The record-union., 1899-07-23
NOVEL FEATURES.
IDEAS SUGGESTED TO CONCES-
SION DIRECTOR TAYLOR.
Wonderful Sights Proposed for
the Pan-American Ex-
position.
Especial Correspondence

yesterday afternoon / was of the firm
belief that Dante had long ago gone to
his reward, but I was undeceived when
he walked into the Office and suggested
that he become one of the concession
aires of the exposition.
True, Dante, the one who called, was
travelling under an alias. for his card
read: William j. Weber," and he
stated that his home was at Oil City,
but as soon as he begun to talk of his
hobby it was not a hard matter to
identify him.
What percentage of the receipts will
you allow me if l build hell at the ex-
position?" he asked abruptly.
Simply have you arrested if you at
tempt it," was the answer to his curd-
ling query.
Don't mean raise it, he continued,
as he dropped into a chair and pulled
out a mass of documents. I'm ready
to put great feature into this show,
and want to tell you about it. There
will be all kinds of wheels and towers
and giant buffalos and whales and such
things there, but my idea is to con-
struct novel feature: one which every
man alive will want to get a real idea
of. Take like hot cakes, without a
doubt Now, 1 know all about this
hell business. and I've studied the mat
ter up carefully. In fact, it's been a
speciality of mine for long time. Here
are the plans.'
So intricate and mixed up was the
mass OF drawings that it was impos-
sible to make head or tail of them
I guess can explain it easier,' said
Dante Weber 1.-THE idea is to construct
number of telescope cylinders, each
one large enough to receive an elevator
cage. Each cylinder must be SO thin
that it can he extended and continue to
rise in the. air, thus giving the occu-
pants of the. elevator cage the idea that
they are descending into the bowels of
the earth.
Under each of these cylinders huge
furnace is to be built and that furnace
is to be made as near like hell as pos
sible by placing in the flames a large
number of clay figures of men and wo,
men, and children, and snakes, and liz
ards, and nevis, and toads, and frogs
and all creeping, crawling things. Those
clay figures will writhe and move about
by the aid of the wire machinery which
will be attached to them. and after they
have been in the flames for while will
get red hot and the spectators will get
very good idea of what hell really is
You can see the possibilities of the
idea. He'll should be placed in build
ing not less than 100 feet high and 100
feet square, and all of the surround
ings should be as gruesome as possible
so that the visitors will get a touch
of the place as soon as they enter the
building. Then they can pay their
money and get into the elevator cages,
which will rise UP and give them a
chance to look down and see the fiery
furnaces below and to see the figures
in the flaming furnace. What do you
think of the idea?"
Splendid idea said Concessions Di-
rector Taylor, from whose pallid facs
the eyes were fairly bulging. Nice,
pleasant idea. Good cure for nervous
persons, I should say. Just let them
go there and look at all those cheerful
sights for a while and then there Is no
telling what they would do Say, by
the way, what's your business? Are
you drummer for mad house?''
He's a cheerful being" said the di-
rector, as Dante Weber disappeared. I
had to stop him right there, for there
gested next. Most of the fellows who
want to construct weird exhibits seem
inclined to place restaurant in eacn
of them. I suppose if that man had ten
minutes more to talk he would have
told of the devils restaurant which he
hoped to run in connection with hell,
and I also suppose that the chiefest
delicacies of that restaurant would
bone"
features
Where are they?" asked the director.
For instance. Suppose that during
the progress of the exposition couple
of men become involved in an argument
and hot words passed. Suppose that
one of the men in his anger said to
the other. You go to hell
IF the last man obeyed the instruc-
ton that will mean just so mucn more
money for the concession department.
will it not?''
There are some days when the in
coming visitors discuss cheerful produc
tions and talk of fruits and flowers and
balloons and fairy craft to float upon
the CLASSY surface of the lakes which
grounds. But some days must be dark
and dreary, however. and yesterday
was that day; for Dante Weber, with
his head full of he'll had but passed
out of sight when dignified and cleri-
cal looking person called and dropped
into the seat just vacated.
Have any of your loved ones been
taken from you by death?" this person
asked, and without waiting for reply
he waded deep into the subject. IT'S
a cruel thought for one to reflect upon.
that those of whom he was fond must
be placed in the cold ground and there
become food for worms. How much
more pleasant would it be if they were
always with us. They can be if my
idea is adopted, and to get the idea be-
fore the public I have called. 1 wish
to secure space to construct plant
for the preservation of loved ones who
have been called away Not the en-
balming method. That's old and crude.
My system. simply takes from the body
of the one who has gone all of the
moisture, as it were, and then the re-
mains will last forever with the white,
calm look of peace upon the face. See
the charm Of the process? And it will
never be necessary to have the remains
of the dear one sent away. They can
be placed in crypts in the WALL in
row, you know"
Just simply file them away as
though they were slipped into pigeon
holes" suggested the listener.
What aashocking manner of express
sion," said the would-be concessionaire.
True the plan for which I have pres