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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
DEMAND IS GREATLY INCREASED.
The Scarcity of Victor Machines and Records
Is Not Due to Any Shortage, for the Company
Is Turning Out More Goods Than Ever
Before—The Trouble Is Due to the Abnormal
Demand Which Now Prevails and Which
the Company Is Making Heroic
Efforts
to Satisfy—Chat with V. W. Moody.
"Although there is at the present time a tre-
mendous scarcity of Vieto.r machines and records,
it would hardly be fair to the Victor Co. to call it
a shortage," said V. W. Moody, sales manager of
the New York Talking Machine Co., 81 Chambers
street, New York, the prominent Victor distributer.
"I make this distinction because of the fact that
we are receiving more goods from the factory than
ever before, selling more goods than we ever sold
before, but our stock report shows less on hand
than ever before. Some idea of the extent of our
present record business may be gleaned from the
fact that our shipments of new Victor records an-
nounced on the March list, together with the ship-
ments of special dance records issued in February,
were almost twice as large as our shipments from
the Victor Co. during the same period last year.
These shipments did not take into consideration the
thousands of records that we ordered from the
regular catalog in the course of the month.
"Our machine business shows the same remark-
able increase o.ver last February as our record
trade, and, judging from all indications, March
will be another record breaker.
ARTISTIC VICTOR WINDOW.
Featured by the J. W. Carter Music Co., of
Houston, Tex., During Carnival Week.
(Special to The Review.)
HOUSTON, TEX., March 7.—The accompanying
photograph presents a portion of the show-window
featured by the J. W. Carter Music Co. of this
city showing its artistic appearance during Car-
nival week. This enterprising house, which han-
dles the Victor line exclusively makes a hobby
of its show-windows and its Carnival window was
EXPLOSION CAUSES DAMAGE.
BUSINESS INCREASING RAPIDLY.
Window of Store of Benj. Switky Blown in by
Explosion of Gas in Street and Two Victrolas
Somewhat Damaged—Machines and Records
Saved from Flood in Basement.
February Business of Columbia Graphophone
Co. Sixty-three Per Cent. Better Than That
of Last Year—E. D. Easton Home from Vaca-
tion—Important New Agency Connections—
News of the Travelers and Their Work.
The explosion of a great quantity of illuminating
gas under the street near the junction of Twenty-
third street and Fifth avenue on Sunday morning
broke several large water mains and badly dam-
aged several neighboring buildings and stores,
among them that of Benj. Switky, the prominent
Victor distributer at 9 West Twenty-third street.
One of the large plate glass windows of the Switky
store was blown in, the glass splintering a part of
the case of a small Victrola and scratching the case
of a larger instrument. The basement of the build-
ing was also flooded to the depth of several feet,
but through the efforts of the staff of the Fifth
Avenue Building, in which the store is located, a
number of cases containing machines and records
were moved to a higher level before the water
reached them and thus saved from damage. Mr.
Switky, who hurried to the store upon learning
of the damage, estimated his entire loss at less than
$100, and the business of the store was rot inter-
fered with.
Edward D. Easton, president of the Columbia
Graphophone Co., accompanied by Mrs. Easton, re-
turned to New York Thursday equipped with re-
newed energy and vigor after a short vacation to
Bermuda.
The Columbia Co. closed a very important deal
this week when arrangements were consummated
with the Atherton-Byrd Co., of Haverhill, Mass.,
whereby this prominent and successful furniture
house will handle a complete line of Columbia ma-
chines and records. This same company handles
the Columbia products in Worcester, Mass., and
Lewiston, Me., and its success has been so em-
phatic that it has enlarged both departments since
they were first opened a short while since. The
Atherton-Byrd Co. caters to a high class furniture
clientele, who evidently appreciate the musical
qualities of Columbia machines and records.
"Our, February business showed an increase of
sixty-three per cent, over that of last February,"
said R. F. Bolton, manager of the wholesale store
That every cloud ihas a silver lining is proven by of the Columbia Co., 89 Chambers street, New
the fact that a motion picture concern took pic- York. "We are particularly well pleased with this
tures of the damaged district and the Switky store, increase in view of the fact that weather condi-
with the Victor dog prominently displayed on the tions have been very discouraging. Our dealers
remaining window, will be flashed on screens in all report a continued demand for dance records
picture theaters throughout the city. Some adver- that is phenomenal, and this record demand has
also had a very noticeable influence on the crea-
tising !
tion of new machine sales for our dealers.''
N. Burns, vice-president of the Colum-
NEW QUARTERS FOR C. W. LINDSAY. bia Edward
Co. and manager of the export department, is
expected back in New York to-morrow, March 15,
Will Erect New Building for Quebec Branch
nn the steamer "Imperator" after a five weeks' trip
and Give Added Prominence to Victrolas in
to Europe. E. E. Robinson, the well-known trav-
Quebec Province—Work to Begin in May.
eler for the Columbia export department, will ar-
rive in New York next Tuesday after an eight
(Special to The Review.)
QUEBEC, QUE., March 7.—-Greater prominence months' stay in the Orient, where he closed an
excellent business and many new agencies.
will be given the Victrola line in this city as a
The advertising department of the Columbia Co.
result of the decision of the firm of C. W. Lindsay.
received this week from George R. Madson. man-
Ltd., to erect new premises for its local branch
in the city of Quebec. The results of its nego- ager of the company's Cleveland store, a photo-
tiations was the purchasing of property on St. graph of the window display now being presented
John street, opposite its present store.
This at this store that is decidedly distinctive and orig-
inal, showing an artistic arrangement of dolls and
property gives it 4,2j"^ square feet of ground
Kewpies as illustrative of various popular songs
on which it proposes to build a live-story steel
building, containing an attractive front and all in the Columbia Tecord library.
conveniences. Work will lie begun on the new
H. J. THOMAS APPOINTED MANAGER
building in May.
ROY FORBES APPOINTED MANAGER.
Carter
Window
During
Carnival
Week.
certainly calculated to attract favorable comment
and attention.
During the year just closed the Carter Music
Co. closed the best Victor business in its history,
and this is especially significant in view of the
fact that the company's Victor trade has been
increasing year after year. On a recent trip
East, J. W. Carter, president of the company,
spoke in the highest terms of the value of the
Victor representation to the aggressive piano
house, stating that the Victor agency offered an
opportunity for increased business that no up-
to-date piano merchant should permit to pass him.
In addition to catering to an extensive list of
Victor patrons, the Carter Music Co. handles a
splendid line of high-grade pianos, headed by the
celebrated Knabe as the leader.;
Roy Forbes, formerly connected with the Vic-
trola store of Landay Bros, at 400 Fifth avenue,
Xew York, has been appointed manager of the new
store at 427 Fifth avenue, to be opened by Landay
Bros, early next week. The store at 400 Fifth ave-
nue will close coincident with the opening of the
new store.
Of Talking Machine Department of Hobart M.
Cable Co. Store in Clinton, la.
(Special to The Review.)
CUXTOV IOWA, March !).—H. J. Thomas has
been made manager of the talking machine depart-
ment of the branch store in this city of the Ho-
bart M. Cable Co., of La Porte, Ind. The
talking machine department is a new feature of the
store and a large space will be fitted up for its ac-
commodation, with several handsome demonstrat-
ing booths. Mr. Thomas is a talking machine man
NEW REPAIR _P_ART CATALOGS.
of experience, having been for four years with the
Chicago branch of the United States Phonograph
The Victor Talking Machine Co. sent out to its Co., of Cleveland, starting as a local salesman and
dealers this week two new repair part catalogs for
promoted as traveling salesman and was later in
Victrola XIV and XVI. The company also called
immediate charge of the sales of the Chicago
attention to the fact that it has secured a new
branch. The opportunity offered Mr. Thomas to
style patented spring binder, which will accommo-
locate in ^Clinton was an exceptionally fortunate
date about 200 pages and is provided with an inside
one for him, as it is his old home town, and he was
folder for retaining these repair part catalogs. This
hut recently married to Miss Jennie Lee Fairchild,
new binder is considerably superior to the one
an accomplished young woman of this city.
formerly used.
If you are a salesman, tuner or traveler, and
desire a position, forward your wants in an ad-
vertisement to The Review in space not to ex-
ceed four lines and it will be inserted free of
charge and replies sent to you.
Look around among the men you know and
observation will teach you that, in the majority
of cases, the man who wins in any vocation in
life is the man who sticks to it. He may be a
plodder, but if he is endowed with perseverance,
he may surpass the versatile or brilliant man.