The sun., 1904-05-02
ALL ALIVE.0 AT CONEY ISLE.
SPENDING MICROBE F.ASTENs on
SO,OOO PEOPLE,.


Resort-Sandwich Gives Place TO Berf
and Potatoes Minus Knife or Fork.
Like a big butterfly warmed into life by
a touch Of sun, Coney Island came ont OF
its winter cocoon yesterday and waved
it's gorgeous wings. The sleeping city Of
odds and ends woke UP, stretched itself
and began tl,Nsummer u dance. Then the
butterfly smiles 9hnded.
The rattle al b clatter and roar, that will
last until another frost, began. The barker
lifted his raucous voice in a chant of joy;
the sideshow man rubbed his hands glee-
fully; the small grafters and the big beamed
with delight as the garnering Of silver
started
Not less than 1000 cheerful amisem ment
hunters. hungry for the sights and sounds
Of Coney, tramped tho streets. crowded the
early bird shows and joyed in the good air
and the bright sunshine. 1t was the first
day for many moon that one could leave
behind overcoat or umbrella. and the van
guard OF the summer army made the most
Of it. From early morning until very late
at night elevated trains and surface cars
rolled In. packed like 40 many sardine
boxes. Coaches and tours fooled along
the boulevard, automobiles wheezed and
painted and dodged in and out of the never
ending procession Vehicles OF every de-
scription. from perfectly appointed mail
phetons to antiquated family carryalls,
added their loads to the happy crowd
II guess this is bad. amt it," sideshow
barker shouted in cheerful irony to a pro-
feesional brother across the way. "There'll
ha barrels Of coin here this summer, my
boy. barrels Of IT, an we'll all cut melon"
n yesterdays crowd an d it's free spend
ing proclivities was criterion. Coney is
in for a banner season The microbe
that is fatal to small purses and crippling
to big ones was in the air. The music Of
oinking dimes and quarters played steadily
on. The little shows had all they could
do even thus early in the game, and Luna
Park, which is still in a chaos of incom-
pleteness, was visited by about 5000.
Dreamand, across the way, did not throw
fits gates open. Both will have formal
openings on Nay IA.
1t was an orderly crowd that of yesterday,
which took pleasure in little things. cavilled
not IL it's toes were trodden on, and laughed
good, honest laughs. 1t swarmed to watch
the elephant people carry great beams Of
timber at TGd Rdn from snth their hs GngsSess
baby elephant. peanuts until his small
sides became distended 1t rode on scenic
railways and it danced to band music in
pavilions, and did all with as much zest
there before; 1t journeyed about, leaving
hs small change behind with prodgal
generosity, and it had boost for all and
a knock for none
Only one Of the throng had funereal air
and long face singularly out Of harmony
coat and soiled collar he stood on corner
distributing evangelistic tracts. Shall l
60 home, they were headed. Would you
be free from your burden OF sin? Have
thy evil ways. Yesl I will go home now"
The crowd surged by him content in its
own ways. with a sermon in it's smiles.
In front OF shooting gallery long
haired, dark faced. angular individual
bullseyes. He was little gone in drink
and his spirit was boastful within him.
A delicate looking little chap, who seemed
as IL he might be an undertakers
s by the Sosy
The little man, with no to-do whatever,
accepted the challenge Picking up a light
rife he smashed a row Of pipes one after
the other. knocked two nickel balls from 70
the ducks and brakes and rabbits and
queer beasts in sight and walked away
while the boastful one stared and paid and
the crowd applauded.
a motionless. white faced figure on
stretcher caused the street TO jam with
excited people. The ambulance changed
its way to the spot and a half dozen cops
an electrician. who lives in Coney Island,
had fallen from the tower. He was badly,
perhaps fatally. injured Several women
became hysterical. They were calmed. the
lad was taken to his home in the ambu-
lance and the crowd moved on again.
For those with thirst there was no lack
of soothing fluids. But the Coney Island
sandwich, the indestructible. the indi-
gestible. the infamous Coney Island sand
wich, was not to be had. In its stead was
with which, c,lriously enough, no knife
and fork were furnished All this was to
the great profit OF the restaurateurs, for
few cared to grab the greasy mess and it
appeared again and again with fresh schoon-
Tho beach which, thanks to Major Wood
bury is not fringed with peach baskets,
tin cans. and nasty debris, drew thousands.
The children built wonderful ediaces OF
white sand and rolled about delightfully.
watched the waves come curling in. touched
by that fascination the ocean holds.
The only grumbling heard during the
day was about rowdyism on elevated trains.
gusted everybody else by rendering popu-
lar songs at the tops Of their voices. The
trainmen made no attempt to quiet the
din. and their ears must have burned from
the unkind things passengers said about
them.
IT the B. R. T. pc ople don't do some
thing to put an end to this sort OF thing
Il is going to hurt their business this sum-
mer," said a Brooklyn man Yesterday.
The trainmen should be instructed to shut
down on these young hoodlums whenever
they utter a chirp."
The big crowd, tired out with its siren
nous day. went home with many good
words for Coney. Unquestionably the pop
ular resort. all rebuilt. repainted and fur
bished up as it is is better place to spend
day than 1t ever was before. The in
ventive amusement man has found plenty
Of new hair-raising devices to entice the
festive dime, and the old ones are all there
Rest Of all, most people think, the majority
Of the tough joints that gave Coney an
unsavory name have been torn down to
make way for new amusement enterprises.
and their denizens are not in evidence. to
any extent at least.
The first excise arrests Of the season were
made Yesterday afternoon by Detective
Reynolds. Owens and Masterson Of the
Coney Island station. They were served
with drinks at Nathan Kopples hotel, Bow
cry and Stratton's walk. Kopple and his
waiter William Hadden were arrested