Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1894-09-10
GERMAN COUNTRY FAIRS.
TIE "--A5C2" A Po2Ur.AC TORN
OF FESFrv1r


| u NE Of the most interesting of
the many forms OF outdoor
i amuscmentS with which the
Germans enjoy life in the
Summertime is the "mtsth." II bears
n strong resemblance to the American
county lair, but has points OF differ
enca which render it peculiarly inter
csting to the student of national
amusemants. The word "masch"
means, more nearly than anything else,
mixture, AM mixture n German
masch certainly is. 1t is held, MS n
rule, at the time OF the annual "Schut-
zenfest' and rs near rs possible to the
shooting garden. All the fakirs, and
what we would call in the America side
show attractions, make business of
travelling about from one masch to an
other, SO that their attendance has
grown into regular trade. 1t is
especially a "volks" gathering, and
the masses enjoy it to the utmost.
Several days before the fest begins
caravans which are composed of
wagons strongly resembling the or
that they all have curtained windows,
may be seen on every roal approach
ing the city in which the masch is to
be held. Whey take possession of the
nearest open space to the shooting
garden, and from the cavernous depths
of the metamorphosed freight cars are
taken first Il larger or smaller tent, as
the case may be, and q bewildering
array Of properties" needed in the
forthcoming show.
In night the vacant place is trans
formed into small city of tents, each
the temporary business place of some
fakir, the wagons Being drawn up cou-
venientl y near, rs they are the dwell
lng-places of the showmen. The
tented town is laid off into streets
which on both sides are lined with the
boots, the merry-So rounds, the tin
type galleries, the miniature circuses,
and i'll short everything in which the
heart OF the small boy and dimnutiyo
maiden is supposed to rejoice. One
masch is typical of all.
You enter the entrance street with
ont being expected to pay any fee and
find yourself in wide lane with CON
fectionery and bakery booths on each
side. The candy is rather doubtful
except to the German small boy, who
has but this annual chance, rs Il gen
eral thing, for tasting sweets and to
whom 1t is very heaven OF saccharine
delight; the cakes are excellent, how
ever, as they are ull over Germany.
Chief among them is Il sort of huge
"pop- light as II feather. 1t is
called "eirkranz, AMI IS made only at
the time OF the masch. 1t must be
eaten hot and is devoured in vast guam
titles.
The first street Mt right angles from
the entrance lane is the street of the
tin-type and shooting gallery iiend.
Tho tin-type man does not differ es-
seu1ially from his brother at our own
county fair, though he tnkes better
pictures; bnt the shootin; gallery is
far aheal OF its American cousin. Be.
hind 4 counter on which numerous
air-guns are Ibid, stand II half dozen
pretty girls attirel in fantastic cos
tunes, and each seeks to attract men
who may be victims 80 her modern
bow. That the Dianas are pretty sue
cessful in their unceasing importuni-
ties IS cvinced by the constant BOP,
popping, which one hears on every
side. y largo canvas is stretched
about fifteen feet behind the mNidens,
and upon it are displayed every CON
ceivable form OF target, every one of
which it is almost impossible to miss,
for the vanity OF the customer must
be cultivated If continued patronage
is to be assured. Every one of these
targets gives forth beating OF drums
or ringing of bells when struck, SO
the din may be imagined.
Near the shooting booths are the
canvas palaces inhabited by the fat
woman; the genuine African Zulu.
who speaks when caught unawares
with a strong German accent; the
museum Of wax images of living and
dead celebrities; tine stereopticon
views of famous events, and other
shows of the kind which country
boy in America is familiar with aS the
fair in his own county, for none of the
usual attractions are missing. The
entrance fee is ten or twenty pfen-
nings. Perhaps the most popular
thing on the ground is the merry-go-
round. There are a dozen forms of it.
Some are i'll the form of real rocking
ships propelled in circle by machin-