The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1914-11-26
Story Of Humphrey and the
Amusement Resort Which
He Purchased.
STRUGGLE FOR DEcENcY
How He Drove Away the Saloons,
Gave Everyone Value for His
Money, Kept the Place Decent
and Finally Won.
BY RICHARD sPILLANE.

hard as he worked, Humphrey made
little headway. He lOnged for the
comforts and opportunities Of city life
and the more he dwelt on what the
city held IN promise the more dissat-
isfied he became with his lot Final
" he got so tired Of cropping 1t,
as the agriculturists call farming |
that he determined to sell out he |
put the farm on the market and got
a purchaser. Then he moved 10
town.
One thing Humphrey liked was pop |
corn. He dotted on it as boy and MS |
appetite for it did not diminish as ne |
grew older. When he got to town |
and looked around for some work
with which to employ his energies, ne
did not find so many openings as ne
had expected. Idleness was abhor-
rent to him, so, more to keep himself
engaged than with any thought OF
going into the business permanently
he made popcorn on his kitchen stove
and sold 1t to men who had stands
about town.
No one knows more about the art
of popcorn making than Humphrey.
The corn should be of a spec1al
growth and it should be kept three
wears to season and it should be
cooked tust so, or It will not have the
flavor and delicacy that real popcorn
should have The people who bought
Humphreys popcorn relished it, and
the sidewalk venders developed
trade in popcorn they never had
known before. Humphrey made lit
tie money-not much but enough to
make him ambitious to broaden his
field. Out at the lakeside was big
pleasure park. 1t had cost many
thousands of dollars to build. The
men who started it expected to make
a fortune, but had been disappointed.
At first it did fairly well, but gradu-
ally its attractions paled. Then the
owners let it become a fly paper prop
osition. Every visitor got stuck.
Made Money and Saved 1t.
Humphrey sold popcorn to the
Beach Park people. That was one OF
the few things sold at the park for
which the people got the worth OF
their money. His popcorn sold so
we'll there and at the stands in town
that Humphrey took up other lines,
He made oldfashioned candy and su-
cared peanuts and gradually built up
a trade in those articles that permit
ted him to add a little to the money
he had put in a bank as result oil
the sale Of farm.
Although Humphrey prospered. the
owners of the Beach Park did not
The reputation of the big amusement
place did not improve. Roysterers
got to gcing there at night and occa
sionaily there were disgracefu
brawIs. The bar did the biggest bust
ness in the establishment. Every
sideshow had ballyhoo man ana mos
of the freaks were fakes of the worst
order.
As the years went on, respectable
people began to avoid the park
There always is an element that de
lights in riot and roar, but it is no
aiIOSeINCE 1hC O"ANAS
the park, facing a larger and largel
deficit each year. became more an'
more disguised. They saw how wronI
they had been in their estimates
The city was not big enough to sup
port so large an enterprise as th'
park. The best thing they could dc
they decided, was to sell the proE
erty
1t is one thing to want to sell an
another to find a purchaser. Mel
willing to buy lakeside parks ant
having money to pay the. price ar
scarce. To announce the amount o
the yearly deficit would not enhanc
the value. The owners looked aroun
carefully and cautiously for perso
upon whom they could UNLOAD
Somehow. the popcorn man came int
calculation.
Bought Beach Park.
It seemed ridiculous when his nam
was suggested, but investigatio
showed he had considerable none,
and when the proposition was put u
10 MN HS EdNC At OOh6luCAo oIiOhs II
looked the property over CAREFUL,
He inspected the bar and frowne
He looked at the fakes. and scOwle
Everything that seemed profitable
the owners met with his disapprova
About the only thing that pleased hi
was the location. He looked out owe
the lake and his face cleared.
gazed along the beach and SCENE
nleased. He watched some childre
nj play, and nodded his head appro
ingly. A few days later he closed
deal for the purchase of the par
and the men who had been holdiI
the bag for years breathed easie
Humphrey was the purchaser.
The popcorn man, not being parti
tn strong waters. closed the bar Il
first day he was in charge. In doiI
this he basely deceived large nul
her OF thirsty gentlemen who jOC
neyed out to the park the followil
sunday. It was hot-frightfully hot
and their thirst had not been cool
nv the five-mile ride from the cent
of the city In the crowded troll
cars. They let out roar that W
UNPLEASANT to hear. They scoffed
the attendants who mildly suggest
that there we're plenty Of soft drin
to be had.
The closing of the bar was b
enough. but worse followed. Gent
men who sought the pleasures Of I
dancing pavilion and cast aside tn
aoata and vests 40 they had been