Automatic Age

T h e A u t o m a t i c A ge
Williams Shows How
to Run Arcades
(Continued from Page 10)
n°unced by his patrons as a “ fraud”
^
a “ humbug.”
Little Show Killed Off
. Then new men put their money
’*to moving pictures, and long shows,
'^creased license fees, big seating
£aPacities and elaborate settings
k'Hed the little show. Old timers
ecame discouraged and dropped out.
. 'diams transferred his theatrical
’^terests to concessions in Steeple­
chase. The “ B. and S.” amusement
°Use opened on Main street and
Mother opened on Mattison avenue
the present Savoy theater. In
an ordinance was passed by
^°uncil under the regime o f Mayor
■ Frank Appleby “ to provide fo r
}Q moving picture machines.” There-
i “er permits from the mayor or
aiding inspector were necessary be-
^
moving picture machines could
e operated, and detailed precautions
S&inst fire were imposed.
The younger generation is appar-
ly not so watchful o f opportuni-
es or so eager for work as the pio-
eers. Williams has on several occa-
,0*s offered Asbury Park boys a
nance to create a penny arcade bus-
,.®Ss of their own, but they are in­
h e r e n t to his proposals. During
, e summer season Williams is “ on
\6 jo b ” from 8 in the morning until
‘dnight and often sweeps the floors
cleans up the chewing gum while
6 boys he employs are thinking
about it.
|.
has handled millions o f people,
istened to innumerable complaints
^c* contended with all manner of
^eness but he bears no ill will and
^ te m p la te s
the
“ scenes”
with
^L-sement rather than anger. Men
emand new trousers fo r tears on
which are n°t to be found
]ien the “ manager” goes with them
the scene o f disaster. Women in­
’
upon a new dress because a
^ ease spot has been acquired “ some­
© International Arcade Museum
71
where” on his ferris wheel.
Con­
stantly people declare they have
“ dropped in a dime” instead o f a
penny. In the excitement, forgetting
which machine it was, they insist
one after another be unlocked in the
hunt. A moralist society forced W il­
liams to go through thousands o f
“ fortunes” extracting every tenth
one, which they insisted was “ ob­
jectionable” because it prophesied
the number o f children which the
prospective bride or groom might ex­
pect.
A highflung Southerner declared
one night that his son had dropped a
$5 gold piece into the machine by
mistake, and when keys were pro­
duced and no gold piece was forth­
coming, loudly accused the manage­
ment o f having made away with it.
Patience untangles all the snarls,
Williams says. The Carolinian a
few days later wrote him a letter o f
apology admitting the gold piece had
been found at home.
The Operator’s
Friend
A U T O M A TIC A G E :
Please find $1 00 for the renewal
o f your A U T O M A TIC AGE. I want
to say that it is a great little book.
It’s the operators friend. Be sure
to send this mon'.h’s as I don’t want
to miss a single copy.
C H AR LES A. B ALLO U , Jr.
306 Warwick Ave.,
Lakewood, Rhode Island
Wants Gup Vender
A U T O M A T IC A G E :
Will you kindly give us the address
o f a manufacturer o f coin controlled
dispensers fo r paper drinking cups
and oblige.
PT. P L E A SA N T H A R D W A R E CO.
Point Pleasant, N. J.
The trapdoor spider so constructs
his home that the door is closed by
gravity when he goes in or out.
http://www.arcade-museum.com/