The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-07-23
A MIDWAY PLAISANCE.
Topeka Has One On Quincy Street
at Night.
II IS IN AMUSEMENT CENTER

Big Crowds OF People WhO PatrOnixe
the advertisements There and Eat
Peanuts aad Drink Pop.
Topeka has a Midway Plaisance that is
a great scene of life and gaiety at night
It is on Quincy street opposite the Veals
block A reporter visited the place last
night There were electric and gasoline
lights spread about over the place and
crowd of people was there.
The noises that arose were numerous
Above the boisterous, good natured and
tlresome ''fussing" of the colored young
men, who are always disagreeably con-
spicuous on such occasions, and the
laughter and shouting of the children,
arose the cries of the vendors, some
poetic and all plainly audible. Here's
hot candy good and sweet; come one,
come all and buy and eat" MeIodious,
isn't It? "Eor five cents get a ten cent
smoke; here's the place, an that's NO
joke" Certainly inviting. "Cider, pop
an lemonade; cold as ice, that's what l
said" All of them original and catchy,
to say the least
There was the semi occasional ''ping,
ping" of the targets at the open air
shooting gallery, the calling of the ticket
seller for rides in the "big wheel" and
then the whirr of the wheel machinery
itself, accompanied by the rather chit
and miss" drop three and pick up one"
music of the hand organ, as manipulated
by a colored boy, who got a ride after
while for playing it.
| And then there was the hallujah sing
( ing OF the Salvation Army in it's tent just
! to the north.
/ An invoice of the grounds showed that
thers were three stands at which could
| be bought the usual candy, peanuts, CT
/ CARS and lemonade, one shooting gallery
one movable cider joint, one Salvation
Army, one big Ferris Wheel" one en-
| CINE to run it with and one tent in which
/ the manipulators live.
All kinds of people are already attend
ing this new pleasure resort in the even
ing and the place at the wheel is packed
with children Of ages extending from
four to sixty waiting a chance to get into
the little red and blue boxes that seat six
and contain so much bliss.
The street is generally full of carriages
containing the parents of the children
who are riding or else people who are
looking on.
Conspicuous in the wheel last night
were two people, man and wife appar-
emily. Both wore whiskers of which
the man had a possible MAJ 0rity. Both
had boutonieres; both sat upright; Meth
er smiled during the entire evening and
both rode three times before they would
consent to tear themselves from so much
joy. Neither was less than So years of
sge and both had their hats off.
Among the regular patrons last
evening was one of the young women
who attempted suicide last Sunday. She
is safe now until the wheel leaves town
at least.
The man who owns the wheel is han
died by the pleasant sounding name of
| w. Clay johnson. He lives at Usage
City and it was there that the wheel was
made last year. A good deal of the iron
work was done in Topeka by the r L
Cofran company. The thing complete
cost $3.50.
The wheel is built on largely the same
principle as the original Ferris wheel,
which was go feet high and carried l.
400 persons
The Topeka wheel ia fifty feet high
and carries forty-eight persons. There
are eight boxes and each will hold six
persons. The wheel looks slender, but
il is strong, and as a test Mr.. johnson
once packed it with ninety-six persons
and sent it through a trip without a mis-
hap. Il was further tested with weight
of eight tons. Mr.. johnson says he mas
not yet had an accident, though he would
off sometimes, because the children will
stick them out and try to grab the rods.
This is the fifth town at which the
wheel has stopped and it will stay al
long as there is money here for it VerJ
little is done in the day time. The har
vest is at night, and the wheel runs from
seven to eleven. The highest amount i
has taken in one evening was $86, o
which about $75 was clear. The whee
was at the fair grounds on the Fourth o
July, the biggest day in the year, ant
took in all just $2.45.
The unpleasant feature about this rid
ing machine is that at the first ride i
often makes people ''sea sick" Their
have been two or three unfortunate an
unmentionable instances of this in TIC
pska
A colored boy, who was held at tn
highest point for an unusual length o
time last night while the box below hin
was being filed, got rid of the time b
means of several lively steps. while hi
, company in the box sat on the edges an
! did the patting for him, and the crow
t / below cheered.
: Clifford Richardson, official chemist o
| Washington, District OF Columbia, re
, | plying TO an inquiry as to the merits O
. the various baking powders. says that b