
posed of his lease on the. McGreal building at 174-
stayed spellbound, expecting him to step out of the
176 Third street, devastated by fire recently to the •instrument.
Ogden estate, owner of the property, for $25,000.
The lease had ten more years to run. It is rumored
If you are a salesman, tuner or traveler, and
that an Eastern theatrical syndicate, probably the
Shuberts, will lease the property, tear down the desire a position, forward your wants in an ad-
present shell and erect a new theater. It is an vertisement to The Review in space not to ex-
ceed* four lines and it will be inserted free of
excellent center.
charge and replies sent to you.
TALKING MACHINE ENDORSED
By Austrian Government as an Aid In Educa*
tlonal Work—Teachers Have Obtained Good
Results from Using Records as Examples.
The Austrian government has officially indorsed
the value of mechanical sound-reproducing ma-
chines for educational purposes. The "Ministerium
fur Kultus und Unterricht" in Vienna has con-
tributed funds for the publication of a "Neue Ge-
MUSICAL HORN QUITE NOVEL.
sangsschule mit praktischen Biespielen auf dam
Instrument Invented by New York Man Has Grammophon," by Prof. Eugen Fischer, and the
Music Roll on It and Plays Automatically.
Allgemeine 'Musik-Zeitung speaks highly of the
value of the new method. It consists in providing
Something decidedly novel in the way of a records reproducing exercises and songs as sung
musical instrument has been designed by a New by prominent artists. The pupil first listens to these
York man. He concluded that if there were auto-
attentively, then sings along, and finally tries to
matic pianos and organs, there might as w.ell be sing the music alone, as nearly as possible with
an automatic horn. So he took a horn with th<
the same tone-color and phrasing as the original.
general shape of a cornet and set a series of trans-
A number of teachers have attained surprisingly
verse pipes along the main pipe. These transverse gratifying results by this, method.
THE TALKING
MACHINE WORLD
Containsallthe news of the
talking
machine
trade
throughout the w o r l d —
the doings of manufactur
ers, Jobbers and dealers. ;
A Business Essential i
S1.00 the Year
i
Published monthly by
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NKW YORK