Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 26, Number 213, Decatur, Adams County, 8 September 1928 — Page 12

MOVIES FIRST SHOWN IN THIS CITY IN 1906 John B. Stoneburner Is First To Introduce New Invention To Deactur Uy F. Q. On the 18th day of October, 1906, which must have been the time when motion pictures were invented, our own fellow citizen, John B. Stoneburner with visions of hope and pictures in his mind and with an earnest desire to serve his fellow man, hired a convenient room just south ot the Adams county court house in our thriving city, a room all of 20x40, bought a cinenja projecting machine, paying therefor the sum of $l6O. The contraption was guaranteed to be Mr. Thomas A. Edison's own mighty invention and capable of vizualizing to any onlooker pictures more natural than Jfe. John bought a 10x10 bit of c heesecloth and kalsomined it and pasted same on the hack wall of the tract with the Pittsburg Calcium Light tures appears dintermittantly. All set, Mr. Stoneburner entered into a conand Power Company of Pittsburg, Pa., room and there and thereon the picthan whom was no farther western point In the United States where films could be hired. John rented one reelers of about 800 feet long that had a flashlight existence of a good 15 minutes. Two films a week, said the contract at S3O per each, which together with the initial investment in equipment and lent and bread and butter and tickets to be printed and music to be furnished made considerable of a speculation, let us tell you. There was no money available for seats of any sort, so customers must stand and customers did stand. These reels were always of at least two subjects and some times three and when three the most attentive audiences got only fleeting visions, as it were. The front part of the reel would be a drama and the hindquarters a comedy and Maurice Costello was the hero and then John Bunny and Flora Finch trailed in on comedy and folks were satisfied. Mr. Stoneburner had to censor these films sometimes as much as 150 feet which reflected on Maurice or maybe on Flora but anyhow John felt that his public needed protection and they got it. A delegation of ladies promptly visited him and put it square up to him wanting to know if ihc pesky things were pure and John''fold them they could bet their life they were because Mrs. Stoneburner also had a pair of scissors. John opened the hall on Thursday night of the date mentioned and felt real pioneery for the metropolis of Fort Wayne had opened its first picture show the Saturday night before and Indianapolis had only one and even Muncie and other centers in Indiana hadn't got into the game, in fact John was almost the pioneer in this commonwealth. Thursday night at his grand opening, however, and alas, his total gross receipts aggregated $1.20, Friday night he raked in $2.40 and on Saturday night the populace got reckless and John took in $6.40. Sunday morning John figured that he was wrecked. You see although Mr. Stoneburner would patiently tell them when the reel was ended, that the show was over and they must depart and let the memory linger on, nevertheless he could not show them out and a good man‘would stay through the entire reperatory of repetition. The reel took perhaps 20 minutes to run its course and the operator was forced to hold the film onto the reel with one hand and to ring the crank with the other and more than occasionally the operator would become awearied and quick action in the picture would get slow motion and when Maurice was particularly sad and melancholy believe me he would be liable to be speeded up into a thriller. At that the films would be unreeled into a basket and John would have to wind the darn thing back before he could [ tve another performance. These Pittsburgh films were Pathe made, all the way from Paris they said but after a short time the Vitagraph and the Biograph were contracted for; they cost more but dang the difference. Still the people did not come to view these marvels worth a cent and John realized that he had to ballyhoo them so he made himself a megaphone four feet long out of galvanized iron and practiced lung exercises and it was wounderful the megaphone ability that man domenstrated and he would station himself upon the corner of the court house square and tell all and sundry what was what and they heard blocks and blocks away and were persuaded and business grew and grew. John nowgot a man to ring the crank of the picture machine and sported a piano and hired young ladies to play and sing while he would reel up his' film tor another show. By and by Carl Laemmle started a distributing station for films at Chicago and Mr. Stoneburner rented his films from him and the pictures got real classy. Three months went by before the pub. lie w-ould really buy but they became interested and then John put in seats in the main auditorium and everything was jovely. The. next move was

to provide outdoor sports and friend Stoneburner erected an airdome with seats like a circus and electric lights and everything but at that the pro ceeds came in at a nickel a head and children under school age free ami there were more children those days in our town under school age than there has even been before or since. Perserverance hath its reward ami at any rate John persisted and business was not so bad and Mary Pickford boosted things for him and people got into the habit and crops must have been better and folks spent more money and John laid away the megaphone in moth balls and motion pictures had come to stay and pioneer days were a thing ot the past. Please let us remember that Mr. Stoneburner knows better than any ,of us that the road to glory is a hard and thorny one but that the end justifies the means. o GREETERS PLAN GOODWILL BOOST FOR WINDY CITY -UNS) - Chicago.— Voicing an appeal to the 10.000 hotel executives in the United States and Canada who are members of the Hotel Greeters of America to aid in re-es'tablishing Chicago's good name thioughout the continent. Clifton L. Corpening, national president of the Greeters, has started a broadcast of "Goodwill for Chicago’’ messages to the members of the Hotel Greetois, which is the world's largest hotel organization. “There is no use denying that Chicago is better known for its crime than for its commercial accomplishments, education facilities, and spots of beauty ami historic interest,'' Corpening declared. "Unfortunately, our murders, gang wars, and political troubles have been of so sensational a nature as to dominate the front pages of the American presth. In reality, however, statistics show that Chicago is second lowest in proportion of crime to population, in a list of twelve American cities, with a percentage of 9.8 per cent, while other and smaller cities rate a percentage as high as 25.4 per cent. Damaging Publicity "The publicity given Chicago for its unfortunately daring and sensational murders has driven countless dollars of business away from Chicago, and Chicago hotels. Wt» cannot deny but that our losses in conventions, tourists, and visiting shoppers have been of so high a rate that it is vital -,ve do something. “You hotel men know that in many large- cities the proposed 1933 Chicago World s Fair is being looked upon already as a losing venture, mainly because of the unfortunate publicity given the activities of a few criminals operating in Chicago. This is just a single example of the situation that confronts Chicago hotel managers and owners; and from this you can recognize the desperate position they are in and will be glad to help them. Asks For Good Word "We can say a good word for Chicago and tell the world the truth about this second largest American city. Here is the truth! Chicago has had less hold ups, robberies and major crimes of a like nature during the last two years than ever before in its history. The shopping district, the trict, the theatre district, and places where visitors are ap tto go has been almost one hundred per cent free from crimes of nature during the last two years than ever before in its history. The shopping district, the theatre district, and places where visitors are apt to go has been almost one hundred per cent free from crime ot any sort these last two years. The crime that the world reads about is isolated in segregated and seldom visited districts of this great city.” 1 ■ o — Berlin Adds 12,900 Motor Vehicles During First Half Os Year —(INS)— Berlin. —The first six months ot the current year added 12,900 motor vehicles, to the number in Berlin, as against an increase of 12,500 for the entire year 1927. Noteworthy is also the increase in the number of driving licenses issued to women. They numbered 574 in the second yarter of 1928, as against 292 in the same period of 1927. The total. however, still amounts to less than five per cent of all licenses issued in Berlin. o German Silk Men Open Spinning Mills —(INS)— Berlin. —The growing silkworm industry in Germany has made it necessary t<s set up in Celle, in Hanover, the first silk reels in the country. Twenty-four breeders are interested in the new venture. / —o- — Fashion’s Tyranny We are taught to clothe our minds, as we do our bodies, after the fashion la vogue.—Locke.

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER S. 192*.

The Cloverleaf Creameriel Au ■ ■ Butter 1 I IMI It I A good healthy house- jggH ■ 1 hold necessity made in «1 B I a clean and sanitary in- Ijjri I |1 stitution by skilled jpJ/ gFW butter makers. Iry it x Mr ? Jtfl ||lk and you tvill judge it |9 Jfl K the best ever. | ->■ vifk /# G i * S> r fl \ /// ■ < ’ -fl ~lff 'jpTjgll^fl l E. L. MART IN ‘ ' fl President Home of The Clo 9 AWord About Our Business I • 'U T HE Cloverleaf Creameries, Inc., operating a large number of cream-buying ■ stations and routes m this section of the country has several thousand patrons who have found it profitable to sell their cream to us. \\ ith their splen- J /■ did cooperation this institution has been able to expand and grow with the £ J community—the finest spot in the world that so many good people call home J|||y J I BEGINNING In 1914, the first creamery was established under the capable leadership of E. L. Martin and W. A. Klepper and was known as the 1 “Martin-Klepper Company.” The organization continued for several years and was changed to the “Cloverleaf Creameries. Inc.’ In order to better meet he demand of Dairy Products, and the management endeavoring to render |||y better service, a pew Creamery building was erected on South Winchester street, our present home. JMy I WITH Our present facilities and 24,000 square feet of floor space the | Cloverleaf Creameries, Inc., produced annually millions of pounds of j||jr I Cloverleaf Butter which is used in homes throughout the entire country. This is also the home of “Tasty” Ice Cream, the delicious confection sold in every ' r o ( 1 * Cl city and town for miles around. We Are Glad This is Our xk Home and Hope YoulWill Enjoy Spending the Week With Us