THE AUTOMATIC AGE
Vol. 2
C H IC A G O , S E P T E M B E R , 1926
_________
N o. 2
OLD TIM ER SINGS TH E G LO R Y
OF C H IC A G O
James A tkinson, V eteran O perator Enum erates H is Idea o f C h ica g o’s
P osition in the A u tom atic Industry.
In this outline o f my observations
o f C hicago as a vending m achine cen
ter, I have sou gh t to lay th e facts
before the readers o f the A U T O
M A T IC A G E in an unbiased manner.
I hope in settin g forth the virtues o f
C hicago, m y hom e city, as a vending
m achine center, I do no oth er city
any injustice. I f any claim s I have
made are su bject to correction I shall
be happy indeed to have the fa cts
brou gh t to m y attention as I w ant
to see h on or given to w h om h on or is
due. M y fu rth er hope is to record in
the annals o f the coin con trolled ma
chine business those pertinent fa cts
that m ake f o r an accurate h istory o f
this grea t profession.
N o one w ill
deny, at the outset, that C h icago is a
great vending m achine m anufacturing
and distributing center.
T h ere are
upwards o f three score m anu factu r
ers and distributors o f vending m a
chines o f all kinds as w ell as a score
or m ore o f specialty and supply men.
In C hicago the bulk o f the
m int
vending m achines are m ade including
the Bell and F O K m achines. In fa ct
C hicago is the m int vending center
o f the woi'ld, A h a lf dozen huge
plants rise up to stand as m onum ents
to the m int vender to one o f the
greatest fa c to r s in the coin operated
m achine industry.
E ach o f these
plants produces oth er products in the
coin operated field as w ell, but the
greatness o f the city is fu rth er en
hanced b y som e th irty specialized
coin m achine houses such as the im
posing fa c to r y o f the E xh ibit Supply
C om pany w ho make am usem ent ma
chines fo r arcades and route men ex
© International Arcade Museum
clusively.
C hicago is the center o f
the coin operated piano trade, claim
in g the three largest coin operated
piano factories in the w orld. C hicago
James Atkinson
is a m int and supply m anufacturing
and distributing center having the
w orlds largest m int factories, peanut
salting plants and num erous
gum
m anufacturing plants, although the
E astern cities o f N ew ark and N ew
Y o rk and B rooklyn h old the honors
http://www.arcade-museum.com/