The Moving Picture World (June 1907)

THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD. 199 ■',vas j'Now, I beg of you, be calm. Do not fight . Let me be lour peacemaker." When the woman saw all the men ttaring she blockaded the doorway, opened a small satchel L-screaming all the time—and produced a dog whip. The Ittle man wisely ducked into a corner. The whip cracked nd sizzled, and.when the big man would try to escape the little man would push him into range. "Call the lops!" roared the tenants, when they saw the big man Vas penned in. Cops came and took all' three, the woman till screaming, to the Tombs Police Court. The woman Mrs. Lena Hoffman, of 21 Bergen avenue, nion Hill, N. J., and her auxiliary was Henry Linhart, f Hackensack. They had called to get the number of . moving picture machine that had been stolen from hem, and Isaacs had refused to give it until a $5 balance as paid. Mrs. Hoffman had purchased a dog whip, for use at home," as she explained in court, and it came handy. Magistrate Crane held the pair in $300 bail or trial. [What a pity there was not a camera at work on this ene! It would have made good copy.— Ed.] * * * The premises at 36 Falls street, Niagara Falls, N. Y., ive been fitted up as a Vaudeville Arcade and opened the public. This new enterprise is conducted by the falls Amusement Company,-and the latest moving pic- ures, vocal and instrumental songs, weighing machines, jng testers, etc., have been installed. * * * Charged with the systematic robbery of two places where oving picture outfits are manufactured, Fred. Betchen- ofer, of Seeds street, west of Sixty-sixth, and Stephen arton, of Thirteenth street, below Porter, were arrested d locked up in the Central Station, Philadelphia. In dition to accusing the men, both of whom were in his ploy, of getting away with films, printing machines d materials valued at from $2,000 to $3,000, S. Lubin, 21 South Eighth street, proprietor of the factories, aimed that the men had conspired with a* third party steal the secret processes used by him in preparing oving picture machines and scenery. As the other party the alleged conspiracy has not been captured, the police fused to give out any information, but from Mr. Lubin was learned that his suspicions were first aroused hen he heard that the two men arrested, with another an, had formed a company to manufacture the same icle that he was turning out. When he found films d printing machines disappearing, as well as valuable aterials, he reported the matter to the Detective Bureau. fter a week's hard work, Detectives Ulrich and Coogan ^ested the men. Betchenshofer was a developer of s and Barton was a painter of backgrounds. v * * * Taking Moving Pictures: A Story from Abilene.— good story is going the rounds of how Messrs. Cramer Tyler made a picture (?) of a snow-plow last Winter jrmg the deep snow of January. The story goes as 1 mvs: During the idle Winter hours last Winter these ;ell-known gentlemen conceived the idea that local mov- ig pictures would be more interesting than foreign ews, and -with this end in view Mr. Tyler and one of * moving picture operators went to Orange, N. J., the pme and factory of Thos. Edison, and secured the best a !? er l" ^ at was ma< * e an< * na <* & safely packed in Wry boxes and packages and started Kansasward, with _« of pictures that would startle the whole world. rriving at Abilene, the machine was set up and a few ctures taken, "just to try out the joint," to use Mr. Tyler's words. Then came the heavy snow-storm and with it came the idea of a big snow-plow in operation in moving pictures, and it was conceded that it would be a big hit in July. So one cold morning when the mer- cury was at the bottom of the globe and trying hard to get out at that, Messrs. Cramer, Tyler, Doc. Merkel, of Alps fame, and Jack Pollitt, manager of the Wild Animal Circus and "a Kentucky gentleman, sah," started up the track west of Abilene to a deep cut four miles away where the big rotary snow-plow was to come tearing through twenty feet of the "beautiful." It was the coldest day last Winter, but that mattered not to the "picture takers." On and on in the cold until the place is reached and the camera set up ready to take the picture. Then, nearly frozen, they waited for the coming of the path maker. At last they are rewarded by the far-off whistle of the loco- motive, and everybody got busy. The electrician took his stand by the machine, ready for the word "com- mence"; then the trouble began. Mr. Tyler insisted on "making the picture," and after some argument was allowed to do so. On, on came the train, throwing snow fifty feet in the air. It was indeed a grand sight Every-v thing is ready, and "Harley," with a look of confidence. on his face, began to turn the crank that makes the "movement" of the pictures. Everything is going nicely, the big plow hits the drift and then passes on its way westward on its path-making journey. Everybody is happy and congratulates each other, when 16, and behold, a strange thing happened. Tyler had forgotten to remove the cap from the camera, and their work was in vain. It was a silent quartet of men that trudged through the deep snow back to Abilene, and when any one mentions "snow-plow" they jam their hands down in their pockets, look at Mr. Tyler, and slowly walk away. * * * Harry Davis, the Pittsburg capitalist, who some time ago secured a lease of forty-one years on the Kanter building and took actual possession of the property the first of the present month, will in all probability occupy the block or part of it with an amusement enterprise. Mr. Davis was in town for several days looking over his property and, it is understood, since his return to Pitts- burg, has decided to remodel the first and second floors and install one of the most elaborate picture machine theaters in the United States. The Pittsburger is ex- tensively interested in amusement concerns, including sev- eral theaters, and has decided that there is room in De- troit for an enterprise of the sort mentioned on a large scale. The entire building will be remodeled, but only the first and second floors will be utilized for the amuse- ment enterprise. The present second floor will be elim- inated entirely to give the space required, and it is said that Mr. Davis will spend about $40,000 in converting the two floors into an elaborate amusement resort. At the Orange Camera Club on a recent Saturday night nearly 200 members and guests gathered to enjoy a smoker given under the auspices of the club, and in every way the entertainment was thoroughly enjoyed by those present. The feature of the evening was "Scenes and Incidents in the Hawaiian Islands," which consisted of moving pictures by R. K. Bonine, of this city. Mr. Bonine took the pictures himself, and as each one was thrown upon the screen it was given a very hearty recep- tion. The landing of the passengers by means of whak> boats from the vessel to the shore was shown, and an interesting exhibit was given of the method of handling sheep at Hummuula, one of the many wool stations on