The theatre of science; a volume of progress and achievement in the motion picture industry (1914)

of^ciencc 41 thus leaving Horsley, who owned the Nestor brand of film — one of the very best, too, of that day, and still better to-day — as a hopeless minority. In the meantime, Powers appears to have realized that he made a big mistake to part with his holdings and immediately there came a period of strife between Laemmle and Swanson, the latter siding with Powers. Here was Horsley's chance to sell his stock, but it is to his credit that he conducted his part of the sale with a fairness that has left him on friendly terms with both factions; but the price that Horsley was paid in 1913 for the outgrowth of the plant he developed in 1908 by converting his disastrous picture house into a film factory was exactly $280,000. Powers claims he had an option on Horsley's stock, but the latter insists this was given for the purpose of being displayed so as to induce Laemmle to sell out. From these proceedings started a series of lawsuits, still pending at this writing. Swanson is now on Powers' side, but Laemmle is in control, and Horsley believes will so remain indefinitely. The latter expressed this opinion to the writer in May, 1914: "Laemmle will eventually win out," said Horsley, "because it will be recognized that he is the most capable man in the organization, who has made such strides during the past year that it would be a gross injustice to all concerned to change the present control." As for Horsley, he did not retire as he expected to do after selling his Universal stock. Returning from a European vacation in 1913, he purchased a block of Universal stock owned by his brother William, who in conjunction with P. A. Powers had built a factory at Bayonne, N. J. This Horsley also acquired, at the