The Topeka state journal., 1914-01-10
ES not INJURED
Eoyies" Of Today Arc Harm
less, Topekans Say.
Development Of Films Has Re-
duced the Danger.
|BE|NlRE OF THE FRONT ROWS
sRalsied Pictures Rain Sight 1t
Short Distance.
Topeka SNickel Shows in 1906
and in 1914.
beNlRE OF THE FRONT ROWS

& Wei! regulated picture shows are not
harmful to the eyes, according to sew
oeal local physicians who have been
1nterviewed on the subject.
! With the late improvements ON the
operating machines. the constant
Ufxain on the eyes which caused some
unpleasantness several years ago, Is no
longer experienced. The only time that
y pair Of eyes can be harmed the slight
est h. attending a picture show. Is to
oit on the first few rows. While no
serious accidents to the sight have heen
recorded because Of this. still continu-
Gus sitting on front rows has been
found q strain on weak eyes.
Years ago, to attend a picture show
meant that a good part OF the time
the reel was upside down, or getting
repaired or q shaking of the lines on
the screen. If the actors. trees, houses.
streets, horses and buggies all had the
palsy. the reels could hardly have been
more shaky. 1t wearied the average
eye to witness a picture show. In adj
0ition to that, the reels at first were
Of poor quality. In 1906. a 1914 show.
with modern machine. theaters and
operators, would have startled the
sancients."
There has been no case on record in
Topeka where any serious damage has
resulted to the eyes on account OF pic
fure shows. The number who attend
such shows in the United States in
one year would be hard to estimate
Yet no eyesight has been generally af-
4ected, although several reputable au-
thor1ties say that it is dangerous to at
tend the movies"
One Topeka railroad official has never
attended a picture show, never let's his
children go to one. but such cases are
rare. The only places where picture
shows have not been seen are points
IA Africa that Colonel Roosevelt and
however, said that in parts OF Green
land and northern Canada the picture
show has never been witnessed. In
most of the places where the movies
are common. cases of weak eyes as
result of watching the fascinating films
nave failed to materialixe.
Shows Popular Here.
There are dozen or more picture
shows in Topeka and large per cent
Of the populace visit them daily. Yet
never has a patron of any picture gone
blind while watching good reels. It
might have been possible in the pri-
meval days of pictures. when the class
shown were of the kind that blindness
would be a relief. The days OF Dead
wood Dick, the best five reel picture
lion. or how the handsome hobo won
. fortune" are over. Instead there
are several companies giving weekly
pictures of current events, great dra-
matisms Of the works of Hugo.
Shakespeare. and other writer's. an
cient and modern. The picture show
spectators can visit the world over at
the cost of one nickel. They can see
the great stars for the same price,
Pictures are now being presented
where the actors sing. talk and make
any noise, which can be clearly un-
dergtOOd by the audience
Whatever physicians and others of
different cities may say, the local doc
tors claim that it is not hard on the
eyes to visit shows. And looking
back over the past year, no case can
be remembered where any person has
had his eyes affected by a picture
show.
Therefore. citizens Of Topeka go to
the movies in peace and continue in
good health.