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FEBRUARY 8,
1919
THE
MUSIC
TRADE
REVIEW
43
THOS. A. EDISON'S FIRST RECORD
CONVENTION OF EDISON JOBBERS
PLEASED WITH BUSINESS OUTLOOK
First Recording of Inventor's Voice Heard in
Patriotic Talk
Annual Sessions to Be Held at the Ritz-Carlton
on February 10, 11 and 12
President C. Alfred Wagner, of the Musical In-
strument Sales Co., Is Optimistic
Thomas A. Edison, who invented the phono-
graph forty-two years ago, has for the first time
consented to have his own voice recorded on a
phonograph record. The record contains a pre-
liminary talk by William Maxwell, vice-presi-
dent of Thos. A. Edison, Inc., who introduces
Mr. Edison, Mr. Edison's talk being as follows:
"Our boys made good in France. The word
'American' has a new meaning in Europe. Our
soldiers have made it mean courage, generosity,
self-restraint and modesty. We are proud of
the North Americans who risked their lives for
the liberty of the world, but we must not forget,
and we must not permit demagogues to belittle,
the part played by our gallant Allies. Their
casualty lists tell the story.
"However proud we may be of our own
achievements, let us remember always that the
war could not have been won if the Belgians,
British, French and Italians had not fought like
bulldogs in the face of overwhelming odds. The
gieat war will live vividly in the minds of Amer-
icans for the next hundred years. I hope that
when we do reverence to the memory of our
brave boys who fell in France we shall not for-
get their brothers in arms who wore the uni-
forms of our Allies.
"I believe that the national airs of France,
Great Britain, Italy and Belgium should for
all time to come be as familiar to us as our
own 'Star Spangled Banner.' "
Following the inventor's address the national
airs of our Allies are then playe'd. The record
was heard for the first time last week at the
Edison laboratories in Orange, N. J. Mr. Edi-
son will celebrate his seventy-second birthday
on February 11, and this record, containing his
personal tribute to the boys who fought and
won, is particularly appropriate as a sort of
birthday greeting from the great inventor to the
host of Americans who acclaim him.
The annual convention of the Edison Diamond
Disc Jobbers' Association will be held at the
Ritz-Carlton Hotel, New York, on Monday,
Tuesday and Wednesday, February 10, 11 and
12. There will be a number of special features
introduced at the convention, as has been the
rule at previous gatherings of the sort. Walter
E. Kipp is president of the association.
In a chat this week with The Review, C.
Alfred Wagner, president of the Musical Instru-
ment Sales Co., New York, commented upon
the excellent outlook for 1919 business in the
various Victor departments controlled by this
company. The managers of these departments
say that the demand for Victrolas and Victor
records far exceeds any previous year in his-
tory, and the sales totals are limited only by
the merchandise available. Mr. Wagner is tak-
ing a personal interest in the success of these
departments, and his thorough knowledge of
general conditions has been an invaluable fac-
tor in the growth of these Victor departments,
which are established in the leading department
stores in different sections of the country.
A UTAH DEALER WHO CAN SELL
A visitor this week at the offices of the Co-
lumbia Graphophone Co., Xew York, was
J. Auerbach, Columbia dealer at Richfield, Utah,
who handles this line exclusively. Mr. Auer-
bach, although established in a city whose total
population is only 4,000, has achieved remark-
able results in developing Columbia business,
and his energy and aggressiveness have enabled
him to close a business that compares very
favorably with the sales totals of dealers in
"first-class" cities.
In one small town adjoining Richfield, where
the population comprises seventy-five families,
Mr. Auerbach has sold Grafonolas to thirty-
tliree families, and the majority of these sales
called for the higher-priced instruments. He
is planning to sell the remaining forty-two
families upon his return from the East, and in
line with other Columbia dealers throughout
the country his only complaint is a shortage of
merchandise.
TO REPRESENT THE CHENEY LINE
Edward G. Hoch has made arrangements with
the Cheney Talking Machine Co., Chicago, III.,
whereby he will represent the Cheney line in
Minnesota, North and South Dakota and Wy-
oming.
The United Talking Machine Co. with stores
in Brockton and Plymouth, Mass., has bought
out the Andrews Music Co., of Willimantic,
Conn., and will operate the store as a branch
under the management of Samuel Feldman.
REJOIN BLACKMAN CO. STAFF
A. J. Wilckens and A. D. Robbins Return to Sales
Staff—J. H. Giles in Europe—H. C. Lansell's
Fine Work—Is Dean of Traveling Staff
The Blackman Talking Machine Co., New
York, Victor wholesaler, announced recently
the return to the company's traveling staff of
A. J. Wilckens and A. D. Robbins, both of
whom served Uncle Sam in the recent war.
Mr. Wilckens, who was in the U. S. Navy,
and who saw active service on a submarine
chaser and in convoy work, will resume his
visits to the Blackman clientele in New Jer-
sey territory, and Victor dealers in this section
will undoubtedly be glad to welcome the return
of this popular wholesale man.
A. D. Robbins was a member of the 315th
Aero Squadron, and after training in this coun-
try left for England, where he had just com-
pleted an intensive course of training when the
armistice was signed. Mr. Robbins will call
upon the Blackman dealers in New York and
Brooklyn.
Lieutenant James H. Giles, who was also a
member of the Blackman traveling staff before
joining Uncle Sam's forces, is now in France,
and when the armistice was signed was in the
first line trenches. Lieutenant Giles has seen
very severe service in France, and his many
friends in the trade hope that he will soon be
back in America.
H. C. Lansell, the dean of the Blackman trav-
eling staff, and one of the most popular mem-
bers of the Victor wholesale fraternity, has
been rendering the Blackman clientele yeoman
service during the .past year, and through his
extensive knowledge of the dealers' require-
ments has been able to assist Victor retailers
in solving many important problems.
SPRING TONE TEST SEASON OPENS
Edison Artists Start Tours That Were Held Up
by the Epidemic of Influenza
With the influenza epidemic almost entirely
removed as an obstruction to concert work
throughout the United States, the Edison spring
tone test season opened last month.
Miss Ida Gardner, with Harold Lyman,
started out at Shelby, N. C , on January 20 for
a five weeks' tour of the Atlanta and New Or-
leans zones. Miss Gardner and Mr. Lyman are
prime favorites in the several zones they have
toured together on tone test work.
To Glen Ellison belongs the honor of open-
ing the spring season in the West. His first
tone test concert was in California on January
20. Vernon Dalhart opens in the Dallas zone
OTI February 16 for a ten weeks' tour.
The indications now point to an unusually ac-
tive spring Edison tone test season. Many of
the recitals which were prevented by the in-
fluenza last fall will be given during the spring,
and an increasing number of Edison dealers
seem to have reached the conclusion that the
best time to boost business is when it most
needs boosting.
SELLING THE NEW EDISON IN OREGON
TEMPORARY QUARTERS AFTER FIRE
Carl Adler, Edison dealer in Baker, Ore., who
has been in the service for some months, has
recently received his discharge from the army.
He was located in a Texas camp last, and he de-
cided that the best way to get to Oregon was
to go by way of New York. Incidentally, he
took in Orange, too. "I may never come again,"
he commented, "at least, not until I come on my
honeymoon, so 1 may as well see as much as I
can now."
While he was in New York we
tried to get a little dope on Edison selling in
Oregon, for we have long known that Mr. Adler
is considered a particularly live wire in that
State. "Sure, I'll tell you how we do it," he
acceded. "One day I heard of a prospect sev-
enty-five miles out of Canyon City. I loaded
in a C-150 and went.up there. It was a farm
of some thousand acres, with a couple of thou-
sand head of cattle. You can imagine some-
thing about the country when I tell you that
wild deer used to come down with the cattle
in the night, and we could see them in the pas-
ture in the morning.
The Phonograph Shop in Great Falls, Mont.,
is now located in temporary quarters at 8 Sec-
ond street, North, that city, following a fire
which destroyed the building in which the store
was formerly located. Fortunately the staff man-
aged to get the stock of records and machines
out of the building before they were touched
by the flames.
"Well, they received me with open arms.
They put me up overnight, gave me the best
things they had to eat, took me deer hunting
and did all they could to entertain me. It's
really worth while to sell out there, just for
the fun you have going around the country."
"But did you leave the instrument?" he was
asked. "Why, of course," Mr. Adler responded.
ADDITIONS TO COLUMBIA FORCES
The general sales department of the Columbia
Giaphophone Co., New York, announced this
week the addition to the Columbia sales force
of F. P. Conklin, John Henderson and H. L.
Moorey.
Mr. Conklin has been appointed a member
of the sales force at New Haven, Conn.; H. M.
Blakeborough, manager. Mr. Henderson has
joined the force of the Indianapolis branch; Ben
L. Brown, manager. Mr. Moorey, who has for
several years been a member of the auditing
division, is now preparing to join one of the
Columbia branches, and his definite assignment
will be announced later. His previous experi-
ence insures his success in his new post.