Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-04-20
From our Special Correspondent

4
| dav, and keen wind blew stiff gale.
We spent the entire time this afternoon
| in Midway Plaisance. This pleasure
ground" covers an eighty acre stretch
of land between 59th and Goth streets,
and presents motley view of buildings
of all sorts and sizes. First comes the
| German village, composed of low rooted
| houses, huddled close together and cov-
cred with thatch work clear to the
| caves. Low doorways and tall, narrow
windows appear in uneven places, max
ing them look picturesque, while the
slow, stolid Workmen gathered together
| around the doors eating their noon
| lunch and brown bread and beer, made
one feel that Germany was seen here
| Just as it will be at home. Leaving thus
village, which stands on the left and by
| itself, we plodded along over the
broken ground, covered with stone,
which is to be the Grand Boulevard
when completed, We next saw the
/ Javanese village. This is truly beauti-
full sight; fence eight feet high en-
closes it. This fence is enclosed en-
tirely o. long slender bamboo rods so
| artistically interviewer that one wonders
| how it could ever have been fashioned
out of such plain material. There are
seventeen bamboo cottages in the vii
| lage in the course of construction. 1t
| was so cold to-day that the Javanese
| workmen had to abandon their work.
Quite number of them are sick with
| bad colds. They are not used to such
changes of climate as we are having
here, and keep pretty close indoors
| when the sun is not shining. Passing
on west we next came to the Turkish
Mosque. ''No admittance" was marked
on every door, but our reporter passes
gained the favor for us. This mosque
is in the form of a long hall, with a
| dome in the center. About q dozen
Turks were busy hanging up tapestry
and curious looking garments upon the
| walls. When completed this temple
| will be their place of worship, as we'll
as to exhibit the curiosities from their
country. The Turks are becoming
Amercanized very fast. They have
abandoned their Turkish trousers and
cloaks for our ready made suits. But
you will never get the Turk to give up
his dearly beloved ''fez." This mark
of their nationality distinguishes them
| wherever they 60. The most laughable
sight, however, is the ''Street in Cairo,
filled with the Egyptians. We arrived
just in time to-day to see the donkey
| boys file into their quarters. 1t was a
sorry looking procession. At the head
of the train, SUNK, rather than walked
one of those long-eared, shaggy-look-
ing beasts known to the Eastern travel
ler as the Egyptian donkey. The don
| key boys shivered in the raw wind
| Altogether there were fifteen boys, with
as many donkeys, also seven camels,
with high peaked saddles on their
backs. They were ridden by more
shivering Egyptians. A pack of snar-
| ling ours followed the vanguard, with a
| big dray containing several cases in
their midst. The cases contained a
| half hundred snakes, and one of the
snake charmers rode on behind. Such
stripes than a barber's pole, and had
more colors than a crazy quilt. He
maintained q sullen Indifference to all
the jeers and inquiries of the bystanders
but not so the donkey boys. They have
already picked up Oh the road little
English, and they are not at all back
ward in asking for money and trying to
"Work" the curious crowd around them.
Leaving the Egyptians we crossed over
to the Austrian village. They were
dedicating their village to-day and as
we came up hearty song from the
gutteral throats rolled out from the
antique windows of their cozy home
| like little town. The fat burghens were
grouped around the platform near the
rathepern (city halD.
| Their village is built in an oblong cir
Gle, the houses all facing court. The
festival to-day was in honor of the for
NAL dedication Of the street in Vienna
The Austrian commissioners stood with
PLACID tranquility in the chilly air listen
ing to the singing and speeches, sur
rounded by carpenters i'll their caps
and aprons, each holding tankard OF
sparkling beer, which was replenisied
as often as emptied. The street con-
tains thirty-fve buildings, a city hail. a
church and covers a space 590x300
feet. Many articles were displayed
from the windows illustrating the typi-
cal Industries of the Vienese. In the
shops will be sold Vienna wood carving
amber and merchaum turning and
modelling, and the making of lace en-
broidery and jewelry.
After few private enterprises, such
as the panorama of the Perenese and
Alps mountains, and the Venetian glass
exhibit building, we came TO the large
Ferris wheel, which is well underway
now. This will be an unending source
of amusement to the little folks. Just
imagine slowly swinging 250 feet up in
the air, then just as slowly descending.
There will be no end of amusement in
the Midway piaisance next summer,
and every enc visiting the Fair should
not fail TO spend at least one afternoon
there.
Work on Mrs Ernest Harris Irsh