C.O.C.A. Times

CAillE's
CAST
I RON T Roplty's
by Johnny Duckworth
At the beginning of the twentieth century, cast iron was one of the most dominating materials used in the
production of coin operated machines. These early gambling machines were typically dressed in wood with cast
iron trimmings and some of the counter machines were nothing but cast iron. This transformation to an all iron
case would result in some of the most beautiful examples of Victorian art ever produced in slot machines. The
castings would then be finished in either nickel or oxidized copper to accentuate their beauty. These works of art
would also require two strong men and a boy to carry and if accidentally dropped, they could be very unforgiving.
However, this method of producing machines would be cut short since aluminum was much lighter and cheaper
and became widely used in the early 20's.
This machine has
two color wheels and is
very simple to play, just
place a coin in the up-
per 5 way coin slot rep-
resenting the color de-
sired, pull down on the
handle, the wheels spin
in opposite directions
and you wait to see if
the color played will
match up in the cen-
ter. Most color wheel
machines at that time
were a single wheel in
which you would need
the color played to land
at the top under an arrow, same as a floor machine. In
theory, this machine is the same except you want the
two wheels to line up and match the color you played.
You will notice on this machine that the left wheel has
so many colors per inch that you feel as if the odds are
in your favor. However, when looking at the wheel on
the right, it shows just how unfair the machine could
be since the large color spaces favored the house. It's
also one of those machines you can place a bet on every
color only to lose your money and not hit a winner.
I will start off with the Caille Silver Cup, which
sold for $75 new and had to brighten up any run down
saloon counter with its exquisite beauty. The name Sil-
ver Cup is boldly spelled across the bottom of the front
casting and the profile of a beautiful young lady with a
flowing dress adorns each side and back. She is holding
above her head, a trophy with the initials CB cast into
it, representing Caille Brothers. This symbol is widely
known to represent a 1st place trophy and that is no
doubt where the Caille Brothers wanted to be.
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