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THE MUSIC
TRADE
program of entertainment was carried out by
a number of Edison phonograph artists, in-
cluding the Criterion Quartet, the Phonograph
City Trio and a number of individuals, among
them such veterans as Collins and Harlan.
A large number of Edison jobbers who were
in New York to attend the annual convention
of the Edison Disc Phonograph Jobbers' As-
sociation, held this week, attended the banquet
in a body.
JOIN COLUMBIA SALES STAFF
BOLTON DINES_SALES FORCE
John A. Johnson and A. L. Landay Now With
Wholesale Division
Expresses Appreciation of Their Co-Operation
—Presented With Watch Chain and Tray
John A. Johnson and A. L. Landay have been
added to the sales staff of the local wholesale
division of the Columbia Graphophone Co., 83
Chambers street, New York. Mr. Johnson will
visit the Columbia dealers in New Jersey, and
Mr. Landay will call on the Columbia trade in
a part of the metropolitan district and West-
chest^f County. Both of these traveling rep-
lesentatives are experienced members of the
local talking machine industry, Mr. Johnson hav-
ing been associated with the local headquarters
of the Columbia Co. for several years, and Mr.
Landay having been connected with Landay
Bros., Victor distributors.
R. .F. Bolton, district manager of the Colum-
bia Graphophone Co. in this territory, was the
host at a dinner tendered the members of his
sales staff last Friday evening at the Wool Club,
New York. Mr. Bolton extended an invitation
to the sales force to get-together for an eve-
ning's jollity as a mark of his appreciation of
their indefatigable efforts the past year, and the
success which crowned these efforts.
At the close of the dinner, J. C. Button, man-
ager of the local Dictaphone division, presented
Mr. Bolton with a handsome gold and platinum
watch chain and a sterling silver tray as a token
of the esteem and affection in which he is held
by his sales staff. Mr. Button emphasized the
fact that Mr. Bolton's friendship and co-opera-
tion had been an invaluable factor in the attain-
ment of 1916's record-breaking sales totals.
Among those present at the dinner were W.
C. Fuhri, United States manager of the Co-
lumbia Graphophone Co.; N. F. Milncr, general
sales manager of the Dictaphone division; Frank
K. Pennington, manager of trade promotion, and
the following members of the local wholesale
staff: George A. Baker, H. L. Tuers, B. J.
Britton, L. C. Ziegler, J. L. Williams, C. M.
Dally, O. P. Graffen, J. A. Johnson, A. W.
Landay, M. C. Perkins, W. I. Brunner, D. E.
DeMont, J. A. Sieber, C. F. Seward, C. Shaw
and C. J. Lawless.
3,000 EMPLOYES HONOR EDISON AT BIRTHDAY PARTY
Act as Hosts to Noted Inventor at Elaborate Affair Held in West Orange on Saturday N i g h t -
Congratulations from President Wilson—Immense Birthday Cake and Other Features
In honor of the seventieth birthday anniver-
sary of Thomas A. Edison, nearly three thou-
sand employes of Thomas A. Edison, Inc.,
gathered at a banquet held in the storage bat-
ttry building of the Edison plant at West
Orange, N. J., on last Saturday evening, with
the noted inventor as their guest. An entire
floor of the great building was required to ac-
commodate the crowd, and it had been hand-
somely decorated with the national colors and
with colored electric lights.
Shortly after 6.30 o'clock, when the crowds
had been seated, Mr. Edison, accompanied by
Mrs. Edison and their son, Charles, entered the
room, accompanied by company executives to
the number of a hundred or more. The sound-
ing of a siren announced Mr. Edison's coming,
and for many minutes the building rang with
the cheers and shouts of congratulation from the
thousands of throats.
As Mr. Edison took his place at the table
between his wife and his son, Mrs. Edison, by
the way, being the only lady present on the oc-
casion, there flashed out above his head the
numerals "70" outlined in seventy electric lights.
As each diner took his seat he found before
him an elaborate program of the evening's en-
tertainment and a watch fob bearing on its face a
counterfeit of Mr. Edison's head and his sig-
nature, and on the back a statement of the oc-
casion of which the fob was a memento.
William Maxwell, vice-president of the Edison
Co., acted as toastmaster, and first read the
message from President Wilson, as follows:
"I wish with all my heart that I might be
present to take part in celebrating Mr. Edison's
seventieth birthday. It would be a real pleas-
ure to be able to say in public with what deep
and genuine admiration I have followed his re-
markable career of achievement. I was an un-
dergraduate at the university when his first in-
ventions captured -the imagination of the world,
and ever since then I have retained the sense oi,
magic which what he did then created in my
mind. He seems always to have been in the
special confidence of nature""herself._ His ca-
reer already has made an indelible impression in
the history of applied science, and 1 hope that
he has many years yet before him in which to
make his record still more remarkable."
Then Mr. Maxwell called for a toast to Mr.
Edison, "the biggest man in the United States
and the best boss." The toast was taken up
with great enthusiasm and was followed by the
playing of the "Edison Birthday March," com-
posed by Prof. Frederick Campoine, and which
was played by the Edison Employes' Band,
which furnished the music for the banquet. Re-
plying tb the toast Mr. Edison wrote—he rarely
makes an address—the following: "I feel fine
and am working hard, just now, for my Uncle
Sammy." The reading of this message brought
forth more cheers, as did a toast to Charles
Edison.
A feature of the evening was the cutting of
the birthday cake, an immense cake, lighted
by seventy miniature electric lamps, and which
was the gift of the staff council of the New
York Edison Co. The cake was cut by J. W.
Lieb, vice-president and general manager of
the New York Edison Co., and the pieces dis-
tributed among the diners.
Another event was the presentation to Mr.
Edison by Mark Silverstone, Edison Diamond
Disc jobber, of an autograph album, handsomely
bound and containing the signatures of 35,000
prominent citizens of St. Louis, headed by that
of the mayor of St. Louis. The book was com-
piled through the efforts of Mr. Silverstone.
During and following the dinner an excellent
49
REVIEW
E. A. WIDMANN IN FLORIDA
E. A. Widmann, president of the Pathe
Freres Phonograph Co., New York, is spending
a few weeks at Bel Air, Fla., enjoying a well-
deserved rest. Mr. Widmann supervised all the
details incidental to the opening of the new
Pathe factory at 20 Grand avenue, Brooklyn,
N. Y., and the removal of the company's execu-
tive offices thereto, and his sojourn in Florida
is the result of the urgent solicitations of his
friends and associates.
The Phonograph Supply Mfg. Co. has leased
the floor at 120 Walker street, New York.
EDISON DIAMOND DISC JOBBERSHOLD ANNUAL MEETING
Enthusiastic Reports Made by Jobbers From all Sections of the Country Concerning Business
Conditions—Visit Edison Factory—Entertained at Banquet and Theatre Party
The annual convention of the Edison Diamond Louis; "Soul Talk," by M. M. Blackman, The
Disc Jobbers' Association was held at the Hotel Phonograph Co., Inc., Kansas City; "Tone
Knickerbocker, New York, on Monday and Tests," by H. H. Blish, Harger & Blish, Des
Tuesday of this week, February 10 and 11, with Moines; "Service a Dealer Should Give," by
a great majority-of the members as usual in at- Albert A. Buehn, of the Buehn Phonograph
tendance.
Like the convention last year, Co., Pittsburgh; "How to Make the Most Out
there was a general program providing for the of Edison Week," by L. N. Bloom, of The Pho-
reading of papers by factory officials and others, nograph Co., Inc., Cleveland; "Accounting," by
and the jobbers in several closed sessions con- R. J. Pritchard, of the Phonograph Corp., New
ferred among themselves regarding business York; "Advertising," by A. C. G. Hamensfahr,
results and prospects and ways and means for general manager of Collier's Weekly, and an
important address on "Relations of a Dealer
stimulating trade.
The business at the Monday session included With His Bank," by W. F. H. Koelsch, vice-
the election of officers for the coming year as president of the Bank of the United States, and
follows: President, Walter Kipp, Kipp Phono- president of the New York Credit Men's As-
graph Co., Indianapolis; vice-president, L. N. sociation. In addition a tone test by Glenn
Bloom, Phonograph, Co., Cleveland; secretary, Ellison, the well-known Edison artist, was one
F. E. Bolway, Frank E. Bolway & Son, Inc., of the features of the morning session.
Syracuse; treasurer, H. H. Blish, Harger &
The program of entertainment arranged by
Blish, Des Moines. The Advisory Committee: the factory officials was as usual an elaborate
H. H. Curry, Dallas; E. Bowman, Richmond, one. On Monday evening the jobbers were the
Va.; S. E. Rosenblatt, Atlanta, Ga.
guests of the Edison Co. at an elaborate ban-
The Tuesday sessions, both morning and after- quet at Sherry's, during the course of which
noon, were given over to the reading of papers interesting addresses were made by Wm. E.
by members of the association, and discussions Maxwell, vice-president of Thos. A. Edison,
thereon and to addresses by various factory of- Inc.; Chas. H. Wilson, general manager of the
ficials, including Carl H. Wilson, vice-president company, and Walter Kipp, the newly elected
of Thos. A. Edison, Inc.; L. C. McChesney, ad- president of the association. Thos. A. Edison
vertising manager, and others. The papers by did not attend the dinner, but was ably repre-
the members were for the most part of unusual sented by his son, Charles. During the course
interest and included, among others, those on of the dinner an elaborate musical program was
"Dealers' Conventions," by B. A. Trestrail, of given by Marie Rappold, Jacques Urlus, Carl
the R. S. Williams Sons Co., Toronto; "Cir- Jorn, Betsy Lane Shepherd, Billy Murray and
cularizing Dealers," by Geo. C. Silzer, of Harger others of equal reputation.
& Blish, Des Moines, la.; "Window Display,"
On Tuesday evening the jobbers were the
by Mark Silverstone, Silverstone Music Co., St. guests of the company at the Century Theatre.