The Moving Picture World/Volume 1/Number 1/Trade Notes
Trade Notes
Mrs. Walker Fearn, whose charming stereopticon lecture on the beloved Queen of Roumania, known all over the world as "Carmen Sylva," and her original and great work for the betterment of the condition of the blind people of Roumania, has created much interest in Washington. Mrs. Fearn will continue through the South from Cincinnati, visiting the cities in Kentucky and as far south as Louisiana, west and north to Kansas and Canada, and will return here from the latter place. In all of these localities she will give her beautiful and instructive lecture, which is sure to touch a vein of human interest in every place. *** Mecca Amusement Company, of Norfolk; A. Jahn, president; M. W. Forrest, treasurer; J. H. Edwards, secretary, all of Norfolk. Capital stock: Maximum, $10,00; minimum, $2,000. Arcades, slot machines and moving pictures. *** At Lorain, O., a fire broke out on February 21 in the moving picture theater on East Erie avenue, burning up an expensive film and driving the spectators of the show out into the street. Operator C. H. Williams' right hand was badly burned while he was attempting to extinguish the blaze. The fire was caused by the film coming in contact with the flame. The spectators hurried out of the place without accident.
[Where was the safety device on this machine, and why did the film get anywhere near the flame of the lamp? – Ed.] *** We learn that Charles Urban is shortly to pay a visit to New York, on business bent, ant, his intention being to open an office here for the sale of the well-known Urbano films, cameras, etc. We wish him all success in the venture, especially as he will also carry a supply of Hepwix, Paul, Walturdaw, and other well-known English films. We shall also welcome with him another old friend, the inimitable Rosenthal, photographer of the Boer war films, who will take a few American scenes. *** Talking of film cameras, we paid a visit to Mr. Berst, of the Pathè Frêres, to procure one for a friend, and learned that it would probably be a month or six weeks before one could be obtained from Paris. (There should be a good opportunity for some enterprising dealer to stock a few good makes. The amateurs are beginning to take to animatography.) He also informed us that he was giving up the sale of machines, and confining himself to pushing the film business only. *** We want to say right here that The Moving Picture World columns are open to every manufacturer "the wide world over," who has any film, machine, or supplies of every description, to receive due recognition, providing he will send us the information. We have no bias or animus. Our only object is to give all available information of value or interest to the trade, and so we say to all our friends and well-wishers: If you send us any trade news of what you are doing it will be published. *** De Witt C. Wheeler informs us that he is now incorporated, and if the business grows apace, as it is now doing, they will soon have to look for much larger premises. They have on hand at the present time such a multiplicity of orders that it necessitates working at full pressure to cope with them, and with some of the orders it will be five or six weeks ere they can be filled, and he hopes the trade will bear with him under the circumstances. *** Charles K. Harris has four reliable firms whom he commissions to make his slides, and which accounts for the high degree of excellence they attain. These firms are the Chicago Transparency Company and the Stereopticon Film Exchange, of Chicago, Ill.; Scott & Van Altend and A. L. Simpson, of New York City. All slides turned out by these firms are copyrighted and fully protected under the new copyright law, which fully covers them, and any person pirating these slides will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. *** Coney Island exhibitors of moving pictures are rejoicing over the decision made recently in the Seaside Court by Magistrate O'Reilly in the case of Morris Watcher, proprietor of the Golden Horn Casino, Ninety-sixth street and Third avenue, Fort Hamilton. Watcher was arrested on February 12 for giving a moving-picture entertainment without a license. In court his counsel, George Eldredge, said it was no violation of the statutes to exhibit moving pictures without a license, as long as no admission was charged. He declared moving pictures to be nothing other than works of art thrown on a screen. Magistrate O'Reilly dismissed the complaint against Watcher.
There are many exhibitors of the motion pictures in Coney Island. Some have licenses, others are not provided with them. Those who have paid for licenses would like to have their money back. *** Lyman H. Howe, traveler and exhibitor, opened his engagement in Harmon Hall, Detroit, Thursday evening, for an enthusiastic audience greeted the scenes depicted. For two hours one forgot he was seated in a comfortable chair, so realistic were the subjects produced. Several minutes one was in Italy with the men who gather grapes, then in another part of the same country in a battle of flowers with thousands of people at the festivities. The spectators were taken aboard an Atlantic whaler and witnessed the chase and capture of one of the monarchs of the deep. Ireland, of beautiful scenery and interesting characters, was visited. From a whirl through the Rocky Mountains by moonlight the spectators were taken to the great industry of locomotive making in England. There were twenty other subjects. More than two hundred mechanical effects were used in the exhibition. *** We learn of the formation of the Washington Amusement Company, Michigan City; capital, $2,000. Directors: W. K. Greenebaum, Oscar Romel and C. F. Loftis. *** From Albany we hear that William Brown, owner and manager of the penny amusement parlor on North Pearl street, has had plans prepared for the construction of an amusement hall on a larger scale than his present place. These plans have been drawn by Architect Hoffman and are ready for acceptance as soon as some minor details have been changed. Mr. Brown has secured the two upper floors of the building and will use the space for the project contemplated. Mr. Brown has a number of novel amusement features he wishes to exploit in the new house and will announce them as soon as he has definite assurance that a suitable place may be constructed from the space at his command. *** Yale Amusement Company, of Kansas City, has increased its capital stock from $40,000 to $80,000. Assets, $60,000; liabilities, none. This is healthy progress.
The Mobile Amusement Company has filed papers of incorporation in the probate court recently, with a capital stock of $10,000, and will begin business with $2,500 paid in. The officers elected are: Charles R. Garnett, president and treasurer; Carl A. Conley, general manager and secretary. The object of the corporation is to operate amusement enterprises of all kinds in Mobile and Mobile County. *** From Albany comes word that the Washington Amusement Company of that city was incorporated recently with a capital stock of $5,000 and the following directors: Frank Loudis, Michal Loudis and William E. Woollard, of Albany. *** In Columbus, O., there was recently held a meeting of men interested in a corporation styled the Westerman Park Amusement Company. The new corporation will make and lease a new amusement device for summer parks which has been invented by Harry J. Westerman, the well-known local artist. The device has been submitted to a number of the largest amusement parks in the country and all of them have pronounced it a winner. It is probable that one of the first of them will be seen at the Indianola Park the coming summer. The company is incorporated with a capitalization of $100,000, and some of the best known men in the city will be interested in it. The devices will be manufactured in Columbus and will be placed in a number of the largest amusement parks in the United States. Patents fully covering the device have already been obtained. *** New York is at last awakening from a Rip Van Winkle sleep, and is now looking after the safety of the people. A fire caused through the carelessness of an operator resulted in the complete gutting of a building in the Bowery, and on Friday, March 1, the police, acting under instructions, closed 20 Nickelodeons, they are not complying with the fire underwriters' laws. Full particulars next issue. *** Tacoma, Wash.—On February 20 fifty-one slot machines, valued at $6,250, captured by the officials in various parts of the county, were taken out in the bay and dumped in fifty fathoms of water. These machines were all gambling devices and it was found the holes had been skillfully plugged so that it was impossible to win any of the higher prizes. This should serve as a warning to managers of amusement resorts to adopt only clean and legitimate schemes. *** It is now proposed to employ a stereopticon as an instrument of advertising Houston on the Southwestern trip. Views of many handsome business blocks, skyscrapers, public buildings and residences, street scenes, factory scenes, shipping scenes, park and school scenes will be used, and by the attractive presentation of such representations of actual conditions it is believed that some splendid advertising may be accomplished.
The moving picture proposition in Meriden, Conn., has proved so successful to the promoter, Archie L. Shepard, that he has decided to open another house on West Man street to relieve the pressure upon the one in Michaelis' BLock, where the Bijou is located. Mr. Shepard went from New York a week ago and arranged to lease the place formerly occupied as the Globe dry goods store, at 44 West Main street. William F. Slack, who is managing the Bijou, will be in charge of both houses. Mr. Shepard is largely interested in the moving picture proposition, probably more so than any other promoter in the country. He has theatres all over the country, as well as picture shows on the road and dramatic companies as well.