The Portland daily press., 1893-05-19
HAMAN NATURE.
An Interesting Study at the Worlds
Fair.
REPRESENTATIVES FROM ALL
RACES.


Asking Questions When Your Curiosity
lis Aroused.
WORLDS FAIR, May Is. = Especial -
No part of the big show is more interest
ing than the crowds which visit it, When
you read in the papers that there were
thirty, forty or fifty Thousand paid ad-
missions to the fair on q given day YOU
must not imagine that these figures con-
vey an idea of the size of the multitude to
be seen wandering about the grounds and
buildings. In addition to the paid admis
Bions there are all the time fifty to seven.
ty-fve thousand persons within the gates
who did not pay. They are the exhibitors
and their assistants, watchmen, workmen,
newspaper representatives, the guards,
hremen, guides and rolling -chair men;
also, commissioners, directors, both do
nestle and foreign, and their families.
Even on the dullest days we have as a
rule upwards of 100000 human beings
within the enclosure. But there is no
crowding. The great exposition and it's
mammoth buildings swallow them up as
field Of corn takes in the butterflies
which are attracted by its green and glis-
tening fragrance
1t is curious to watch these crowds as
they sc on their sightseeing rounds. If
you want to study human nature this is a
pretty place in which to do it. You be-
hold here not only representatives of all
races and countries, but about as great
variety Of human animals as it is possible
to get together in any one spot on the
earth IS surface. The throng presents one
characteristics which stands out strongly
above all others Tt is such conspicuous
thing that after a day passed on the
grounds one goes away with vivid recoI-
lection of having seen a large section of
humanity in certain posture. The pos
ture is that of an interrogation point.
Wherever you walk or ride or go, in the
buildings or without, it is the same. A
specim en- Of the race to which we all be-
long leaning forward a look of expectancy
upon his face, the word Of inquiry tremb-
ling upon his lips. This is a. world in
which it seems one-half is put here for the
purpose of asking questions and the other
half for answering them. Later in the
summer, when the crowds get bigger, the
proportions will change. When the daily
number of visitors rises to three or four
hundred thousand, as 1t is expected to rise
in September and October, we shall see
each exhibitor, guard or other permanent
resident Of the White City surrounded by
seven or eight strangers within the gates,
while streams Of inquiries and answers
are sent running to and fro.
This is as it should be. This vast expo
sition is placed here for the education of
the people. They are invited to come that
they may see and learn. 1t is the right Of
every man, woman and child to convert
himself or herself into a special committee
of investigation. A great mistake will
any one make who through timidity or in
difference fails to understand everything
upon which the eye rests and about which
the curiosity may be reused. Fire your
questions at whomsoever may be in sight
an exhibitor or his assistant if one is at
hand, and If not at guard OF even one of
the public. You may learn enormously
by keeping the eye open and the mouth
closed. But you will learn three times as
much and remember what you do learn
ten times as long if you ask questions of
people who may be able to give you intelli-
gent explanations.
AS rule Americans are not backward
about asking questions AT least, western
Americans are not. The visitors who
come from eastern cities are not SO free
with their inquiries. They have sort Of
reservation OF manner, as rule. They
are interested, and would not attempt to
deny that this is q wonderful school, but
they assume that they will be able to get
all the Information they want out OF it by
simply looking. Notso with the westerner,
the genuine, common, everyday Amer
lean. He is from farm out in Iowa or a
mining town in Colorado. lie stands, for
instance before the marvellous machines
exhibited by New England watch-mak-
ing company. He has never seen watch
made. AL the ideas which he has ever
had alb out 1t are that most OF the work
must be done by men who sit all day long
at a bench with a magniIylng glass
screwed over tnelr peso eye, J.fso as ne mas
seen the waOcE-repalrer slc III LIS nome
Jewelry shop. DoC 'ne coHplicateo ma
ture, the perIecOion Oh nnlsh ana the
'rhyth1n OF tne m4Glon OIL Gnese machlnes
tasoinates MN. ne must know all ABOUT
IL. IL ne asks one queselon ne asks nIVy,
ana as SOOu as GnS dtGeuudHO uaS explained