The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1893-07-08
IN MIDWAY PLAIsANcE.
One of the Most Interesting Places
at the Chicago Fair.
Correspondence of The n. y. Post.


he can say of its beauties and the pleasure
he had there, will confess that, after all,
he had more fun in the Midway Plaisance
than anywhere else. OF course, like all
the rest Of the Fair, it is educational and
instructive, but its main object is simply to
amuse. of all its forty-one separate shows,
there is not one that is dull, and several
are so amusing that people visit them again
and again, without getting tired Of them.
1t is idle to make comparisons between this
exhibition and similar exhibitions at other
international fairs, and it may be that at
Paris three years ago there was all or nearly
all that there is in the Midway Plaisance;
but this does not alter the fact that there
never was anything like it, and that the
visitor who does not enjoy it must be
phlegmatic indeed. First of all it will be
interesting to know precisely what it is.
1t is known officially as Department NJ
of the Worlds Columbian Exposition, or
the Department of Ethnology, and is cata-
Logged as single group of exhibits. 1t is
Immediately attached to jackson Park,
but is not literally part of the park,
although the ticket admitting to the one
also admits to the other. it is strip OF
park about Il mile long and hardly half a
mile wide, with Il wide street down the
centre lined by the booths, cafes, theatres,
etc, which constitute the places of exhibit
ton. Starting at the head Of this street
YOU see strange scene. On your left
hand a gray castle rises, from the turret OF
which floats a large green flag which bears
an inscription saying that it is the Irish
village. showing the Irish cottage indus
tries. and looking farther down you see a
small New England log house and school
house. Across the road from this is a
model Philadelphia workingmans house,
and next to this big building for theatre,
and you see more similar structure with the
architure passes into Asia and you come
a upon japanese bazaar, large number OF
huts and bamboo pavilions which be-
long 10 the japanese village, and
from this you pass by mum
Der of German buildings. You come
next upon portion of Turkey, where the
mosques with their miRaFets tower above
the neighborings; then you see The build
fngs of Cairo, and at the end of the street
an Egyptian temple, near which there Is a
Moorish palace. You have passed by an
imposing cluster of old Vienna buildings
and great Chinese joss house. In the
centre of the street by the Egyptian temple
stands the gigantic toy known as the
Ferris wheel. 1t is $50 feet in diameter,
is built Of iron, and carries, it is said. over
1000 passengers. They get in cars and
take a swing around the circle. There Is
no particular reason why there should be
such a thing as this Ferris wheel, or why
any one should use it. but the public has
shown the liveliest interest in It's cOnstruc-
ion, and is waiting impatieStly for it to
BEGIN running. Near the Ferris wheel
you see cluster of huts belonging to the
Dahomey Village, and next to them the
huts Of the Laplanders. As for people,
there is no part Of the Fair so constantly
crowded as the Midway Plaisance. Two
solid streams 90 by all day long, oae stream
going down the street and the other going
up. They are the regular Fair crowd,
composed of rich and poor from the coun-
try and the city, bat Tor the most part res,
pectable people of she middle class, but
they have among them a goodly number
OF the residents of the Plaisance. Here
gon may see high caste Turk, gorgeously
arrayed ia bagging trousers, and there you
will encounter a South Sea Islander, who
walks along clad in simple pair OF short
trousers and nothing else Then You meet
a Bedouin Arab wrapped in folds of white
cloth. and next to him little fellow from
Java With a large turban on his head
Add to these German cavalrymen in uni
form, Irish peasant girls, with Chinese
and Japanese and number Of Others, and
you wjll have some faint idea of what the
crowd 10 the Midway Plaisance looks ike.
Starting now from the beginning OF the
street. it will be Of interest to note what
things are best worth seeing by visitor
whose time is limited First Of all it is
worth while talking a look at the 1rasli
village. This is the Duchess of Aberdeen
work, and she has been the most tireless
of workers in making it success. She
made a speech at the opening OF the
Womans Building asking for support oil
the exhibit, and when the village was
opened, she and the Earl made dedicatory
addresses. The village shows the cottage
industries of ireland, and there are mum
Der of Irish trinkets kept there for sale
The castle, which is surrounded by The
cottages, is the famous Barney castle re
produced.
Leaving the Irish village, the big build
ing across the road need not be visited
1t bears sign, international Dress anC
Costume Exhibit; Worlds Congress o.
Beauty" but the exhibit consists simpi,
of fifteen or twenty yonng women dressed
up in the costumes of different nations
Whether or not they are pretty Il
a matter of taste, and at all events a
visitor can find hundreds Of prettier ones
to see in the grounds without paving fol
the pleasure. The next big building is the
n