The Moving picture world (January 1925-February 1925)

February 14, 1925 MOVING PICTURE WORLD 649 Blind Exhibitor a Study in Pluck; He Makes Change, Wife Projects Reuben Deisler Lost Sight While Engineer for Pennsylvania Railroad FROM Rails to Reels," or "Two Worlds of Motion," might sound like the title of recent photoplay releases, but as a matter of fact either could appropriately be used as the title of a story from actual life, the climax of which furnishes a glowing example of enterprise and perseverance to which exhibitors can profitably make mental reference when things are breaking badly for them. • One day late in 1896, a man mounted the cab of a railroad locomotive on the Pennsylvania lines and took the right hand seat for the first time. Reuben Deisler had been promoted to engineer. He was 27 years old then — strong, healthy, ambitious, and with an exceptionally bright future before him. For fourteen consecutive years Deisler attended strictly to duty, driving his iron steed regularly over his run, which first extended from Columbus to Mansfield, and later from Toledo to Mansfield, Ohio, each trip seeming like a new adventure, for the world of motion possessed a peculiar fascination for Deisler. The Accident All went well on the road until one night Deisler leaned momentarily from the cab window to assure himself that the track ahead was clear. The train was running at a high rate of speed. Immediately ahead stood a bridge with a clearance of scarcely fourteen inches. Whether Sometimes cheated by a dishonest patron who, taking advantage of sightless eyes, gets ten dollars change for a one-spot — shut out from the vivid sunshine for years — still Reuben Deisler presides in the ticket window and retains his intrepid faith in humanity — and makes a go of his theatre. It's a story of optimism, folks. You who can, read the story — Then think a little. It will make your own difficulties seem tiny. It will give you inspiration. By E. H. MAYER the engineer misjudged the distance to the bridge, or misjudged the speed of the train is a matter of conjecture. But that brief moment of peering into the darkness of the night changed the entire course of Deisler 's life. His head struck the bridge with terrific force. A Dauntless Spirit Seriously injured and with his life hanging in the balance, Deisler showed the same courageous spirit that had always characterized his record as an engmeman. Days lengthened into weeks and weeks into months, and after a valiant fight Deisler came out victorious. Hut to him the world was as dark as had been the night upon which the accident occurred. His eyes no longer functioned. He was destined never to see again. Ordinarily, a man thus handicapped would have given up in despair. Not so with Deisler; he wasn't made from that kind of stuff. Eventually, the railroad compensated him. The amount of the settlement is not disclosed but it is presumed to have been a tidy sum, enough, in fact, to have enabled Deisler to have lived in ease and comfort for the rest of his days. "No," he said, "my work is not done. I am still a comparatively young man, and surely there must be some place where 1 can be of some good use to the world, even though my eyes can no longer behold its beauties." His Philosophy So after several months the money which the tragedy had brought was used to erect a picture theatre — another world of motion — in the little town of Plymouth in northern Ohio, through which Deisler used to pass on one of his railroad runs. The story doesn't end here. Since the theatre was erected a dozen years ago, the man who sells tickets and makes change with lightning rapidity — always with a pleasant smile — is none other than Reuben Deisler, former locomotive engineer. "Occasionally," he says, "some wag from out of town will hand me a dollar bill in exchange for a ticket and claim it is a bill of larger denomination, receiving change for the larger bill. This does not happen often, though, as I find that people for the most part are honest and not inclined to take advantage of my affliction, but I guess there are some few persons who would stoop to almost anything to gain a few paltry dollars. It won't make them rich and it won't break me. "I am getting on fine. I do all my own booking, and although I cannot see the pictures which are shown in my house, I get great pleasure out of knowing that other persons enjoy them. The house draws a nice patronage from the surrounding territory. His Inspiration "Oh, yes, I owe a great deal of .my success to my wife, who is a great inspitation to me. She's the projectionist, you know, and from what they say, she turns a wicked crank. She can show a picture as clear as any of 'em. My only regret is that we haven't a daughter to preside at the piano, then our movie family would be quite complete." The writer found the theatre, which bears Deisler's name, to be a modern house throughout, with the upper floor given over to the owner's apartments. Deisler is a man of especially pleasing personality, cordial, genial and wel^ versed on movie matters generally. Here, * indeed, is a real source of inspiration for exhibitors who, while possessing all their faculties, are unable to "make the grade" through lack of attention to detail or indifference to some of the vital factors necessary to success. REUBEN DEISLER This isn't as recent a picture of him as might be. But, then, when you are blind, a new photo each year doesn't seem so important.