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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
SECOND ANNIVERSARY OF VOCAL1ON
GREAT COLUMBIA BUSINESS
JOHNSON MOTOR CO. FORMED
Introduction of the Aoelian-Vocalion Two
Years Ago Featured in Advertisement
October Biggest Month in History of Company
—W. C. Fuhri Pleased With Conditions in
Western Territory Which He Recently Visited
Wm. G. Schaff, E. C. Johnson, H. D. Griffith,
and Others Interested in Company to Market
Electric Motors for Talking Machines
W. C. Fuhri, United States manager of the
Columbia Graphophone Co., New York, accom-
panied by Louis Sterling, general manager of
the company's European interests, returned
Monday from a Western trip, which included a
visit to all the Columbia wholesale divisions as
far as Kansas City, Mo. John A. Gromelin,
general manager of the company, accompanied
Messrs. Fuhri and Sterling as far as Chicago,
when other matters necessitated his attention.
Mr. Fuhri also called upon a number of Co-
lumbia dealers in the Middle West, and his re-
ports of conditions in this territory indicate the
closing of a record-breaking Columbia busi-
ness that is only limited by the amount of prod-
uct available.
October was the biggest month in the his-
tory of the Columbia Co., exceeding by a large
margin the sales totals of September, which had
been the previous banner month. This applies
to both Grafonolas and records, and the record
situation is particularly gratifying in view of
the fact that every one of the new record plants
is working to capacity to keep pace with orders.
There is a shortage of Columbia Grafonolas in
practically every style and finish.
The Johnson Motor Co. has been formed with
offices and factory at 3233 West Lake street,
Chicago, and New York offices at 767 East
133rd street, for the purpose of manufacturing
the drive and assembling it with an electric
motor which will be manufactured by the
General Electric Co., and available for use in
talking machines. The company has been formed
by Wm. G. Schaff, who is also head of John A.
Schaff, well-known piano string house, with
factories in New York and Chicago, E. C.
Johnson, head of the Chicago factory of John
A. Schaff, and H. D. Griffith, sales manager of
the Simplex Player Action Co., Worcester,
Mass. Associated with the manufacturing de-
partment of the company are Philip B. Wood-
worth, dean of the Lewis Institute, Chicago,
and Walter G. Gardner, formerly prominent in
the railway supply business.
The inventor of the motor is J. M. Johnson,
who among other achievements perfected the
fare box for street cars, and the Johnson coin
counting machine, which is used by the United
States Treasury Department in Washington and
at sub-treasuries in various cities. P. B. Wood-
worth, who has charge of the engineering de-
partment of the Lewis Institute, was recently
Commissioner on phonographs at the Panama-
Pacific Exposition, and is engineer for the
United States Gypsum Co., also an expert on
sound transmission and elimination of noise in
motor driven mechanisms.
Walter G. Gard-
ner was for ten years president of the Gardner
Wire Co., and also associated with the Amer-
ican Brake Shoe & Foundry Co., New York
City.
The association of Messrs. Schaff, Griffith
and E. C. Johnson as directors of the sales
of the Johnson motor will in no manner change
or affect their activities in the lines with which
they have been identified for so many years.
They are simply investing capital and lending
their experience as directors of sales.
On January 1, Mr. Griffith will move to Chi-
cago to represent the Simplex Player Action
Co., in the West, and will devote his entire
time to the marketing of the Simplex player
action, and the Johnson Motor Co., in the ter-
ritory west of New York State.
The Aeolian Co., New York, carried an in-
teresting and attractive advertisement in last
Sunday's newspapers featuring the Aeolian-
Vocalion.
This advertisement was headed
"November," and called attention to the fact
that this month marks the second anniversary
of the introduction of the Vocalion.
The copy included illustrations of some of
the popular types of standard Vocalion designs,
and also a reproduction of an art style Vocalion.
An invitation was extended to the public to
visit Aeolian Hall at any time for informal
demonstrations of the Vocalion.
REPORTS AN EXCELLENT DEMAND
Addition to Plant of M. Schulz Co., in Chicago,
Will Permit of Large Output of the Magnola
—Some of the Special Features
CHICAGO, I I I . , November 4.—Otto Schulz, presi-
dent of the Magnola Talking Machine Co. and
of the M. Schulz Co., the large piano manu-
facturing business with which it is affiliated, is
more than pleased with the excellent demand
for the new Magnola talking machines which,
by the way, is amply demonstrated by the fact
that a two-story addition to the main Schulz
plant which will give an addition of 25,000 feet
to the finishing department is near completion.
The significance of the phrase "built by tone
specialists" used in the Magnola literature is
justified by the many tributes received by the
company from dealers testifying to their delight
with the tonal results secured through the Mag-
nola tone chamber, comprising a tone reflecting
system, the patents on which are pending. One
of the most popular of the M. Schulz styles is
the $150 model in the Louis XVI. style, which is
in great demand. This somewhat unique design
is furnished in mahogany, oak and walnut. The
walnut cases which are now being shipped are
especially admired because of the high quality
and beauty of the selected veneers. Other
features of the instrument are the special tone
graduator, the universal sound box playing all
makes of records, a twelve-inch turntable, two
spring worm gear motor, playing about seven
ten-inch records on one winding, and a balance
spring support for the top cover. The dimen-
sions are as follows: Height, 49 inches; depth,
26 inches; width, 24 inches. The other styles
of Magnolas, on which the company is now
prepared to make shipments, are the Sheraton
style, retailing at $75; the Queen Anne, at $100,
and the Adams style, at $200. All of the cases
are beautiful adaptations of the period styles
they represent.
TO HANDLE VICTROLAS EXCLUSIVELY
A. E. Schweiger, Inc., to Devote Entire Four-
Story Building to That Line
A. E. Schweiger, Inc., talking machine deal-
ers of 1525 Broadway, Brooklyn, N. Y., re-
cently issued the announcement that they will
handle Victrolas exclusively in their entire
building comprising four floors and fourteen
demonstration booths.
The booths are of
strictly up-to-date construction, and handsome-
ly decorated and furnished.
The house car-
ries a complete assortment of Victrolas in large
quantities, together with 15,000 Victor records.
RICCA & SON EXPAND
Ricca & Son, Pathe distributors, have leased
a one-story building on East 134th street, di-
rectly opposite their piano factory at 115
Southern boulevard, which will be used as an
assembling and finishing plant for their talking
machine business.
ENLARGING VICTOR DEPARTMENT
Lord & Taylor Store to Have Seven Additional
Demonstration Rocms, Making Twenty-three
Now in Use—Gratifying Holiday Outlook
The Victrola department at the Lord & Tay-
lor store, New York, is now in the hands of
carpenters and masons, and when alterations
are completed, the department will have seven
additional demonstration rooms, making a total
of twenty-three rooms devoted to the display
and sale of Victrolas and Victor records. This
department is probably one of the largest in
the country, and additional facilities for expan-
sion are at hand to be used as the occasion may
require.
H. E. Speare, manager of the Lord & Taylor
Victor department, speaks enthusiastically of
the holiday outlook, stating that sales the past
few days have been Unusually pleasing, - par-
ticularly during election week. Among recent
Victrola sales at the warerooms was that of a
Victrola XIV, with a representative library of
Victor records to the U. S. S. "Arizona," the
largest steamship afloat.
CONCERTS HELP PATHE SALES
W. A. McNaughton Co., of Muncie, Ind., Doing
Well With This Feature of Its Business
MUNCJE, IND., November 6.—The W. A. Mc-
Naughton Co., of this city, one of the leading
mercantile institutions in eastern Indiana, has
been achieving very pleasing success with its
recently opened Pathe department, which is
under the management of Harry E. Paris. The
company is featuring the Pathephone and Pathe
discs in a high-class, energetic manner, which
is producing splendid results.
Last week a Pathe Pathephone concert was
given by the W. A. McNaughton Co. under the
auspices of the St. Vincent De Paul Aid So-
ciety. Mr. Paris personally supervised all details
incidental to the concert, which attracted a ca-
pacity audience. It is planned to give similar con-
certs in the near future, and it is safe to predict
that Mr. Paris' efforts to popularize the Pathe
line will be well rewarded, as he is not only a
thorough busirfess man, and an enthusiastic ad-
mirer of Pathe products, but is also a talented
musician of considerable renown.
SONORA AGENCY FOR McLEAN BROS.
DANBURY, CONN., November 6.—The McLean
Bros, store has become a retail distributing
agency for the Sonora phonograph, and a full
shipment of machines has been received. The
concern expects to push the Sonora line ener-
getically in its territory.
ENLARGE HAHNE & CO. DEPARTMENT
Plans have been completed for enlarging the
Victor department of Hahne & Co., Newark,
N. J. When completed a total of thirty demon-
stration rooms will be at the service of pros-
pective purchasers. The large auditorium is
also being prepared to be used for public demon-
strations, Joseph A. O'Donnell, manager of the
department, planning for the biggest season in
years.
J. P. BRADT BACK FROM A REST
James P. Bradt, general sales manager of the
Columbia Co., returned to his desk Monday
after a three weeks' stay at Atlantic City. Mr.
Bradt is in good health and spirits, but may
leave shortly for the West to recuperate fully
from the effects of his recent over-exertions.