The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-06-09
JACOB BARNET GETS
PRIVILEGES AT
PHALEN
Park Board Awards Six Year
Contract Giving Him Con-
troll of Amusements to be
Installed in New Park
Chute the Chutes PROPOSE
ton Rejected.

With the statement that it preferred
| to be fair in it's dealings rather than
take any advantage that might accrue
from a much better sounding offer, the
park board yesterday awarded the re-
freShment and amusement privileges at
Phalen park for the next six years to
Jacob Barnet.
Barnet gets the privileges on a fiat
| bid of $4,000 to be paid the board in
six installments, $500 the first year,
| 81 900 the second, 500 the third and
| $4,000 each year thereafter until the
end of the contract expires, which ex-
pires in November, 1909.
AS a part Of the agreement Barnet
must put in and maintain a bathing
| pavilion, a water toboggan, a minia-
ture electric railway, modern roller
| coaster and a fully equipped restau-
| rant and refreshment stand. The reve-
nue. from each goes to the contractor,
! but at the expiration of the contract
| the property is to revert to the park
| board.
The other bid, which the board re-
| jected, though not without some wa
! Vering- on the part of a few Of the
members and an apology at the close,
was from the Chute and Amusement
| company, represented by w. w. Price,
| of st. Paul.
Offers to Install "Chute the Chutes."
Mr.. Price made a cash bid of 5000
to be paid in installments during the
life of the contract, and to install in
addition to other anlusements a $4,000
"chute the chutes," formerly in opera
q. 81
one time located at White Bear lake.
In addition to the $4,000 he agreed to
give the board 10 per cent of the gross
receipts aecruing from the operation of
this machine, Is per cent from the
bathing pavilion, 10 per cent from the
miniature railway and roller coaster.
Included in the offer was also $500
worth of music each year free Of cost
to the park board.
Unwilling, however, to invest money
without at least some assurance OF
return the Chute and Amusement COM
pany inserted in their offer the words
conditional that the street car COM
pany's tracks be extended to the park
grounds and a sufficient service main
tanned" They also imposed the con-
dition that the other amusements out
side of the 'tchute the chutes'' should
not be made compulsory until after the
season of 1904.
These two latter provisions, Com
missioner Aberle contended, removed
the offer from any consideration by the
| board, as they did not comply with
| the specifications. Commissioner Earle
was also of the same opinion and Supt.
| Nussbaumer laughingly demurred on
the ground that a number of clerks
would be required to keep tab on the
| boards percentage of receipts.
Barnet Gets the Contract.
President WheeIock, however, was
| strongly taken with the Chute the
chutes'' scheme and held to the opinion
| that is was what was intended in the
| specifications, instead Of a common
| water toboggan which Barnet offered to
install and allow it's use free of charge
| to bathers. Some of the members,
among them Commissioner Earle,
thought that the specifications were
slightly ambiguous. Finally in order to
| settle the controversy the board went
| into executive session and at the close
| announced that it had decided to give
| the privileges to Jacob Barnet on his
| fiat bid of $4,000.
This does not include any music nor
| the receipts, but as the board ex-
| planned after the executive session,
! Barnets offer was the only one that
| came near complying with the specif1-
| cations. Barnet operates the pavilion
at Como park for the street railway
company and also the one at Wild
| wood.
He contends that the installation Of
the several catch-pennies will demand
| an investment of about $40, 1000 on his
part, one Of the heaviest items Of
| which will be the roller coaster which
he says will cost about $4,000.
| May Have Rejected Good Thing.
| W. w. Price, Of the Chute and Amuse
ment company, informed the board
yesterday that while he could not enter
any protest because Of the boards ac-
| ton, he thought they were unwisely
| passing UP a good thing. Because Of
| the fact that the 'chute the chutes'' is
| novelty in this part of the country
and at present all the rage in the
| Eastern resorts, he computed the
| boards part Of the first years re-
| ceipts, based on his offer of a per-
centage at fully $1,000 from this one
feature alone.
The board asked Barnet if he would
put in a chute the chutes," taking the
| machine that Mr.. Price controlled, if
| deal could be made, but Barnet did
| not seem inclined to give a direct Offer
| Mr.. Price asked the board Of it would
| consider proposition from him based
! on the chutes alone, but the members
had to refuse as by the contract Barnet
is practically given control Of every
| thing in the revenue line that would. be
allowed on the grounds during the next
| six years.
Under the contract given to Barnet
all amusements are to be installed at
Phalen this coming season Every
| thing is to be Of a substantial nature
and a reasonable schedule Of prices is
| to be maintained.