Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1893-06-29
ADVANCE OF MAN.
Object Lesson Of Progress az
the Worlds Fair.
VISIT TO THE DAH0MEY VILLAGE.

Specimens of Savage Life Gathered from
the Nilds of Africa--A Cute Little Black
Baby Which Everyone Wants to See
The King of the Village-The Theater
aud Musical Instruments.
WORLDS FAIR, June 81. - Especial -
# this great exposition teaches any lesson
It Is of the wonderful progress made by
man in the arts and sciences in the knowl-
pdge of how to live and behave. 1t shows
how step by step he has advanced from
savagcry TO his present high estate. As if
to make the picture more real, more strik-
Ing and impressive, here are large num-
Der of specimens Of savage life, gathered
from the forest, the jungle and the desert
Of all the earth. Thus it is that here in
this ideal city, this city Of palaces, this city
in which modern man has displayed tho
best of which he is capable in all fields of
human energy, the primitive man comes
In also to afford graphic contrast in the
object-lesson of progress.
None OF these savagcs ore more interest
ing than the Dahomgitcs from Africa
From the very center of the dark continent
French Snowman, to exhibit their per-
SONS and their customs. \ village has
been built for them on the Midway plais
ance. 1t is as largo in area as an ordi-
nary city block. Visitors pay p cents
each for the privilege of entering, and tho
show is well worth the money. One finds
.he village to he hollow square. Run
ming all round tho inclosurc is line of
huts of native construction, built of trees
and boughs with rude mud walls. As |
looked at these huts | could not avoid the
thought of how in the building of the
White City itself modern man has merely
'Dtatcd the methods of his savage ances-
tors. The palaces of the Worlds fair are
simply undiscovered buildings But their
mud is white like marble. and it is
moulded into all the beautiful and express
.iye forms which art can give it. Well,
The huts Of the DahomeHites are not
pretty, but they are comfortable. They
have floors Of wood and their matched
roofs do tolerohly well to keep the rain off.
There is very little furniture within them,
and no glass in tho small windows. In
The climate Of Dahomey cold is not an ele-
ment that must lie guarded against. The
inhabitants Of these huts sleep on the
floor, rolling themselves in rude blankets
N their own construction and in the skins
Of animals.
one of the huts is a kitchen-an open
house with tables and modern cook
stove! TO this extent at least it must be
presumed tine village is not true to ma
ture," for in the savage life of west Africa
the cook-stove is an exotic. Some of the
huts are workshops and dwellings COM
bined, forever the Dahomeyites have their
industries. IA one blacksmith lives, and
his principal business, which he carries on
in front Of his dwelling, himself seated
squat upon tLe ground, is that of sharpen
ing spear heads aud repairing the spikes
which rrotrude in such an ugly fashion
from the War-clubs of the Amazons and
lighting men. Mother workman sits
ceuss-legged Goi- embroidery, curious
adAiXture OF savagery and art, of war and
peace. IA Dahomey the women do not
embroider neither do they sew or cook.
That iS the work of the men, The women
nurse the babies and then go forth to till
the soil and to fight.
in one OF the huts there is the queerest
lutte black baby you ever saw. 1t lies
wholly naked on q skin thrown down on
the floor Like all babies in the world it
passes most Of It's time at sleep, and when