Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-06-26
CHRISTIAN AND PAGAN.
Yesterday Observed in Widely Different
Ways ut the Chicago Fair.

Ways ut the Chicago Fair.
Eve all believe in an American Sabbath a.
day Of rest, q day of pure social enjoyment
and day of worship. This worlds fair is in
itself great school. . great church, and it
needs no religious service to make it right to
open the gates on Sunday. The services in
this place today will be carried on in the same
spirit and respect as they would be in regu-
larly ordained house Of God, excepting that no
collection will be taken up
Prefacing the first sermon within the gates
Of the worlds Columbian exposition on Sun
day with these words, Rev. DR.. Thomas, facing
an audience Of 5000 persons in festival hall, at
the Chicago fair. yesterday afternoon, called
the attention Of his hearers to the text, taken
from the twenty-frst verse OF the seventeenth
chapter Of st. John: "That they all may be
one, as Thou, Father, art in me and I in Thee;
that they may be one in us: that the world may
believe that Thou hast sent me"
The day was warm, yet the visitors to the
fair came in great numbers. Everybody re-
manned until the services were over and remark
ably close attention was given the speaker.
STRANGE MoHAMMEDAN RITES.
Strange sights were witnessed in Midway
Plaisance yesterday morning The Moham-
medans in the queer street began the celebra-
ton of the birthday of the "True Prophet" and
the manner of 1t filed the spectators with won
der and at times with horror. The Mohamme-
dan Christmas brings penance and prayer, in
addition to feasting and making merry The
day had been Frightened by the sun but q few
minutes when the guards and early risers in
Midway Plaisance were attracted to the Alge-
rian village by . mighty hubbub. All the
dancing girls and the native attendants Of the
bazaars were congreRated in the restaurant, and
they were alfred In their most gorgeous cos
TUNES. Two lambs were brought into the room
by couple Of black men and slaughtered in
the presence OF the entire company, while the
worshipers sang quaint song and sank to the
floor in praise.
A brazier full Of live Goals stood Just outside
the door OF the safe. The blood Of the lambs
was caught In earthen diahes and placed near
the braziers. After half hour Of prayer, dur
ing which time nearly all the villagers remained
PROSTATE on the floor, the women gathered
about the vessels. One after another the girls
approached the dishes Of blood and dipped
their hands In the warm red fluid.
Some Of the women ran to the nearest wall
and placed their blood besmeared hands against
the woodwork. 90 a. to leave the impression Of
their fingers outlined in red. Then they rushed
back to the braxier, and, thrusting their hands
into the live Goals, ran with handful to the
blood marks on the woodwork and actually
burned away the red stains with the fire held in
their bare hands. This peculiar ceremony oc-
cupied the best part Of an hour, and was in
tended to typify the cleansing Of blood by fire
after death.
The greater part Of the forenoon was occupied
by the women in penance and self torture.
Three Of them picked up live Goals and drew
them across their bare bosoms. Other women
threw themselves on their faces or knees on the
hard moor. One woman ran swiftly at the wall
Of her room, hurting herself head foremost
against 1t. This display Of fanaticism among
the girls lasted until noon. Then all care was
thrown aside. and the day was given over to
feasting and dancing.
SMALL ATTENDANCE.
The radical Sunday openers have been griev-
ously disappointed at the small number Of peo-
pie who visited the fair yesterday. The total
admissions, free and paid, was scarcely A. 900,
and the winding paths and board thoroughfares
OF the white city had q quiet. deserted appear
ance. There was little music to speak OF and
the whole aspect Of the fair was as calm and
peaceful and Sabbsth-like q Q New England
country village.
Even the Midway Plaissnce, which usually
thrives in the very worst Of times, was dull and
skinned drivers in the Cairo street, and the
vicious-lookins savages from the south seas and
all the other heather Of that homogeneous thor
oughfare had good rest from the excitement
and rush Of the last four or five weeks.
The fine arts building was about the only
The workingmen and their families did not turn
out a. they did on the previous open Sundays
The fact that the United States government
building and all United States exhibits. which
form . most interesting part Of the fair, are
always ciosed Sunday, as well as those Of Great
Britain and part Of the French exhibit, seem
to have given the wageworkers tho idea that
they were not getting their moneys worth.
Then, too, the machinery IL all stopped and
many individual exhibitors hang up their cur
tains on Sunday, SO that great deal Of tho ex-
are open.