Part four of four

One enterprising Broad Ripple-ite youth, Alfred (better known as "Jid") Adkins was able to grab two rings at each revolution [of the merry-go-round]- one in his left and then another in his right hand. His efforts produced many brass rings - and drew a crowd just to watch him perform.

My first summer, 1929, working at the park, was prior to the market crash in the fall of that year. The next three summers were in the heart of the depression - yet there did not seem to be that gloom in big bundles that had descended upon the park. It was a happy place - continuous MUSIC! They had installed outdoor speakers mounted on poles throughout the park and recorded music played continuously - the popular music of the time. And although the time was more that 60 years ago, I can still hear Bing Crosby croonin' I FOUND A MILLION DOLLAR BABY IN A FIVE AND TEN CENT STORE - or PLEASE. The park had quite a collection of hit records - enough so that the same ones were not played every day. To name a few: I've Got A Right To Sing The Blues - There's Danger In Your Eyes, Cherie - Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams - Exactly Like You - Bye, Bye Blackbird - If I Had A Talking Picture Of You - Betty Co-ed - When The Red, Red Robin Comes Bobbin' Along - Walking My Baby Back Home. I remember the instantly recognizable artists coming through those speakers, like - Guy Lombardo's Orchestra doing: Was That The Human Thing To Do? - - or Rudy Vallee's Dancing With Tears In My Eyes; Ruth Etting's Mean To Me;

Kate Smith's I Don't Know Why (I Just Do); Hal Kemp's I Still Get A Thrill Thinking Of You; Russ Columbo singing, Love Letters In The Sand; Isham Jones Orchestra playing, Stardust; The Mills Brothers singing, Up A Lazy River; or those Boswell Sisters doing: Sentimental Gentleman From Georgia. And...the loudspeakers was not the only purveyor of music; the Wurlitzer organ on the Merry-Go-Round performed rousing Sousa marches such as Lights Out or Stars and Stripes Forever - or such classics as The Skater's Waltz - The Blue Danube Waltz - The Emperor Waltz; - or a Scott Joplin rag such as The Entertainer; The Chrysanthemum; or the Ragtime Dance.

Of course, "the sweetest music this side of heaven" for us park workers was the playing of "Goodnight Sweetheart" by Charlie De Sautelle's Dance Orchestra at the Broad Ripple park's dance pavilion which signaled the final dance for the evening and that meant our 12 hour day was completed and we could head for home.

The park also had many games of chance on the left side of the midway. You could win your girl a Kewpie doll by successfully knocking all 5 wooden milk bottles from the table with 3 trys at throwing a baseball. There was a .22 rifle target shoot. You might net a small celluloid duck with the right number on its bottom as it floated by in the artificial stream of water. There was a horse race in which you cranked your horse to - maybe - the finish line, and a penny arcade, etc. The dance pavilion was immediately behind these concessions where also housed was the kitchen and supply rooms of the Gooding and Golden food concessions. The food concession stands were located in the middle of the midway, and you could purchase one of the finest bar-b-cue sandwiches you'll ever dream of - other sandwiches too, plus ice cream cones, pop corn, pure orange juice and plate lunches. Tables and benches were provided for your convenience and all of the food served was GOOD!

The side-wheeler, "Sunbeam" was also docked at the park's western side on White River. It cruised up stream to Liberty Beach and back always filled with a crowd of moonlight dancers.

the end