The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-10-12
EAGER RURAL FOLK.
A VERY LARGE PROPORTION OF La
BORING PEOPLE AT THE FAIR.

Tho Managers Think October Will Prove
tho Best Month-Fun and Skepticism
Among the Ruralists-They All Want to
See the Articles of Luxury.
WORLDS FAIR, Oct. 10. - Especial +
Although the attendance for late Septem-
Der was surprisingly large, the unseason-
able weather threw such GOODNESS over
the meeting that there is much discussion
Of the question, VIII October be the best
month? The enthusiastic Major Handy
laughs at the idea OF there being any ques-
ton about it and says: 1T is the uniform
rule that the last month of great exposi-
ton is the best. 1t was so at Philadelphia;
it was still more SO at Paris-Octoher
showed by lar the largest attendance. And
there is sense in it. Many thousands come
for short trip, are not satisfied with it,
go home and arrange their business for a
longer trip in cooler weather. Take notice
also that just at the time the business men
of the east and the cities should have been
here the panic came. and they had TO stay
at home and watch their fences. And tie
country people-you are altogether mis-
taken about their being too busy. This is
their time. and they are coming Ask the
railroad men about their contracts Ask
the hotel men about applications for
rooms"
Where They Come From.
Two of his statements know to be true
The country people are certainly here, and
they are here TO enjoy themselves-no to
show their clothes. Ihave seen more thick
CRY" and 'calicoed" shirts, more jeans
pants and ''linsey woolseyo dresses in the
last 10 days than l had seen in 10 years De-
fore. have met ct least 90 people whom
l saw here in the summer-come back for
their second visit. At the risk of being
personal, must give the record of a coun-
try town in Indiana which I usually con-
slider my home. The population is scant
8, 900, and s85 of its people have been here.
There are 20 on the grounds today, and
those still to come twho have rooms con-
tracted for) will make the attendance from
that place 80, or about one-sixth of the
entire population. This and many similar
cases make it certain to my mind that
much more than half Of the attendance
has been from within circuit of 200 miles
or less.
l cannot but notice how eager the coun-
try people are to see all the fine jewelry
and rich silks, the fine furniture and gold
and silver ornaments, the great vases and
curtains and all the appurtenances of great
wealth and luxury. We all want the
Understanding entirely foreign to
DUR common life, something we cannot see
at home. They keep the Tiffany pavilions
jamned from opening to closing, and about
the revolving pointer which carries the
great diamond they are Is deep. Another
jam is about the big showcase where the
works of 2,2O0 watches, all wound by cleo
tricity, are running in unison. A smaller,
quieter and much more studious crowd is
around the case containing the historic
watches. To these paid little attention
at first, doubling their genuineness. but
has convinced me that the
history attached to each is substantially
These are in the Waltham collec-
ton.
First in interest is the watch of Oliver
Cromwell, for it is curious fact that
Cromwell's career is known to more uDed-
icated people than that of any other man
ID English history. When boy, noticed
his and explained it by the fact that Quak-
ers and Presbyterians rredominated among
Dur neighbors, but l have since noticed it
all over the United States and now have no
The watch is silver cased and
cot quite SO large as an average saucer,
Or rather two saucers joined at the rims
Oliver must have been a healthy man to
ug that around. 1t was made in 1913 by
Bockel OF London. Beside it is the watch
IF William of Orange which was made in
1856 by French firm, and it is much like
,he ordinary gentleman's watch of today.
Why They Are skeptical.
If one wants to hear dry hunor, with some
'neering and sarcasm, by our rural friends,
,he place to hear it is the Anthropology
among the bones and fossils,
They believe in the snakes and lizards, and
AN by an effort swallow the whale. but on
he hadrosaurus,. glyptodon, mylodon, ro-
oustus, iguanodon and other restored"
monsters la Waterhouse Hawkins, they
ire more than skeptical. "All blamed
AXE" say the men. Jest made up to
scare folks. don't believe such thing
,ver was" say the women. A funny fea-
ure of it is that they consider the name Of
Nesterhouse Hawkins, who is given as au-
hority for these restored" creatures, as a
raud or assumed name, and there is some
hing in the sound of it which suggests a
fake" name. And this reminds me of the
most ingenious fraud In the showman's
inc ever imposed on innocent westerners.
The evolution of it was in this wise:
In my boyhood, when the Wabash and
Erie canal was being cut through the grav-
i beds Of Intliana, we heard much Of ''gi
lnts' bones" being found. They were near
= always thigh bones, and by comparison
he local savants figured out that the val
ey was once inhabited by men from IS to
8 feet high. That theory was enforced
,pon me by the best teachers known in
hose days. The hint was not lost upon
he shownen, and pretty soon our fat
,oatmen On their return from New Orleans
lad wonderful story to tell Of having
cen one Of the dug up giants"
Many years later ! saw the fragments OF
t. The ingenious Snowman had taken the
cal thorax and thigh bones Of mylodon
II hadrosaurus AID pieced them out with
rtificial lower legs and feet, with arms from
ONE other monster, and had surmounted
he whole with a manufactured head and
lass eyes. making what was for pure hid
business q triumph Of art. This giant"
vas seated in an immense oaken chair, and
Ield in one skeleton hand boUgh about
o feet long Imagination is fatigued In
the Nightmares il which that
giant" must have figured.
Educational Aspect
From the extreme Of credulity the people
ave reacted TO the extreme Of skept;cism,
$ the law OF mind II. But why regret st
yhen there are 10, 600 wonders they can ap
'reciate and know 10 be rsal' The eduess-
ional effect Of this exposition Is something
f Chestnut" bot we realize il more and
more every day. No person, ignorant or
earned, can leave here the same person lie
anne The poorest iaborer who bas passed
hree days in the grounds Will carry home
thousand glorious memories. a thousand