Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1908-05-16
NioKELoDEoN VERSUS SALOON,
tFrom Boston Transcript

picture show is serving as a power
full competitor OF the saloon With
the coming OF this cheap and yet ele'
waiting form OF entertainment, he de-
clares, there has been a noticeable de-
crease in the patronage OF that decay
ing institution, the saloon. The nick
elodeon is a strong force for temper
ance reform. He writes:
"A noticeable fact about this kind
OF amusement was that It created no
opposition from the church, the Watch
and Ward, or the guardians OF moral
ity in general, at least not until 1t had
made a profound impression. Anyone
wishing to investigate win find on the
main street in the poorer section OF
each city, where the barroom once
held sway, the moving picture nail
wide open. People who have never
seen play have been educated
through this agency. Men whose only
form of amusement had been to Visit
the barroom and smoke pipe over
glass of beer have begun to realize
that there are other forms OF enter
tainment Women whose only pleas
ure was to sit on the doorstep and
watch the teams go by have been
brought in touch with real life. Chill
dren are becoming thinkers through
| its instruction. The peasantry OF all
countries, throughout these slum set
Elements, are brought In touch with
scenes from their own country. Those
whose education is limited, and whose
faculties of understanding have never
been developed, unconsciously find In
! the moving pictures that which they
have been yearning for, and which for
the time being, at least, takes them
away from their narrow environment
This form of amusement has made 1t
possible for higher and more eleVat-
ing education to appear. 1t has lifted
the people out of their ignorance, and
placed them on a plane sutiiciently
adaptable to the modern drama. And
should the moving picture show pass
away, or change to something else,
the demand will be in the direction OF
progress"
This is interesting, If true; and II
true, it is important. The Settler can
see no reason for questioning the
theory. 1t seems altogether reasonable
that the rise of this new form of pop
ular amusement must have diminished
the saloon habit
The cheap amusement problem has
recently been studied in all its as
poets by a committee of the Woman's
Municipal league and the Peoples In
stitute of New York City. A striking
revolution has taken place in this field.
The old-fashioned melodrama has been
largely crowded out by the cheap vau-
deviIle and the moving picture shows.
OF the two latter, the nickelodeon Is
expanding with the greater rapidity.
Within a few years the number OF
moving picture shows in New York
has increased from nothing to over
six hundred. These shows entertain
from three to four hundred thousand
people daily and between seventy'fve
and one hundred thousand children.
The nickelodeon is now the core OF
the cheap amusement problem. It's
nearest competitor, the penny arcade,
is being driven from the field, having
already worn out its public. This Is
distinctly the day of the nickelodeon'
The ascendancy Of the nickelodeon
is a matter for congratulation. 1t is
far superior in it's educational and
constructive influence to the forms OF
amusement which 1t Is displacing. AT
first 1t was undeniably bad-a carni
val Of vulgarity violence and vice. But
while it has been making good 1t has
also been getting good. The New York
committee now gives it clean bill
of health. A visit to more than two
hundred nickelodeons failed to detect
one indecent or immoral feature Of
any sort. Its patrons, moreover, see
something of history and travel, o.
industry and commerce, OF good com
edy and real drama.
The nickelodeon has discovered
new amusement seeking public, Il
whom the melodrama, the vaudeville
, and the arcade made no effective ap
neal. 1t has attracted family patron
age. This Is the secret of its enormous
: success. 1t Is a neighborhood institu
ton, offering to the entire family al
: evening of the most varied interest
Fright here" declares the field inves
. tigator of the New York committee
, "is found the most significant aspec
, of the present amusement situation
= All the settlements and churches com
. bined do not reach daily 1.-THE o
, the simple and impressionable foil
that the nickelodeons reach and vita
t ly impress every day. Here is a neV
l social force, perhaps the beginning o
true theatre of the people, and al
instrument whose power can only b.
I realized when social workers begil
{ to use it."
9 The vogue of the nickelodeon show
}, the vast possibilities of educationa
l and constructive and educationa
e work in the field Of cheap amusements
Q Here Is a most attractive opening TO
e Investment philanthropy" Rscognil
ing this opportunity the New Yorl
committee win probably experiment
h with model nickelodeons, with the OF
:, iect of forcing up the standard of en-
:, tertainment through direct compel
s ton, determining whether an unprC
}. cedentedly high class of Performance
: can be made to pay, and perhaps, 1
f the event of success, of founding
/, peoples theatre.
y The Social Settler.
Il The "Gas" Was Prepaid.
Il The self-made millionaire who ha
II endowed the school had been invite