The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-05-10

thought little more of what they had
seen. Scientific men began talking
about the novel device and finally its
inventor was called to show it before
the Franklin Institute of Philadelphia
Singularly enough eighteen years af
ter that showing jenkins received the
Elliott, Cresson gold medal for having
achieved motion Photography. Later,
in making a second award to Mr.. Jen-
kins, the John Scott medal ITO the
Most Deserving" the institute commit
tee showered the inventor. with praise
that gave him rank with Americas
greatest inventive geniuses.
1t was said that Jenkins received
$4,000 for his invention, but his broth
er. Will living here. believes the fig
ure was double that amount Be that
as it may, the sum seems absurd when
compared with some of the salaries
paid motion picture stars for appear
ing in a single picture.
Mr. Jenkins continued his expert
ments and the first movie show where
price of admission was charged was
attempted in Atlanta some time in
1895. The show was a failure Grad
ually the motion picture machine was
improved and soon empty storerooms
in the larger cities were transformed
into motion picture theaters where an
admission fee of cents was assessed
The picture were imperfect, the flicker
being deadly on the eyes The shows
continued to increase in number, how
ever, and the flicker began to be less
in evidence. Today the movie bust
ness involves millions of dollars and
there are picture theaters even in the
humblest villages.
Work Of Other inventors.
Other inventors bent their brains
10 the task of improving the jenkins
machine. Of course Improvements
came and there were many conflicting
entries in the patent Office. An illus
tration of the growing confusion is
Interestingly disclosed in one expert,
ence Jenkins had. Two big corpora
tons formed to produce motion pic
lures got into a lega controversy over
the use Of the jenkins machine and
its improvement. One firm finally won
suit in the New York courts. That
meant the exclusion of the other COM
pany. The losing corporation ap
pealed to Mr.. Jenkins.
We're ruined" the president OF
the defeated corporation said
ou, dOI "oilss SChhlho ooSui GU
him. TT can be done in another
way"
Jenkins then went to work on a
pany on Thursday On Friday he col
lected $4,000 for his work. On the
following Monday the supreme court
of the United States reversed the de-
cision and the new machine went to
~ mead
the more perfect device.
And now the inventor has startled
the movie world with another device
called the 'Discrola." 1t is ma
chine that will reproduce motion pic
lures from a disc very similar to thoSe
used on a phonograph and is like the
modern photograph in appearance
The machine will occupy the same
place in the home as a phonogra phi
and so successful have been the ex
periments with it that it's manufac.
ture is already under way.
Paper Bottle
Mr.. Jenkins also is the inventor OF
the paper bottle, patent that, 1t IS
said. has made him a fortune. Old
Richmond friends of the inventor
also recall that, long before motor
cycles were thought of, jenkins pre-
dicted that bicycles soon would be
operated by small engines" He
worked for a time on that idea, but
cha nged to other devices he thought
more valuable to humanity. 1t also
is said that he was the first man to
attempt building sn automobile with
engine in front, instead of under the
seat, as the original automobile en-
gines were placed. This was on big
motor car he attempted to build fol
sightseeing purposes in Washington
He went broke" trying to make this
enterprise a success. In fact, his rela