Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
DEATH OF A. THEO. E. WANGEMANN.
The Well Known Expert on Acoustics So Long
Connected With Thomas A. Edison at the
Factory in Orange, N. J., Killed While Board-
ing a Train at Bath Beach Saturday Night—
Funeral Services Largely Attended.
efficiency both as a delightful medium of enter-
tainment and as a commercial proposition. Mr.
Wangemann was a rare combination of a prac-
tical man.
"Mr. Wangemann was the first to exhibit the
phonograph in Europe, recording the voices of
the reigning monarchs and the prominent states-
men, records still in possession of his company.
Then he was associated with Mr. Edison at the
Paris Exposition. He was a composer of merit,
but would never permit any of his music to be
published, though his laboratory headquarters
are littered with his compositions. Of course,
every one knows Mr. Wangemann was an author-
ity on acoustics, in his earlier years being an es-
teemed pupil of Helmholtz, and had written a
number of papers on the voice which were re-
garded as authoritative. He was indeed a won-
derful man, and with all his ability, intellectual
strength and scientific knowledge, he was as
modest as a child and nothing worried him so
as to be drawn into the limelight of publicity."
TRADE NOTES FROM WHEELING.
Cheery Report From This Goahead
City.
Southern
(Special to The Keview.)
Wheeling, W. Va., June 2, 1906.
All the dealers report the greatest kind of
business. The volume during May was con-
Though little known in the trade at large, to
siderably in excess of any other month in the
those of the inner circle familiar with his ser-
history of the business.
vices and discoveries as an expert on acoustics
The Palace Furniture Co. has added Colum-
in the development of the phonograph, the sud-
bia cylinder machines and records. Up to this
den death cf A. Theo. E. Wartgemann, Saturday
time they have been exclusive Victor dealers.
night last, came as a shock. He had been visit-
Will M. Bard, Jr., has been receiving the con-
ing friends in Bath Beach (Brooklyn), N. Y., and
gratulations of his numerous friends in the talk-
started for his home in Orange, N. J., at mid-
ing machine business, the occasion being his
night, when, in boarding a car, he made a misstep
birthday anniversary. He is one of the young-
and fell, the train starting up and dragging him
est men in the business. The lack of years has
for half a block, his body being badly mangled.
been more than made up by his close application
Mr. Wangemann never recovered consciousness
and enthusiasm during the years he has devoted
and died within an hour. From papers found on
to this line.
his person his identity was learned and the
That monthly lists of new records play a
Edison people at. Orange wore notified, UIHIP'"
prominent part in the talking machine game is
whose direction the body was removed to an un-
a proven fact. The live dealers will agree that
FROM HERE AND THERE.
dertaking establishment in Brooklyn, N. Y..
the cutting out of one month's list of records
where burial services were held Monday evening, Trade Conditions Reviewed—Edison South— means not only loss in sales of new titles but
New Zon-o-Phone Catalogue—Hearing, on
cremation following the next day at the Fresh
older ones as well. When the users are educated
Copyright Bill.
Pond crematory in that city.
to having their attention called at certain in-
tervals to new records you can bank on a large
The obsequies were conducted by the Pleiades
Trade has improved little if any with either percentage coming to investigate the merits of
Club, of which Mr. Wangemann was an honored
the jobbing houses or the dealers. Stock in the new offerings. Rarely do they buy new rec-
member, the organization being composed of
machines, records, horns and other essentials is ords only. No other one thing stimulates the
artists, writers, actors, composers, journalists and
still far from being what is required, and while business to as great an extent as does the month-
general professional men, about fifty members
the dulness is ascribed by some to this undesir- ly lists of new records. All the Edison dealers
being present. The Muckers' Club, the member-
able situation, it is scarcely fair in the estimate. here are feeling keenly the cutting out of the
ship of which is confined to the experimenters
For an inexplicable reason, business in nearly June list, although it's accepted as the very
and experts in the Edison laboratories at Orange,
all lines has slumped perhaps a little earlier best policy that could be pursued in view of the
the deceased being secretary, were also in attend-
than last year, and therefore the talking ma- shortage of current numbers.
ance—ten all told—besides the following officials
chine industry is but sharing the general condi-
of the .National Phonograph Co.: C. H. Wilson,
During the past two months all of the four
tions.
general sales manager; William Pelzer, of the
houses handling Edison goods have increased
legal department; Walter Stevens, manager of
Thomas A. Edison, accompanied by Frank Ark their record stocks.
the export department; L. C. McChesney, adver-
as
a personal bodyguard, a permanent post, by
tising manager; Walter Miller, manager record-
the
way, is still touring the South in his auto-
ing laboratory; Peter Weber, superintendent, E.
A. Aiken, assistant superintendent, and Robert mobile.
Bachmann, laboratory superintendent, of the Edi-
son Phonograph Works. John P. Kelsey, secre-
taTy of the Eastern Talking Machine Jobbers'
Association, and a number of ladies, including
Mrs. Wangemann, came to pay their respects—
in all about 200. James Leland, a Pleiad, de-
livered a brief and touching address, followed by
a sympathetic rendering of Rodney's "Calvary,"
by Paul Dufault, a tenor of note and a fellow
club man. This ended the simple ceremony, but
it was one by which all were visibly affected.
Then a last look at the rugged features of the do
ceased in the casket, profusely covered with
roses and wreaths, and whose name and fame in
his particular field is known the world over.
The Columbia Phonograph Co., General, was
represented at the hearing Wednesday, before the
joint session of the Senate and House Patent
Committees on the copyright bill by Paul Crome-
lin, vice-president, and Philip Mauro, senior
counsel.
A. P. Petit, manager of sales of the Douglas
Phonograph Co., who went to Baltimore, Md., on
special business, returned to New York Wednes-
day.
MACHINES SHOULD BE IN ORDER.
It is barely possible that every dealer does not
realize the importance of having machines in
Speaking of the deceased, a long-time friend
said to The Review: "Mr. Wangemann was of perfect order before being sent out. The manu-
German origin, born at Bonnon-Rhine, and was facturer, ships the goods in shape, but this does
52 years of age. He was a man of magnificent phy- not mean the best results follow if put in opera-
sique, fully six feet four inches, rough in appear- tion without further attention. The most deli-
ance and regardless of dress; but he was a gradu- cately constructed watch is regulated by the jew-
ate of the university, a linguist, a finished mu- eler before selling, and this is also true of the
sician and pianist, a painter of note, and alto- best made talking machines, which must be run
gether a gentleman of rare and varied accom- and adjusted in the. store previous to being
plishments. With Thomas A. Edison he was a placed in the hands of the buyer. The speaker
favorite, working side by side for seventeen should be carefully looked after, the sapphire
years, and in the Edison Phonograph Works he carefully adjusted and other essential parts
had charge of the experimental work and prac- looked over. Jobbers knowing their business and
tical demonstrating in the phonograph labora- having a retail trade, never neglect these details,
tory—labors that were not only congenial, but and dealers make a serious mistake if they do
when necessary, absorbing his attention to the not adopt the same methods. A number of men
exclusion of everything else, even forgetting to who have been employed about the factories and
sleep several days at a time when a knotty prob- subsequently joined the ranks of the dealers are
lem was to be solved or a new discovery was un- wise to these precautions, and-in consequence
der way. The phonograph and sound recording de- their business has prospered because the owner
relopment was a passion with this extraordinary of the machines has obtained the very best re-
man, and I venture to say he has done more— sults from the records. ' A dealer who is care-
next to the great Edison himself—to bring the less, or ignorant—which is worse—of these sug-
gestions is working against his best interests.
talking machine up to its present high state of
A Word with
the Piano Dealer
Do you carry a regular line of Talk-
ing Machines? If not, why not?
There's good money in it, and it
blends perfectly with your vocation.
Do you wish to know all about the
business? Its possibilities and how to
make money in selling "talkers"?
THE
TALKING
MACHINE
WORLD
is the only publication in America de-
voted solely to the interests of the
talking - machine trade. I t contains
forty to fifty pages 11x 15 of interest-
ing matter, and has practical sugges-
tions, helpful comments, a complete
list of all records issued monthly by
the leading concerns, patents and im-
provements, and every item of trade
news which is worth recording from
all parts of the world.
The cost is only a trifle—fifty cents
a year (stamps or cash). No subscrip-
tion entered for less than one year.
EDWARD LYMAN BILL
EDITOR AND PUBLISHER
OFFICES:
X MADISON A V E . , N E W Y O R K