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The World's Fair

The World's Fair image The World's Fair image
Parent Issue
Day
28
Month
July
Year
1893
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

One of the greatcst tasks set before a newspaper writer is to attempt to describe the World's Fair at Chicago. When it is known that to spend but five minutes on each exhibit and working ten hours a day, besides the time spentingoing from one building to another, it would take seventeen months to see the World's Fair, some idea may be formed of the magnitude of the task. It is comparatively easy to describe an ordinary journey, or a single object, but such a multitude of things press upon the attention on every hand, each thing of great interest in itself, that the mind stores away the rapid impression gained, to bring it forth only as reminded of it by some casual happening afterwards. One thing is certain. No one can afford to miss seeing the World's fair. It was made to be seen, not to be described. And it is very doubtful if the like of it will again )e seen in our life time. Chicago certainly will never attempt another such World's fair, for Chicago sufers great financial loss on account of it and it seems impossible that any other city than Chicago could do so much or do it so well. The World's Fair is a complete city in itself, with the utmost beauty of architecture and with all the chools of architecture ancient and modern represented. It is seen at ts best illumination nights, and aking one's stand in the court of ïonor one may well deern himself in fairy land. Myriads of brilliant dots of electric lights flash out upon the buildings and around the great basin of water, and the great pure white buildings with their beautiful figures stand out, the most beautiful visión that could greet the human eye. Then come the powerful search lights, flashing away for miles and ever and anon lighting up the various statues - now flashing on the immense gilded statue, now lighting up the Columbus statue, now flashing in the faces of the delighted throng of people. Then spout forth the two great electric fountains, the water with everchanging hue now rising high in air and again sinking to sheaves of wheat. It is much easier to teil what one does not see at the World's Fair than what one doesj see. And one of the things one fails to see is an ill-natured man or a cross woman. Among the myriad of beautiful things everyone is taking out of and away from themselves. You see the largest and most imposing things and the smallest and most intricate mechanisms. There are hundreds of buildings on the grounds, and when we realize that one building contains as much floor room as the entire University campus, and that every inch nearly is crowded with objects of interest, we can appreciate the task before one who attempts to see it all. Don't do it, and don't attempt to describe it. We shall not. But let us give a few hints to intending visitors at the World's Fair. Make the Michigan building your headquarters. That is what the building is intended for. Here you can have your pareéis checked, for you will go on the grounds prepared to stay until ten o'clock at night, or you ought to. Here you will find lavatories, great easy chairs, a good postoffice to which you should have your mail directed, and here you should return when tired, to rest and meet your friends. Don't attempt to see the Art Building all at once. Make a practice of spending an hour or so there every morning before the crowd visits it. It is close te the Michigan building. A ride around the intramural electric railway will give you a rapid view of the buildings. Get a map at the station where you buy your tickets. If you are pressed for time and can aftord it, you will see much more if you take a roller chair. You then get advantage of a trained guide and your body not becoming weary your brain will take impressions more rapidlv. The state buildings which should not be missed are Iowa, New York, Illinois, Kansas and Virginia. [Coutinuert on flfth page.l THE WORLD'S FAIR. (Continued f rom first page.) You will find very much of interest in the Germán building. The monastery of La Rábida, which Columbus visited, is reproduced and raany Columbus relies are shown here. The Caravels down by the peristyle should be visited and boarded. Here is Columbus' cabin, just as it is supposed to have been during the long hours he spent in it, when on his great voyage of discovery. The moving sidewalk will give you a long ride out in the lake and cool you off for iïve cents. You can't cover the Liberal Arts building in one day and there is no use of attempting to do it. Take a ride in an electric launch towards evening. The ride through the lagoons gives you a different and more impressive view of the buildings than you will get in any other way. You can glance down at the Esquimeaux village as you pass it on the intramural road. Your map will teil you where it is. Keep out of the restaurant called Public Comfort. It will cost you twice as much and you will be half as well served as any other place on the grounds. Don't miss seeing the Golden Gate in the transportation building. If you are interested in iewelry and glassware, step into Tiffany's in the Liberal Arts building. In the transportation building you can trace the growth of the wagon, also of the raihvay trains. ' The Anthropological building will well repay a visit. Every conceivable variety of fish will be seen in the fisheries building. One can spend much time in the government building, studying the workings of the various branches of government. In the transportation building is a large model of the ill-fated English warship Victoria. One feels proud of his country when he visits the agricultural building. Don't miss the Germán, Frencb and Austrian exhibits in the Liberal Arts building. In Machinery Hall you can see every process of manufacture. Make up your mind what you want to see. Ask questions of the Columbian guards. You will find them affable and willing to direct you. Study your maps and guide-books while resting, and thus make yourself familiar with the grounds. Don't try to keep a large party together. Too much time will be lost. You can make your expenses high or reasonable as you please. Take a good breakfast in the morning, a light lunch at noon, and get a more substantial meal in the evening at the Worthington restaurant in the Horticultural building. The restaurant in the Women's building is excellent, but it is overcrowded. In ordering meats you will find that one dish of meat will be sufficient for two persons. ON MIDWAY PLAISANCE. What a bedlam ot sounds and a medley of sights. What a variety of music from the Vienna band which rivals Sousa's, to the incessant dinging of the Chinese and the many varieties of the bag pipes. The bag pipes seems to be the prevailing musical instrument after all. Then what a range of people from the nearly nude African warrior to the highest acme of civiljzation and culture. Midway is a whole fair in itself. It is true that beauty alone is not what appeals to the eye or ear here but one manages to iive in many climes in a few hours. In the streets of Cairo, with the high overhanging houses and narrow streets thronged with natives and sightseerers, with donkeys trotting through the Street mounted by Americans of three times their size out for a lark with the native donkey boys beating them to keep them stepping, with the huge camels and their riders also out for larks and getting them, with the native hucksters stirring to dispose of their wares, the native street processions etc., one forgets that he is in America and wanders into the Egyption theater to see the mummies of King Solomon's father-in-law and sister-in-law and a number of other old fossils, whose mummified remains have been preserved so many thousand years to be carted so far from their last resting place. Why should it be King Solomon's fatherin-law unless because he had so many fathers-in-law that the descendants could bring no suits for the desecration of the last resting place of their ancester. Here too may be witnessed the nonsensical native dance to the music of an Egytian orchestra, which consists in contortions of the body without moving the feet. We visit the Germán village with its old castle filled with ancient armor, make the round of the man shops and stray into the Germán gardens. We stop at the Irish village, climb the stairs in Blarney castle to see the little stone called the Blarney stone which may be kissed for ten cents a kiss, look at the manufacture of Irish linen get a glass of most excellent milk in the Irish dairy and stray out to visit the Moorish palace. One must not miss this enchanted palace in which one is always running up against himself and being fooled most every time he meets himself. He goes up a few steps only to find several thousand people who look and are dressed as he is. He asks questions of wax figures dressed as policemen or Columbian guards. He comes across a harem, dives down into an enchanted grotto, and when he merges shakes himself together with the knowledge that he ïas got his money's worth. One should not miss a ride in the Ferris wheel, where without feeling the motion he is taken 264 feet in the air and is given a birdseye view of the whole fair and of Chicago as well. This wheel cost $400,000 and is evidently perfectly safe. Then there is the Vienna village, j the Chinese Joss house, the beauty show, the Algerian theatre, the ' ■sTurkish .and Persian bazaars, the Ostrich farm, the Dahomey village, the Japanese village and last but by no means least Hagenbeck's great show of trained animáis.

Article

Subjects
Ann Arbor Argus
Old News