The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1907-07-30
James G. Maloney Invents
Device to Protect Lunch
Counter Men.
MACHINE KEEPS TAB
Grafters Whose Game is to Get Two
Meals For Price of One,
Undone
Especial to Lake County Times.)

Especial to Lake County Times.)
South Chicago, July 30.-Aside from
being the father of the worlds young
est contortionist, Helen Maloney, more
fame is in store for James c. Maloney,
manager of the South Chicago branch
Of the National Register company, as
inventor of a check Indicator. Hav-
ing completed his patent and received
his papers from Washington Mr.. Nal
oney is about to form a COMPANY to
receive unlimited financial backing in
order to put his little machine on the
market The inventor returned last
Saturday night from New York where
he was in consultation with number
OF fnanciers who are enthusiastic
about the check Indicator and as re
suit the formation Of the company IS
only matter of few days.
The little device. Maloney's Z. & ].
Check Indicator, is register on a
small scale the chief object of which
Is to protect business houses such as
restaurants, barber shops and similar
places where customars are given
checks to present to the cashier. from
defrauding the house by presenting
a check with smaller figures, than the
one issued to them by the house. To
/
pense in producing such a device seems
barely warrantable, but men who are
in the restaurant business for ex-
ample on a large scale where thou
sands Of people are being fed in one
hour complain of losing many dollars
each day on account of unscrupulous
customers.
One Before Each Customer.
The 6evica fc ia etaDad tO 4ba Cd ~
the counter in a restaurant directly
opposite the stool on which the Gus
toner sits. After the customer has
given his order the waiter puts the
check which has a stub in the indica-
tor. the purchase price being printed
both on the check proper and on the
stub. When the check is in the indi-
Gator it gives a permanent indication
even after the check proper is taken
out the stub remaining in the indica-
tor behind a little pisfe of glass where
/ II is visabIe to both the customer and
the waiter. Another check can at no
/ time be inserted in the indicator until
4 the waiter releases the stub which
drops into little drawer to which the
/ proprietor carries the key. The device
/ is infallible.
! 1t is admitted that restaurants are
/ daily beaten out Of large sums by Gus
toners who order twice during a meal
/ and who in the walters hurry procure
/ two checks instead of one. With two
small checks in his possession the Gus
toner is enabled 10 offer the cashier
/ the smaller of the two checks and thus
escape paying the full amount due.
/ BY returning later in the day with
one Of the two checks in his possess
sion the customer is enabled to order
highpriced meal. presenting the small
check which he has retained from the
previous meal to the cashier.
Restaurants Plan With MaIoney.
Last winter Mr. Naloney took up
the question of defrauding the lunch
rooms with f. =. Coyne. x-postmaster
of Chicago. who operates a large
wholesale ba kerry and lunch room The
latter has 156 stools where he serves
as many as 400 people in one hour
and the eX-postmaster says his great
loss consists in his. customers getting
two checks with each neal Mr. Coyne
intends TO put an indicator before
each customer as soon as Mr. Malonev
can put them on the market Oscar F.
i Britton, manager and buyer Of Kohl
saats Is restaurants makes the same
complaint as does Mr. Coyne and is
equally glad to see Mr.. Maloney pro
duce his Indicator. Mr.. Maloney claims
great possibilities for his device, say
ing that 1t can be so arranged as to
be used in the department stores 10y
the clerks. Its installation in busi-
ness place is only a matter of nominal
cost
Mr.. AIaIoney is resident OF Chicago
living at 1856 \. Clark street. but
spends most of his time in South Chi
cago at 1926 Commercial avenue, the
branch Office Of the National Cash
Register company.