Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-07-03
GATHERING OF NATIONS.
fham lirr71 iaAhhe,
TttE oHAN0 eLADlAIORIAL lEN1lnI4
TloNs OF The ROMAN EMPIRE.


Uss of the vast Hnbankmsnts Of enc
Mound Builders-Immense Fairs Of An
clients and Moderns, and the Attractions
That Draw the MultItudss Together.
Before modern times the yastest and
most practical civilization the world ever
saw was that Of the World-embracing Ro-
man empire In some things that still
pertain to civilization the colossal enter
prises Of the Romans surpassed modern
effort, Perhaps the most wondsrful Of
modern colossal enterprises are worlds
fair, Ike the American Centennial in
1876, and the great French fair OF 1889 in
Paris, In which 1t seemed as Il the arts,
manufactures and inventions of the whole
world were collected, and all the nations
of the earth joined together 10 celebrate
But the ancient Roman empire held o
worlds fair In the month Of May every
year, in which immense crowds of people
poured into Rome from all the then known
nations Of the world, bringing their rarest
manufactures and products. And while
In Rome these vast multitIdes were
amused and delighted by splendid series
Of imperial displays, military, naval, civic
and religious; games, races,
eLADIAToRIAL CONTESTS, FIGHTS OF WILD
and every form of spectacle. exercise and
display that the world could then fur
nish. J-tf.EHf ut .7tr~ lyr.l[ s
Nor can the moderns, with all their
crystal palaces and other vast worlds fair
structures, at all compete with the vast
permanent buildings that Rome provided
for such occasions. Rome established
amphitheatres for her fairs and great
gatherings in all the countries she con-
quered, and everywhere on q colossal
scale. Their ruins are among the worlds
archaeological wonders. There was one in
England that could seat II, 900 people; one
In Gaul France) that could seat "a, 900
people; and others of vast size in Austria,
Egypt, and other countries But the
greatest Of all was the immortal coliseum
ut Rome, which could seat LIS, 900 people,
and contain almost o 1O0,OOO more. 1t Is
plainly evident that the city of Rome
Alone, even when her population had
reached 100000 souls, could not need
such gigantic structure for spectacles
and games. History mentions number
of instances where there was such rush
for seats that entrance tickets commanded
two or three prices, aud had to be pro-
cured some time in advance. This was
because such multitudas Of strangers had
flowed into Rome from all over the world,
at the time Of her great fairs, largely
drawn by the magnificent games, specta-
cles and
CoNBATs OF THE AMPITHEATRE,
as well as by the other attractions of the
imperial fairs and celebrations.
There are many arch@ologists who
believe that the still vast
mounds, circles, enclosed arenas,
ETC., Of the prehistoric mound
builders Of America were used for some
what like purposes national assemblages
for religious and commercial fairs. with
attendant spectacles, games and ceremo'
MES. In Ohio is one great circle or oval,
acres in extent, to which, from the water
of the river was carefully graded broad
road, guarded on each side by embank-
ments. Why such road, unless to bring
up from the river goods, wares, animals,
or other objects, especially heavy or diff
cult burdenss Surely broad and easy
graded way would not be made leading
into fort Among the mound builders
enclosed circles, ovals and squares are
many that would readily seat upon their
embankments from 1000 to 500, 900 people
| 50 that every one could be an easy specta,
| tor of any games, religious ceremonies
or sacrifices, or athletic, or warlike con
tests or combats upon the vast level arena
within the enclosure.
TO be successful great fair must be .
| great holiday festival. And the managers
of such fairs closely studied the most tax
| ing popular attractions. Hence, in the
ruder ages, Christians and others undel
the ban Of the laws were thrown to wild
beasts 60 be devoured, gladiators slew
and athletics Of all sorts contended fol
championships; in the later ages OF chiv
airy armored knights contended il
bloody lists, and yeomen archers shot a
butts, or held bouts of long and Quarte
staff, intermingled with bear, bull ant
badger batting with savage dogs. 1t wa
at such fairs that Robin Hood won hi
early fame as the incompatible bowman
both before and after he became the bolt
outlaw of the Greenwood forest
Great modern fairs and cxpositions ap
peal to the nobler tastes of our highe
civilization. Still 1t i the same spirit
the same necessity. The world s fair a
Paris last year put up the wonderful
Eiffel tower, 1000 feet high, for grant
spectacle, and also exhibited scores o
| taking shows and pageants and popula
A pleasures. # & m E
The Detroit international Exposition,
\ THE GREAT AMERICAN CONTINENTAL FAN
,.g-n...a, AND EXPOSITION OF 1890,
provides ten days festival Of all tina
can delight the eye and ear, and appeal u
the popular heart in the way Q
pleasure and amusement as wei
as instruction. The world renowne'
Cappa's Seventh Regiment band, of New
4 York, with forty eminent soloists, will
give daily and nightly free grand concert
the finest music in America. The mag
nificent art hall will be filed with tn
choicest American and European paint
ings, statues and other art works, beside
those two grandest great paintings Of tn
present age-Makoffsky's magnificent
beautiful "The Judgment of Paris" 70
the prize of beauty among the Greek goo
desses, and Munkacsy's Immortality gran
religious painting Of "Christ on Calvary.
These paintings will be shown with a.
the weird and beautiful effects of tn
best modern electric lights There will b
horse races-trottipg and running by tn
best horses in America; foot races and al
sorts of athletic sports; swimming an
canoe races and regattas; balloon ascer
sions with appalling drops from the cloud