The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1899-07-07
OUR COLONIAL EXPOSITION
Novelties and SpeclaItes In the Midway
Gathered Together from All the
Four Corners Of the Earth.

The novel and interesting features
of the amusement section of the
Greater America Exposition that
promise during the coming four
months, constitute one of the dis
tinctive merits of the great col )nial
exhibition, For the past six months
the concessions department has de-
voted much of its time in seeking
novel attractions of the highest or
der and in refusing hundreds of
worthless applications for space IN
what is known as the Midway tract.
The result is that while this phase
of the exposition does not equal in
magnitude the famous Midway Of
the Worlds fair, it will outclass it
in its really interesting features and
it includes large number of unique
and attractive ideas that have never
been worked out at a previous expo
sition. The visitors who will swarm
through the grounds this summer
will have an opportunity to see many
things that they have never seen be-
fore and it is believed that some of
these novelties will become as ia
nous as those that made the repu-
tation of previous expositions.
"The Artists Studio" to be eX-
hibited on the West Midway at the
coming exposition, has already
awakened much interest among art
lists and patrons and bids fair to re
ceive wide criticism of the most
friendly character. The idea of an
exhibit of this kind was first con-
ceived in the New York Academy
of Fine Arts in connection with the
delineation of the living form, the
spirited criticism which at the open
ing of the Worlds fair at Chicago
having evoked wide public comment
at the time because of the French
statuary then exhibited before the
public. Since the close of that great
exposition even a higher estimate
has been acquired among all true
patrons wherever choice fine art
works are seen. The French adage,
"Honi soft qul nal y pense," has
come to be rightly observed and to-
day art galleries in this country are
visited more than ever before, even
by the prudish, without fear of cor
rupting good morals or improperly.
The new French production known
as Darkness and Dawn, whose weird
beauty and enhancing splendor beg
gars description, will be seen on a
far more splendid scale at the COM
ing exposition. The production was
inspired by Dante's Inferno, and IS
regarded to be the most weird, SEN
sational and meritorious attraction
ye. placed before the public.
Empty collins contain spirits,
which converse, laugh and jest, and
jovial skeletons come from you know
not where and disappear as mysteri-
ously as the mist of morning. A
monk guides the way through the
Internal regions, which thrill the be-
holder with their weird grandeur.
Awful mills of destruction are con
stantly in motion, guarded by his
Satanic Majesty in person and a
score of subordinate demons.
Cut out of a solid wall of rock is
a gothic door which constitutes the
gate to Paradise. St. Peter in gala
attire is on guard and admits one
and all without exception from the
gloom and darkness of night to the
beautiful dawn Of morning After
the golden stairs vista Of
a beautiful grOtto of gold, radiant
under brilliant electric effects, with
glittering crystal sta &C
titles, leaves an impression long to
be remembered, and the perform
ance, too, in keeping with its in
vironment and taking place upon
the surface of lake of water with
electric fountain in the foreground
Beautiful maidens sing and dance
under 90, 900 candle-power of light,
rebed in gorgeous costumes. Here
is produced the dance of the
Nymphs and the posing of the beau
tiful Spirit of the Cave, lone. The
magnificent fire or serpentine dance
of Lolita takes place upon the sur
face of the water, which catches
reflection and doubles the fine light
ming effects thrown upon a costume
containing one hundred and eighty
yards of silk, while the grand trans
formation scene which follows leaves
the beholder in delightful surprise
and wonder.
The Shootingth the Chutes will
shoot into popularity here as it has
elsewhere. The same is true of the
oriental display known as
the Streets of Cairo, which will have
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