The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-05-15
TRANSPORTING
How Worlds Fair Visitors are Car
ried About.
MOVABLE SIDEWALK ON THE PIER

The Sliding Railway in Midway Plaisance
Which Can Attain a Speed of $50 Miles
an Hour-superb Norses, Dr9medaries,
Reindeers and Other Beasts of Burden.
WORLDS FAIR, May 10. - Lspecial.l -
Not the least interesting phase of the ex-
position is it's Craftsmanship. We may see
here q comparative display of the horses
and riders Of many countries. 1t happens
that number Of hussars or other caval-
rymen are attached to the foreign commits
Bions here to serve as official messengers,
Hence one may see, almost any fine day, a
German hussar, a Russian cossack, an
English horse guardsman or an Arab
courier flying about in the vicinity of the
exposition grounds. There are American
cavalrymen, too. The foreigners all use
| big horses and Respondent trappings The
American horse soldier alone looks as if
he were outftted for actual service; the
others being mere parade soldiers. More
servfceable than any Of the military horse
men in the capacity of messengers are the
cowboys of the plains, twenty or thirty of
them having been constantly employed in
the days Of construction, carrying mes
sages and orders to and fro. They are to-
day the most interesting horsemen in all
this international menage. Their little
mustangs OR bronchos fly about with soft,
sure foot, lodging distractions and pedes-
TRANS, swift and intelligent.
A magnificent specimen of the horse
| d. "a u.
of Colonel Rice, commandant of the Co.
lumbar guards. It is no small response
bility the colonel has undertaken-cap-
taincy Of the troop of 1000 men who are a
sort of cross between policemen and SOL
| diers. In management and training of his
men the colonel finds 1t necessary to go
rapidly from one part Of the grounds to
another. In fact, he acts like man who
would, II he could, be at forty widespread
spots in one minute of time. He rides
massive iron gray charger, a noble animal
who carries himself with a proud stride as
If he were the bearer of the general of q
great army.
1t is indeed cosmopolitan showing of
horsemanship and beasts of burden which
we have here. Buffalo Bill's COWBOYS.
rough-riders. steer tanners and Sioux
horsemen are to be seen on the same
bride paths with the Cossacks and Hus-
sars. Immediately after them may be a
pack-mule from the Andes going over to
State street for Load of feed for his fell
lows, or dromedary from the Egyptian
village In the plaisance. Now and then, at
rare intervals, Laplander may be seen
out exercising big reindeer. In Hagen
backs famous animal show lions may be
seen riding horseback, and two or three of
| the elephants are often ridden about the
neighborhood Of the plaisance by their
| trainers.
| The horse show proper will not begin
till late in August. Then it is expected
there will be here the greatest horse show
ever seen. Certainly the management of
the exposition has been liberal enough in
its provisions and prizes. There are twen-
ty-fve acres of stock sheds, and in huge
amphitheatre that will seat nearly 1000
persons hundreds Of animals may be SIM
ultaneously exhibited. 1t is elliptical in
shape, 300 fest wide and 40 feet long, and
locks like an enclosed track, No fewer
than forty-six barns are to be erected for
the accommo dafion of horses, and if these
prove inadequate mere will be built. The
premiums offered for horses are very lib
eral consisting Of both cash awards and
medals. There are cash premiums on sin
| gle animals as high as $500.
There is wonderful variety of con-
t1ivanoes and vehicles for people to ride
upon within the enclosure of the exposi-
tion. The elevated electric railway,
which rz1ns around the grounds, the steam
and electric 1aunehes on the lagoons, the
gondolas and the rolling chairs are all well
! known. Bus this does not exhaust the list,
by any means One of the most interest
ing spots In the exposition is visited by
only small proportion of the people who
come here. tits the steamboat pier which
runs more than half a mile into Lake
Michigan from the Casino at the southern
end Of the perStyle. One is not surprised
to learn that this is the greatest pier in
the world, Tor these Chicago people have
habit Of building everything q little larger
than any similar thing was ever built else
where. This pier Ia the landing place Of
the many big steamboats, which run be-
tween Chicago and the fair, and on warm
day this is the best route to and from the
city. The pier alone is worth going to see.
It's vast proportions may be better under
stood from the fact thaa ii contains fifteen
acres Of space, and that 10000 people may
| move about upon 1t without crowdfng.
The view OF the lake and the exposition
from this pier Is very fine, and one may go
put on tho pier for the purpose of sight
seeing without taking passage on steam
shipfor theeity.
It Would not be like Chicago to build
pier mere than half mile long and pro-
vide uomeans of transportation from one
end to the. ether Of it. A pier so long that
o passenger railway is needed on its sur
face will be a novelty to most people, but
a greater novelty Is the railway itself. It
Is what is known as movable sidewalk,
and is very ilgenius continuance. Two
low platforms, endless, run side by side on
a series Of small wheels. The outer one
runs constantly at speed of three miles
an hour, and though it does not stop to
take on Or let off passengers one has no
difficulty m stepping upon it. With the
sameease one may pass from this plat
form to the upper one, which moves at a
speed Of six miles an hour. This faster
| platform has comfortable seats, and a bet
ter means Of resting one's weary limbs the
| while refreshing body and soul in the cool
4 VI