Daily News from New York, New York • 244

TRADE SECRETS BY TC.M CHU SAL NAPOLITANO Carousel Operator BRYANT PARX from page 18 proposals. Finally, the city Art Commission gave approval to two small restaurants calling for 175 seats each along the backside of the library, but at opposite ends. A former assemblyman and environmental administrator, Jerome Kretchmer, now owner of the Gotham Bar Grill, won the contract. One of the two restaurants will cater to upscale diners; the other will feature more moderately priced fare. One thing more.

The park will bring back something in scandalously short supply in Manhattan: An attended public bathroom. A historic 1911 comfort station on the 42d Street side will be re-opened to the public. The park will also have its own security force, an extension of a private force now serving the Grand Central area. It will, among other things, have its own logo. The point, one supposes, is that no park in America ever started out with better intentions.

Or with amore vivid history. As far back as 1686, the land had been set aside as public property. In the early 1800s, it was a paupers' graveyard. In 1842, the Croton Reservoir was constructed on the eastern side of the park. Tbday, that site is the Main Building of the Public Library.

In 1846, city fathers decided again this was a perfect site for a park. What went up instead, in 1853, was the first American World's Fair and the Madison Square Garden of its time, known as the Crystal Palace. The palace lasted just five years. It burned to the ground in 12 minutes on the eve of the Civil War. The land remained underused until 1893, when city fathers again decided it was a perfect site for a public park.

One did open the next year, named in honor of poet, editor and orator William Cullen Bryant. Despite the presence of the library, the park began to run down in the early 1900s, mostly from neglect The situation was worsened by construction of the Sixth Avenue subway. Enter Robert Moses and his vision of the perfect park for the perfect site. The park for the ages lasted little more than a half-century. Now, again, they're talking about the perfect site.

This time, however, the park community is determined to do it right. Owen Moritz is urban affairs editor of the Daily News. WORST BLUNDER "One busy Sunday, the band organ broke down so we decided to close what's a carousel without the music? But the people in line begged us to stay open. Some regular customers began singing the songs and everybody joined in. That's howit went the rest of the day, people learned the songs in line, then sang them on the ride!" LIXES Eccentric regulars: "A guy in the circus brings his chimp whenever they're in town another one we call Mr.

Spoons goes around playing his spoons in time with the music." Weddings and engagements on the carousel: "While I was closing, a man pretended to bribe me to give him and his girlfriend a private ride. His friends had already hidden champagne and candles on the chariot and he proposed to her while they went around." DISLIKES Showoffs: "Always adults. Kids under 10 are as good as gold." Inattentive parents and babysitters: "It's amazing the chances some people take, they put their 2-year-old on a horse without a belt and walk away." OCCUPATIONAL HAZARDS "Any job working with the public gets rough. When that happens, it's time to paint the horses." The noise: "I'm used to shouting over the organ. When I'm away from the carousel, people ask me Why are you FIVE-YEAR PLAN "Do whatever's necessary to keep this going and take the family to Disney World that's the big one!" TRADE SECRET "Don't trust anything to anyone else.

There could be 10 people working here and I'd still check every person on a horse before we start. If I wouldn't put my own kids on the ride, I wouldn't put anyone else's on." JOS DESCRIPTION With his partner, responsible for maintenance and daily operation of Central Park carousel. Inspects machine prior to opening each morning, collects tickets, assists people on and off ride, enforces safety rules, and pulls lever to set carousel in motion. During winter and on rainy days, paints and repairs horses and fine-tunes antique CROK GLORY "This machine is still going around with its original gears, horses and band organ looking, sounding and operating the same way it did at the turn of the century. Every day we're open, people hear the organ and come down to admire the beauty of the carousel.

That makes it worthwhile." VITAL STATISTICS 34 married three kids born in Manhattan, raised in the Bronx, where he still lives at 15, took summer job at Central Park carousel collecting tickets; three years later, he was running it. upon graduation from John Jay College, bought concession with partner rather than go to law school had a family to works seven days a week, weather permitting (just weekends in January and February) owned by the city, which receives percentage of the profits, the carousel was built in Coney Island in 1908, moved to Central Park in '51 and is fourth one to occupy site since 1871 carousel is 75 cents a ride last year, 120,000 people took a ride. FIRST JOB At 14, helped father cut dress patterns in garment center. 24.