The Harrison times. (Harrison, Boone Co., Ark) 1876-1938, 1884-10-18
St. Louis and Her Great Fair.

Sr. LOUIS, Mo, Oct. II, 1884.
Mr.. Editor -
Al'my north Arkansas friends
left ms last week, and | am prepar.
ing to pull for homo about to NOR,
row evening. find, however that
the city has many attractions, oven
attor the grand hub.bub is over, and
| almost wish that business would
force me to stay here the balance
of the year.
believe | promised in my last
TO say something about the process.
sion of the Velled Prophets which
occurred on Tuesday evening and
had l known that Shakespeare
dramatic works were to have been
the foundation for the display |
would certainly have read up lit.
tle-but l did not, and so you will
have to put up with a slight men.
ton OF such portions as happened
to come within my meagre knowl.
edge OF this authors plays.
Early In the evening we took our
station on balcony near the grand
4th street Illuminated arch, and pre-.
pared for the climax OF the earni.
val. AS time wore on the crowd
became so dense as appear like a
turbulent river of heads; as far as
the eye could reach in every direc.
ton the streets were in a SHanoI OF
many colored lights, and taken oil
IN all the scene WAS one which
can never forget. At last thero is
sound of distant music, great
murmur of voices, and a battalion
OF mounted police open wide pas
sage through the crowded street.
With the blaze of eolered fire flash
ing IN our eyes, and the melody of
a hundred horns sounding in our
ears the procession moves by us.
On the first float (the floats are
very large platforms on wheels and
drawn By number of horses,) we
see the well.know figure OF Shakes
spere himself reclining on grassy
mound and grouped about him are
tho various muses. and a number of
flower fairies repre- senting the ras-
slons and virtues which he seemed
to have such a wonderful gift OF
portraying.
On float No. 2. was o beautiful
fairy scene from Midsummer nights
Dream in which the misehevious
Puck was a conspicuous character.
On the next four were beautiful
scenes from 'Trollus and Cressida,
'As you like it, and Much Ado
about Nothing but as l had read
none of Thorn | was somewhat at a
loss to identify the characters; one
little fellow whom my wife called
Orlando seemed to have an awful
bad case of snakes
On the seventh and eighth floats
were scenes from the Merchant of
Venice, one street scene in that
city, with gondolas floating about,
and the other the court scene where
Shylock, brandishing bis knife and
scales, demands his pound of flesh.
Next We have the gray ICY ard
scene from 'humlet, art~rnA thas
thrilling picture where Macbeth,
having murdered Banquo, is found
consulting the witches as they stir
their cauldrons over the magic fire.
On the 18th, 18th and 14lh floats
are two powerful battle scenes from
Richard III. and Henry Y; and
then a handsome military scene
from 'Corlolanus.'
Anthony and Cleopatra is rep
resented by the vessel where the
three great rulers are celebrating
peace with Pompey. This is a most
magnificent picture.
Then comes three floats which |
cannot place, two well.known
scenes from Julius Cesar and the
Merry Wives of Windsor and last.
ly the great Yelled Prophet with
his Priests and attendants all clad
in gorgeous attire and respendent
with Jewels.
Twenty-Five floats IN all, costing
thousands of dollars, and presenting
glorious coloIng and poetcal ar
rangement which volumes could not
describe. We rub our eyes and 90
home to dream over again tho fairy
fancies of our youth.
On Wednesday IstrolIed down to
the ST. Louis Exposition building,
which is situated on l4th and Olive
streets, 1t is handsome edifce,
three stories high and containing
over 100000 square feet of space
available for exposition purposes.
On the first floor we found Ma.
chinery Hall, with every conceiv-
able kind of machinery from the
largest engine to the smallest cast
ing, also a fine display of ores and
raw materials of various kinds. Of
course you cannot allow me the
space to itemize.
The second or main story com.
bines the unusual points of a Music
Hall as well as an elegant room for
permanent exhibitions. Besides the
various departments and ample
promenade around its walls, il has
a seating capacity in the centre for
5000 persons besides a large stage