ities for complete repairs. Louis E. Wol-
cher head of the firm is in the East and
Mid:West and the above information was
imparted by Al Meyers, Manager.
Mexers said that the firm has a ~ast
expansion program for the postwar perIod.
Besides expanding the domestic trade, an
export business is being contemplated. In-
quiries are coming in from as far away
as Guam.
Recently Wolcher opened the Gayway
Arcade on Market Street, managed by
Eddie Le Beau. Wolcher owns another
Arcade, the Funline, both eminently suc-
cessful.
Gisela Ney
Salt Lalae City
Rudy Vogt, of R. F . Vogt Distributors,
sole distributors for the Inter-Mountain
territory for Bally, Keeney, Exhibit, Evans
and nearly all the major game manu-
facturers and who is well known in these
columns' th rough a highly interesting
feature story run several months ago,
reminiscing when he was known as "King
of the Slots" and which colors the coin ma-
chine trade with all the adventure of every
pioneering industry, reports business as
fairly good with the bulk of service now,
for the distributor, being the refurbishing
of used equipment, to keep the ops fur-
nished with sufficient machines. A stock
of hard-to·get parts, has helped the dis-
tributor business here.
Vogt also advises us that some of the
boys from neighboring towns in this region
have been able, even with gasoline ration-
ing to drop in occasionally, among whom
have been, recently; Ray Baker, in from
Ogden looking for some equipment; Rag-
nal F~lker, Provo, looking up some music
equipmen t ; Harold Thatcher of Provo,
was in picking up a few pieces of equip-
ment and some spare parts. J. C. Chevalier
Twin Falls picked up parts and a couple
of pieces of equipment. W. L. Holst, Jr., in
from Brigham City reports that business
in his section of the territory in Northern
Utah is very good. Norman Crogun of
Ogden, bought some games during a few
days stay in Salt Lake, according to Vogt,
who also informs us that operators in Car-
bon County, Utah, a coal mining district,
have been sitting idle 'on the fence', since
the new sheriff there closed all consoles
and payouts. Whether to start Free P lays
or wait and hope for Payouts to come
back has been their problem. Vogt has
planned no vacation as yet because of the
gas situation.
Dan B. Stewart, one of the owners of
See STEWART NOVELTY ad
PAGE 8
the Stewart Novelty Co., is now perma-
nently located in Reno at the Casino (op-
erated by the same company). Dan's for·
mer duties have been taken over by his
brother, Sid, according to Mrs. Watkins,
Sid's secretary. .
Presiden~ and Manager John R. Moser
bf Hemingway and' Moser Co., is cur-
rently enjoying a well earned vacation at
Flat Rock Club, near Mack's Inn in
Idaho. Ralph Cracfort, office manager in
charge during Moser's absence states that
local cigarette vending machine p~ople hav.e
been busy securing the annual CIgarette lI-
censes which must be affixed to machines
as of July 1st.
Fred Murphy, Jr., manager of Heming-
way and Moser retail stores, is now in
Idaho combining his regular inspection trip
with the semi· annual inventory.
Johnny Moran, son of B. E. Moran of
Rowe Service Co., is visiting l'Iorace W.
Skelton of the Rowe personnel in Los
Angeles on his vacation, and writes home
that he' won a few dollars on his first trip
to the races and that they have been on a
wonderful trip u p to Lake Tahoe.
W. H. Rowe, official of Rowe Service
Co., and of Rowe Manufacturing Co., vis-
ited with the local personnel recently for
several days before continuing on to Los
Angeles and the Pacific Coast.
Viola H u tton
Seattl@
JULY 1944-Like a misty dream, mem-
ory fades backward-Coin Rowand Civi-
lization were thousands of miles away.
Quonset .h uts, like so many burrowing
animals, hugged ' the tundra. Our sum·
mer season was packed into three glori-
ous Sol days: 4th, 5th, and 6th. Stripped
to the waist, I sprawled on the damp
greens'ward, fighting off tiny insects and
gazing with wonderment at scenic splen-
dor such as only adorns postcards. Moun-
tains, tall and white-splotched; ravines,
deep and turbulent; small Howers and
.the sweep of the mighty Bering Sea. Bleak,
rugged, beautiful.
I lay back, while the sun feuded with
a tiny mist of clouds and thought of
the way our lives were ordered, the way
we fitted into the mighty machine of war:
small, infinitesimal parts that kept the
little round bearings of communications
from burning out. We were told what
COMPLETELY REFURBISHED. READY FOR
LOCATION
5 Bally G.and Nationals ............ ea. $135.00
1 Bally Thistle Downs ........................ $ 75.00
2 Bally Pace Mak ....................... ea. 125.00
1 Kee n. y SterPe .... Uppe...................
75 .00
2 Bally G.and Stands .................. ea. 115.00
3 Evans 5c .. ucky Stars .......... ea. 125.00
1 Bak •• ' s Pac ... 5c Jack Pot (nea.'y newl.. .......................................... $250.00
1 K • • ney Two-Way 5c C .P. (nea.ly newl Sup • • Bell ............................ 475 .00
Pdces Include Careful C.atlng, '13 with 'Order, Balance C .O.'D. ImmedIate ShIpment
No Delays
ALSO
COMPLETELY REFURBISHED FIVE BALL "FREE PLAYS"
MAKE A REASONABLE OFFER FOR GAMES " READY TO GO"
3 Show Boat, 1 Botti., 1 Genco Def.nse, 1 Knockout, 1 G~n Club (Gencol, 1
Ho.ascope, 1 De-Ice., 1 Topic, 1 Bally Play Ball , 1 Attentoon ,. l B.oadcast, 1
Stone. Base Ball, 1 Ston •• B.ite Spot, 1 New Champs, 1 ~'9.ntone, 1 G./. Joe,
1 Glamou., 1 Maio,'s '41, 1 Miami Beach, all packed In new cartons.
NEW A.B.T. COIN CHUTES, $3;75
THE R. r. VOGT DISTRIBUTORS
MILNER HOTEL BLDG.
(phone 5·0461)
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH
clothes we should wear, where we should
sleep and what rations we would eat.
We were ordered to duty---ordered while
on duty-like so many automatons. The
complications of every· day living we once
knew and struggled to master were no
more. My mind drifted to the problems
that had once netted my ' brow and fur-
rowed my forehead and I longed for a
problem - any problem - so·-Iong as I
could be living, breathing part of life
that wasn't staid and stagnant.
JULY, 1945--Waves that break like
slivers of steel on Elliott Bay. A freighter
moving 'in 'slow motion silhouette against
the green backdrop of Bainbridge and
Vashon Islands. This is a far different
Coin Row than one I knew in the
Thirties. Then the streets bulged with
bumper-to·bumper parked cars. Distribu-
tors lined their Hoors with games and
customers. The spirit was jovial and dot-
ted with greenbacks and cash register
tinkles.
Now the curbs yawn and scratch for
the 'feel of tires. An austere maturity
blended with a "Ghost Town" stillness
prevades the atmosphere.
Walk with me, comrades, while I make
the rounds. First, to Puget Sound Novelty,
and a semblance of pre·war days. We
pass door after door, and the signs all
read the same: "Entrance" with an arrow
pointing onward. After slipping past a
half dozen, we lose interest in just where
the entrance is, but eventually we find
it and walk in. Owner George Schnabel
COIN
wears his usual white coveralls, heavy MACHINE
black mustache and infectious smile. REVIEW
Truly, here is an example of perserver·
ance and progress because, just a few
years ago the total extent of George's
holdings was a two·by·four repair shop.
There is a sign on the panel of Jack
Foa
R. Moore Co., "Back at One," so we AUGUST
move on, making a mental note to reo
1945
trace our steps later.
The inertia noted at Northwest Sales
for some months is over. Boss Ron Pep·
pIe is home on furlough, and the boss
is certainly making up for his thirteen
months' absence.
Shaggy Curly Gohr, who usually prowls
in Western Distributors' shop isn' t in to·
day; neither is Solly Solomon. Brother
Padlock strangleholds the door. A glance
into the almost· barren show room brings
back visions of days when games were
packed so tightly you had to keep your
weight down to get around.
We found Max Grossman perspIrmg
plentifully while unpacking a game, while
Partner Earl Everett talked turkey to Op
Tom Stamolis at Seattle Coin Machine Co.
No news is supposed to be good news,
but not when you're columning. Dick
Robinson, one of the guiding lights at
Royal Amusement, handed out a negative
reply to "What's doin'?" but took time
out to reminisce about his last job: per·
sonnel manager for Associated Shipyards.
"I spent hours trying to talk workers out of
quitting and I've been threatened a punch
in the nose so many times by disgruntled
'guys that I've lost count of 'em," Dick
mused.
Old Sol was kicking his toes at the 90
mark-which is certainly hot for an ex·
• Islander--so we dropped into a chow spot
for a guzzle of 3.2 and found Harry Ban-
nister, top of the shop man at Heberling's,
attacking a plate of chop suey. "This is
sure a strange war," Harry commented. "I
tried to enlist twice and they turned me
down; but the day before they passed the
38·year-old law what did they do but draft
me." Asked to compare his two·war sol-
diering, he said: "The weapons used in
'18 are like fighting with bow and arrow
in this one. The chow-e,>;en with K and
65