Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-09-16
COLUMB BUS NOT I'M
He Does Not Have His Share in the Fair
Souvenirs.
What Strikes a Washingtonian a.
Of the Exposition.

Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star.
CHICAGO. Sept. Il. 1893.
Although our great worlds fair is called
the Worlds Columbian Exposition, yet, thus
FAR, Mr.. Columbus has not had a good fair
show. and ii is really quite hard, just now,
to find any distinctive souvenirs Of him for
sale. George Washington, Mr.. Lincoln and
all the noted generals Of our last war are
way ahead Of him in this respect. But on
October IL his good ship Pinta will come up
with flying colors, with our great admiral
on board, to be saluted and cheered by the
whole western continent. Think what
mighty strides we have taken since that
eventful October. 1892. No one could have
remotest degree.
One of the most striking and original
features Of the whole exposition is, prob
ably. the illumination by electricity Of the
columbian fountain. with the two large
electric fountains on each side of 1t, having
basins sixty feet in diameter and eighteen
water Jets grouped on the outer edge of the
basin. each one throwing a two-inch stream
to height Of i5o feet. Then there are in
ner circles with smaller jets, making a to-
tai Of 152 streams in each fountain. Now,
imagine all Of these in full play at once.
Illuminated by thirty-eight powerful arc
lamps. and the water and spray tinted with
all the cOlors of the rainbow; and, besides
that. they make regular combinations Of
set pieces-sheaves Of wheat, flowers, show
ers Of pearls and rubies-then they have
four great search lights. throwing their
powerful. dazzling light over the whole
scene. and long rows Of incandescent bulbs
running clear around the great basin and
on the domes and roofs of the great build
ings, SO that everything Is just flooded with
light and all covered over with an immense
canopy Of rainbows of promise. which. like
many other more beautiful things. tells
us of things We have not seen and shall
not see again."
Then. again, it Is very interesting and in
structive to watch the ebb and flow Of
such great streams of humanity as one sees
here; how they all rush and crowd to see
anything new. strange or ludfcrous. and
what '1lliterate animation most of them
display-they must have opinion on
everything they see no matter whether
they understand 1t or not. But Of all the
hard. trying things one sees here nothing
surpasses the poor woman with a baby. 1t
beats Job and Moses clear out Of sight 1t
Is difficult to make out which gets the worst
Of it, the woman or the baby.
Here, too. we see the doctrine of the sur
vival of the fittest admirably displayed.
Such a WORKOUT. tired. used-up set Of
creatures you rarely see. Each one seems
to feel that 1t is a matter Of the utmost
consequence that he or she should see
everything there is In the shortest time
possible; consequently they go Is long as
they can, then they drop down wherever
they are, rest a little. get something to eat
then go ahead again and drop. rest and
eat SO that a person In ordinary good
health can eat five or six meals a day, and
then even he does not feel perfectly salts
fed, as he has to drink much oftener than
that: but the Chicago vendors seem to have
an unlimited supply Of everything c. o. D.
The location of the exposition grounds on
the lake shore was a most happy one, on &C.
count Of the cool lake breezes and the la
goons and canals running all through the
grounds, which latter add so much to the
picturesqueness Of the grounds. and also for
the convenience and pleasure of the visi-
tors in going from one part of the grounds
persons an hour at the piers on the lake
shore.
The attendance is continually increasing.
SO that II will probably bring In N,OO.oC0
week hereafter and thus the success and
grandeur of the whole enterprise seems to
be now fully assured. +. n. u.