The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-10-19
1.-THE MAN ON THE STREET,.

I think that a Wichita crowd is the
best behaved crowd l ever saw. CroWds
are capable of some strange demonstra-
lions. A group of humanity will instinct
lively pick its leadership.
If it permits its wilder Spirits TO domi-
nate it. it soon becomes unruly.
If it follows a conservative, quieter,
spirit, it will be orderly.
1t was in the Streets of Cairo, the other
evening, when the audience was made up
wholly of Wichitans. There was a jam
and 1t became necessary to move all the
chairs forward several feet.
The bronze gentleman on the stage de-
clared after this fashion: Being as
there such many people here / asks the
people if they can not move seats nearer
stage, comfort being for ALL
It was a Wichita crowd equally caDa-
BILE in a hurricane or at a picnic Every
person with a chair in the tent arose and
moved forward. There was a good deal
of jostling, but there was not an angry
word spoken. or look exchanged.
The Oriental dances take their color
from the conduct of the audience. A
Wichita audience can look at a Nautch
performance and never squeak sound or
look or say anything out OF the way. II
improves the performance to have an
audience of that kind.
The Wichita man gives way to avoid
trouble. He viii not climb a hill when
he can walk around IL Yesterday. when
the immense crowd filed the walks on
Main street and Douglas avenue. you
could see hundreds of Wichitans scurry-
ing plong the pavement in the street.
mingled among the people ali day
long and | did not see anything approach
ing violence. You do see that in other
places. where a fun-loving crowd often
ends uD in broiis very near riots.
am much interested in the musical
Instruments which have gathered in
Wichita on this occasion l have SpO-
ken Of the ghostIy electrical piano. Mr..
Shaw in his booth has a fine orchestra
which plays itself with the aid Of a lit
tie pedaling. But the instrument which
catches my ear is that I0ng-LeCkcd. big
cared affair which is played in the Japa-
uese tent in the midway. y nenstve-
faced Japanese woman PLAYS Il. She gives
an air Of eminent reSpecta biHty TO the
whole tent. she Is so deDure and quiet
and gentle. The instrument she ways
has a Wierd. twangiuc sound. She picks
the strings with something Ike a potato
m2sher. She Is . good player. The mu-
sic Is diSconCerting and annoying a nrst.
but as the repetition Of the musical
phrases comes 10 one. the music grows
in sweetness and good many Of the dis
coTdant corners falI off. The quiet Jap
aneSe woman never changes CoUnte1ance-
but when the juggling has reached q per
N0uS or exciting or rapid point. she Is
allegro with the potatQ-maSher. when the
movement IS slow she Is largo. I don't
know the history OF the woman but
fancy she Is sad and is tiiiei forever with
a longing 20 get back 10 the people of
an island that would understand her ard
her strange instrument and lis strange
music
over in the tent in the southeast cor
uer there is a Turk OF an American or 4
Moor or something Mohammedan, who
plays something that s q cross between
mandolin and q c0Fee-C-inCer- He GSu-
ally plays Turkish edition Cf Yankee
Doodle. You can catch three or four
notes of cur national tune occasionally
and that - now yoG identify IL The rest
of IL sounds like the tune had been pun
on az anvil and hit with sledEe-
The Turkish drums are dreadful affairs
and cause one additional SORROW tha. the
Greeks didn't whip Edhtrn Pasha TIE
upper head OF a Turkish drum Is beaten
with a CURED piece % lumber from cor
nice works, while the opposite side IS
licked with a snort whip. Get 4 Turk on
a stng-song Kai-at-ai-ai ard give him
drum. piece q corn.ce and . TaS-1ide