Log Cabin

The Log Cabin, manufactured by the Caille-Schiemer Company of Detroit in January 1901, is one of the earliest recorded examples of a mechanical prize-paying ball game, a direct ancestor of the pinball machine. Known as the "Square Top" version, it was the original model produced by Adolph Caille and Jacob Schiemer; Adolph and his brother Arthur formed The Caille Brothers Company on July 30, 1901, so this Caille-Schiemer production lasted only about six months, adding to its rarity.

Gameplay is straightforward yet engaging. For 5 cents per ball, the player cranked a stick handle on the front of the game to lift the ball to the shooter lane, then shot it into play with a small "throwing device" (vertical plunger). Landing the ball in the top center hole paid a dollar prize, while seven of the thirteen score troughs at the playfield bottom were winning pockets paying between 10 and 50 cents.

The cabinet contained a magazine of 500 balls, dispensing one per play; played balls did not recycle, so once all 500 had been used the operator had to open the game and transfer them back to the magazine. Advertised at 22 inches long and 10 inches wide, the Log Cabin is a purely mechanical device whose hand-cranked operation offers a wonderful glimpse into coin-op amusements at the very dawn of the twentieth century, and into the inventive spirit of its designer, Adolph A. Caille.