The times., 1898-08-14


the hall has pipe organ, an exquisite
cameo collection, and some really good
bits of painting, representing Iowa
scenes.
There rs very large, beauifully-buit
log cabin amid the more pfetentious
structures. And the towering yellow wig
wam attracts every eye. 1t may be
heretical but / confess to finding the
State buildings distinctly more pleasiE &
than those al the Worlds Fair They are
as a rule in better harmon., with the
general design, and they are more PC
turesque and better disposed as features
of the landscape
The landscape gardening is one very
striking example of Western auiekness
10 learn. The gardeners have studied
their lesson at the great fair to good pur-
pose. They have learned not only when
10 ornament but ca rarer gift of fortune
In gardener) when to let the kindly
scene alone. In consequence there is a
happy diversity of effect and the faded
eye is soothed at Intervals by beautiful
spaces and masses of greenery. There is
plenty of the intricate play of coIors
plenty OF variety in the designs and the
floral bas reliefs which gardeners affect
IN ingenious one is the great horn Of
plenty framed from cou ises in front of
the Iowa building, pouring out its wealth
of brilliant colors on the terrace.
Inc Midway at Omaha has a general
resemblance TO the Midway we all knlw
IL siitters with flaming and f1aring lights
ana the gayest of coiors; it resounds day
and night with the blaring of horns and
the pounding of drums ard cyrlbals and
tne hanging of pisto's by the Wild West
riders. 1t has all kinds of bizarre archi-
lecture from an Indian tepee to a Moor
isn paiace. 1t IS crowd d and dusty and
NOISY and full of heat and screaming
gaiety, but II isn't so dusty as one niesbt
expect and the Exposition police have
KEPT II clean on the outside
ihere Is feature of its own in the
sigahnc see-saw. No one should neglect
II any more than the Ferris Wheel ar the
Chtcago Midway. 1t is UNIQUE: so are
the visitors sensationsi 'TYou can 500
for nothing, but it costs you % cents
to saw,'
snent a half hour in what the man
outside described as the most elegant
ana hish-class show on the grounds" the
Moorish Palace. I saw Marie Antoinette
gong TO execution. captive tortured at
,i'e stake, young man who had been
having a night of it, and some happv
families, and some nymphs in boskv deIls
with rocks and trees, and a tremendous
amount of other horror and loveliness-
all for 25 cents
over opposite. man with a noble voice
ana the perspiration streaming down his
! race was giving apparently a little NOR
al lecture. Beside him, stood lean
young man. whose skin was paIlid and
| his eyes pink trimmed He looked both
limp and anemic- His line in life was
TO swallow swords. This young man
is going to swallow that sword in a
minnit. ladies and gentlemen" boomei
the touter, Jest you wait; come up,
come up, no charge-we do these things
to show what kind OF an exhibition we
keep. After he has swallowed the sword
pass 1t round, feel the edge If you like,
all solid steel-after the young man has
swallowed the sword, I'm going to fetch
out one of our ladies. This little lady
I'm going TO show you is from Paris,
France; and she and the other ladies
/ dance. Dance. And the ladies that are
conducting this exposition, they sent a
! committee over here. Why did they do
it? They done II to be sure we was con-
ducting a refined and elegant exhibition
which couldn't shock nobody And they
put a card in the paper to that effect
If you wish to see one of the most beau
tiful, strictly first-class shows on the
ground or anywhere walk in. Now, yourg
giant show present proceeded TO swallow
the sword. / don't know how he did it,
and il was rather awful TO witness, but
apparently he did swallow it up to the
hilt. / am told that the dancing is not
unpleasant and very well done.
OF course there is a street OF Cairo and
some sad-eyed camels; and there is a
street of all nations, which troops out on
camels and horses and makes a mighty
din. There is a very good cyclorama,
and a most life-like Southern plantation,
which has song and dance, and is good
enough TO be visited more than once and
there is an explosion of the Maine, which,
considerably to my surprise, l found one of
the prettiest little things on the grounds.
The scene, the ships riding at anchor in
Havana harbor con real water, ladies
and gentlemen'o, the tropical storm, the
illumination of the city and the sunrise
are remarkably pretty. As for the ex-
plosion, it wouldn't disturb rabbit. Ten
cents admission.
Probably the Indian congress will be a
formidable rival TO the Midway. Already
500 Winnebagoes have arrived and the
Sacs and Fox Indians are expected. The
| Winnebageos are going 10 have war
dance with ali the blood-curdling frills.
1t is to be the greatest war dance they
to have a sun dance. And the railroads
are preparing very low rates. Every
tribe is 10 be represented.
Pr0oa5Iy never again will there be
such an opportunity to study the real
life and habits of the American Indian
without going to the discomfort of living
with him. The wigwam and the teepees
and the dwellings of the red men VINO
have advanced to rude houses will be
erected and life win proceed precisely as
on the reservations Capt. Mercer. of
the United States army viii be in charge.
A congress of choral societies will add
to the diversions of the month OF Au-
gust The different societies will have
separate numbers and will also be massed
into one great chorus. and there will be
papers and discussions of musical SUBJ
jects as WELL
Meanwhile. Omaha fwith some aid from
the pretty town across the river is TAX
ing care of the multitude with more and
more ease all the time sides the
two large hotels of the place, there are a
nunsber of small hotels which have been
highly praised And across the river In
the peaceful town of Council Bluffs. look
ing at the hills and trees of the beauti-
full park which is the pride of the city.
Is one of the best hotels in tha country.
I stayed there myself The street rail-
way runs past Its doors and the ride in
the electric cars is a cool one.
In my next letter hope to sneak of
the Fine Arts and the Liberal Art build
irgs and to know more of what promises
to be most prominent AMI in many re-
spects. wonderfully interesting display
the Indian settlement
OCTAVE TTANET