Daily camera., 1898-09-16
SEASIDE SCALES IN DEMAND.
on the Coast Than Inland
Slot Machines.

why Persons Get Weighed Oftener
ON the Coast Thar Inland
Slot Machines.
It has often been remarked as sub
ject of mystery that scales at seaside
resorts are constantly in demand, and
that whether personally conducted" ;"
like European tour, or regulated au-
tomatically, they have very much moro
patronage than like machines inland
No explanation of this phenomenon,
the success Of the seaside scales, has
ever, probably, been given in print, but
some light has been thrown upon it by
this memorandum, which is printed on
the cards recording what agricultur-
lists call meat weight"
"Get weighed before bath or after,
before meals or after, before a big
walk or after, as all those influences
affect persons weight from one to
five pounds. You will also reduce your
weight from one-haf to one pound by
inhaling more air"
Herein may be found an explanation
of the apparent popularity, otherwise
inexplicable, of scales at seaside re-
sorts. A difference of from one to
five pounds" as the result of walk or
plunge in the surf is not to be disre-
garded in an estimate of ones adipose.
and if, as set forth, the weight may be
reduced from half pound to pound
"by inhaling more air." the field for
conjecture in the matter of weight is
certainly what may be called an open
one, especially to persons of imagina-
tive disposition.
1t has been observed that persons
newly arrived at the seaside desire
forthwith "to get weighed" in order,
presumably, to establish a basis of
hygienic computation thereafter.
After brief stay at the seaside it is
necessary to be weighed again in or
der to establish in pounds and frac-
tions of a pound the improvement re-
sulting from absence from home. If
the results of such weighing are salts
factory (as they sometimes are) and
realize the expectations of the patron
of the scales this is an incentive for
more weighing; if they fail to realize
the hopes of the patron, the defect is
ascribed to one or other of the causes
named on the card, and, as there is
apparently margin of gain always of
from one to five pounds from walks,
meals or bath, and CT loss of from half
a pound to pound from the rudi-
mental process of breathing, the op-
portunities for weighing are increased
to such an extent that the apparent
phenomenon of "scales at profit" is in
part, at least, explained.
There are 100 manufacturers of
scales and balances in the United
States, having capital of 100000
and giving employment to several
thousand persons. New York is at the
head of the scale manufacture, but the
business of scale-naking is so dis
tributed that there are establishments
in 80 of the As states, and accompany
ing the extension of their number
there has been large reduction in the
item OF manufacture Of each, particu-
larry since the more extensive use OF
aluminium. One element in the reduc-
ton of the cost of scales has been the
popularity of the nickel-in-the-slot or
penny-in-the-slot machines, whereby
it has been made feasible for scale
manufacturers to get a larger market
than was previously the case and an
enlarged market for manufactured
goods means inevitably a reduced
price. The old-fashioned method of
getting weighed by scales in grocery
stores, or in armchairs affixed to posts,
has been superseded by the more. mod
ern method Of having your weight,
height and fortune told for one price,
line of industrial activity which may
be said to flourish most at the seaside.
IN. Y. Sun.