The Billboard 1913-03-22: Vol 25 Iss 12 (1913-03-22)

ee a oe oe —_ es wo OE ee Re et ee ae — eer ~~. The Billboard MARCH 22, 1913. ' Talks With Eastern errs By Chester Beecroft. They say tbe lion and the lizard keep The courts where Jamshyd giloried and drank deep: And Coney—that great monster B. -~ Stamps o'er its bead, but can not break its sleep. Thus the ancient and modern Omars, Khayyam and Sami, the tent maker of Persia, and the tent fakir of New York, bridging the gap of nigh a thousand years with a sentiment and name in common, mingle their songs in praise of institutions which to each stand as symbols of glory that has been but is no more. And the bond between the Omars is strengthened by a kindred filosofy. Omar, of Naishapur, is Khorasan—We mention him first only because he is an older, not a better Omar (for, look you, our own Omar of tencentsper in Khoneysands, tho he speaks not the perfect Persian tongue, yet calls into play a Persian (sh)rug, which can not be distinguisht from the genuine) advised in one of his sublime quatrains: “‘O, take the cash, and let the promise go!’’—a sentiment which is heartily shared by the younger Omar, who retain his wisdom in spite of the slaughter of Coney Island by the B. R. T. And here we must take our leave of Omar Khayyam, for tho the Court of Jamshyd must undoubtedly have been a resort of splendor and renown, it has been too long in the keep of lions and lizards for even a new Fred Thompson to reclaim, while Coney Island and the many summer parks it stands for in our own dear U. &S. A., are, tho stricken with a plague, still living and not beyond hope. Omar Samj is right. The B. R. T. is the real spoiler of Coney Island. And what is true of Coney Island is true of nearly every summer park thruqut the country. The railroads are responsible for the slump in patronage in the majority of cakes. Owners, managers, promoters, students of the vexatious problem, and other astute persons more or less qualkfied to judge, have attributed the general falling off of park business in the last few years to various causes. Some have blamed the managers for inability to supply novelty. Others traee the trouble to fickleness of the publie, working on the theory that outdoor amusement devices lose their value as soon as the novelty has worn off. Some managers pass the buck up to the owners and backers, claiming that they are hampered by inexpert opinion which they are duty bound to follow, and that they are not allowed to use their own judgment in the expenditure of money for attractions, improvements, layout, etc. In all of these contentions there is an element of truth, and in some individual cases, one or other of these reasons is wholly correct. But, gentlemen, when it comes to the condition of park business as a whole, the real fault lies with the railroads which carry the public to your gates! When the park idea was new the public fairly stampeded to its support. The matter of inconvenience or discomfort in transit was scarcely noticed in the mad rush of the people to gratify their newly awakened passion for novelty and sensation But the times and all things—except greedy traction company methods—change with them. The hysteria has worn away. What was novelty and surprise has now developt into a solid. well-organized institution of recreation and amusement, The public is no longer blinded by the excitement of great novelty. People go nowadays to the parks much as they do to the theater, the beaches, or other of the older forms of amusement, in a matter-of-fact manner, with their minds not in a state of eager anticipation as in the old days, but free to take in all surroundings and to note the conditions as they go along. In other words, they have time to think, and while they love the park as much as ever, their love is not great enuf to offset the feeling of anger and resentment, which, now that their sight is restored, is aroused in them by the shameful treatment and abominable service accorded by the railroads. Ask any person from Manhattan why he or she does not make frequent trips to Coney Island, and invariably they will answer, “I can’t stand that trip—it takes all the fun out of the excursion.” One trip a year to Coney is enuf for most funlovers. To pay ten cents—two fares—for the privilege of being insulted, crowded, stood up, delayed and trampled on in a hot railroad “journey” no longer appeals to the New Yorker. He'll do it once, but after that he elects to sweat at home, gratis. Efficient service would, of course, greatly increase the crowds and add to the income of the railroads proportionately. But the B. R. T. should worry and get a new wrinkle to improve service, when the city of New York plans to hand them a juicy slice c® the new subway—yes? Not. Coney Island is peerless—it will always get a living, but it will never approach its former prosperity—boardwalk or no boardwalk—until it gets a five-cent fare and adequate express service from the B. R. T. Regarding the ratroad-owned parks, it is astonishing how short-sighted and stupid some of these companies can be in the policies they follow. The general scheme is to furnish a free act or two to pull the crowd, and then charge a double fare each way on its own cars. In the first place the people in most localities have grown so accustomed to the free act that they come to regard it as a set fixture, part and parcel of what is legitimately “coming to them.” In the second place, people in all communities are hostile to double fare. Forcing them to pay it creates a feeling of dissatisfaction and resentment, which grows and spreads until, by a sort of silent common consent, the taboo is thoroly establisht and the park becomes a failure. Still the operator refuses to believe that the double fare had anything to do with the gradual but steady falling off in attendance. “Lack of public interest”’ is alone to blame, and another park becomes a junk yard. The traction companies’ one idea is to soak the passenger on its lines 2 double fare, holding as an inducement for the ride, a first, second or third-rate park at the end of the line. It seems beyond their ken that a real pleasure ground, a single fare and ten times as many passengers means more money to them than the present grab-it-all system. which not only works against their own best interests, but hurts the park game in general, by adding constantly to the number of failures, giving the false but fatal impression that parks are no longer paying propositions. Such a notion as this, when it spreads broadcast, has a distinctly harmful! effect. causing the investor to become over-cautious and suspicious, and dampening the ardor of the amusement seekers, upon whose attendance and support the whole park scheme depends. There is no advertising so valuable as the “Bill says it’s great’ kind, and no eriticism which will more surely destroy than the knock of the same old Bill. Bill, of course, representing the fellow you meet who has “been there” and was either pleased or dissatisfied. Very few railroad-owned parks are successful Here and there, where the operators have sense enuf to hire a top-notch manager and leave the work entirely in his hands, they get by. But sooner or later the double fare and the usually poor service will crimp the best-laid plans of any manager, no matter how competent and progressiv he may be. More summer amusement parks have been closed up or reduced to a passiv state by street railway companies than from all other causes combined, With these few remarks we pass on toa review of the various parks in and about New York. Philadelphia and Boston, giving, as far as is possible at this early date, an outline of the plans, changes and additions contemplated for the coming season. Asking your indulgence, gentlemen for the arrangement of subjects and the long territorial jumps necessitated by the geografical layout, we present for yeur consideration, first: Palisades Park, N. J. Nature has done wonders with the West bank of the Hudson, and if the Schenck Brothers had been clever enuf to live up to the possibilities of the portion under their charge, Palisades Park would be a wonderful summer resort. Under the existing conditions, however, the best comment that can be made is that the place is beautiful. Its shady paths and cool arbors offer rest and refreshing quiet for which the jaded city folks should be sincerely grateful. The charm of scenery and freedom which is here so potent. should be a feature in every park—but it should not be the only feature. Woodland pleasures and delights are easily to be had in many lonely localities within easy reaching distance of New York, and without the price of admission. All parks do well on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, and so does Palisades. On week days a visit to the morgue or a walk thru Potter's Field might be productiv of more hearty enjoyment, and could hardly be less exciting Moving warily and swiftly down the stee; descent to the Fort Lee ferry. with an occasional furtiv glance over the shoulder lest Arthur Keller, or mayhap the Old Nick himself launching 4 boulder from the edge of the cliff with intent to crush us, we continue down the river and across the court of the Goddess Coney. She is the great mother of the whole race of summer parks, stil! young, tho prematurely gray, She smiles upon us and bids the minions swing the portals wide Hail, Majesty! Alas, a clout upon that head where late the diadem stood! Hail, goddess hopeful still and fair, your great eyes moist with sorrowing for the grandeur that is dead: low !s our obetsance! Raising our heads again we gaze beyond her. eager to gather in the sights of her fairy realm Once more, alas! for impenetrable mystery cloaks Surf avenue on either side. and nothing can be seen!