The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-05-07
VINEWOOD ISOPEN
Large Crowds Visit TOpeka's
Summer Pleasure Resort.
Park Has Been Thoroughly
Overhauled and Improved.
SOME NEW FEATURES.
There Are Others That Might
Be Dispensed With.
Games of Chance Run to Fleece
the UnWary.

4 and that the temperature was so low
that the day was positively chilly and
uncomfortable, the attendance was
satisfactory, and perhaps three thou
sand people took the cool ride during
the afternoon.
The park appears more attractive
and inviting than ever and consider
able money and labor has been ex-
pended on improvements since it was
closed to the public last fall. A land
seape gardener has been employed who
has done much to aid nature in beau
flying the conditions which existed
before the place was considered
park. Everywhere the walks have
been widened and improved as Wen
as raised, regraveled and extenueu-
Considerable work has been done on
the lagoon, which has been BROAD
ened and deepened, while the banks
have been rebuilt and strengthened
where they were weakened by the
freshets last summer and fall
The buildings as well as all OF the
paraphernalia about the grounds, ana
Including the fences, have been re-
painted and are respondent with
their new spring outfits. The boats
have been given a touch OF color
which adds to their freshness ana
makes them the more inviting. The
more inviting and the first glance sug-
gests that an artist has been attempt
ing to assist nature by adding little
/ blue to the coloring OF the water II
used to be a nurky yellow. The To-
/ liage on the trees and shrubs seems
| little more nearly perfect than ever
before. the grass a deeper green, and
the birds sing on undisturbed by the
! bedlam of sound which has broken
/ loose in their midst. The entire park
~ rrrtfN
nature. and the only sound which
could be taken as protest comes as
a deep cultural crOak, late in the
evening, when Mr.. Frog, grown tired
of the new sights of the day com
plains that his slumbers are being dis
turbed.
Several new attractions have been
added to the park for the benefit of
those who have grown tired OF the
amusements provided for last season.
Among them is the sparasol5r or circle
swing q fufba galleFy where ninety
laughs a minute are promised and de-
livered. Hale's Tours, which promise
/ to be one of the attractive features of
the park this season, was not open
Sunday. as the films have been de-
layed and did not arrive on time The
miniature railroad was also out of
commission. not for any reason which
could be laid up against the manager
| of the enterprise, but because the gang
of coolies or whoever laid the track
made the curves at right angles, and
the little engine failed to stay on the
track but insisted on making short
| cuts across the lawns
/ The carousal with its rocking
| chairs for those who do not care to
ride, and its gaudily painted animals
for those who do, was as popular as
ever and as usual was one of the last
attractions on the grounds to close.
! The figure eight with its new track,
! increased grades and greater speed
! continues to provoke snrIeKs from its
| feminine patrons.
There is but one fault to be found
with the park and that is not with the
park, but the management which have
seen fit to permit a number of fake
games to be run on the grounds, sew
eral of them being in direct violation to
the statutes of the state and several
others which are Subterfuges and are
! clearly unlawful These games are the
same as those operated at country fairs
whenever the management Will permit
them to run. and are the same that
! were closed by the police at the fair
held in this city last fall. They are
located just to the right Of the en-
trance and at one of the most con-
spicuous points on the grounds where
the spoilers and 'cappers' angle for
the unsophisticated and separate them
from their money. These games drew
their patrons from boys and young
men Sunday who were unfamiliar with
their workings and who hoped to en-
| rich themselves at the other mans
game" The result of course being that
many of the younger boys lost their
capital and were either compelled to
i walk to town or borrow from some of
/ their friends who had resisted the APP
4 peals of the "barkers" for the games
One Of the games is the fish pond"
one Of the oldest employed by fakirs to
rob their prey. Another is known as
the Jingle board" and consists of a
table upon which silver coins are scat
tered about in great profusion- Rings
/ are sold to the victim which he losses
on the board and when a ring COM
pletely covers a piece of money the
coin becomes the property of the play
-er. the accident of course not happen
ing often. The disk game is opera ted
in about the same manner with the
exception that disks are employed in
the place of rings.
At least three of these games are
identical with the games which were
closed by the police at the fair grounds
last year. There are numerous other
games Of about the same description
which do not pay cash to the players,
but who get around this point by pay
ing in prizes which they purchase from
the players at a stipulated cash price.
which is as open a violation of the law
as though the prizes were paid in
money from the pockets of the game
/ keepers or from the boards.
It is strange that the management of
the park would permit Such open and
fragrant violations of the. law at a park
which has Just been opened and which
in the past has been so clean from OBJ
I jectionable features. The games are
laof the character which do not appeal
to men. but offer great inducements to
the boys who after listening to the
boosters see visions of wealth and
usually play until their last cent is
/ spent IN hopes that luck may turn in
their favor. never dreaming that they
have not the slightest chance of get
ting their own money back to say moth
i ing of the possibility of beating an
other mans game"
| The park is well policed, but as the
I officers are employed by the manage
lment and draw not only their salaries.