Automatic Age

August, 1933
AUTOMATIC AGE
103
A Real Leader Has Left Us
With the passing of James Atkinson the vending machine in­
dustry lost an outstanding character. He was a war-horse of the
old school. Before many present-day operators were born he was
battling through the many obstacles that beset the path of the
vending machine trade. It is a coincidence that he passed away
during the present World’s Fair because during the previous Fair,
in 1893, he operated machines in the grounds. That was what
gave him his start as a big operator.
Jim was endowed first of all with explicit knowledge of right
and wrong and he was a fearless fighter for what he thought was
right. He was a man of inborn principles who believed that the
vending machine business was a legitimate way of making a living
during a time, when many drifted into it whose ideals were the
glamorous racketeers that were parading across the stage of Chi­
cago’s business history.
He was one of the early leaders in the organization movement
and held every office within the gift of the organizations of which
he was a member. He was always known as a “ watchdog” of the
trade and repeatedly his sane ideas of what ought to be done with
the organization’s money was later found to be for the best inter­
ests of the association. Without his advice more than once the
organization would have gone on the rocks. His friends always
.swore, by him and those who opposed him always respected his
sterling honesty of purpose and his iron will.
A few years ago an automobile accident unfortunately im­
paired his nervous system and from then on he. appeared very little
in the public affairs of the industry. Those who had not known
him previously would detect the fact that his train of thought did
not always proceed with continuity and yet it was easy to discern
that he was thinking clearly and his judgment remained sound to
the end. Because of his ill-health over a comparatively long period
his demise was not unexpected.
There are. few men among the operators in the industry
whose going would cause as great a vacancy. A real leader, whose
heart was strong and whose head was right, has left us.
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