Daily Texarkana Democrat., 1893-08-29
people relived of any further anxiety
concerning the financial policy of the
country
WORLDS FAIR LETTER.
w. ID. B0YCB CORRESPONDENTS BUREAU
COLUMBIAN EXPOSITION, Aug. 20, 1893. I

COLUMBIAN EXPOSITION, Aug. 20, 1898. !
Thursday, August 24-Illinois day
Paid attendance 240,909. Total,num-
Der of persons on the grounds 272,.
ole, swelling the total paid attendance
from May to 9,O0915O. All hail to
the great Prairie State of Illinois
Her patriotic sons and daughters
from even the remotest corner, from
tie corn fields, swamp lands, prairies
and valleys poured into the grounds
of the Worlds Fair in countless thou
sands. They came by rail, by steam
boat, by electricity, and by cable.
Never did turnstile turn so fast and
so often. Never did gate keepers
work so hard.
The state was here. A few.persons
remained at home to water the stock
and do the milking, but all the res!
came in on time with red tickets in
their hats. 1t was their day and they
claimed it. The Worlds Fair grounds
became as crowded as a Tazewell
county bee tree. No matter where
the man came from-Efingham, Gale
ma, Quincy, Bloomington, Chicago or
Galva-he had partnership interest
in the building with the big yellow.
dome. The building was embroider-.
ed with flags and folds of bunting as
large as circus tents. From its top
most staff foated a pennant bearing
the word "Illinois."
1t was great day for the fair,
great day for the people who made it
SO, and was grand success from start
to finish.
In the odd Midway parade at 9 am,
there came first the Todouins riding
camels and high-spirited horses. They
were allowed nearly thousand feet
of space and as the parade moved
along those mounted on horses rode
back and forth at full gallop with
their snow white robes huttering in
the breeze, whirling their long spears
about and displaying wonderful feata
Of borsemanship. After the Bedouins
came the Laplanders, with their rein
deer, and then came the cannibals Of
Dahomey. They were the most vid-
ious and ferocious looking warriors
In the parade. They were attlred as
if going out to battle. The king, a
huge black fellow in fantastic attire,
was in the lead. On his head was a
sort of helmet, surmounted with
pair Of rams horns. He carried
great war club which he flouriahed lis
he pranced about shouting in a savage
frenzy, while his followers sang wild,
war song and beat tom-toms and act-
ed like demons. Hanging down the
front of the cannibal kings breast was
a peculiar-looking protector made of
polished human bones and around his
neck was an ornament Of human
teeth.
The Chinese, with an awful LOCKING
dragon sixty feet long, came next. 1t.
was made Of rice paper on bamboo
frame and carried by twenty Mongo-
lians. Nothing but their feet could
be seen and the horrid thing moved
along in a wonderfully lifelike man
ner Strangely attired musicians,
playing on instruments no less
strange, accompanied the dragon and.
the music, if such it can be called, was
ear-splitting in the extreme. After
the Celestials came the South Sea is
landers. Then IN turn came the Ha-
waiians, the Persians, the Egyptians
With their camels and donkeys, the
Turks, the Moors, the Swiss horn
blowers, Hagenbeck's lions, the ma
tives lahore, the Algerians and the
inhabitants of the Irish and German
villages. In the main grounds they
were joined by the italian marines,
the British soldiers and the West
Point cadets.
1t was strangely wonderful sight
and it is doubtful if its like has ever
been witnessed In the world before or
if any one who saw it will ever see ;ts
like again. q
After the procession had passed the
governor and his staff were received
in Illinois building by the members
of the state board of commissioners.
At 2 O'Clock luncheon was served in
the dining room on the third floor.
The members Of the Illinois board,
the national commissioners, lady man
ayers and invited guests were present.
In the afternoon the governor receiv-
ed the citizens Of the state in the main
court on the first floor, under the
dome. Director-G General Davis and q
host of commissioners and Worlds
Fair officials paid their respect to
Gov. Altgeld. The hours Of the re-
ception were from until 3 O'Clock.