The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-10-08
OBJECT TO THE MIDWAY.
A Disturbing Element Arises in the Street
Fairs of the Middle West.

S'r. LOUIS Oct In the States of the Middle
West the street fair is a new development Three
years ago such exhibitions were unknown now
nearly every county seat has It's street fair for
a week in the autumn Merchants restaurant
keepers, photographers, and others build booths
in the street fronting their stores For the week
they do business in the booths Various amuse.
ments are provided There are clowns, athletes
fortune teIlers brass bands, vaudeville artists
and the like, all doing their turns at street cor
ners, free to the public The railroads give low
rates, and people for miles around gather to en-
Joy week Of frolic. There is flower parade,
queen Of the carnival, and at the end wind
up froc wherein men and women and children,
gaudy arrayed and masked, indulge in horse
play, scatter confetti and serpentine, smash hats
with canes throw return rubber balls at rubber
necks, and practise high links generally.
But the unforgotten Midway Plaisance at
Chicago has begun to exert a baneful influence
over these street fairs The people Of the Middle
West church going sober minded folks in
the main averse to any amusement which
smacks OF undue levity. Even the town opera
house is avoided by a large part Of the popula-
ton; in the churches sermons preached against
the theatre, and anything approaching the vaude-
vile with short skirt features and high kicking
accomplishments is looked upon with horror. The
street fair all right so long as the few female
artists at street corners conventional skirts
and kept their feet close TO the platform; but there
came demand for something liveer, and this
year new feature has been added IN the shape
Of Midway, with all that term implies At
several street fairs in Missouri Iowa and Hi
nois, the Midway has become the chief attraction.
It is the only street fair exhibition to which an
admission fee is charged. Sometimes II is run
as a private enterprise, and in other instances
il is conducted by the fair association to help
defray the expenses of the carnival. Every
where II is immensely popular. But the con-
sentative citizens have consulted together and
a crusade against it is indicated
In jefferson city this years street fair was the
first, and there are many who say that 1t will
be tho last, all OH account of the Midway The
customary attractions were furnished free TO all;
that it must offer something extraordinary In the
became fully developed Midway. with an imitation
harem. Worlds Congress OF Beauties, Cir,
SaTo just just to show that the Midway was ali
right the site chosen was in Madison street di-
rectly in front Of the Executive Mansion The
easy for the people there TO hear the lecturer
mounted on a high, platform at the ticket booth.
Harem, Streets Of Cairo real egyptian dancin
Grs Come gh'ip for ten cents S one dime 1--WE
This way good people all one dime lets you in
sellers counter was Gov. Stephens, who desired
by his attendance 10 encourage the street fair
enterprise The Midway distinct success
from the start and the dancing girl soon had to
be relieved by her understudy, When Gov. Ste
phens came forth he was asked what he thought
of the Midway. He is said to have smiled and dis
missed the matter with Joke, but IL was evident
that he thought things which he took care not
to express in public. The next day the Mayor
of Jefferson City sat in his Office delused with
petitions from the hest citizens Of the town urging
that In the interests Of public morals and common
deccncy the Midway should be closed at once
l~.fAr ,rht h., tinn tn he
effect that he had ordered the Objectionable place
closed and that il had been closed.