Into the 20th century

  Enthusiasm for merry-go-rounds as a form of entertainment continued well on into the new century, but with less and less of the character of a ‘craze’ which it had had in the 1880s and ‘90s. In part this was probably because of a widening range of amusements such as roller-skating, moving pictures, cycle racing, vaudeville performances, ‘practice dances’, which were being added to the traditional working class recreations.

  References between 1900 and 1920 provide some limited information about business aspects of merry-go-rounds. An insurance claim which ended up in court in 1901 made it clear that merry-go-rounds were shipped from one location to another on droguers/droghers, the small vessels which carried goods around the coasts of the island from the 18th century. The carousel was dismantled and the horses and other parts were stowed below deck. The boiler and engine were, however, in this case lashed on deck, raising the possibility that the drogher became unstable and sank easily in a sudden squall. The lawyer for the insurance company gave this history of the merry-go-round in question:

  Another question was as to the value of the merry-go-round. They found it in

  1898 on the Race Course. It was knocked about for two years, and then they found

  Mr. DaCosta advertising it for sale in the newspapers. Advertise as they liked, no

  one would purchase it then. It was put up at public auction, and finally they found

  Mr. Nathan purchasing it. Mr. Nathan transferred it to Mr. Morgan, the plaintiff’s

  husband. It was sent to Linstead and other places, and Mr. Nathan was to get £62,

  and up to then they found that the amount had not yet been paid. It was stated

  that £63 was spent on the merry-go-round, but he would submit that nothing like

  this was spent. They found that it was a merry -go-round that would not go round,

  as no one would patronize it, so the plaintiff thought she would send it to sea to

  encounter a whirlwind, and then claim an exhorbitant sum greatly in excess of its

  value.

Perhaps the merry-go-round business was not always a very profitable one!

  But the business did continue. In 1904 E H Morrice auctioned a merry-go-round at his auction rooms on Port Royal Street; he advertised it as ‘a superior merry-go-round in perfect order consisting of 24 horses, 4 carriages and panoramic views. A fine engine capable of running it at full speed.’ More interestingly there are references to merry-go-rounds made locally. In 1911 Abraham Walker of the City Saw Mills at 4½ East Queen Street was given permission by the City Council ‘to erect his native made merry-go-round on the Kingston Race Course, during the November Races.’ He was to pay £1 a week in advance, and to lower his tent ‘on the days of the races so as to enable the spectators to view the contests.’ The Gleaner noted that

   The firm are manufacturers of Merry-go-Rounds, and specialize in sashes, doors and

  general fret work. The Merry-go-Round built some time ago by this firm reflects

  the highest credit of native skill and workmanship and a visit to their establishment,

  … will convince anyone interested that the firm is second to none in their line.’

  In January 1917 Merry-go-Round owners were ‘requested to communicate with the Proprietor of the New Horse Market and Cattle Bazaar, Bog Walk. Moderate rent for a good "pitch." ‘ The business still continued; as George Lyons Brown of Montego Bay commented in 1906, ‘there is no disgrace in manual labour even though it be the running of a merry-go-round, for some kind of amusement must be provided for the people.’

  Unfortunately this popular amusement sometimes led to unpleasant consequences. A number of accidents were reported. In March 1913 Myrtle Bell of Buff Bay sued David Muir for injuries received from a fall from his merry-go-round.

  Adella Bell, plaintiff’s mother said her daughter came home on the night in

  question covered with blood and with one tooth broken. She had to be taken to a

  druggist who extracted the broken tooth for which he was paid 8/. Her daughter

  earned 12/ per week as a dressmaker and she was unable to work for 2 weeks on

  account of the accident.

In December the same year two accidents occurred in the Comfort Hall district. At Waterloo a lad got his wrist bones broken while turning a merry-go-round. A fatal accident took place at Epping Forest where a picnic was kept with free rides on the merry-go-round. A boy named James Harriott was riding and finding the speed too slow, he left off riding to put on more power for a swifter ride. In the act of doing this the trunk of his body got between a board and the handle with which the "go-round" was turned and the force with which the handle came to his body broke the backbone and death followed shortly afterwards.

Four years later another fatal accident occurred, in Lacovia:

  Lacovia, Jany. 3. -The young life of Wilford Wright, of about 12 summers, suddenly

  ended on Saturday night at about 8.30. This boy with a crowd of other people was

  enjoying a ride on a Merry-go-round erected for the season. In attempting to stop

  the spinning of the merry-go-round, it is alleged his neck caught between some parts

  of the fixtures and was so badly crushed that he succumbed a few minutes after being

  extricated. A great crowd soon gathered and the police ordered that the body should

  not be removed. Dr. Johnson of Black River, the D.M.O. was summoned and a post

  mortem examination was performed. The remains of the unfortunate boy were laid

  in their last resting place, on Sunday.

  Merry-go-rounds, as in earlier times, faced various other problems. In January 1902 Montego Bay was hit by heavy rains, during which

  The Salt Spring gully came down in full force washing four small houses out to the

  sea. It tore up trees and fences that lay in its path. The merry-go-round which has

  been on the gully land at the back of Mr. Gruber's house for the past week was

  swept away.

  And there were still those who objected to the business with complaints such as - ‘The general cry is, "hard time," and "want of money," yet the manager or master of the merry-go-round has been hauling in the cash here since last week.’ In Savanna-la-Mar the old conflict with the Salvation Army still survived: in 1908 the police brought a case against the Army for a disorderly meeting. One issue was the noise of the drum, but it was suggested by an Army witness that the drumming that was heard came from the near-by merry-go-round. Oddly it was also stated that the Army had purchased one of the big drums from the merry-go-round.

  Occasionally riding a merry-go-round was helpful in a legal case. In 1902, Robert Williams, accused of taking part in a riot in Montego Bay, was successfully alibied by friends who said they had seen him ‘enjoying himself at the merry-go-round while the riot was going on.’ More often the link was less happy. In 1904 there was a report about people coming down from the merry-go-round on the Kingston Race Course late in the evening being mugged by a gang at the top of John’s Lane; comment was made on the failure of the police to patrol the area. In September 1911 Joseph Williams was sitting quietly among some country people on the Spanish Town Road around 9.45 p.m. and told them that there was a merry-go-round not far off and if they wanted to go and ride he would take care of their products. Constable Campbell of Smith's Village, who was watching, arrested him for vagrancy, for which he subsequently received 14 days' hard labour. In November 1911 Irene Miller objected to Manasseh McCartney’s advances while she was enjoying a ride on one of Kingston’s merry-go-rounds. A fracas ensued, involving the mothers of the two young people. Three of the combatants were arrested and later fined 5 shillings each in the Police Court. On the whole, however, it seems that behaviour around the merry-go-rounds improved as the century moved on.

  The improved behaviour may have resulted partly from the increased popularity of Rockfort Gardens which was increasingly Kingston’s main entertainment venue. A wide range of activities took place there, but the merry-go-round remained a perennial favourite. Not to say that the behaviour there was always exemplary!

  In April 1904 a new electric merry-go-round was opened at Rockfort Gardens, with special street cars running for the occasion. In the following weeks as many as 5,000 visited the Gardens every night. The sixpence paid for admission included a free ride on the merry-go-round, and admission to the Biograph moving pictures. Not all the customers appreciated the noise of the merry-go-round which competed with the music presented by the band; correspondents in early September 1906 used phrases like ‘This objectionable affair, with its disgusting musical attachment‘ and complained bitterly that

  The musical (?) instrument attached to the merry-go-round at Rockfort Gardens

  has for long been a source of annoyance and pain to visitors who possess a sensitive

  ear. When we are entertained with a solo from this instrument the effect is

  disagreeable enough in truth. But when an attempt at concerted music with the

  W. I. R., or any other band is made, the result is most disastrous. To my mind it is

  nothing short of an insult to a splendid band like that of the West India Regiment,

  or the Italian flagship to let loose a vile, discordant machine, within earshot of the

  bandstand, and while the band is performing beautiful music.

  One writer suggested ‘that the ancient “box of sounds” might be presented to the Museum of the Institute of Jamaica’, and almost suspiciously on cue a new organ was installed on the merry-go-round on September 19th. One can only hope its tunes were more appreciated! A new roller-skating rink was opened on the same day.

  Festivities at the Gardens continued; Wesley Chapel had its Garden Party there in January 1908, rather than at Myrtle Bank hotel as in previous years. St Anne’s Catholic church had its August 1st picnic there in 1910, and in both cases the merry-go-round was high on the list of attractions. The organizers of the Wesley event made it clear, however, that the merry-go-round would be operating before and after but not during their concert. A city store offered tickets to the Gardens and the merry-go-round to boost its sales; Rockfort was certainly the most popular entertainment venue in Kingston at that time.

 

  There were some problems. Just before Christmas 1908 some officers from a Cuban ship broke into the merry-go-round enclosure and started it up as the Gardens were closing. No one got their names and no legal action could be taken against them. In 1911 a young man was charged with collecting fares for the merry-go-round without authorization, but was acquitted. Another charge arose from a fracas in 1918 which occurred when two men collided getting on and off the merry-go-round, but the matter was settled amicably when the offending party apologized and agreed to pay £5 in compensation for wounding the other man with a knife. On the whole behaviour at the merry-go-round seems to have been orderly.

  Another venue which offered a merry-go-round was the Rose Gardens Family Theatre and Amusement Gardens on East Queen Street, which operated from 1913 to 1922. Their advertisements stated

  Our Amusement Garden opens every afternoon at 3 p.m. All up to date sports

  and merry-go-round are run under thoroughly experienced management. Don't

  forget the children every afternoon at 3 p.m.

  Merry-go-rounds also continued to be part of every kind of festivity, along with a variety of other attractions. 1902 saw the celebration of the coronation of Edward VII across the island; George's Plain Estate in Westmoreland had a typical function and

  By Saturday morning a part of the Common on the roadside had been

  thoroughly cleaned, and beautifully decorated with flags, the Union-jack,

  the King, the Queen and ma[n]y others, flapping in the cool sooth wind.

  Booths were erected on the grounds for the convenience of the musicians

  and others and in a corner was erected a merry-go-round, on which the

  children greatly enjoyed themselves.

  In 1905, in Spanish Town,

  A New Year's picnic will take place on New Year's Day .at the beautiful

  lawn of the 'Mulberry Ground' in connection with the Excelsior school,

  Spanish Town, of which Mr. Edwards is principal. A merry-go-round and

  other games will form the attraction of the day. Mr. Bryant's band from

  Kingston will be present.

  In 1906 the Hanover Agricultural Show advertised that ‘A merry-go-round and band will be in operation on the day of the Show.’ Emancipation Day celebrations at May Pen in 1909 included ‘an August tree, refreshment stalls, ice cream palace, and the merry-go-round will offer happy rides to the crowd.’ In late 1909 those interested were invited to submit ‘Tenders for the bar, tea and refreshments, cake and sandwich-trays and merry-go-round for Montpelier Show to be held March, 3 1910.’ However the Agricultural show of the Appleton Branch at Maggoty on Dec. 27th, 1909, was not largely attended because of ‘the counter attractions in the form of Merry-go-Round and John co-noe, at the market square.’

  Garden Parties at Winchester Park in Kingston were a regular occurrence and in 1912 ‘The familiar merry-go-round is erected there, and Punch and Judy too will delight young and old.’ In March 1913 the Anglican garden party at Clovelly Park on Easter Monday and Tuesday included for ‘the first time a merry-go-round….’ In January 1914 a grand garden party was held on Mr. Perkins commons, opposite Pisgah Church, Cambridge, St James. It was advertised that ‘A band will be in attendance, and games of all kinds, including a merry-go-round will be a prominent feature at this function.’ Another Winchester Park function celebrating Empire Day in 1915 promised that

  Beside the attractive refreshment booth there will be entertainments on the

  grounds such as continuous acrobat performances, promenade concert, games

  and merry-go-round. A free entertainment will be given in the theatre which

  will specially amuse the children.

In 1917 an Easter Flower Fete at Winchester Park advertised

  The admission will be as follows: Adults 1/, Children 6d. Among the special

  attractions will be: Merry-go-Round for children, band concerts and mystic bower

  from which may be obtained a mystic flower, which, when unfolded, will

  disclose wonders.

  A Red Cross Fete in Port Antonio at Christmas 1917 promised that ‘The Volador, or rustic merry-go-round will also be a chief feature of the day's enjoyment, and there will be concerts on the ground at different intervals.’ The Victory and Peace Fete at Winchester Park at Christmas 1918 started at 4 p.m. with the ‘Merry-go-round in full swing.’ In June 1920 a Scouts Fete, also at Winchester Park, included ‘ the merry-go-round in full swing and everything that makes for pleasure and fun.’

  It is pleasant to leave the merry-go-rounds in 1920 with a report from St Thomas of a Fete in Morant Bay when ‘A merry-go-round was set up on the grounds by kind favour of Mr. R. M. Crawford and it was crowded with patrons of all ages and classes from start to finish.’

  In succeeding decades merry-go-rounds continued to be an attraction, though mostly for children. They appeared at local fetes and shows, and were also brought in by foreign amusement park operators. Objections were successfully raised to the permanent location of merry-go-rounds in urban areas but attempts to limited the length of time they could stay in each town seem to have been unsuccessful. There were, unfortunately, accidents from time to time, occasionally involving fatalities. The merry-go-round continued popular into the second half of the 20th century, the early ‘merry-go-round craze’ completely forgotten.

 

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When about forty years ago the first merry go round came to Jamaica, the peasants went mad about it and spent every threepence they could procure on merry go round rides. There was au outcry against this at the time, but these so called

extravagant and foolish people were not stinting themselves of food, they were merely enjoying themselves more than they did before, and in order to have some luxury along with the simple necessities that had sufficed them they gave less time to indolence and more to productive exertion.

Daily Gleaner May 26, 1928 page 12 editorial.

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