Why were/are American carousels placed inside buildings?  Lots of
reasons: security, protection from the elements, crowd control,
esthetics, tradition.

While in the old days people were allowed to board and dismount from
American carousels on all sides of the ride and tickets were collected
on the ride after it began, today I wager virtually none operate like
that.  The operator's nightmare is someone getting on or off when the
ride is turning, hurting himself in his foolishness, and suing the ride
owner in his shrewdness.

George W. Long, for example, never liked to see his merry-go-round come
to a complete, dead stop.  As soon as it reached the stopping point the
Auchy clutch was re-engaged and the machine began to pick up speed.

Why?  It distributed the load better and it resulted in more rides, at
6 cents a ride, per day.  Also the brisk pace, together with the sound
of the band organ and the clip-clip-clip of the ring machine, kept the
crowd's excitement level high.

You have to walk in a man's boots to understand his walk.  Roundabouts
under canvas may be a tradition in the UK, but it is not in the US.

Matthew Caulfield