Maple Leaf Rage: Ragtime Music More Popular Everyday
September 14, 1905
It
seems that everywhere a man goes, you hear
The Maple Leaf Rag from someone’s piano or another instrument.
Not
only is this a well-known piece of music, The Entertainer is also
catching up in the popularity contest between them.
What makes this music so pleasing to the ear that everyone wants to
hear it? Some would say that it’s the fast-paced beat that causes quick feet
to become blurs under dresses. Some would say it is because the music is so
different than anything before it, a fresh tune. I would have to give all
the credit to the man who wrote these pieces, Mr. Scott Joplin. Joplin
showed talent for the piano at an early age and never seemed to forget his
talent. He learned to play banjo and piano. By the time he was a teenager he
was working on perfecting the art of dance music. But it was when he moved
and settled in St. Louis in 1890 that he developed what we call Ragtime,
that music genre with a quick beat and classical style. It wasn’t until he
had composed several other songs when he finally created what we all know
and love: The Maple Leaf Rag. Shortly after, he composed The
Entertainer. Scott Joplin has created brilliant music throughout his
lifetime, and I’m sure that I speak for everyone when I say that I am
hopeful that he will continue to dazzle us with his music.
The “Great White Way” Becomes Great
February 10, 1900
The major theatrical center of the country, Broadway,
is what many people call great. 
Broadway is a street that has theaters
clustered together in the middle of Manhattan. Opening during the 1890’s
the name “Great White Way” has evolved because of the brilliantly lighted
street. The best playwrights, actors, dancers, and directors spend a long
time working at Off-Broadway and Off-Off Broadway before performing on
Broadway.
The more this city grows, the more Broadway theaters there are. The "Great White Way" grows in size, number, and magnificence along with New York City. So, if you have any time on your hands, or want to entertain a visitor from another city, entertain them at a Broadway show. It will be something you will remember for your life.
Coney Island has
become one of the largest and most spectacular new parks. Located along
Long Island, New York, the park is only a few miles away from Manhattan.
The extravagant amusement park started in the early 1800s as a resort
destination. Now offered at Coney Island are many hotels, restaurants,
roller coasters, and public swimming.
The boat
caught fire near the Hell Gate section of the Eat River. Although the final
count is unknown right now, it is estimated that more than one thousand of
the 1800 picnickers are dead. Most of the people on board were women and
children. It is not clear how the fire was started, but it appears the blaze
started shortly after a steward exited a room full of oil barrels. There is
an investigation into why the ship was not supplied with the correct
equipment to put down the blaze,