Automatic Age

November, 1931
15
A u t o m a t ic A g e
E N S IN G B L IN D O P E R A T O R H A S W O N T O P
RU N G
O F S U C C E S S IN
G RA N D
R A P ID S
B y H U G H K IN G H A R R IS
S to rie s o f a c h ie v e m e n t a n d
success are
le gion, in th e u s u a l r e a lm o f c o in o p e ra tin g
m ach in e s, b u t here is th e sto ry o f a b lin d
m a n w h o h a s m a d e s j e m p h a tic a lly good,
h is p la n s , ideas a n d ideals a re a beacon fo r
a ll o f us. The s to ry o f G e ra ld E n s in g , t h ir ­
ty-five years old, s tu rd y , a le r t,— h is w in n in g
sm ile a n d u n d a u n te d c o urag e, h a v in g w on
h im a ho st o f frie n d s , a n d countless cus­
tom ers. H is o w n s to ry is g iv e n here.
“ I w as a b o u t 3 ye ars old w h e n m y p a r ­
e nts n oted m y d efe ctive e y e sigh t, th e y d id
th e ir best fo r m e, b u t d espite a ll e ffo rts, m y
e ye sigh t k e p t f a ilin g . I w as a b o u t 17 w h en
I becam e to ta lly b lin d .
I w as d e te rm in e d
to w in m y o w n w ay, a n d a fte r p r e lim in a r y
e d u c atio n a n d t r a in in g , I w a s able to be­
come v o c a tio n a l in s tr u c to r fo r th e
G ran d
R a p id s A s s o c ia tio n fo r th e B lin d . T his as­
so c ia tio n has accom plish ed a w o n d e r fu l
w o rk in a s s is tin g m a n y b lin d m e n a n d w o­
m e n to achieve th e ir o w n w a y in th e w o rld .
“ I also h a d c h a rg e o f p lace m e n ts, secur­
in g e m p lo y m e n t a n d p la c in g those c a p a b le
o f h a n d lin g v a r io u s p o sitio ns. I n th is R o b e r­
G e r a ld
t a G riffe th , th e executive secretary, he rse lf
b lin d , w as a g r e a t he lp.
S h e is a s tr e n u ­
ous w o rke r, a n d ha n d le s th e in tr ic a te a s­
so c ia tio n w o rk m o s t successfully.
“ Som e w o rk e rs
in
E n s in g
fa c to rie s
and
w a re ­
houses h a d been pro v id e d w ith s m a ll pe a ­
n u t v e n d in g m a ch in e s, lo an e d b y th e asso­
c ia tio n , to a d d to incom es. The added rev­
e nue helped g re a tly . I p u t o u t a fe w m a ­
chines r a th e r as a sid e line fo r m y se lf. I
fo u n d th e m a c h in e s p ro fita b le a n d th e w o rk
p le a s a n t, so d e te rm in e d to devote a ll o f m y
tim e to coin ope rate d m ach in e s. 7. h a d tied
u p m y s a v in g s a n d e x tra m o n e y in m a ­
c hines, a n d w h en I le ft m y s a la rie d po s itio n
th ere w as n o t m u c h to go on, b u t I d id m a n ­
age to secure $35 in b orrow ed c a p ita l to
s ta r t w ith .
T h a t w a s n e a r ly e ig h t years
ago, to d a y I a m o p e ra tin g m o re t h a n 400
m a c h in e s a n d th e w o rk take s u p a ll o f m y
tim e .”
© International Arcade Museum
T h a t is M r. E n s in g ’s m o d e s t w a y o f s ta t'
in g th e basic fa c ts , b u t b a c k o f h is success
h a s been keen d e te r m in a tio n to m a k e a suc­
cess, a n d he h a s ad he re d to c e rta in p r in ­
ciples w h ic h h ave m ad e h is incom e a steady
one, w ith a m p le o p p o r tu n ity fo r e x p an sion .
M r. E n s in g is a w idow er, w ith tw o lovely
d a u g h te rs , one 8 th e othe r 9 years. H e ow ns
a fine c a r a n d a c o m fo rta b le hom e.
H is
incom e w ill affo rd a good e d u c a tio n fo r th e
g ir ls , a n d i t is m o n e y m a d e b y th e p r o p e r
o p e ra tio n o f coin o perated m achines.
A s to th e specific d e ta ils o f th e business,
a n d his o p e ra tin g ideas, M r . E n s in g says,
“ O n e th in g as to c a n d y a n d p e a n u t m a ­
chines, w e a ll k n o w th e v a lu e o f h a v in g
fre s h , te m p tin g m e rch a n d ise , c a n d y an d
n u ts m u s t be fresh.
la rg e
num ber
E v e n i f w e h ave a
o f m a ch in e s, a n d
tim e s seems easier to lo ad th em
it
some­
up , a n d
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