Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1899-10-06
eAlETY OF THE EsPLANADe.
Amusement Features of the National Ex-
port Exposition That Make the Place
Fascinating Resort.

Philadelphia. Sept. 26.-The story or !
the Esplanade of the National Export
exposition has SO far been told only in
lighter episodes. 1t has been frequent
ly miscalled the playground" of the
exposition. In other ways it has been
referred to as "a pleasure pathway"
To be paradoxical IL may be said that
1t is neither, yet both. 1t is a play
ground for the few; Ii is a pleasant way
for all who admire the picturesque
and trifling sidelights of a great en-
terprise like the Export exposition as
a relaxation from its 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 a highway upon which
the places of lighter amusements open.
1t differs from the Chicago midway"
of which one is reminded by its gen.
eral appearance and suroundings-in
that ii 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
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 series of gardens
of flowers and plants, 20 feet in width
The native blossoms and evergreen
and choice flora from southern chimes,
with their rich colors and exquisite
beauty OF texture and foliage with
which these swards 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 Esplanade, present
an irregular sky line to the eye and
the general effect is fantastic Their
fronts arc gaudy. and are decorated
with bold pToclamations I'm gorgeous
lettering or grotesque paintings, more
noticeable for their beguiling combina-
lions 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 expostion-are bazaar in
themselves, and during the active
hours OF the day offer fine opportuni-
ties for the study of the odd and fanci=
f,il 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
white palaces of the exposition, the
beautiful facade OF the main building
opens gradually to his vision, until Il
finally unfolds to the full sweep OF the
eye in all its fine detail. On either
curb line OF the Espanade 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 a double row of lamps
OF elaborate workmanship. At night
the illumination from these lamps, in
tcnsified 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 goo opalescent globes, which decor.
ate the tops of the flagstaffs on the
main building, and the hundreds of
incandescent lamps which hang upon
the corniccs Of the grand facade. mark
double line OF fire from above.
The Oriental flavor and mystic Inn
pressions given by the multi-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 clack of the
screamer, who has always 6 strident
voice and many wonderful and allur.
ing stories. Such Is the Esplanade to
the eye. Those who are curious to OH
serve what rag-time is in its most
accumulated and terrible form listen
TO the drum and samar which an
nounces to the distracted multitude in
front of the Egyptian theater the at
fractions of that enticing resort. Rag
time has been described as eccentric
time in music-musical notes cut I'M
haphazard-but possessing possibilities
OF melody as well as elements of ear
splitting evaporation The crazv
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 nalf dozen screamers.
the brass band of the Hagenback show
the clang of the Old Plantation bell
the harsh and inharmonious alarm of
the Cairo music and an occasional
trumpeting of the astonished elephant.
all fall upon the buoyant air of the
Espianade at one and the same mo-
ment, the effect may be imagined; 1t
is impossible of description.
Such is the Esplanade at itS yo;coc.