Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-10-04
WHAT IT Is.
A Graphic Description of the Great
POmpeiian Exhibition.
Manager skiff Throws Light on the Grand
and Awful speetaele-Lord Lytton's
Master Effort Realized.

Yesterday the work of billing Fort
Worth for the great Last Days of Pompeii
was begun. There are many details con-
nected with the posting of bills that re-
quire time, labor and money, but Mana
ger Skiff is hustler, and what with put
| ting large force at work on the grounds
| on the Texas and Pacific reservation,
| dispatching printed matter by the ton all
over the state, erecting bill boards and
putting up bills, his office of manager
| has not been a sinecure since the exhibit
| ton was secured for Fort Worth.
The bills put up in Fort Worth are
magnificent specimens of the printer s
| and photographer art. If the actual
| exhibition is as meritorious as the repre-
sensations on the bill boards the specta-
Gle will be the most attractive and best
| drawing entertainment ever produced IN
| Texas.
awe never before exhibited in SO
small a. city as Fort Worth, said Mr..
Skiff yesterday. Fort Worth is the
first city of its size that ever had the
| nerve to put up for it. The exhibition
is not familiar to the Southern and
w oslcEu pcODICg do hOtuih6 AINO
never been given except IN the largest
| cities of the East. And we will have to
educate the people up to it. 1t is not a
panorama nor is it o drama. 1t is
gigantic blending of all varieties of
similar exhibitions on a large scale, SO
that everything is llfe-like and realis-
tic. -
'Those who wish to form an idea of
the busy life of ancient Pompeii must
turn to the glowing pages of Lord Lyt-
ton g imHortal novel, "The Last Days
of Pon&eii.'' But in order to better
unde9knd the beautiful spectacle which
wei&fHG bout to produce. it will be well
N&fW spectator to imagine as he sits
s4aciI& the gigantic panorama of the
oncG&air city, which was the chosen res
ideI&e of Pliny, he is himself an ancient
Pou&eiIan invited to witness the festival
held Mare annually, in honor of the
godda MISREPRESENTATION hiE,.
The day I'D Naadflful and serene,
and only slight clouds of smoke rise from
the crater of the volcano.
"Arbaces, the rich Egyptian, whose
house IN the architecture of the land of
Isis and Cleopatra battles its marble
steps in the water to right, has assumed
by reason of his great wealth leading
and influential position in Pompeii, and
has chosen the feast day of the great
Egyptian goddess in order to dazzle, not
only the eyes of the fair Neopoltan lone,
with whom he is desperately in love,
with the display of his wealth aud power,
but also those of his fellow-citiZens.
''As the performance begins the streets
fill up with the people, the populace who
arrive singly and in groups in order to.
secure seats to witness the professions
and festivities, husbands, wives, and
little children mingle with the flower
girls, retreshmeut vendors and priests,
while lads and lassies eagerly press about
in search of places which command the
best view of the pageant.
presently trumpet is heard and
flower decked barges pass across the
ornamental lake, and the prows of the
galleys make their appearance as from
under the triumphal arches a group of;
soldiers with standards and musical 9ink,'
struments emerge announcing the COM
ing of Arbaces. The soldiers are fol-
lowed by dozen negro slaves holding
up Inscriptions and bannerets in honor of
the rich Egyptian. Then come priests in
white robes, next number OF dancing
girls and senator, or member for
Pompeii, with his attendants; next
some ladies, and lastly guard of honor,
two and two in front of Arbaces, who,
clad in purple and gold, walks under the
canopy. This procession crosses the
stage and bows to the officials of the city,
who sit under the canopy to the right,
in building overlooking the water.
The procession then turns to the left and
part of it, including Arbaces, passes
down the steps to the waters edge to
await the arrival of the galleys, which
now appear in full view. They advance
gradually aud from the first alight
soldiers and slaves, from the second
lone and her affianced bridegroom, the
Greek Glaucus. Arbaces receives lone
with profound obeisance, but barely con-
desceuds to notice Glaucus, thereby in
dicating his jealousy and dislike. Thea
procession reforms and the guests
take positions under the portico
of Arbaces' house. BY this time 1t
is dark and the beautiful city, with its
villas and temples appears brightly
lighted with divers kinds of lights and
lamps. Music begins, and upon a signal |
of the blast of the trumpets the doors of
the temple of Isis are thrown open, and |
the temples illuminated interior is dis
covered; the priests in white garments, |
and the priestesses in white and blue |
robes issue solemnly, bearing aloft the |
golden image of the Egyptian goddess, |
which they place in the center of the |
stage. All kneel for moment, and |
then the dancing girl, begin slow and |
enchanting movement, and Nydia, the |
blind girl, appears and dances grace
fully.
"Suddenly Arbaces cries out: If there |
be Christians present and known to any |
of you, let them be denounced and |
brought forward to adore the great god
dess Isis.
1.-THE people In return cry out Glaucus
is Christian, let him worship the god
dess or death be unto him.
''Ione upon hearing these cries, know
Ing her afiianced husband to be secretly
a Christian rises in terror, but Glaucus
boldly descends. and sword in hand, adj
yances towards the IDOL, which now ap-
pears to glow with Internal fire.
tVesuvius also begins to show signs of
an approaching eruption, Glaucus is
about TO strike the goddess, when the
blind Nydia, guessing his intention and
guided by his voice prevents him, aud
rushing toward the goddess herself over
throws the tripod, which lies at the idols
feet. All rise in confusion, the earth
quakes, the dread mountain vomits forth
flames and clouds of smoke and the tenn
pie columns totter, aud the people for
getting Isis and her priests remember only
their danger.
'Glaucus sieZes lone, and with Nydia
clinging to them they manage tn enter |