The Topeka state journal., 1897-07-10
is ALMOST ExTORTION
Mr.. 4. j. ParamOre Wants 90
Per Cent of Proceeds
Of the Big Fall Festival Enter
tainment to Be Given
At Garfield Park for the Benefit of the
Floral Fund-Why Not Ask Mr..
T. II. James for His Grove

Next week the work Of building the
large stage and seating amphitheater
at Garfield park for the three nights
presentation of the spectacular opera
Cinderella will be commenced.
To make the spectacle effective, it
needs a background of trees. a back
ground of park fence and shabby
houses wouldn't look much like a fairy
resort.
The stage will have a clear space of
so feet square. The front of it will be
extended so that the audience can be
seated about it on three sides. The
scenes of cinderella" are all laid at the
palace of the king and in different por-
tions of the royal grounds. In con-
structing the scenery and stage fittings
all the arrangements can be made for
an excellent reproduction of these
scenes.
Every morning at Hamilton hall Mrs.
E. B. Meredith meets the different
classes of the opera and for four hours
trains them. Mrs. Lulu Daily is
training two classes. Prof. J. H. Weth-
ereI and Major Shreve are assisting in
teaching the dancing specialties. Mrs.
Sutton of the floral committee and Os-
car Swayze of the Committee of F'if-
teen are looking after the business end
of the venture With this official
makeup there is no doubt that the
opera will be a great success.
The most unsatisfactory feature of
the affair is that Mr.. A J. Paramore
demands 20 per cent Of the gate receipts
for the use of the park, which is too
high and is little else than extortion,
when it is considered that the whole
entertainment is for a great public ben
eft toward which every body else in To-
peka is contributing all they can spare
of their means.
DR.. Hamilton is furnishing his hall
every day for rehearsals free of charge.
A Topeka firm will print the pro-
grarnTneS free of charge.
Has A ]. Paramore given a cent to-
ward the Fall Festival? He wants to
make $2o0 $500 out of this entertain
ment, which is expensive to get up and
which will seriously reduce the proceeds
of it. Ten per cent is enough for the
vate enterprise, Mr.. Paramore might
be justified in charging all he could
get
1t has been suggested that the enter
tainment can be given in the grove
west of Kansas avenue and opposite
Garfield park, where the trees and
is a natural amphitheater exactly suit
ed to the seating of the audience. This
grove belongs to Mr.. r. NJ. James and
he would be glad to open it to the floral
fund committee. In reality it is bet
ter site for the entertainment in every
way 1t is not well fenced. but the
seating space could be roped off, and
the class of patrons who attend the en-
tertainment are not going to crawl un-
der the ropes. Topeka people will
gladly pay 10 cents apiece to help along
the Fall Festival and there is no dam
ger that the committee will not realize
a large sum. If Mr.. Paramore can't be
reasonable about his charges the en-
tertainment should be given at Mr..
James grove, which is just across the
street from Garfield park and fully as
accessible by street cars.
President c. c. Baker announces that
there will be sufficient car accommo-
datiOQS for handling the crowds on the
three nights. All the extra cars in pos
session of the company will be in use
and the crowds can be taken there and
brought back without delay. The To-
peka Railway company donates s25 to
the mana cement which will be used to
defray necessary expenses.
The price of admission to the park
will be but 10 cents. The price has
been put at this low figure so that
everyone may attend. Anyone who
saw the beautiful floral parade during
last years Fall Festival will not fail
to appreciate the efforts of Topeka la
dies in raising money for this years
floral parade
The dates of the presentation of "Cin-
derella'' are Tuesday, Wednesday and
Thursday evenings. July 20, q and p.
A dress rehearsal of the opera will be
held on Saturday, July Il, at Hamilton
hall At this time photographs of the
opera specialtieS will be taken
Mrs. E. 3. Meredith. who Is a resi-
dent of Topeka will go to Kansas City
Immediately after giving Cinderella
where she will begin the training of
children for an opera there.