Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-05-01

who swelied the throug that had gathered from
the streets and highways of the garden city and
joined III the opening OF the big show.
GREAT DAY FOR THE CHILDREN.
1t was great day for the rising generation.
1t seemed almost incredible that SO many chill
dren could be got together even in Chicago,
and the independent spirit of Young America
was manifested in the fact that most of the
youngsters seemed to be unaccompanied by
their parents or older persons. They swarmed
through the big buildings, got themselves
tangled up in all sorts of unexpected places and
made the lives of the Columbian guards miser-
able from daylight to dark. They took the big
battle ship by storm; they sacked the convent
OF La Rabida: and tLey invaded the sacred
precincts of the Mohammedan mosque. They
were everywhere at once. and no doubt saw
twice as much of the interesting features of
the exposition as any mature person did.
CROWDS WELL HANDLED.
All the arrangements for handling the crowds
were excellent. The gates were at no time
choked and the throng passed into the grounds
with LEES trouble than is often experienced al q
theater or other place of entertainment
Throughout the grounds were distributed the
worlds fair police, or Columbian guards. as
they are called. They were of value in direct
ing the movements Of the people when a
blockade was threatened, and their services
were occasionally called into requisition to
clear the way for passing vehicle connected
with the police department or the sanitary de-
partment of the exposition. Considering the
throng. there were surprisingly few accidents
OF a serious character however and the ambu-
lances were seldom called into requisition.
TRANSPORTATION FACILITIES.
The transportation facilities, while not vet
completed TO their highest capacity. were fairly
adequate. The people, too, made the task of
the railroads easy by starting early. Even in
the early morning the downtown streets were
filled with people headed for jackson Park
These were easily taken care Of As the FORE
noon wore on the crowd sweled, and by 10
oclock the human current was at the flood
The crowds did not depend upon the public
transportation lines. however. They came in
every conceivable fashion-on foot, on BICYCLES
in carts. carriages. band wagons. street cars
railroads and steamboats,. Anything on wheels
If on land, or anything that would float, if on
the water, was utilized.
oUEERLY ASSORTED GROUPS
There were some queerly assorted groups
On one of the early Illinois Central trains. in
the same coach, were a merchant from Bagdad
with his two turbaned attendants, a group of
Prusslan metal workers. a squad of English
soldiers, three Armenian gymnasts from the
Midway plIisance. several malodorous and
chattering Cingalese. and Mr.. William T. Cody
better known Buffalo BILL who by the
way. attracted as much attention today as any
pasha with three tails or other foreign notable
Oh the grounds.
Another car held party of Arab donkey
drivers, who divided the honors with three
Hlndoo snake charmers from upper India in
the eyes of family from Missouri. consisting
OF father, mother and five children. The ele-
waited road carried similar incongruous groups,
and the cable cars resounded all day with the
tongues OF ali nations--
GETTING AROUND THE GROUNDS
Inside the grounds the facilities for getting
around were varied. Most of the people. of
course, walked; but for those who preferred to
utilize other modes of locomotion there were
the wheeled chairs. which conveyed the sight
seer by land or the electric launches and other
craft which cruised through the lagoons and
canals, passing on the route all the principal
buildings and points of attraction. OF course
such multitude hungry and thirsty and
the thousaRd-and-on restaurants and refresh
ment bars scattered through the grounds did a
thriving business.
Outside the walls of the fair proper. too.
there was the same shifting, ever-changing
crowd of curiosity seekers.
IN MIDWAY PLAIsAScE.
In the midway piaisance tie various villages
were crowded all day and the booths and shows
on the fringe of the fair were never empty.
The leather-lunged side show blower was in
his glory. and all the familiar old attractions of
the circus and Coney Island were to be seen on
every side, not a whit aDashed by their close
proximity 20 the most stupendous show the
world has ever seen.
All day long the crowds ebbed and flowed in
and about the big structures With most Deo-
pie the great difficulty was TO determine where
TO commence. and once fairly started on the
tou OF sightseeing there came feeling of
heiplesSness AMI despair of ever accomJl hing
the task of inspecting the whole exposition
Many who set o1t in the morning boa sting that
they would cover all the buildings before night
found themselves at evening still wandering
through the alSles Of the first building they had
entered.
FEW VETERAN EXPOSITION VISITORS
The seasoned expOsitiou-goe who had Wis
tied Paris, Philadelphia and Vienna mapped
out their plan of campaign like veterans, and
catalogue III hand. set brayely at work on some
one department with the intention of taking all
the others up in turn and doing each thor
oughiy. There were few of these, however
and most of today visitors regarded the first
day As merely an opening skirmish. There was
a sort of grand tour of inspection without
pausing to examine details but rather to take
In the general effect of the exposition As the
~hlng touches are put to the buildings and
a. the exhibits are fully in place. the systematic
sightseeing will begin in earnest and there will
be less of ;he hasty rush through the grounds
except by those whose time is limited to "a day
two.
THE CROWDS THIN OUT.
1t was late before the crowd which came
early began to thin out They dropped off
quietly at first in little groups. and those who
left thus early avoided the crush which began
when the mass OF visitors began to move toward
the gates The transportation companies were
called upon to handle the crowd more en- masse
than was the case in the forenoon. and as a re-
suit there was more or less crowdlng and
confusion.
THE GOVERNMENT BUILDING
Uncle Sans Exhibit Compiete-A Credit
able Display.
CHICAGO. May due largely to the admin
istrative capacity and military precision that
obtains in the conduct of affairs governmental
the section assigned to the government of the