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Show SPEND MUCH FOR AMUSEMENT. Twenty-Five Millions Are Invested in Parks in This Country. . "It costs a lot of money to build and operate an amusement park on a large scale," says Frederic Thompson, Thomp-son, in Everybody's. "I suppose that more than $25,000,-000 $25,000,-000 are invested in these parks in this country. Dreamland on Coney island cost about $2,500,000. Riverview Park and the White City in Chicago cost about a million each. "Luna park cost $2,400,000. The total annual expenses, including the cost of rebuilding, of putting in new shows and the operating expenses, average about a million dollars, and the season lasts four months. I spent $240,000 on one show, of which $68,-000 $68,-000 was for animals, mostly elephants and camels it was the representation of the Indian durbar and I lost $100,-000 $100,-000 on it. I charged the loss up to education, and it was worth it. It costs $5,00 a week to light Luna park, and $4,500 for the music. The salaries of the free performers this season are $2,300 a week. And all of these expenditures, as well as a good I many others, go simply to manufac-( manufac-( ture the carnival spirit." |