The times., 1898-08-14
STATE DAYS At OMAHA
Octave Thanet on the Crowds
and Enthusiasm.
EFFECTS ON THE MIDWAY
The Architecture and Landscape
Features of the Great Exposition.
The Maine Explosion and Other
Up-to-Date Exhibitions I'm the Nu-
merOus Sideshows

Omaha, Aug. Eff any thing, the farm
ers OF Nebraska are more thiying than
the townspeople. They have a splendid
ly fertile soil and climate lust made
for corn and they are of the genuine
Anglo-Saxon stock which win not take
a fall from Nature or anything else. On
the small section of the State where the
sun Is too kind, and the rainfall some
times fails, they have turned disaster
into success by means of alfalfa and ir
rlgation. AS a rule tho Nebraska farm
er is man who has been making money.
One good year here will put man out
of debt, two will give him better house
and balance at his bankers. The Ne
braska farmers are coming to the Expo
sition in numbers. One would saw that.
by the first of November, there would be
difficulty in finding the man who had not
gone, either in person or through some
proxy from his family, 10 see the great
show. Iowa and Kansas are sending an
army also, and thousands come from Illi-
nois. The management has prepared
crowded program. During June there
was procession of State days. Illinois,
Iowa, Kansas, in single week. Bands
| and professions, quiet and weary and
dusty governors and gorgeous young
staff officers in gold cord and plumed
| hats singers and songs, speakers and
| speeches, filed the Auditorium and the
| Exposition streets. President Wattles
i said something pretty to each State.
| something different also; and proved
that, besides Chauncey Depew, there are
others.
The quiet governors made their speech
es in turn, and then stood for hours shak-
ing hands with ardent and perspirins feI-
/ low-citizens and their wiYes The State
buildings had flowers everywhere and the
/ busy commissioners went about with an
absent-minded smile and shook hands un-
! til they wondered 1t could be much worse
! to be President 1t was all firing: the
! sun blazed: yet there was something in
the limitless good nature of these warm
! faugued yet eager crowds that was
! homely and heartsome. 1t was plain
| that they enjoyed themselves They
bought candy and peanuts and hot beef
! sandwiches: they chafed Aunt Jemima
as she made pancakes and asked her II
! she was the real Aunt Jenima of me
| advertisements. to which she always le-
turned the same placid. Laws. yes hon
ey; have cake?n I'ney drank the free
! ice water in such appalling quantities
! that one wondered they did not drop
! dead on the ground. thexswalked count
| less miles through the buildings. hardly
! giancing at the white-coated chair bear
| ers, parleying with the jinricksha men
| but not spending money on them. They
took in the Midway from the explosion of
the Maine to the Cuban Wonder and the
| Wild West; they rested space on the
| green settees or rode in the gondolas
watching for the fireworks; at last, sigh
ing. but not for weariness they turned
| their farewell glances on the radiant
court the fountains spouting sapphires
and rubies and the fire-limned palaces and
| climbed into the cars.
Coming back?" cried one tall, sun
burned fellow whose linen coat was daz-
zling with patriotic souvenirs OF the ex-
position, silk specimens, a gaudy puzzle
bestowed by Aunt Jemima, and the broad
ribbon badge of his State, coming back?
Wei, l guess! I'm going TO fetch all the
| folks from my old mother to the baby.
! Say, it's great"
! There was a musical congress very
/ successful, both as to music and Attend
| anee. There was a Turner's Day, with
an athletic exhibition wildly applauded,
| and an eloquent oration. And several
| thousand people now know something of
/ the valiant fight and the sacrifices tina.
! the Turner's made for liberty, thanks TO
| the orator of that occasion. And 1t is
! safe to say 5ilat of these thousands fully
| half had previously associated the Tur-
ners only with lager beer. white tights
parallel bars and human pyramids, which
| is one of the illustrations of the educa-
| ton of the Exposition.
| The most picturesque feature of the ex-
| position has just been established and be-
gun it's working. This is the Indian Con-
| gress. 1t will last during the exposition.
| The United States has appropriated s40.-
1 600, and an effort is to be made to show
| the daily existence, the customs, the in
! dustrieS $50 far as they have industries,
! and the extent of these is greater than
| is suspected, the amusements of a van
ishing race. There has never been any Un-
| dertaking of the kind on anything like
the scale of this picture of Indian life
There We're seventy-fve Indians at the
Worlds Fair. Here there will be at least
/ 500. On the great feast days. like the
| Sun Dance of the Sioux and the Dog
! Feast of the Blackfeet, thousands of red
braves will dance and revel amid the calm
beauty of the white palaces. Forty tribes
are to be represented. On Wednesday
| bowling throng of Winnebagoes kindled
! the quiet collonades into lurid gaiety.
They swept through them in fine savage
/ style, and perceptibly dimmed the attrac-
tions of the Midway Wickiups, tepees
and wigwams already make a picturesque
show on the new reservation. Each tribe
(and every tribe in the Union will be rep
resented) will wear It's accustomed garb
and have its usual weapons and industrial
, appliances. 1t is expected tina. every In
dian custom will be in plain view. In
short. the Indian life, life already
doomed and fast fading, will enact itself
on stage before the civilized world. 1t is
a pageant, comedy and a tragedy in
one that we shall see Caesar, we who
are about to die, salute your cried the
gladiators. Silently the Indian race says
the same grim words to the American who
has destroyed him.
Even the children of this generation
may hardly expect to see another such
sight as this vast encampment on the.
Mississippi; for the passing of the Indian
will not be long.
The State buildings are the Exposition
clubhouses. They are scattered about the
Bluff tract, back Of the great Horticultu-
raj building Besides its ornate archi-
lecture, its great glass dome and crowd
of minarets; Its frieze of Cupids, playing
amid fruit and flowers, and Its lovely
groups of Night and Morning, the State
buildings take on an air of simplicity.
The less adorned are almost plain The
| immense Nebraska buildings, however,
will compare with the structures on the
Main Court; Illinois has a stately home,
in admirably good tastes Iowa's build
ing is one of the most aceful, having