The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-06-15
SUMMER NIGHT AFFAIRS
THE OUT-OF-DOOR ATTRACTIONS
WERE WELL PATRONIZED.
Opening of the Wildwood Park Sea-
son-The German House Concert
Drew a. Big Crowd.

A happy crowd focked to Wildwood last
night, enough almost to fill the big wooden
auditorium which has taken the place of
the tent structure which used to sway as
a huge property elephant when the wind
blew over the little park by Fall creek.
There was a good old-time melodrama on
the bill, with several entertaining variety
numbers between the acts. The opening of
the former summer opera resort as a melo-
drama and vaudeville theater was encour-
aging to the management. Better weather
was furnished than the opera people could
ever induce Wappenhans to prescribe and
with a continuation of the same there is
no reason why Wildwood should not be-
come popular. Passions Slave was the
drama, and the members of the cast were
at their best and the play, so far as the
actors were concerned, passed off without
a hitch Taken as a whole the play was
excellently given, and the people showed
their appreciation by applauding freely.
Miss Florence Hamilton won many
friends by her taking impersonation
of the role of Mamie Briscoe. Hugh
Mackaye is a success as Manuel Defoe,
while the comedy business was in the
hands of Lawrence Earl Atkinson, Lew A.
Warner and BERTHE Mae. All of them know
how to act and they succeeded in keeping
the house in an uproar while they were on
the stage A. H. Bailey took the part of
Ferdinand Shepley in such a manner as to
win frequent applause. The other members
Of the cast, Naomi Booth and Fred Sulli-
van, were we'll received. The vaudeville
numbers We're given between the acts of
the drama. Tine Magnets" are all that
has been claimed for them and they re-
sponded to two encores. Whiting and Mu-
relic, goteSque horizontal bar performers,
and Rockford and Chapman, song-and-
dance artists, pleased the people. The same
performance will be given every night this
week. Next week the comedy My Hus-
band" written for Miss Hamilton by Scott
Marble, together with new vaudeville acts,
will be given. Reserved seats can be plr-
chased at the Big Four ticket office, Me-
ridian and Washington streets.
There is q little refreShment stand, with
soft drinks and something to chew, at the
park, and the way the walters were kept
on the run last night would indicate that
prosperity has struck Wildwood for sure.
Last night was the first real summer
evening of the season, and thousands of
''bikers" were the streets. There is a
bunch of amusement resorts in the Fall
creek neighborhood and the multitude of
cycle lights on upper Meridian and Illinois
streets made that end of town look as If
stopped at Wildwood many others went on
to Fair Bank, and heard the orchestra
give its circus number entitled, a Day
with the Circus" Old men and children
crowded around the stand and shook with
laughter when the aerial act of the Slip
perry Elm Sisters was announced. All
and old folks and children could be seen
around the tables on the lawn at times.
Perhaps two thousand people passed
through Fair Bank before the gates closed.
Others went on to Kissel's where the at
traction was a ladies' orchestra, with four
een-year-old Miss Schmoll as leading, vio-
for her age. and had the people in the
park charmed during her numbers.