New-York tribune., 1910-04-17
VAN C0RTlANOT
RiVerdaIe Property Owners
Oppose Merry-Go-Round.
SEND PETITION TO GAYN0R
John P. Delafeld Says That
Nuisance" at Park VIII Do
Great Harm.

As an Incident merely among his merry
go-round Of official duties Mayor Geynor
Will Be asked by well known men m Few
DAYS 20 revoke n license for the operation
OF a carrousei and Ferris wheel az tne
entrance 20 Van Cortlandt Park, near 40
street The man who owns the license j
James Thorn. who operates carrousels al
several resorts IN this city. Among the men
VINO have signed the petition are IeoTse
w Perkins Edmund n Randolph. Justice
Leonard \. Gieserich Darwin P kings
ley Elias VI Johnson. Edward G DeianeId'
John Ross DelsfeId. Henry W haydeh,
Dr. James Douglass. George 2. HAYES ana
Cleveland IT, Dodge. All Of whom nave
homes ~ RiveTdale
Four hundred names. ~ was said ysster-
day. would he signed to the petition, Vhicn
II Is hoped will he in the Mayors hahos
by next Tuesday A year ago. through the
opposition Of the men above named. A slihi-
lar license was withheld from Tfenl- Ihis
year he quietly renewed his efforts. and on
April was granted permission To operate
his attractions al this point.
The Riverdale people are Thoroughly
aroused said John Ross Delaheld. yes
terdsy. The oposition would have mani
tested itself sooner. but as the license was
=
a public hearing ue were unable to muster
the opposition.
The petition states that Thorn main
tain= a similar amusement resort At Fort
George. and has figured in the police courts
and been convicted for maintaining pup
lie nuisance there. which conviction mas
been affirmed within the last few months
Owners OF property In the neighbornood
maintain that such shows tend 70 deprecla;e
irs value. also that "the latest mode 81
turning the public parks OF the city - pri-
vate profit is By granting licenses 20 main
tain common shows near the large parks
They declare that a number Of the civic
organizations are Interested IN this anu
similar cases by reason OF the "opportuni-
ties for disorderly persons, who are always
drawn 10 these resorts and therefore fiud
/ the parks an excellent field for the purposes
OF their trade"
Mavor Mcclellan refused to grant Thorn a
license To operate a. the Van Cortlandt
. Park site In an opinion handed down o1
Alav 20. 1899, he said
The operation at this point ~ a Ferris
wheel and a corrousel would he q serious
/ dctri-lert TO the proper enjoyment Of tie
park and would inevitably lead 20 the IS
adjustment Of similar attractions in the
. same ueighborhood. The establishment Of
. the common show provided for might ma
ter.auv injured and change the character
Of tho neighhcr1ood and result I'm serious
. damage 20 adjoining pr0perticS-
l. - maintained rv persons interested in
F the ahIishment o. the carrousel that the
rnarscte~ OF the ne iEhborhood has deterio-
rated since Mr. Mcclellan opinion was Ut
tered Thorn first applied for the license IN
question iu the spring OF 1905
Ar Delafeld said yesterday
This resort is 10 be located on the Spuy-
ten DuyvH Parkway. a part OF the great
/ park system os -he city which VIII Join tle
parks of The Bronx with the Henry Hud-
son Bridge and the Riverside Drive system
u viii be Immediately across the street
from the great playground in Van Cortland.
Fark and opposite the main entrance 10 the
park. close 70 the subway station and az a
point where the many thousands OF Young
men and girls who use the park mus
PASS II.
con the parkway and immediately wesc
of this common show is the property bought
some Years ago by the Christian Brothers
as site for Manhattan College, AM
close by are the athletic field and propose9
doru7itory site on the property OF the Teach-
crs College. 4 location can hardly he founi
where q nuisance of this sort VIII do great
er harm