New-York tribune., 1900-08-03
EXPOSITION FAILURES.
AMUSEMENT ENTERPRISES IN PARIS
WHICH HAVE SUNK ENORMOUS
SUNS OF MONEY.
Paris. July p

IN the EXPOSITION OF l-lO. The sfMaffr"s
Gently published a sad list Of what might
be called Exposition speculations. The AS
ures in that list express most emphaticaTIv
the mad nature Of some Of the enterrrises sr5
the tnpossibility for those who have put their
money in them ever to get it out again
The newspaper In question is far too indepen-
dent an organ and too respectable to have snv
prejudices either for or against Indeed its
syTnpathies have long been given to the Fxnosi
ton and It's undertakings. It desires its success.
but Il also holds the mirror I'D TO truth 7bo
"Mscin' has given in all their brutal nlainness
the figures belonging 10 some OF the show en-
terprtses at the Exposition.
These figures have 10 q certain extent baer
verified by your correspondent and he has
learned from the secret information bureau of
the Credit I-yonnais that there had been no less
than forty-four failures IN the Exposition enter
prises up 70 Saturday. the 14th inst. and the
CRY IS Sun they come" blasting breath has
rsssed over the hopes and Illusions. dreams and
chineras, and has badly burned the wings Of
amusement promoters They are not all dead
but they are al very sick, or nearly all The
series OF deaths began with the Giant The
atre Columbia" quickly followed bv Paris in
100" These have been followed by others. and
ruCor-not unfounded this tiue-sveIls the list
70 huge proportions Making allowance for the
exagge'auon Of runors. the fact remains that
those who have taken a financial interest in
Exposition amusements are losing their money
by dozens Of millions OF francs To show that
Il Is 50, here are a few facts taken from Official
documents
The Giant Theatre Columbia" had capital
of 10000 frlncs, in 5000 shares OF 100 francs
fhe whole OF which is entirely lost. Paris in
400" had capital OF $4,000 francs. which is
probably also completely lost The following
list ought 70 serve a warning for all those
who contemplate investing their money in any
future extrsvsgant amusement scheme: Les
Voyages Aeriens" capital 100000 francs; the
"C1neorama." 10000 francs: '"vesuve Paris
100000 francs: ''PaIais de Ia Mer" $50
go francs: Panorama de Madagascar"
10000 francs: La Rue du Caire," 1.5OO,-
o00 francs: the "Trottoir Roulant." 1000
600 francs; "LAndaIousie au Temps des
Mzures." $4,000 francs Naval Combat"
100000 francs; the Big Wheel" 100000
francs; the Manor 4 Tenvers' 10000 francs;
Panorama Of Rome" 100000 francs; "Pano-
rama Marchand." 10000 francs; '"Tableaux vi
wants. 10000 francs; 'Indo- Chinese Theatre"
$4,000 francs; ''Venise Paris" $4,000 francs;
-GuiIlaume Bonshommes,' 100000 francs;
'Diorena Anime 100000 francs. the Mare
Drama" 10000 francs; 'Palais du Costume
100000 francs; Voyages Animes." 10000
francs; Tour du Monde Panorama" 100000
francs: ''Fashoda," 250OO0 francs: the Hip
pOCTQLTlSs 0,OFDVtD IEalcS5 EalSlS CS Up
tique" 100000 francs; 'PaIais Lumineux"
10000 francsi 'Phonorams-" 10000 francs;
Underground Mining Exhibition. 100000 francs;
French India, 100000 francs: "PaIais de Ia
Dense,'' 10000 francs, Swiss village, 3000O00
francs; the ''Rampes Mobiles" 100000 francs;
the Celestial Globe" 100000 francs; the
Beers Parisians," 100000 francs; "Palais de
Ia Femme" 650O00 francs
SUN TOTAL OF CAPITAL
The sum total OF these including Columbia
and Paris in l4o0'' amounts TO 100000
francs. OF So 10000 In each case the capital
represented by shares Is alone mentioned No
notice has been taken Of founders shares, or
any others not actually accounted for by money
paid. Besides which II one wished 70 swell the
-ist good dozen attractiors-in Paris it is true,
but called into life by tie Exposition-nay be
added.
For nearly all the shares IN this sum OF As
10000 francs there exists no oeicial quotation
7 the latter be examined not more than six or
seven arnusenlents can be discovered; and Of
these six or seven, what was their position at
the beginning Of this month?
The -'PaIaiS de FOptique' cost the shareholders
100000 francs, in 10000 shares Of 100 francs
each which are now worth 49 francs, or loss
o. rather more THAI 30 per cent. Oe 'Venise
Paris" The 100 franc shares were offered at 10
francs or q loss Of 90 per cent OF the capital.
The "Pampeg Mobiles 100 franc shares
worth % francs, a loss OF 10 per cent Of the
capital The Big Wheel" issued 10000 shares
al . francs OF a capital Of 100000 francs.
The shares are now al 3 francs which gives a
loss of 100000 francs OF 50 per cent OF the
capital The "Trottoir Roulsnt' fetching
- francs for q 100 franc share; loss 30 per
cent The '-5ippodrouae" has dropped to %
francs giving loss Of 100000 francs. or 20
Der cent OF the capital Columbia shares and
rhose q Paris in 1900 are not worth the
price of the paper. Taking all these specula-
rcns together and judging them by their stock
quotations q loss 10 the shareholders is shown
q 3 ger cent Of their capital-a sorry result
after such bright hopes.
And tie depreciation OF stock and the Ex-
Positions failures add victims TO the list
weekly Whose fault Is it? Surely the inventors
q goue OF these amusements have been wrong
II believing that the public would run in hocks
70 their shows some Of which, il must be said
are extremely mediocre. The shareholders have
also been rather simple IN thinking that every
thing that has 70 DO with the Exposition would
infaIl.5ly bring in heaps Of gold ana silver OH
the other hand. IL appears that numerous CoII-
plants have been made that the prices OF the
Concessions have been much too h1gh, ana the
failure q the administration 70 distribute Hght
and motive power punctually 10 oate mas h1u 2
great deal 70 do with the lTnperIsct "oIA-IIs -
the different undertakings, and has prevented
them from making as much money as they ex-
pected
But there is another great fault. Every one has
endeavored 10 do things too big a scale IN
STEAD ~ fxfng the expenses according TO the
Probable receipts is the rule in every wen
regulated household. quite the opposlte sysIetIL
has been adopted The organizers nave salo
Our expenses tot Up 70 several miInohs, aLo
gFer o. visitors