The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1893-08-29
AT THE FAIR.
Shenandoah People Having a Coed Time
In Chicago.

In Chicago.
EDITOR HERALD - Our party arrived at
Chicago on last Thursday night and with the
early morning hours Of Friday the dazzling
splendor Of the great White City arose before
our eyes The Worlds Fair is certainly mar
vellous and il abounds with wonders. To
our mind the midway plaisance presents a
world Of novelties and since our arrival here
we have devoted much Of our time to careful
observations Of all its quarters, under the
guidance Of the irrepressible John Finney
Country cousins and others fill the midway
plaisauce daily. They simply pour through
the gates from the moment of the opening
and then lay themselves out to see the sights
From morning until night the great street
contains all the characters and all the scenes
of a successful country fair. Inside the vii
lage Enclosures far different scenes are FIRE
quently being enacted. The half-naked
Dahomegans may be seen on the grass outside
the doors of their huts, sharpening their spears
and donning the habilments of war The
handsome yelow.sl,inned samoans,with their
weapons and their bodies clothed with green
wreaths The slight, graceful Japanese with
their bodies decorated with dresses em-
broidered with designs, queer and fantastic,
The Turks, in their multiple costume blend
ing all the colors. Such are the people we
meet here on this great thoroughiare and the
imm diately adjacent districts As to the
Fair in general l can only say that olce with
in the gates, joy is unconfned There is
some thing for the enjoyment and amusement
of every one.
Friday was Illinois day at the grounds and
great day it was, too. Aquarter of a million
people helped celebrate it and all the tribes
of the earth passed in procession. The state
militia was also in line and all the corps were
reviewed by Governor Altgeld, whose action
in pardoning the Anarchists a few weeks ago
caused such stir throughout the country.
The crowd was tremendous one. 1t was a
crowd out for pleasure and it found what it
sought All day and evening the Illinois
building was filled with men, women and
children who saw something to please in
everything. There was no dampening their
ardor Even a shower did not lessen the good
blHlt lHbg Wblt udNlllbi anu WlbA Nlb tllAlt
for the fireworks came they were in just as
good humor as when the first parade began.
Saturday was colored American day at the
exposition. l never saw such a crowd of col
ored people in one place before, and l have
made dozens Of trips to the South. A negro
is so rarely seen upon the streets of Shenan
doah that it was naturally II surprise for any
one from that town to see such an aggrega-
ton. But let me say that the dignifed man
ner of its observance did honor to the race
The ideal negro in the estimation of the aver
age Shenandoah youth is "Billy, the Boot
black" or such negroes as recently visited
the town selling patent medicines and attract
ing crowds about them by playing tunes upon
banjos, telling funny stories and singing ridc-
ulous songs The ideal negro in Chicago on
Saturday was that grand old statesman and
sage Frederick Douglass. The program
which was carried out during the
day reflected the highest credit
on those who listened as well
as ON those of special gifts in music and ora
tory who took the part of entertainers 1t is
not extravagant to say the music, the decla-
nation, and the oratory, which were listened
to by an audience ofseveral thousand persons,
have not often been surpassed by any race on
any occasion.
Finney has purchased a book of immense
size and in it he enters nightly the impress
sions he receives Of the fair. He threatens to
read from this book when sitting in the Coun-
Gil Chamber, at Shenandoah, while his col
leagues wait for the electric light to burn. He
told me this on the quiet, but as an act of
humanity think am justified in warning
when he returns. II. B.
CHICAGo Ill, Aug. q.