The Washington herald., 1912-10-06
PENNY WISE. /"
Chronicled by IRVING r. ALLEN.

LIN
were the rage People were buying them in
5 and 10 cent packages.
"A penny dispenser might be a money
maker. I was going to find out. That night
l called on ten cigar stores with the ma
chine, showed it to them. and asked them
first whether they thought 1t was a good
thing and second whether they would be
willing TO place one in their stores. they to
get one-eighth Of all that the machinetook in.
With scarcely an exception they were en-
thusiastic and willing to take It, eager 10
get one working at once.
So when the inventor called next morn
ing at II was feeling much inclined to give
the thing a whiri. Just to be on the safe
side agreed to pay him a living salary for
a period Of one month. he to loan me his
seventy machines to Try out
" The months trial 90 far exceeded my
expectations that I went out and made ar
rangements 10 have more machines manu-
featured under the inventors supervision
Inside OF year We had over 1000 of these
machines In drug stores. bootblack Shops
cigar stores, all retail establishments where
people went In and out. The business got 50
big that I sold my newspaper route and put
all my time behind the slot machines.
= =
Organized a Company.
Ny banker was enthusiastic over the
showing / was making and persuaded me to
organize company to put on the proposition
nationally. We did so with very little trouble
on the strength Of my proft statements. and
three years later found ourselves with slot
machines distributing salted peanuts all over
America and bringing back the money In
thousand dollar chunks taken in penny at
a time.
The company got too large for me- how
ever-too big a profit maker. livery foolishly
had sacrificed my control to get the capital
and as result was finally frozen out OF
active management and so disposed of my
stock This gave me a big block Of cash to
operate with. but didn't know just exactly
what to do. The newspaper delivery bust
ness was too small. the parent company con-
trolled the patents on the sailed peanut 65s-
tributing machine. and they were the only
two businesses knew"
II went down to one Of the largest cities
in the east to investigate gum slot machine
business that was for sale there. During
my visit met the president OF the elevated
railroad. who treated me very pleasan tIy.
Now, gum machines were an old story. but
they were only placed in cigar stores and
street corners. etc. and were operated very
much on the county fair principle-as little
as possible for the money.
An idea struck me. Why not put my gum
machines on the elevated structures in thea
ter Hobbies, in places where people had to
wait. and give regular penny stick Of gum
for the purchasers cent so that they had
just as soon buy from my machines as from
vender. The idea grew on me- haunted
the stations, theater Hobbies, etc. and the
more investigated the more believed that
had winner.
Secured II" Gum PRIVILEGES.
Finally T went to my elevated man and
after showing him what the peanut machines
made, had very little trouble In securing a
contract for the gum privileges. His only
objection was the unsightliness of the usual
gum vending machine This overcame by
having special box made. very compact
and neat.
On the strength Of this bought the fac
tory I had been negotiating for and started
to place my machines. We made good from
the start Where in . cigar store or drug
gist's a man went In to buy and immediately
left. the gum machine was merely an Incl
dent. In the theater lobby, or wherever
people had to wait, where they had to kill
time, the gum machine supplied what was
almost a necessity. And my plan of giving
the people moneys worth, Of giving them a.
good article. made the little red box synony-
nous with quality.
Il don't believe In procrastinason The
minute knew had a winner started out
to repeat In the thirty -stx largest cities of
America. And did. That's the story. Any
compents''
None" said the Average Man Except
that. II something doesn't happen, you'll be
putting all the pennies in the United States
out Of circulation"
The Tall Young Man smiled Pennies
make dimes, dimes make dollars. collars
make thousands. and today the pennies are
an incident; totals are the only thinks we
deal in
The Average Man grunted. Here's my
station. Good night" He left the train.
Feeling a loose penny in his pocket, he
dropped It In the slot Of red gum machine.
and q neatly wrapped stick dropped In his
hand. He looked at It thoughtfuiiy. Tia
train pulled out.