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64
THE: MUSIC
TRADE
REVIEW
YSAYE DELIGHTED WITH HIS COLUMBIA RECORDS.
WOULD DEMORALIZE PRICES.
The Great Violinist's Enthusiasm Spreads to Hearers—H. L. Willson's Views on Southern Con-
ditions— New Columbia Representative—Some Recent Effective Publicity—President
Easton on Pleasure Trip to Panama—Featuring the New Columbia Grand.
The Victor Co.'s Great Campaign to Arouse
Trade to Danger of Oldfield Bill.
In Atlanta, Birmingham and New Orleans, the
three most important cities I visited, everyone is
awaiting with marked impatience the arrival of
our new Columbia grand, which is bound to create
a furore when it reaches there. Our trade an-
nouncements and photographs of the grand have
caused universal commendation, and the trade
seems convinced that its advent will add con-
siderably to the prestige of the talking-machine
business, as it has already added to the present
high standing of the Columbia product. A. unani-
mous opinion was expressed that our grand would
aid considerably in the increase of general high-
grade business."
The latest addition to the rapidly-growing list
of Columbia representatives is the S. P. Dunham
Co., of Trenton, N. J. This establishment is one
of the leading department stores of the State, and
Manager Yerkes of the Columbia wholesale de-
partment is naturally gratified at this acquisition
to his list of active New Jersey agents.
Edward D. Easton, president of the Columbia
Phonograph Co., is at present away on a three
weeks' pleasure trip to Panama.
Columbia publicity for the next few weeks in-
clude the publication of a new complete record
catalog showing everything published up to and
including the month of January, which will be
ready next week, and a reprint of the machine
catalog, which is already exhausted, although sev-
eral hundred thousands were printed on the first
order. The February supplement of records in-
clude two selections by Mary Garden, two by
Eugene Ysaye.
David Bispham and the first recording from the
H. L. Willson, assistant general manager of the successful musical comedy, "Oh! Oh! Delphine."
Columbia Phonograph Co., who returned to New
The first public announcement of the Columbia
York recently after a short trip through the South, grand appeared in the Saturday Evening Post of
is well pleased with business conditions in the January 18 in the shape of a striking page ad-
South and predicts a prosperous year. "The South vertisement in two colors. Golumbia dealers were
is going along very nicely," stated Mr. Willson in sent advance proofs of this advertisement, accom-
a chat with The Review. "The business outlook panied by a letter from the home office outlining
appears to be very much better than in former the benefits to be derived from a campaign on the
years and we have some very important Southern grand in connection with the promotion of high-
deals under way with prominent establishments. class trade.
On another page of The Review are shown the
original matrixes of the first records produced by
Eugene Ysaye, the world-famous violinist, at the
laboratory of the Columbia Phonograph Co. The
labels of these matrixes, which are marked either
"excellent" or "very good" in the handwriting of
the "master" himself, were thoroughly tested by
him before he finally affixed his O. K. This ap-
proval means much, for Ysaye is conceded to be
the world's greatest violinist, and his enthusiasm
has become contagious, for all who have heard
the new records are delighted with them.
OPPOSING OLDFIELD BILL.
EMPLOYESJMNE EDISON.
National Association of Talking Machine Job- The President of Thos. A. Edison, Inc., the
Guest of the Edison Club at the Second An-
bers Sends Telegrams on Jan. 1 5 to Leading
nual Banquet of the Employes and the Execu-
Legislators Stating Its Views.
tive Branches Held at the Lyceum, East
Orange, Saturday Evening.
The night telegram given below was sent by
J. Newcomb Blackman, president of the National
Thomas A. Edison gave two hours and more to
Association of Talking Machine Jobbers, from his own employes in a social way Saturday night,
New York on Wednesday, January 15, to the fol- dined with them at the second annual banquet of
lowing Senators and Congressmen: Hon. Champ the Edison Club, composed of his employes in the
Clark, House of Representatives; Hon. Oscar Un- offices and executive branches of the works at
derwood, House of Representatives; Hon. Wm. A. West Orange, and then had them all presented to
Oldfield, House of Representatives; Hon. Jas. R. him afterward in an impromptu levee.
Mann, House of Representatives; Hon. Thos. 5.
The banquet was in the Lyceum, East Orange,
Martin, United States Senate, and Hon. Boise H. N. J., and the members, with their guests and
Penrose, United States Senate. This telegram guest of honor, numbered about 300. The Mayors
was sent in accordance with a motion made and of Orange, East Orange and West Orange had
carried at the association's meeting held at the seats on the stage with Edison and his chiefs.
Hotel Knickerbocker, New York, on Tuesday, There was a cabaret, in which Edison phonograph
January 14. Attached to the night telegram was talent was pre-eminent.
a list of the names of the members present at the
Mr. Edison made no speech, but addressed his
meeting.
employes through a letter which was printed fac-
"The National Association of Talking Machine simile in the elaborate menu.
Jobbers in meeting assembled in New York City
TALKING MACHINE FOR THAW.
protests against the passage of House Bill H. K.
23417, known as the Oldfield bill, affecting the
Harry K. Thaw received a handsome talking
patent laws of the United States as highly in- machine at the Matteawan State Hospital last week
jurious to the best interests of the business men with 100 records. The instrument was a present
of our country, as well as the consumers of the from his mother, and came direct from the manu-
lines of goods affected. (Signed) J. Newcomb facturers with a man to unpack it and show Thaw
Blackman."
how it is operated.
The Victor Talking Machine Co. sent out to
Victor dealers this week a proof of a striking
cartoon recently published in Judge, accompanied
by a proof of a patent law article that recently
appeared in the New York Sun and a convincing
letter on the work accomplished by the Victor
Talking Machine Co. in its efforts to arouse deal-
ers to the danger of the pending Oldfield bill.
The cartoon from Judge was a remarkably strik-
ing one and depicted a pyramid on which were
written the names of the leading industries to be
affected by the Oldfield bill, including the talking
machine, with a bomb at the base of the pyramid
threatening to destroy the pyramid. The bomb was
appropriately labeled the "Oldfield Patent Bill."
RECORDS FOR MUSEUM.
Professor Brunot Making a Tour to Collect
Spoken Languages of the World.
Prof. Ferdinand Brunot, of the Sorbonne,
Paris, believes that the talking machine is as
wonderful an invention as Guttenberg's printing.
He is a great collector. Beginning with a small
donation from a private individual and $400 from
the university, he made a tour collecting French
dialect discs. Now he is making a collection of
800 discs on a tour of the world from Peking by
way of America, including even Sioux Indian
legends.
This collection he means shall embrace every
spoken language of the world. He hopes to make
it as complete as the National Library. Every
dialect representing every national character,
statesman, preacher, actor or orator, is to be col-
lected in this vast phonographic museum.
STRIKING VICTOR PUBLICITY.
A splendid example of Victor publicity appeared
in the Saturday Evening Post of last week in the
shape of a striking advertisement that was typical
of the close attention to detail of arrangement and
text given all copy prepared by the advertising
department of the Victor Co. The advertisement
referred to contained two cuts of Victrolas, the
No. XVI and the No. IV, in addition to excellent
photographs of twenty world-famous operatic
stars who have produced records for the Victor
Co. A feature of the advertisement was the re-
markably clear appearance of the machine illus-
trations, which brought out every artistic merit
of the machines shown Both the cuts of the $200
and the $15 types were clear and distinct, and gave
the reader an adequate idea of the handsome ap-
pearance of the machines. The text of the ad-
vertisement was in accordance with the usual con-
vincing style of Victor publicity, and impressed
readers with the fact that it was not necessary to
purchase a $200 instrument in order to enjoy the
records of the artists shown, as a cheaper one will
also fulfil the duties of reproduction to the entire
satisfaction of its owner. The various classes of
music mentioned in the text included selections of
the greatest instrumental soloists, bands and or-
chestras, and popular songs and comedians.
RECORDS OF_SERMONS.
The trustees of the South Church, of New
Britain, Conn., are arranging for reproductions of
phonograph sermons of their pastor for distri-
bution to the "stay-at-home" members of their
congregation. The scheme has met with a great
deal of favor.
The Bissell-Weisert Piano Co., of Chicago, 111.,
has closed arrangements to install a complete line
of Victor talking lachines.