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KIDDIE EAR MAKES
INVENTOR A MILLION
By H A R O L D C AR Y
T H I S is the story of Clarence
White of North Bennington,
Vermont, just as he told it.
It is worth hearing because
in July, 1915, he was on the
high road to the poorhouse and because
in January, 1917, he had built up a million
dollar business that is not affected
either by war or peace.
Said Mr. White:
"I belong to a family of Yankee
manufacturers. We have a $90,000 factory
in North Bennington, in addition to
all the smaller buildings we owned before
it was constructed.
"Our business, in 1904, was the making
of stereoscope pictures for Sunday
schools and Sunday parlors. We had
four hundred agents throughout the
United States and we turned over approximately
half a million dollars every
year. In 1904 the business took a sud-
den spurt and we were forced to bring
in more workers and build the new building
of which I spoke above. In 1905
our business began to die of a most terrible
disease. It was attacked by motion
picturitis, and v\es laid in its grave before
winter. We did what we could to
save the patient but the only doctor who
had the proper medicine was the Public.
He was engaged in the new infant industry
of the motion picture.
"Johnny's remark to his Sunday
school teacher explained the whole situation
:
" 'I saw a wonderful movin' picture
of Japan last night all colored.' He
The Children of
Plainfield. New
Jersey, Gave the
First Welcome to
the Kiddie Kar
spurned the stereoscope and our beautiful
'still* pictures. Because Johnny was
fascinated by this new art our agents
wired their resignations to us at the rate
of two a day.
"We struggled along as best we could.
supplying such districts as did not yet
have the motion picture, but the decline
was steady and so positive that it was
heart-breaking. Bennington is so located
that the manufacture of most products
si