Automatic Age

T h e A u t o m a t i c A ge
15
“U n r o m a n t i c h i s t o r y o f
THE COIN M ACH INE” IS
LATEST WORK IN LITERATURE
One o f the cleverest pieces o f liter-
Ure that has come to the attention
the A U T O M A T IC A G E since the
eSmning of its existence has been
gotten out bv the A. B, T . M fg. Co.,
lcago, under the direction o f Mr.
e'vis) publicity expert o f the com ­
Pany. It is apparent that the author
ent into considerable research o f
th^ent history in attempting to find
* beginning o f coin-controlled nua-
^ lnes._ N 0 Mr. Lewis have spent sleepless
^lghts pouring over Zenophon’s Ana-
asis, Plato’s Synposium, the Enchi-
Jd>on o f Epictitus, Sophocle’s Oede-
ti?S’ Ov^ ’s Metamorpbesus and
tv,
c1-assic literature, probably even
Private L ife o f Helen o f Troy.
e first edition o f the book is en-
lrely exhausted. The printers are
Setting ready to put out the second
ltion. W e understand that the A.
T. Co. are distributing them to
, who request a cop y without
arge, an^ we hope that all readers
* the A U T O M A T IC AG E will send
a copy. Y ou will find it a gem
^ y o u r library on automatic subjects.
e reproduce herewith some chap-
ers of this remarkable book:
CHAPTER I
TVi
e Beginning o f the Slot Machine
Racket
Few persons realize that the be-
^ nning 0f the slot machine harkens
ack to that dim dawn b rfn
^ ree^s w ere a closely knit
ay o f Roughnecks ranging up and
° wn the Hellespont, and conform ing
^ °se]y to the Cicero gunmen o f to­
y- Shoe shine parlors and restau-
S q business were as yet unknown,
ttiost o f the young men joined the
© International Arcade Museum
marine corps to see the world or else
took to rum running up and down
the bay.
The Trojans, or the Gas House
gang from Troy, lived across the
river and threw some javelins them­
selves whenever occasion demanded.
They kept creases in their trouser
legs; rode around in Lincoln chariots,
and took a bath regular every Satur­
day night.
It was only natural that the Gre­
cian girls, who were the real red hot
mamas o f the ancient world, should
look at these Trojan sheiks with a
sort o f “ come hither” look in their
eyes. This done the young men o f
Athens out o f their right to buy sodas
and pay taxi fare fo r two, and na­
turally a feeling arose between the
two towns that even the most opti­
mistic couldn’t call exactly friendly.
Wednesday and Sunday nights saw
the old bay thick with rowboats car­
rying over a large majority o f the
male population from Troy. Traffic
got into a jam, but perhaps the a f­
fair at that would never have devel­
oped into more than a few back yard
fights or alley tussels if that Trojan
gentleman by the odd name o f Paris
had possessed enough intellect to
keep away from the married ladies.
But he didn’t. This young man
about town wanted variety.
He
struck up a flirtation with Helen, who
also happened to be the m ayor’s wife,
and the first thing the world knew
was a four inch headline in the Ath­
ens Knothole telling the news o f the
elopement.
No self-respecting community o f
Jaw-breakers can allow such a thing
to go unchallenged. The mayor gave
a little speech, wept a little on the
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