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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
COLUMBIA NEWS HAPPENINGS
APPOINT NEW PATHE JOBBERS
ANNOUNCE MODIFIED VICTROLA XIV
James P. Bradt Returns From a New England
, Trip—J. A. Sabine, of Toronto, 'Arranges for
Increased Shipments of Stock to His Stores—
Friedl Takes Charge of Wholesale Offices
The Fred Gretsch Mfg. Co., Brooklyn, and M.
Sellers & Co., Portland, Ore., Added to the
Company's List of Jobbers
New Model Equipped With Larger Tone Arm
and More Artistic Cabinet Now Being Shipped
From Victor Factory—New Style XVI
The Pathe Freres Phonograph Co., Brooklyn,
N. Y., announced this week the consummation
of arrangements whereby the Fred Gretsch Mfg.
Co., Brooklyn, N. Y., and M. Sellers & Co.,
Portland, Ore., will handle the complete line of
Pathephones and Pathe discs in their respective
territories as jobbers.
The Fred Gretsch Mfg. Co. is prominent in
the musical merchandise field, having manufac-
tured musical instruments for many years, and
having an extensive dealer distribution.
The
company is planning an aggressive campaign to
interest the dealers in its territory.
M. Sellers & Co. is one of the leading mer-
chandising houses in the Northwest, with ex-
ecutive offices at Portland and branch offices
at Tacoma and Spokane. The company has a
traveling staff of more than thirty men, which
will cover the States of Oregon, Washington
and Idaho in behalf of Pathe products. H. N.
McMenimen, managing director of the Pathe
Freres Phonograph Co. closed this important
deal.
H. C. Pressy, formerly treasurer of Hazelton
Bros., New York, and well known in the piano
field, is now associated with the Kruschke Pho-
nograph Co., Pathe jobber at Berkeley, Cal.
This concern is planning to open headquarters
in Los Angeles, Cal., in the near future.
Under date of April 19 the Victor Talking
Machine Co. sent out to their dealers the follow-
ing announcement regarding the shipment of a
modified type of the Victor-Victrola XIV:
"We will start within the next few days to
ship our distributors a modified type of the Vic-
trola XIV, equipped with the larger tone arm
and tapered goose neck and with a cabinet of
somewhat more artistic outlines.
"The depleted condition of the market makes
it imperative to ship the style XIV immediately.
"We can, at this time, also explain that an-
other type of the XVI embodying the same gen-
eral features of the XIV about to be shipped
will be ready for the market in about sixty
days, but this must not be publicly announced.
"Naturally we would prefer to ship the style
XVI before the XIV, but the XVI will not be
coming through our factory for some time, and
urgent demands for the XIV make it impos-
sible to hold this style any longer."
James P. Bradt, assistant to the president of
the Columbia Graphophone Co., New York, re-
turned last week from a trip to several of the
leading New England cities. He states that
general business conditions in this section are
below expectations, although the majority of
the dealers believe that this is only temporary.
The Columbia sales continue to show large
gains ovtr last year and quite a number of new
Columbia agencies have been established in this
territory in the past few months.
J. A. Sabine, head of the Music Supply Co.,
Columbia jobber in Toronto, Can., was a visitor
' t o New York this week, to make arrangements
for the immediate shipment of large quantities
of Columbia Grafonolas and records for his
spring trade. This company completed its sixth
year as a Columbia distributor on March 31,
and Mr. Sabine commented on the fact that dur-
ing the last three months Columbia dealers in
Canada bought more goods from his company
than it had estimated it would sell during the
six years. He states that conditions in Canada
were never better, and that 1917 business in all
lines is breaking previous records.
Lambert Friedl, formerly manager of the
wholesale division of the Columbia Grapho-
phone Co., Pittsburgh, Pa., arrived in New York
Monday to assume charge of the local wholesale
offices at 83 Chambers street, New York. This
division will move within the next few weeks
to 55 Warren street, where it will occupy an
entire building for wholesale purposes exclu-
sively.
Walter L. Eckhardt, district manager of the
Columbia Graphophone Co. in Philadelphia ter-
ritory, was the winner of the contest inaugurated
by the company's trade promotion department
last month. This contest included as partici-
pants all of the Columbia district managers and
Mas based on March business, five points being
considered in determining the winner. S. H.
Nichols, of Pittsburgh, finished second; F. A.
Denison, San Francisco, third; H. A. Yerkes,
Chicago, fourth, and R. F. Bolton, New York,
fifth.
BROWN OPENS BRUNSWICK SHOP
Detroit Dealer Will Handle Brunswick Talking
Machine and Pathe Records Exclusively
DETROIT, MICH., April 30.—The event of inter-
est in musical circles the past week was the
opening of the new Brunswick Shop of Wal-
lace Brown's at 31 East Grand River avenue.
For the past three years Mr. Brown exclusively
represented the Edison phonograph; in fact, he
was the first retail distributor of Edisons in
Michigan.
His action in changing to the
Brunswick is no reflection on the Edison; he
still says the Edison is a wonderful instrument,
but he believes that he will have a wider field
with the Brunswick, owing to the side lines
which he will handle and which are also manu-
factured by the Brunswick people.
For in-
stance, there will be billiard tables for the home,
tires and other things which will be announced
later.
Sometime ago Mr. Brown capitalized his busi-
ness at $50,000 and took in a partner. x\bout
$10,000 was spent on remodeling the store, in-
side and out, increasing the number of booths,
putting in a basement stairway, etc. He will
conduct his business as the Wallace Brown
Brunswick Shop, featuring the Brunswick pho-
nograph and Pathe records.
DEATH OF GUSTAVE A. ENSENBERGER
Well-Known Merchant of Bloomington, 111.,
Passes Away in That City After a Long
Period of Ill-Health—He Was 66 Years Old
Gustave A. Ensenberger, head of G. A. Ensen-
berger & Sons, housefurnishing and talking
machine dealers at Bloomington, 111., and one
of the most prominent merchants of that city,
died recently at his home in Bloomington after
a long period of ill health. Mr. Ensenberger
was born in Germany in 1851, and came to this
country with his parents in 1854, settling in Cin-
cinnati. The family moved to Bloomington in
1868, and after working in various lines for
several years, Mr. Ensenberger opened a fur-
niture store at Front and Center streets in
1879. He met with great success, which neces-
sitated larger quarters on several occasions, and
some years ago became interested in talking
machines, handling Edison phonographs and
Columbia Grafonolas.
He is survived by a
widow and thr-ee sons, the latter being inter-
ested in the business.
TALKER DEPARTMENT ACTIVE
Kohler & Chase Having Much Success With
Advertising Campaign
Fred Iiartman, who has charge of the talking
machine department of the Oakland store of
Kohler & Chase, has embarked upon an exten-
sive advertising campaign which is bringing a
large number of customers to the store, proving
that business can be secured in spite of rumors
to the contrary.
J. Gercovich, manager of the talking machine
department of Kohler & Chase, has secured the
services of Frederick Vincent, a well-known mu-
sician and music critic, to take charge of the
Music Extension Bureau recently inaugurated.
Mr. Vincent is establishing the new department,
which is being installed in two handsome suites
of rooms on the fourth floor of the Kohler &
Chase Building. One of the strongest features
of the new educational work is the research
bureau and advisory board composed of sixty
musicians and teachers, tenants of the building.
F. J. WARBURTON GUEST OF HONOR
At Dinner Tendered Monday Evening by His
Associates of the Columbia Co. in Celebration
of His Seventy-fifth Birthday
F. J. Warburton, vice-president of the Colum-
bia Graphophone Co., New York, was the guest
of honor at a dinner tendered him by his asso-
ciates Monday evening at the Engineers' Club,
New York, in celebration of his seventy-fifth
birthday. In addition to the executives of the
Columbia Co., there were also present at Mon-
day's dinner the officers and executive heads of
the Mergenthaler Linotype Co., with which Mr.
Warburton has been associated for many years
and of which he is now an officer and director.
Mr. Warburton was one of the founders of the
Columbia Graphophone Co. and has been an
important factor in the remarkable success
achieved by this company. He is prominent in
financial and industrial circles, and has a host
of friends in the talking machine field and other
lines of business.
Philip T. Dodge, chairman of the board of
directors of the Columbia Graphophone Co., was
the chairman at Monday's dinner, and all of the
sixty guests present paid tribute to Mr. War-
burton's sterling character and signal ability.
Francis S. Whitten, president of the Columbia
Graphophone Co., was one of those who de-
livered an extemporaneous address, and Prince's
Orchestra, together with a number of the pop-
ular Columbia artists, contributed to the en-
joyment of the evening.
CARUSO WEEKJN PITTSBURGH
Victor Dealers Taking Full Advantage of Ap-
pearance of Noted Tenor in That City
PITTSBURGH, PA., May 1.—This is Caruso Week
in Pittsburgh in view of the fact that the Stand-
ard Talking Machine Co. has arranged for the
appearance of the'noted tenor here on Satur-
day evening, May 5. The various Victor dealers
are conducting Caruso recitals in their stores,
featuring the various numbers that Caruso will
sing at his recitals, including Aria, "O Paradiso"
from "L'Africaine," by Meyerbeer; aria, "Una
furtiva .bagrima" from "L'Elisir d'Amore, by
Donizetti, and aria, "Visti la Grubba" from
"Pagliacci," by Leoncavallo.
The Victor Co. has been running some spe-
cial advertising in its regular space in the Pitts-
burgh papers calling attention to the local ap-
pearance of Caruso, and it will be many a day
before local music lovers forget the event.