th .. operator see the '46 machine first, then
decide." Jack Moore, still smiling, departed
from the scene with these words: "Deliv-
eries of new models will begin in Febru-
ary."
During his recent visit in Southern California Rudy Greenbaum, Aireon Vice-Prexy found
time to call on one of his distributors, Nickabob Co. Pictured are, left to right: Bill Simmons,
Aireon Regional Sales Manager; Willis Benson, Nickabob Office Manager; Greenbaum, and
Nick Carter, head of Nickabob Co. and Nickabob Sales Co., Los Angeles and Fresno.
proceed to oust an incumbent's games by
offering the location increased commissions.
With the new ordinance in effect, the oper-
ator applying for one or more licenses-
either additional ones or renewals-must
tell us exactly where he intends to place
the games; if the locations named are al-
ready amply provided with pin tables, then
his application will be disapproved. No lic-
ense applications will be disapproved arbi-
COIN
MACHINE trarily or capriciously; the council will act
fairly and impartially."
REVIEW
For fifty-one years Dame Fortune out-
dueled, outfought and out-maneuvered the
Grim Reaper whenever it tried to cast its
spell over the Shyvers clan. But three days
before Christmas the Reaper reaped. Death
FOil
FEBRUARY of Ken's mother in Des Moines, Iowa, was
the family's first in more than a half cen-
1946
tury. Ken and Brother Loren motored-or,
to be literally accurate-iced home for the
funeral. "The trip consisted of about 1800
miles on sleet and 400 on good roads," Ken
narrated. "When it got rough, we took half
the poundage out of the ti res and practic·
ally drove on flats."
100,000 service men were trying to get
home; every kind of kindling that could be
made to look like a box was called a
"train" ; the weather was sub-zero, and
everything was breaking-including a coach
which snapped in two just before reaching
Minneapolis-when Seeburg called and Bert
Beutler answered. He sandwiched his offi-
cial business with a Christmas visit to Mrs.
Beutler's Ashland, Kentucky home, but af-
ter that Bert was the sandwich victim and
it was a close press all the way.
A Victor innovation has turned into a
landslide of sales. A short while back the
company announced that fifteen hit tunes
of years bygone-such as Dinah Shore sing-
ing "Blues in the Night"; "Begin the Be-
guine", with Artie Shaw; Wayne King's
rendition of "Josephine"-would be waxed
with the same number on both sides. "This
was a good-will gesture aimed at the oper-
ators," explained Bert Proctor of the local
branch. "You've heard the plaint of the
phonograph boys: a hit tune on one side, a
Class B on tbe other. The hit tune plays
and plays until the record is unplayable,
then it's discarded without the other side
hardly feeling the needle. The operator will
be able to get double play out of those
fifteen specials."
It was ten days before Christmas and
all through the Inn, all the creatures were
stirring (their drinks); there was even a
mouse (under the eye of a soldier after
trying to scuttle the navy). The Inn was
Lockhart's and the occasion a farewell-
Christmas party for George Schnabel. Fea-
76
ture event of the evening was the alleged
personal appearance of Jerry Colonna which
turned out to be "Three Alarm" Alsdorf
hiding his lip behind a black bushel. Puget
Sound cohorts presented George with a
Ronson cigarette lighter and case. Events
transpiring afterward are slightly dimmed
by the 90%, which is good enough proof for
anybody as long as it comes out of a bottle.
A few days later George placed a steady
hand on the steering wheel and guided his
car to the Southland for a short trip.
We've heard the sad lament of the record
jobbers for months and months: no stock
today. We've seen lonely shelves craving for
companionship of a few discs. Now that re-
conversion is here, we expected the deluge
to pour forth. But did it? Listen to a quick
poll of the Big Three: Bert Proctor, Victor:
"During the past month there's been less
stock, not more-and here's why: more
classical albums for Christmas meant fewer
popular tunes." Andy Huffine, Decca:
"We're getting less stock." J. H. Johnson,
Columbia: "Our incoming shipments have
been increasing."
Paratrooper Donnie Davis chuted into the
shop of Western Distributors after riding
the skies of Europe with a winged battalion
of dare-Nazi·devils and concentrating for
a year in a camp by the same name. Now
he joins brother-in-law Vern Preston in Sol-
ly Solomon's emporium.
The candy boys are beaming optimism
along with the rest of the industry. The first
of March increased shipments are expected.
By summer the sweet stuff should jam ware-
housing facilities to the rafters. But right
now? Take that knife away, pal; we can
cut the gloom without it. The sad fact is
that candy manufacturers, having used up
their fourth quarter sugar allotment in
November, were unable to wrap a morsel
in December. Result? The worst shortage
ever, war or no war.
Comfortably astride the saddle of his
motorcycle, Curly Gohr bounced along the
street. The wind whipped at his shaggy
mane and poked playful fingers at his bil-
lowing shirt. Life was so free, so zestful,
so-dangerous! Curly saw the automobile
without lights coming at him-and then
everything was a black tangle. He recov-
ered from back and foot injuries in time to
hie to Los Angeles and join his family for
Christmas.
Smiling Jack Moore entered the scene
with these words: "The Seattle showing of
the 1946 Seeburg Phonograph will be held
in our showrooms January 24th. It'll be
open house. We're not taking orders now.
We're not asking any operator to tie up
with our line exclusively. Our policy is: Let
Meet the hoys at the revamped offices of
Columbia: AI Brosche, "inside man," in
charge of incoming and outgoing ship-
ments; J. H. Johnson, ambassador of orders
and good will in metropolitan Seattle and
Eastern Washington; Morrie Littlejohn, for·
mer Victor satelite, covering Western
Washington; and Ray Mitchell, ex-radio
specialist, at the counter.
Meandering Among the Microbes: a strep
germ, looking for something better in life~
moved into the abscess class and attacked
Vern Preston's throat. After a brief hos-
pitalization, Vern returned fit for shop ac-
tion. An infectious brother bacteria fIued
"Three Alarm" Alsdorf and Charley Mi-
chael. The beauteous blondshell at Nelson-
Michael is walking around with two cracked
ribs and a puzzled look. She's puzzled be-
cause the why, the how or the when of the
ribbing is an enigmatic mystery. No cracks.
fell as ! Two ribs are enough!
The saga of Bob Chamberlin is the para-
dox of a story with a happy ending and an
unhappy ending. Discharged from the serv-
ice, Bob returned to Seattle-but only for a
short visit. Son "Sandy," aged five, is in
California with a recurrent attack of rheu-
matic fever; medicos recommend that he
stay in the Southland where Old Sol can
perform miracles of healing. So it's hello
and goodbye to Bob . Chamberiin until early
summer when he makes his return perma-
nent.
Top-kick of a local firm reveals some in-
teresting sidelights on discharged veterans
and the current period of readj ustment:
"Some of the boys work out swell, but some
-well, after what they've gone through, no
one can blame them, although it does make
it difficult-but the nervous ones, particu-
larly those who have suffered from nervous
fatigue, pose a problem. We had one such
chap who was a model of deportment until
late in the afternoon when he became tired.
Then he verged on hysteria, shouting at the
top of his voice, quarreling violently. and
generally throwing the establishment into
chaos. Some veterans are unable to settle
down to one job but keep drifting. Others
apparently feel that after the years of priva-
tion and sacrifice-and we are sympathetic
and try to be as helpful as possible-that
they are entitled to start near the top in-
stead of at the bottom. After all, a man
coming into a new business-regardless of
any war experience-still has to learn the
trade."
Coinings on the CuD-Flash from Disc-
land: Normal record production in 90 days
. . . Major Ray Pepple, commander of an
armored tank corps which steam rolled the
Nazis, is now Civilian Ray Pepple, pro-
prietor of a North End Grocery store. Ray
formerly opped for Joe Hart ... Clark Dis-
tributing scored 'a beat on the field by show-
ing Wurlitzer hrst. Production models held
the attention of throngs of operators J an-
uary 6.
Thelma Oliver is due for discharge short-
ly ... A sleeper disc that may awake some
morning to find itself a best-needier: AI
Dexter's "Guitar Polka" . . . Ex-Countner-
ite Frank Scanlon is phono-ing for Nelson-
Michael.
Bulletin from the separation center: place
an "ex" before the name of Navyman Marv
Pickett, formerly with Heberling's . . •
Ere heading for Cal., Alex Lewis sales-
slipped his Tacoma phono route to Harold
Fowler ... A holiday visitor: Rudy Peter-
son, back from Pendleton, Oregon, where
(See SEATTLE, Page 79)