Ms' l t**mitaa!>'*.>-.■ « »<"■ ■ t ■■——■» _ •.,, •■ " A--f ; . •.. ;. —■« ■■"—— !& ,JJ " '" ! ' ~ " * r 11 1 I 1 * ll """"''""" 11 -" -' ! '■!.!,.. .- - ' 0 NI.W YORK CITY has the great est amusement resort in the world in its Coney Island, which stands unchallenged as the most wonderful example of the development of the modern idea | of popular attractions presented at prices rendering them available to all classes. Coney Island is unique in many respects, but it was the first place in the world where first class at tractions were ever opened to the pub lic for rm admission price of ten cents. 1 he attractions have steadily improved in quality at Coney, but the price re mains the same. Coney has not always been the resort it is to-day, its earlier history was not of the sort that makes cities great or aided in the development of good citi zenship. Twenty years ago there were shows there, ten cent shows, but they were not characterized by any attempt to elevate the public or amuse the better classes. At one time it was essentially a tough resort where crooks throve and politically it was the rotten est of Brooklyn's many disgraceful districts. The public and an improved public sentiment is largely responsible for the changes that have been wrought, but much can be credited to a new generation of amusement producers who have selected Coney Island as a headquarters. I "ire ami the Courts have assisted in the change, for several great conflagra tions wiped out the worst section of tiie place, and the courts sent corrupt police officials, who aided in the corrup tion of the place, to Sing Sing. But all the fires and all the courts could not have accomplished as much as Thomp son & Dundy wrought when they open ed Luna Park's gates to the public, and set an example in producing attractions of real merit surrounded by artistic structures from designs by architects of i national repute. ; From a place where many people i , went, but were careful to refrain from 1 j mentioning the fact, it is now a place : i where everybody goes and talks en- i 1 thusiastically of the visit for weeks a afterwards. The enthusiasm is war- i i ranted for at Coney Island can be seen i The Cameron County Press. EMPORIUM, PA., APKII. i, 1907. i ili'c most complete example of the re sults possible by the scientific applica tion of electricity to art. The famous White City, Chicago World's Fair, af forded a splendid spectacle, the Buffalo Exposition marked* another advance, but at Luna I ark and at Dreamland the builders have brought the art of electrical illumination to the highest device of perfection ii ever has known. Combined, they have been classed as the eighth wonder of the world, and the distinction is merited. W hen Luna Park was built it was said it never woulel pay it* owners, and the undertaking was certainly a great risk as it involved the expenditure of ne«irl> two million dollars before a single cent was paid in at the gate. Hut the people came and Luna Park has been made bigger every season, and it has created a new standard in the amusement world. \\ lien tlie l>uil<!crs of Dreamland announced their inten tion to build another great amu -i rnent rnort, almost at Luna Park's doors, persons, who thought they knew, said then was no room for two great places at ( oncy Island, but time has demon strated that there is no limit to this respect, for these two great spectacles have paid dividends that seem almost fabulous, and they have helped build up a number of minor attractions. The only amusement places that suf fered by their presence were the tou-li places, and the halls where questionable "PICTORIAL .COLOR AND /AAGAZINE SECTION shows had prospered. The clean at tractions have made jjood, and the pub lic has be111 awakened to the opinion that elean attractions of real artistic merit were what they wanted. In I.una Park and in Dreamland there has never been an attraction offered for public favor that depended on a questionable feature to make it a paying proposition. I Many i>f them have been of the type that Ifeeds patriotism and a love of home find country and all of them relied 011 Mime new and novel idea in the de velopment of the great sciences for its most striking features. I lit great events in the world's history have] been kept to the fore, and in all this lias been an element of education I that is too important to be ignored. The conceptions of genius have found an opportunity at Coney Island, and art and science have been called upon with lavish hands to make every detail ap pear in its best light. Fl.e greatest spectacle of modern times was probably the Indian Durbar at Delhi, when the wealth and splen dors of the Empire of India was marched in review in honor of the cor onation of King Edward. Thompson and Dundy realized the universal in teiest in this event and at Luna Park presented a copy of the spectacle which for completeness in every detail and accuracy of reproduction excited the praise of the artistic world and elicited applause from hundreds of thousands of delighted people who nightly filled a vast amphitheatre devoted to the spec tacle. Just what this feature of one season at Litna Park cost its producers may never he known, but they made it pay and constantly improved and elabor ated it during the seasons its was pro duced. Attractions on the order of Creation" and"The Deluge" cost a small fortune, and the original produc tion of "Fighting the Flames" required the services of a regiment of men, wo men and children. The fire fighting force was led by one of the most famous of New ork's lire chiefs, and under his charge a body of trained athletes gave the most realistic and spectacular per fi >rmance of its kind thai was even given. While Thompson & Dundy's Luna 1 ark and Dreamland have been doing iluir work in the reformation of Coney Island, their efforts would have been seriously impeded if it bad not been for the presence of the number of attrac tions covering a somewhat smaller space, but embodying all of the elements of novelty .and ingenuity that charac terized the best features of either Luna Park or Dreamland. Principal among these attractions is Mr. E. J. Austen's "Johnstown Flood," which has been one of the real features of Coney Island for several seasons. It was first produced at the Buffalo Ex position and later removed to Coney Is ;v iUiKf " "** m jH I r^al<es artl ftHTI i re d ~~ cle, with no flabby fat. p Trial Blxe 25 cts. at druggist# or from_u«) !• JkH iH FREE. A large sample, five times as lar#* I w *f L»., <M < a »fh''<can.el)oughforawec)r'B s uae, togeth-j B |H j&fl er with our lifclpfui 32 page book "The Care' v;. \ MflH of Babies" and acute rag dorf, willl be sent froe to any fltT • r • jPH sends ; lieri druggist's ~~ i her own At Postal fwwfs£SL willdo - K3| 1 JNO rAISLE * 80*8 Thin l» Baby Ralph l-Vlton. son of Mr and Mrs. Imvli) Y^ : XS3®«» Dob 80 iSHJWP I- eltou,W4HiiiU!fttwißt., N"iv rustle, Pa., 17 months old, FOOD wiltfbtiialba uud healthy by Imperial Granura IW* Water St.. New Tork |* ~y<J fc( D * jland. Mr. Austen is one of the pioneers [among amusement producers of the present generation. In 1885, he brought out that wonderful and realistic pano- Continued on Next Page
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers