The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1893-08-04
A TRIP TO CAIRO.

WORLDS FAIR GROUNDS, July q, 1913.
Perhaps not many of the readers of
the FREE PRESS have paid visit to
the city of Cairo, Egypt, but it is fair
to suppose that quite number have
availed themselves of the opportunity
to view the street from that queer
city, as shown in the Midway Plais-
ance at the Worlds Fair.
AS the gate closes rpon the visitor,
time and space seem to have vanished
and one feels that several thousand
miles of land and water have slipped
/ between the few moments consumed
in passing through the entrance. A
queer street this, surely. Queer peo-
pie with their quaint costumes and
happy ways, going into the mosque at
regular intervals to pray, much as an
American goes to the postoffice for
his mail, and seemingly with as little
reverence.
A section or part of this street that
has received much censure from the
press of this city is the theatre in
which the dancing girls hold forth.
While the performance of these women
would not meet with the approval of
the best people in America, it still
possesses much of interest to the Wis
jitor because it must certainly be con-
ci6 ~ of
fdances, and one loses that feeling of
Propulsion in the contemplation Of
muscular contortiOn exhibited by
these dancing girls of Cairo.
Comparisons are not infrequently
odious, but in this instance am quite
certain will be tolerated. The COM
parison l wish to make is the marked
difference between the dancing
girls above described and those
found in the' temple of Lux
sor, just short distance beyond the
Egyptian theatre. Here the girls are
much more refined in appearance, and
rather handsome. The dancing, too,
lacks the sinuous and rather question
! able style that abounds at the first
mentioned place. And right here let
me add that this temple is a repro
duction Of a famous Egyptian institu-
ton. The walls are covered with
hieroglYphics past the ken of an ordi-
nary newspaper reporter to portray, but
the management informs all visitors
that.the story told upon the walls was
ancient history long before Columbus
took notion to discover America.
The room is filed with mummies of
celebrated persons, who lived and used
high sounding swear words long before
the birth of Christ and his apostles.
Then, too, there is fac smile of
tomb in which some great Egyptian
was carefully laid away.
The building really contains much
to please and interest both the stu
dent of history as well as the mere
sight-seer.
what queer old town." is the
first exclamation that greets one as
the visitors come strolling into "Old
Vienna" and queer old town it GER
tainly looks to be to the uninitiated.
1t is an exact reproduction of
street in Vienna, Austria, over two
hundred years ago. Shops, bazaars,
quaint old inns over the wide doors
of which hang Just as quaint lanterns.
In the center of the street is a band
stand, and here every afternoon peo-
pie gather to drink beer, coffee and
lemonade. Such coffee as comes
steaming from the big dutch kitchen
is not often found elsewhere at the
fair. And while supping and chatting
one incidentally drinks in much fine
music.
There is one place on hot day you
connot afford to miss, and that is the
Chinese theatre and JOSS house. By
the way, gentle reader, do you know
what JOSS house is? Well, did not
until / had it explained to me. 1t is
house of Gods, or temple for Gods.
In this one there are several sections
fitted up to show the hayward Chinee
what will be his fate and punishment