The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1914-07-09
ARE The PEOPLE
AMUSEMENT MAD?
Or Are the Promoters Of Big
Shows OVERRIDING Thing? I'm
mate Views the Situation From
Showman's Stand Point.
By Sliusrs

Are the people of the United
States amusement mad? 1t would
seem that way, when one stops and
considers the number of expositions
that are to be held during the COM
Ing year.
First in size and Importance is the
Panama Pacific. at San Francisco
from Feb. Goth to Dec. 4th 1915.
Second comes the Panama Cali
fornia, at San Diego Jan. LIST to Dec.
31st 1915.
Then there is to be an exposition
called The Exposition of Great
IDEAS at New Orleans, for which
the dates are not yet set. And last,
The Greater New England Agri-
cultural and Industrial Exposition"
to open May 30th and closing Sept
9Th 1915. Two million five hundred
thousand dollars has already been
raised for the last named fair.
In writing this article l wish to
make it plain that l am doing SO
from the showmaD's point of view,
and will therefore treat the subject
as an amusement on a large scale.
just out of idle curiosity / checked
UP the number of carnival companies
entour, where routes were publish
ed. in The Billboard last week, and
found that there were one-hundred
and seven. with many more yet to
open. There were thirty-five cir
cuses. and about two hundred one
and two car shows playing under
canvas. The number of stock COM
panies, parks, airdomes and chau.
tauquas are countless, but all are
factors in the amusement business.
Can it all Last?
What does all this mean to the
professional Snowman? Can it last?
After looking at the problem from
all sides we doubt it. Take the car
nival end alone; in twenty years
the business has become a mighty
factor in the amusement world.
From a suit case and shoestring
proposition it has grown into bus
mess in which millions of dollars
are invested.
Times have changed, as a friend
put it on a recent holiday, and with
the change has come problems that
showmen must meet and solve; or
else, like the guy that bad duck
that laid golden egg, they will kill
it by trying to get all the gold in
lump.
Two weeks ago two of the largest
and best carnival companies played
in opposition, in town of about
10000 inhabitants under the aus
pieces of rival lodges. The town is
one of the best show towns in the
country, but had been closed to car
nivals for ten years. That town is
again closed to carnivals and the IL
cense fee on all shows raised. The
bird is dead in that town, all because
of the bulI-headedness of two rival
lodges and carnival managers.
What Caused it All
But to get back to the real sub
ject. What is the real cause, of at
least two, of the 1915 expositions?
The same bull. headed rivalry that
closed the town mentioned above to
carnivals. When the Panama canal
was nearing completion the question
arose as to where the exposition to
celebrate that event should be held.
Several cities made bid for it, no.
tably New Orleans, San Diego and
San Francisco. After great deal
of fighting the government selected
San Francisco. San Diego and New
Orleans instead of being game, said,
well if we can't have the official
we will have one of our
own and spoil your chance of sue
cess as much as we can" and
straig htway they started to adver-
tise.
Showmen have paid as high as
$3.50. 900 for concession space at the
Frisco fair, others less, but all have
paid high prices. All concessions
are sold on flat rate, cash in ad-
vance or covered by security. Will
they break even? Some may. but
others stand to lose on the deal.