Moving Picture World (July-Dec 1910)

248 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD OPERATORS' COLUMN. Questions and Answers. — Conducted by F. II. Richardson. A Seeker After Information. — Mr. George L. Cochran, Pittsburgh, Pa., sends in the following pathetic plea for information: "Having been a regular visitor at the moving picture shows of my town, also being interested in good workmanship on the part of the operator, I take the liberty oi addressing you, asking some information in relation thereto. Through a friend of mine, an operator, 1 have enabled to read some of your articles in the Moving Picture World, and judge from same that you require too much at the hands of an operator, since from your viewpoint he should be an Optician, mathematician, mechanic, electrician and whatnot in order to be competent. If he is to acquire this knowledge from a correspondence school, why not pay a trille more, go a step higher and become competent at either one of the above-named vocations. He would then be able to earn more, as well as work in more congenial place say nothing of shorter hours he would be required to work. Can a man be considered incompetent because he is not able :iirc on paper how to measure the focal length of lenses and how to determine the size of lens required to project a given sized picture at a given distance, both moving picture and stereo? To my mind this is entirely up to the man who deals in equipment. The uppermost question is, however, as to whether or no a man should go a step further in his studies, as before indicated, I would be pleased to have you answer. Also I would like to know if a man should be required to know thoroughly the practical end of equipment and know all the technical electrical terms to be a competent operator." First and foremost, I wish to remark that friend Cochran reads my articles "by someone's courtesy." He isn't a subscriber of the paper whose articles he presumes to criticise! In the second place he is NOT an operator, therefore not quite competent, I suspect, to butt very strongly into matters concerning practical operating. Nevertheless I shall answer, since his queries raise a question as to how far the operator should perfect himself in knowledge of matters pertaining directly to projection. I should also like readers of the Column to set forth their views on this important matter. Answering Mr. Cochran: Yes, if knowledge of light and lenses, in-so-far as relates to the projection of pictures, makes one an "optician" then the operator must be one. I suspect, however, that the man who started in to earn his bread as an optician, equipped only with that amount of lore, would discover that the "step" friend C. speaks so glibly of really would amount to several long, high jumps. If ability to figure cut a few simple problems in additions, subtraction, multiplication and division makes one a mathematician, then most surely the operator must be one, but — see what is said about long jumps above. As to being an electrician, well, the competent operator has to go pretty far along that particular road, that is a fact, and naturally he must to some extent be a mechanic. I believe I have said. nothing at all as to the operator acquiring his knowledge through a correspondence school, though I may possibly have said such a course would be benficial and worth all it would cost. No, 1 would not call a man incompetent simply because he could not figure lenses — neither would I consider him fully competent. As to that "step further" matter I would simply say that such talk is mere foolishness. But I'll say no more just now, as I want to hear from readers of the column regarding their views as to how far operators should so in the matter of acquiring knowledge. My own is, as you all know, that the operator should learn all he possibly can and that the more knowledge he has the more competent he is. Also that the man who is satisfied with anything less than the best knowledge he can possibly' obtain of his vocation is too shiftless to make any large sin in anything under the sun. Position Wanted. — Operator, Pipestone, Minn., gives references and asks that his name be remembered should there be any call for a good man. Two men owning machines have communicated with me. one by wire and one by mail. I have forwarded their addresses to the party who asked for machine owning operators, though it is most likely too late. \\ hen 1 suggested that competent operators leave their names with me 1 meant those in or quite near Xew York ( it\ 1 will file names from anywhere in the country, but as the distance from New York increases, the likelihood of results decreases, since when one wants an operator one wants him, as a rule, without much delay. Condensers. — Milt. C. Hagan, Utica, N. Y., writes: "I notice in the Operator's Column that some of the men are having trouble breaking condensers. Well, I had my own troubles, too, until 1 tried out a little idea of my own, which ended it. That was six or seven months ago, and 1 haven't broken a single condenser since. Before that I broke an even dozen in one week, and it is said that necessity is the mother of invention. I conceived the idea that perhaps the glass did not have sufficient temper, so I laid several lenses on top of the rheostat and let them heat and cool for three or four days. I have not broken a single condenser lens since. I only hope my brother operators will try this scheme with equal success." Surely, if this works out, and it costs nothing at all to t. st, we are all deeply indebted to Brother Hagan. Will others test this matter and report. By the way, Neighbor 1 lagan writes that the house where he was employed closed (presumably for the summer) last Saturday. He wishes employment, in Western or Middle New York or Pennsylvania. Describes himself as careful, sober and reliable, with six \ ears' experience with Powers and Edison machines. Friend I lagan lias ideas, as is above shown, therefore should be a good man. His address furnished on application. He has worked in one house for five seasons. He will furnish refer 1 ences. Formostat. — Some weeks since I answered an inquiry from the West, by a man who was using a "Formostat." I told I him I was unacquainted with that particular transformer. 1 am now in receipt of a circular, unaccompanied by letter, setting forth the alleged merits of the machine. It gives eight amperages, change from one to the other being made ' by merely lifting something that looks like a wire (in the * picture) from one notch to another while lamp is burning. The exhibitors were appealing to the finer senses instead of jarring them. It was now up to the pictures to make good. Makers claim it will stand short circuit of lamp leads for hours without overheating or will stand ioo per cent, overvoltage with no bad effect at all — pretty large claims, it strikes me, though not impossible of fulfillment. Operating Room, St. Paul, Minn., writes: "We are about rem. 'deling i iur house. Have ample room for operating booth. Wish to have the best. We enclose sketch and elevation of interior of auditorium. Will you kindly draw sketch of operating booth, floor plan and elevation, with locations of necessary openings for two machines, a spotlight and dissolver. Kindly give full and complete data in form, so that architect can comprehend and forward same by express, C. O. D. amount of your bill." The sketch and elevation showed, as intimated, ample room. Aside from the sketch forwarded, T advised as vs: Build walls of three or four-inch hollow tiles, set in rich cement mortar, with longitudinal grounds of ^-inch soft wood between each joint, beginning three feet from floor and ending seven feet from floor, same being to receive screws holding shelf brackets, etc.. etc. Openings in walls (lens 3, lookout holes, etc.) to be finished in very rich ce . ment mortar. Interior of walls to be plastered with patent hard plaster, locations of grounds to be marked with small nail at either end of each ground. Ceiling to be fireproofed by tile construction or in other approved manner and floor to be covered with layer of macadam three inches, thick, finished with top dressing of cement, or instead of foregoing, the whole room to be fireproofed by asbestos millhoar.: inches thick, securely fastened to proper backing. From center of ceiling a vent flue of sheet metal. two feet in diameter, to extend through, and three feet above roof, terminating in suitable protecting hood. Machine to be 12x18 inches in size, located at height so that operator will just see bottom of picture when seated m operating position. All openings to be fitted with slid. arranged that all will drop on pulling a single e of room to be 8 by 18 feet, with ceiling as high as possible— the higher the better. Rheostats, or transformers to -.t on shelf of marble or slate, with marble or slate slab next wall, but away one inch therefrom. Proper locker for each operator to be built into wall as well as supply cupboard. The above outlines the more important points contained in matter sent St. Paul. It is published for the reason that it may prove of benefit to others planning oper