Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1898-11-18
SAMANTHY AT THE FAIR.
The Wonders Of the big Mechanics Fair as
Seen and Told by samanthy Alien.
BOSTON, Nov. l, 1898.

The Wonders Of the big Mechanics Fair as
Seen and Told by samanthy Alien.
BOSTON, Nov. l, 1898.
DEAR MIR. EDIToR-Here [ be In Bos
ton dom of the Fair. When | left
home the folks all said: "Be sure,
Samanthy, and see everything and write
us regular" but bless your soul, I'd no
idee twas such a big undertaken. So
guess the best way, Mr.. Editor, is les to
write 1t out as fur's l can and let you put
1t into the paper where the folks can
see It.
Them 'lectric cars Just whisked me
through the subway in no time, and
there l was right at the big building on
Huntington Avenue before had time to
eat more'n one of them cookies | had in
my bag. Over the door was a big sign,
..'.sss' .............,
XENODOCHY WITHIN
.'.'''..'.. ...............
1t must be some new tangled furrin stuff
er other, thinks l. but | made up my
mind Id buy some of it, anyhow, Jest to
show folks | want so green as looked.
The man in the ticket office said he
guessed the "Xenodochy" was insiue, so
| started in to hunt some up. There was
little sign in the entry, "Garments
Checked, Cents" which, thinks |, is
cheap enough; so gave 'em my wraps
and umbril, but kept my hand bag to
put the Nenodochy in, likewise the sam
pies of things I'd heard they give away
free
| wanted to take in Mr.. Keith's
theaytre, so | asked a little boy where
Paul Revere's hall was. He erked his
thumb slantwise and muttered suthin'
about Conformation Bureau" | don't
want no furniture shop, SEE l. | only
Jest want to see the vaudevilly show on
the stage. While we was tallzin' young
woman pinned bouquet onto my Jacket
and said, 40 cents, please" Cheap
enough says l; and Just then | caught
sight of big shoe factory with a lot O.
men and girls to work and the machinery
a buzzln' away like all creation. hung
round here a spell till l noticed smell
o boilin' molasses-jest sech a smell as
| remember when | was a little kid-and
there, right behind me was rousin big
candy factory, with all hands a workin'
like bees. Oh, yes; | bought some
called 'em Cupids kisses-and they was
all done up in little yalar wrappers with
the ends a twisted like Aunt Eliza's
curling papers. Then | went and had
my picture took onto a little button
the latest style, the young man said. BY
that time | began to get hungry, so
hunted up the restOorant and had an
oyster stew, pipin' hot. All this time
never once sot eyes on a human bein |
knew; so feeling louesum. like | looked
round for some one to talk to. just
then a big, handsum officer came along.
He looked so digniiled that | was almost
Altered at first; but finally pei ked up
my courage and says | MIR. Officer,
I'm good many miles from home and
hain't seen a soul | know: and if you'll
jest beau me round the Fair a bit I'll
send you nice warm pair O stockin's O
my own knittin'," says l. And do you
know, Mr.. Editor, that big officer blushed
as red as any school girl; and would you
believe it, he was Jest as perlite to me
as if I'd been Queen Victoria herself.
He showed me all the sights, such as the
big printin presses, and the hat factory,
and the N-rays what shows your bones
and things right through your skin,
clothes and all. Then he took me for
walk among the wax figgers, and then
we went into the room where they keep
the artificial daylight. guess it want
very good day for daylight or else the
juice got shet of accidental, or got
cranky, or sOmethin'. 'Iany rate twas
good fun goin in and comm out through
the dark passageway. Then we heard
the band play, and after that we went
up onto the red bridge and looked down
into the japanese garden where the little
Jap girls was payin' and their mother
SEWN and their father and brother a
workin' away quite industrious like.
Then the handsome big officer bought
me bar o. pop corn and glass o. cicer
and said he guessed he'd better be goin.
OF course | had to say something perlite
about his being so kind to lonely female
woman from the country. He smiled
quite pleasant-like, and when | asked
him fer his address SOS to send him the
stockings he jest turns to me with a bow
and flourish that would a done credit
to major general. Then a lot of little
men in pollcemen's clothes came up and
saluted the handsome big officer and
asked if they might be excused fer living.
But he didn't knock 'em down or any
thing like the captains do on their ships
out to sea. He Just excused EN- and
turned to me with a smile and handed
me his card which I'm a goin' to paste
into my scrap-book along with my col
lection O. poetry and cookin receipts.
SAMANTIN JANE ALLEN.