Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-12-03
THE BAZAAR IS OPEN.
Wonderful Spectacle at Convention
Hail.
EVERYBODY PRESENT LAST NIGHT
Speeches by Prominent Men at
the Opening.
SOME OF THE FEATUR

Such a spectacle has seldom been wit
messed in Washington. The teachers fair
and bazaar. opened in Convention Hall last
evening" was worthy of the thoughtful Ia
Dor and painstaking care of hundreds of
teachers and thousands of pupils of the
public schools, who for months have
striven to give the people of the District of
Columbia a mammoth entertainment.
With the blaze of a thousand electric
lights falling on scores of booths of exquis-
lite beauty. presided over by pretty girls.
the fair was opened; and the people were
early in coming to enjoy the beauties Of the
occasion. Shortly after o'clock the gath
ering of the great concourse of friends of
the schools began, and from that time
throughout the evening the broad stairway
leading to the hall was crowded by the
visitors Coming and going
1t was indeed, scene of beauty that
greeted the eyes of the vast throng. From
the entrance of the hall the booths of the
fair lay ranged along the walls and center
aisles two great pillars of snow-white ma
terial being placed as if to form the en-
trance to the area occupied by the booths.
The entire scene was a study in color,
every shade of the rainbow being employed
in the draping of the many little temples of
beauty and industry, where the busy
swarm of teachers and pupils were en-
gagged in dispensing the variety of mer-
chandiSe that had been donated for the oc-
casion.
Handsome Decorations.
There was general harmony of form and
color in the decorations of the booths, their
charm being added to by a background of
deep blue sky, dotted over with brilliant
stars, that formed the proscenium of a
stage. the semi-circular opening of the lat
ter frirged to represent rising sun in all
its r.splcndent blaze and beauty. The sun
and the stars contending for supremacy
was an unusual picture, but it well repre-
scented the vigilance of those who made the
occasion so great Il success, for they nave
LAT ored night and day to attain this end.
There was dash of the Midway PlaiSance
amid the other features of the bazaar. An
oriental booth dispensed appropriate arti-
cles, while on its roof the Marine Band dis
courSed popular airs throughout the even
ing.
Make-believe Bedouins escorted a dumb
camel about the hall. and ride on it's back
was sought by the fair attendants. Withal
there was an air of happiness everywhere
portending success.
Practical Features.
The Iair combined ideal beauty with
practical features that would satisfy the
most severe util!taris,n. Within the booths
were the richest and most pleasing handi-
fo rms of fancy work, choice candies with
the virtue of being home made''-ir fact
every form of merchandise that could
pleas, the fastidious taste of the throng
that came to see and to buy of the wares
of the fair.
Along with booths containing these arti-
Giles were evidences of two of the growing
features for giving practical training in
the schools-the manual training and the
cooking school. Boys in working aprons
sat contentedly on carpenters benches sur
rounded by tools of the trade. while around
them were the results of the labors of ju-
Nenile acknowledgements and workers
in iron. At the other end of the hall was
stationed the Cooking school, teacher and
little girl pupils in bibs and caps caring
for the viands in course of preparation.
Then there was an exhibit of the art work
of the schools, showing that high success
had also been attained in that branch of
effort
This splendid array of the products of
varied talents occupied the attention of the
visitors until a late hour, throngs coming
and going throughout the evening. Fitting
tributes to the good work that had been
accomplished We're paid to the workers by
the DISTINGUISHED men in official and bust
ness life who during the evening took part
in the formal opening of the fair and ba-
zaar that will place on a sound basis the
annuity fund for the teachers, and will
long be remembered with pride by those
who have contributed to its success.
Huge Crowd.
Before O'Clock people began arriving al
the hall in veritable streams. They came
from the north, the SOUTH the east and the
west, while rot few approached the hal
from the northeast and the southwest
along New York avenue. They came in car
riages, in street cars, on bicycles and afoot
and as 8 o'clock drew near the scene outside
" as reminder of the days when Moody and
Sankey proved such a drawing magnet al
the same place. In the throng were school
girls and school boys, young men and ladies'
mothers and fathers, grandfathers and ever
babies in arms, and when they had mounted
tie stairs the sight was revelation to the
majority of them, for, as Superintendent
Powell remarked to Star reporter, tho
bazaar is relatively to Washington what tine
worlds fair was to Chicago. Its like silas
certainly not been seen in this vicinity fol
many a day, and 1t would be hard to count
the visitors who entering the hall last even
ing stopped involuntarly in admiration al
the mass CT color that confronted them.
Picturesque Scenes.
Long before the time announced for the
opening exercises to begin the hall was
comfortably filed. The fair attendants al
the booths displayed great energy and de-
termination in starting up brisk and
profitable trade within ten minutes after
the doors had been thrown open. Circu-
lating promiscuously among the throng
could be seen gaily attired peasant girls
wearing dangerously tall hats, while real
| istic Indian bucks and squaws moved to
| and fro, apparently not at all disturbed
| by close, very close, contact with cvili-
cation. The much-talked-of camel, Nellie
Bly,, the pet of the Western High School,
seemed eager for the fray, and under the
guidance of half 4 dozen pseudo Arabs
| made constant trips about the crowded