Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1899-12-22
eA,e1y OF THE espLANApE.
'Anussmsnt Features Of the National Ex-
port Exposition That Make the Place
Fascinating Resort.

a Fascinating Resort
Philadelphia, Sept 26-The story of
the Esplanade of the National Export
exposition has so far been told only in
lighter episodes. 1t has been frequent
ly miscailed the playground" of the
exposition. In other ways il has been
referred to as "a pleasure pathway"
To be paradoxical it may be said that
it is neither. yet both. 1t is a play.
ground for the few; it is a pleasant way
for all who admire the picturesque
and trifling sidelights of n great en-
terprise like the Export exposition as
relaxation from it's more serious as
poets.
The Esplanade is a name given to
the splendid broad path planned and
executed with great skill to be both
an entrance road to the exposition
buildings and highway upon which
the places of lighter amusements open.
1t differs from the Chicago midway
of which one is reminded by it's gem
eral appearance and suroundings-in
that it has not been thrust to one side,
but greets the visitor Immediately
upon his passage of the turnstile, and
is in many ways more attractive and
enlivenirg. The Esplanade is so feet
wide and 500 feet long, approaching
the main building of the exposition
from the South street or chief entrance
to the grounds in a graceful curve. 1t
is divided into two parts, each 80 feet
wide, separated by n series of gardens
OF flowers and plants, 20 feet in width
The native blossoms and evergreen
and ChOipn ha,. oil,
with their rich colors and exquisite
beauty ct texture and foliage with
which these sw1rds are adorned, assist
in making a striking line of demarka-
ton down the entire length of the
landscape from the entrance gate to
the lofty front of the main building.
The low structures. various and &C.
centric in architecture, which fringe
either path of the E-~lAn-Ge. present
an irregular sky liuc TO the eve and
the general effect is f,n+ast:- Tho
fronts 3ro -'rcv, sd sc Csc1~ et
with bold proclamations in gorgeous
lettering or grotesque paintings. more
noticeable for their beguiling conibina-
tions of hues and attitudes than for
their artistic merit. In keeping with
all of the details of The Esplanade the
entrance way to these buildings-the
show houses of the lighter pleasures
of the exposition-are a bazaar in
themselves. and during the active
hours of the day offer fine opportuni-
ties for the study of the odd and fanci-
full effects of heterogeneous gathering
of various languages and the many
tricks of the ever fertile Snowman.
AS the visitor advances along the
Esplanade circling towards the broad
nf
beautiful facade of the main building
"opens gradually to his vision, until ii
finally unfolds to the full sweep of the
eye in all its fine detail. On either
curb line of the Esplanade leading
from the entrance TO the main build
ing is row of branching gaslamps
of artistic design and through the cen
ter of the way n double row of lamps
of elaborate workmanship. At night
the illumination from these lamps. in
tensified by a great stream OF light
from the electrical decorations on the
front of the main building and the
masses of incandescent electrical lamps
upon the Esplanade structures them
selves, is brilliant and enchanting.
Through this flood of light from below
the 200 opalescent globes, which decor.
ate the tops of the fiagstaffs on the
main building. and the hundreds of
incandescent lamps which hang upon
the cornices of the grand facade, mark
a double line of fire from above.
The Oriental flavor and mystic i'm
pressions given by the muiti-colored
garments of the eastern denizens OF the
Esplanade mingle in a somewhat be-
wildering but pleasing confusion with
the equally variegated beauty and
greater sprightliness of the gowns and
gewgaws OF the women of more famil-
lar countries who constitute a very
important and considerable part of the
Esplanade throng- Light and life and
gayety is everywhere, and the utter
most good humor. enlivened by the
vigorous competitive claek of the
screamer, who has always q strident
voice and many wonderful and allur-
ing stories. Such is the Esplanade to
the eye. Those who are curious to OBJ
serve what rag-time is in its most
accentuated and terrible form listen
to the drum and samar which an
nounees to the distracted multitude i'm
front OF the Egyptian theater the at
fractions Of that enticing resort. Rag
time has been described as eccentric
time In music-musicaI notes cut nm
haphazard-but possessing possibilities
OF melody as well as elements of ear
splitting evaporation. The crazy
Egyptian drum and shrill samar fur
nishes all OF the eccentricities possible
to musical note and lends to the Es-
planade the diversion of rag-time run
wild. When half dozen screamers.
the brass band of the Hagenback show.
the ciang OF the Old Plantation bell
the harsh and inharmonious alarm of
the Cairo music and an occasional
trumpeting of the astonisheu elephant.
all fall upon the buoyant air of the
Esplanade at one and the same mo-
ment. the effect may be imagined: IL
Is impossible of description.
Such Is the Esplanade at its noisest
climaY IN fhe aar