The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1900-03-24
AMUSEMENT FOR
The MULTITUDE
Astoria to Be Made a Pacific
COneY Island.
TOBUILD AREcREATION PARK
VIII Be Ran In Connection With Sunday
Excursions From Portland Eastern
Parties Behind the veniure.

A number OF gentlemen from st.
Paul were in Astoria yesterday look
Ing for grounds near this city for
recreation park.
Our object" said one OF the gentle
men. who seemed TO be the leader in
the enterprise. lis TO find good loca-
tion where we can open a summer
garden. with a captive balloon, tobog-
gan slide. merry-go-round. hurdles and
all the latest Eastern fads in vogue at
Coney Island and other Eastern Sun
day summer resorts.
We VIII run at least one and prob
ably TWO steamboats, from Portland TO
Astoria every Sunday. The boats viii
leave Portland say at in the morn
ing sharp and. making no stop, win
arrive In Astoria about o'clock in the
Afternoon
"on the return trip the boat VIII leave
Astoria at 6 In the evening and reach
Portland at midnight This will give
the Portland people at the recreation
park here delightful night ride home.
There Will be music and dancing on The
boat and at the park. Refreshments
will br sold at the park but we are
undecided as TO whether we will try TO
sell beer and other liquors or not. It
is probably we will not attempt to sell
liquors in the park here. This will,
however, depend upon whether or not
We decide to put on a continuous per-
formance vaudeville show at the park.
II We can get the right kind OF talent
without too much cost we viii undoubt-
edly run continuous performance
show and in that event will want to
sell beer and other liquors to the pa
irons at the tables.
we are satisfied that a park and
river excursion project will pay in
Portland or Astoria on Sundays and II
the Portland people do not want to take
the river trip they can come to Astoria
park by rail for a quarter. enjoy a
balloon ascension. toboggan ride, an
hours vaudeville entertainment, ride
over the hurdles and all the rest of It
and return home by rail for another
quarter, reaching Portland by 10 at
night. In fact II is more than likely
the Astoria railroad win be only too
glad to run special trains for us on
Sundays but We certainly will not ask
II as We expect to derive a good share
OF our profits from the boats.
1--WE are prepared for the almost uni
versal cry that will be raised. viz, Oh,
II viii never pay! Similar schemes
have paid elsewhere where the advan-
tages offered were by no means as
great as the advantages offered here.
We own the appliances to fit up rec
reation park with the exception Of a
building for music, dancing and vau-
deville theater, which can all be COM
bined under one roof. We want loca-
tion facing on the river but will only
use the water for the toboggan slide
finish. Sailing and row boats are too
much trouble and involve too much
risk to pay.
we will bring the band on the boat
down the river with us and it viii fur
nish concert, dance and theater music
duriny tho afarpoon Tho oor,Donx. a..
by no means a rich one but we have $15,-
900 which We made in similar ventures
elsewhere that We are willing to risk
here, providing the people do not want
to rob us. II We decide to start the
park will be ready for visitors by the
middle of April. We have picked our
steamboat, know its speed and what it
will cost u.s. We haven't talked to the
railroad people, as yet, in fact we
probably win have no dealings with
them, as they certainly could not Of
fer to make lower rate OF fare than
that now regularly charged and We
expect no portions Of that amount.
IAN we are going to ask Of Astoria
Is chance to do business and we be-
lieve, when We are ready to make our
final proposition, your people will meet
us half way in all We ask. We will give
all reference necessary when the time
comes. Neither cities like Rome nor
recreation parks are built in day. We
ask nofinancialaid but patronage of the
people. You will hear from us again
very shortly, hope. and then you can
gives names, location Of the park and
all the rest Of it, Either that or you
viii hear from US no more"
The gentlemen who represent the
company in question are looking for
site for the park today and will return
to Portland tonight. They seem to mean
business and with Astoria's well de-
served and we'll established reputation
as summer resort, the selection of this
place for trial of what is a well estab-
lished business in the Eastern states,
|. e., all east of the Mississippi river.
seems good business sense. 1t will be
a success here II anywhere on the
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