Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1922-05-20
PACE AND PROGRESS.

Richmond, Va, May ~. M. G.
Clarke, vice-president and treasurer
! OF the Pace Photograph Corporation
| of Virginia, has just returned from
n trip to New York, where he spent
| several days visiting tho great Pace
| photograph house there. The Vir-
! ginia corporation IS subsidiary Of
| tho New York company and is dis
| trfbutor for the states Of Virginia,
West Virginia, North Carolina and
| South Carolina for the monographs,
records and needles made by the
| company in New York. $50. :.
The Pace Company makes it's own
monographs and records, employing
! about 90 in the Office and over so
| in tho factory. 1t has representatives
and show rooms in all parts Of the
| country, giving employment to hun
dreds of Negroes who would not 9TH
crwise be employed in Negro indus
try. It's records are known as "Blacli
Swan records and the Photographs
are known as "Swanolas" and are
! made in all standard types and sizes,
including the new console typo,
which is Il handsome piece Of furn-
ituro as we'll as musical instru-
! ment
All records are made by Negro
| artists, and tho public are one in
acclaim over the numbers running
! from "blues" to grand opera. ALDER
Ia Hunter, Lucille Hegamjn, Ethel
Waters, Revclla Hughes, Lula Wild
by ana Katie Crippen are some Of the
stars" under exclusive contract with
tue Pace Company. The Company
also maintains its own orchestra for
| dance music and choir for sacred
| ronditions. In fact, it has every
: equipment and arrangement neccs-
sary for the products Of a modern
| music establishment.
An idea Of the unusual success OF
| tho young business may be gained
| when wo know that, after only ~
; months OF operation. It was able to
| purchase, out Of it's own profits made
! In these twelve months, the phon-
\ ograph factory OF the Rcmingto on
! Photograph Corporation Of New
! York. This was white concern,
gone bankrupt. The factory is now
, running full capacity and making
! only "Swanolas.'
mis- is the same factory in which
: Pace first had his records made by
Il white firm. 1T is tculiar twist
| OF fate, some would say, for a col
| ored man to become owner Of such
a factory. That is not fate. 1t is
faith. Pace has the faith--faith in
his ness--faith in his people
J faith in himself---and me Is reward
; ing himself through his faith.
; Pace can't do 1t all alone, but he
has the happy faculty Of getting 9th
ers to do. 'He got M. G. Clarke, who
organic ed the Virginia corporation,
: to head up tho work in Virginia,
! West Virginia, North Carolina and
South Carolina. Everybody around
knows Clarke. He Is the NJ, G..
; Clarke who organized The CONNER
! cfal Bank and Trust Company Of
Richmond, opened and guided 1t sue
cessfully through the worst part OF
depression period. Then he got
out. a bank Is a limited affair, at
best, he reasoned; and he has UNI
limited vision.
Ho has unlimited ambition to back
up that vision. He does unlimited
work to support the ambition--&and
he always gets the thing done. He
could have found no better vehicle
for his peculiar ability than the vir-
gin industry OF selling human voices
Negro voices. Clarke Is always n
Negro, but You would never know
1t unless you see him.
Mr.. G. V. Kelly is secretary-sales
manager for the Virginia Corpora
ton. He comes direct from the
home office in New York and Is In
charge, Of sales for the district.
After only four months Of oper-
alton, the Virginia Corporation has
done as much business as 1t would
have been satisfied with for six
months. It Is therefore two months
ahead of itself. But Clarke always
plans ahead. He is like Pace-and
Pace Is progress and Pace progress
Is race progress.
The Virginia Corporation has off,
ces and conservatory IN a six-room
building at sol North Third Street
In Richmond. leased especially for
It's own use and is occupied for a
photograph house. II. II. Pace, the
Swanola blue fame OF "Blues" fame
president Of the New York Corpora,
ton, is also president OF the Virginia
: Corporation. M. G. Clarke is vice
president and treasurer. C. V. Kelly
/ is secretary and sales-manager fol-
the four States under the Virginia
: district.
|; 1t is the object of the Pace Phon.
ograph Corporation Of Virginia tc
put "Swanola" in every Negro homo
using talking machines-and it i:
being done. Pace Is doing his "solv
/, ing by work-productive work, an(
: letting the problem" take care o.
= itself. If we had more PAGES an(
, Clarkes, we would wake up one
+ morning and find there Is no "prob
LEM to solve.