River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1893-07-13

through the line that surrounded him
and made his escape.
Among the most deeply-interested
visitors at the fair are number of In
dams from neigh5oring show. They
devote all their spare time to sight
seeing among the wonders of the cheap
big show" II is quite evident that
they also enjoy the public interest
which their appearance never fails to
excite. CARRIED in all the trappings of
their wild life, they pose and parade
for the benefit of the gaping crowds
about them.
One of the most delightful features
of the fair is the singing chorus of
children, which gives a concert each
week. There are twelve hundred lit
tie people in the chorus who have been
carefully trained by Prof. Tomlins. of
Chicago. Their childish voices make
grand music as they wake the echoes
of Music hall. Prof. Tomlins has la
bored long and patiently with his
chorus of little folk, but he has reason
to feel proud of it, for il rs undoubtedly
one of the finest ever gotten together.
The Agricultural building, which has
been somewhat behind the others In
filing up, is now the favorite resort of
a vast throng of interested visitors
each day. The exhibits of the different
states are exceedingly fine, and in the
arrangement and decoration of the
many booths exquisite taste is shown.
There are in this building some fea-
lures of rare interest, among them be-
Il ~ ~
weighing eleven tons, and the wonder
tul chocolate pavilion, which is con-
structed of thirty thousand pounds of
brown chocolate.
A story is going the rounds about a
man who wandered into the Electricity
building a day or two ago and was
/ taken away shouting crazy. IL was
said that he stood before pavilion in
which cut glass in myriad forms throws
back the reflection of many incandes-
cent lights. From the roof of the
pavilion towers pillar eighty-two
| feet. For few seconds this is pillar
of ruby light. Then il changes TO
white light, and next TO purple. With
the regularity of cloclwork the trans
formation of color goes on, but always
the pillar of light made by five thou
sand lamps is there. And each lamp
has the power of six candles. On top
of the column is bulb six feet high.
Thirty thousand bits of crystal go to
make up the bulb. The expert and
eight assistants were six weeks putting
the bits together Through this glass
fash the most powerful electric burn
ers. Here is a base of dazzling scintil-
lations, a column of ever-changing
color, an apex of fire. OF the twenty
four thousand horsepower which the
management has provided for the en-
tire fair, seventeen thousand horse
power is set apart for the manufacture
of electricity for various purposes. The
pillar of light eats up electrical energy
at the rate of fifteen hundred horse
power. Before this pillar stood the
man, plain farmer, when the current
was turned on. He saw that eighty
feet of solid brilliancy blaze out and
then die away. He stood as if chained.
Once or twice he put his hand TO ais
face. Somebody who saw he was
peculiarly affected started to speak to
him. lie raised his arms and with a
terrible yell fell forward on his face.
Two guards picked him up. Shouting
at the top of his voice he started on a
wild race over dynamns and wires and
motors. Five guards caught him and
overpowered him. All the way to the
! station he fought and shouted. Then