The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-06-18
WANTED, AMUSEMENT.
Topeka Swelters Every Night
Without a Single Park
Or Place of Amusement Within
Her Borders.
Pretty State of Affairs for a City Of
5000 People-something Should
Be Done at Once.

Topeka IS a city of $4,000 people with
out a solitary place of amusement our
ing the summer months. It is doubtful
If there is a town of ike size in ike
condition in the country
On not summer evenings thousands
Of suffering people long for park
summer garden, a lake or cooling
of place" of some kind, and long IN
vain In the entire area of Topeka ana
its environs there is no place Tor a
stranger to sit down except the chairs
In front of a hotel He cant even r1de
on the street cars, because only three
or four of them are open cars ana they
only run short distances. Ten years
ago Topeka had more means Of sum
rner evening enjoyment than she mas
now, poor as they We're; then open trol-
ley cars used to run to Oakland PARK,
which was lighted by electricity ana
contained places where light reIreSh-
ments were served
The present condition Of Topeka in
regard to summer evening amusements
is little short of disgrace to a town OF
the size and pretensions of this one.
Kansas City has five parks open
every evening, with music and other
entertainments for the people of the
city. Topeka has not a single one.
There is nothing here for anyone to do
who may not have a social engage
ment-which are rare enough in the hot
summer months-but walk about the
streets or sit at his own home. which is
perhaps well enough If it were not so
monotonOus for night after night.
Every man likes to take his family and
go on an excursion of an hour or two
to some pleasant resort where there are
other people, lights, music and cool
breezes.
Thousands of Topeka people are IN
fortunate enough to have homes so sit
uated that their doOryards are small
or their porticCes built on the side of
the house which fails to get the pre-
vailing breezes. These can do moth
ing but sWelter because no place is
provided for them to seek GOODNESS and
recreation.
a city owes its Inhabitants a chance
for recreation as much as a chance to
make a living. 1t is the duty of the
municipality to provide parks as much
as it is to provide electric lights and
sewers.
Eventually Topeka may have a park
of sufficient size and character to meet
the needs of Topeka people: but the
crying demand is for something now
next week; not next year or the year
after
The Topeka public needs a breathing
spot right off; and not for one night in
the week, but for every night.
The matter ought to be taken up by a
company organized for the purpose,
and it ought to be run on business
principles not on a philanthrOpic basis
Above all, the resort should be made
high toned. In other cities where
these parks are conducted they are
managed by street car companies, and
the parks are made free to the public
the company getting it's profit from
the fares OF those who visit the parks
Heretofore when any entertainment
is given at Garfield park an ad-
mission has been charged. This eff
fectually keeps down the size of the
crowd. 1t costs man and his wife
80 cents in car fare and admission tick
cts to patronize an entertainment, and
If he wishes to take the children it is
out of the question.
If the street car company had a park
to which admission was free and would
have an orchestra there every evening
or q small band of 10 or u pieces and
from time to time a magic lantern ez-
hibitiOn or fireworks or banjo playing,
clog dancing or any cheap entertain
nent that would cost but a few dol
lars, the chances are the attendance
nightly would run into the thousands
and would pay well. It pays every
street car company at Kansas City. St
Joe, Omaha and Denver, and il would
pay in Topeka.
Residents of Topeka will rem member
that even DR.. BrOWnfeld's medicine
show on West Sixth street attract
large crowds on the street cars When
people Will patrOniZe such trivial af-
fairs as this it shows how hungry they
are for summer evening entertainment.
Ihey would turn out in large mum erS
TO amuSementS in a resDectabl place
with respectable surroundings. If il
is impossible to obtain Garfield park
this summer for the purposes mention
ed, some other grove might be secured
and readily converted into a park. The
grove at the northwest corner of Au-
burndale is composed of splendid trees
and the ground is covered with fine
blue grass The street car line runs
within a few blocks of it and a SPUR
might be run from the main track with
out much trouble. There are several
other sites for a park which might be
better
such park should have as many
new features as the patronage would
justify. At Garfield park shooting Of
the chutes" might be inaugurated. The