The Caldwell watchman. (Columbia, La.) 1885-1946, 1915-07-23

WV oring to satisfy the jaded
w pleasure palates of his null
titudinous Manhattanites.
Having something less than 10000
theaters, vaudeville houses, moving
picture establishments and amusement
places generally, he seems constantly
to feel called upon to put forth some
thing new and different to hold his in
habitants.
AS matter Of fact, he could not get
rid Of them if he wished to do so. The
vast majority of those who have be-
come real New Workers would stay
right there if he stripped them of
everything and tied them to an cleo
trio sign on broadway. They would
stand right there and enjoy its glitter
and feel sorry for all those who were
condemned" to live beyond the glow
of the White Lights.
But he doesn't seem to realize that,
and so hardly a day passes that we
do not read of some new enterprise to
be launched for the stated purpose of
entertaining the people of New York
city. There may be some who will
think that these new undertakings are
merely for the purpose of making
money. but their advertisements say
nothing of the sort.
Time Brings Changes.
Yet it is all different now from what
1t has been. Time was when each new
enterprise Of the character referred
to was launched with bold announce
ments about the high prices that
would be charged. That was before
the European war got under way,
when New York had money oozing out
of its pockets. Now, however, every
new amusement project comes forth
modestly telling us that prices will be
extremely reasonable There has been
a realization and an acceptance Of the
fact that money is not being spent so
freely here as it once was.
Hardly theater in Manhattan to-
day is running on the old scale Of
prices; or. if it is, it has out slips, pro-
durable at almost every store, which
entities the holder to a seat at half
the advertised price. The very best
Broadway theatrical productions are
now having popular priced" matinees
and there is hardly an entertainment
on the island for which some kind of
seat may not be procured for % cents
or less.
And the character of the entertain
ment is changing even as are the
prices. For instance. the old Eden
Musee. on Twenty-third street, recent
ly closed its doors. This famous in.
stitution has been one of the sights Of
the city for years. There was time
when something like 10000 people
passed through it's doors daily; but re-
Gently it has had a struggle to keep
alive and that struggle was finally
ended in defeat. Location had some
thing to do with that Twenty-third
street, Madison square. there once was
the very heart of things, but now New
York has moved uptown. The white
lights do not send their beams quite
that far south these nights and al
ready Twenty-third street is lined with
"For Rent signs, many of which have
been so long there that they are OBJ.
scured by dust and dirt.
Madison Square Garden Going.
Yet another landmark of old New
York has fallen before the march of
Manhattanites uptown" The famous
Madison Square garden, familiar the
country over, either through visit to
the metropolis or illustration, is to
make way for improvements. Its no.
BILE tower, the work of Stanford White,
slain by Harry X. Thaw nine years
ago, will be missed by visitors and
residents alike. Many of the most
notable men of America have ad-
dressed audiences in the structure.
But Father Knick is no whit discour-
aged. He moves on uptown and keeps
trying. AS stated, new announce
ments appear almost daily, telling us
that ere long we will have something
else to entertain US. One of the latest
of these announcements is to the eff
feet that an enormous ice palace is to
be erected at once on Broadway be-
tween Forty-third and Forty-fourth
It's size will equal that of the
New York hippodrome (Which recent
ly failed as home for moving pic.
tures) and it will have several res.
taurants reasonable prices) on it's
upper floors. The lower floor will be
of ice and around it at somewhat
higher altitude will be a balcony
where one may dine and watch the
carnival on the ice below. OF course
tie ice will be for skating. The whole