Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1899-11-16
CONVENTION HALL.
KANSAS CITY SIDELIGHTS
And Few Chords of Its Social
HarmonieS.

ing group Oi Ten men iil PRISON SAIo, Nuo
did the lock step.
The most unique figure was the double
woman. She had two faces. two bon
nets, two aprons, two fans, each of which
she used with dexteriiy. her shoes turn
ed the toes both ways. She walked
backward and forward with equal clever
ness. tanning herself in either position.
Indeed it was impossible to tell whether
she was going to school or coming home.
An interesting feature of the particular
evening was the grand march. in which
there were over 1900 people. The Chi
nese In Kansas City are numerous col
ony. They took as much interest in the
carnival as those to the manor born.
They paid 81 900 to the San Francisco
colony to get the costumes worn in the
parade. With their accoutrements, flags
and musical instruments, they paraded
the hall several times to the strain Of
their music. which, however. is without
harmony or symphony.
Another entertainment held at Conven-
ton Hall during our sojourn in Kansas
City was the national female bicycle race,
i'll which there were eight contestants for
the worlds championship: France. Ger
many. Sweden and America were repre-
senied. the latter by Kansas City. Min
neapols and Chicago girl. In its new
phase Convention Hall presented an
other feature OF its usefulness. The floor
was in the shape of huge bowl, and the
track was elevated to an angle OF so de-
grees. Twelve laps was a mile. The
contest lasted six nights, an hour and
a-haf each night. The champion OF
America. the Chicago girl. won each
night, and therefore holds the champion
ship of the world among female bicycle
riders. The contest was exciting through.
out, and very close.
On another occasion the great Con-
vention Hall was the scene of the Kan
sas City Horse Show. A horse show
anywhere is very sweet society event,
and swelldom is always there and Solo,
mon in all his glory was not arrayed like
one of these. Horse shows have long
since become full dress parades for So
ciety women and the Kansas City show
was no exception. The arena was COW
cred with tan bark, and there was no
II2x2oo feet, surrounded by IL foot
promenade. The fine array OF carriage
horses. saddle horses, high sieppers and
hunters was the strongest argument that
the horse has by no means chad his
day." nor is to be relegated into innoc-
uous desuelude. The horse show here
compares favorably with that of New
York. and is as great society event.
There seems to be nothing that cannot
be held in the Convention Hall, as it is
capable OF metamorphosis from a Priest
OF Palas grand ball. and Magaphone Min.
strels to horse show and bicycle race
track. Western cities are famous for
carnivals. They begin in midsummer
with the Peach Carnival in Colorado, the
watermelon and the grand husking party.
the great flower carnival at Colorado
Springs. and extend all along the States
to Illinois, where Chidago has her Fall
Festival. Denver's carnival is called the
"Silver Serpent" and the floats and
characters of the street parade carry out
the idea in shimmering, glistening mass
Of color and irredescence. II is held the
last Of September, and like Katisha's left
elbow, people come miles to see it. II i:
not, however. to be seen only on presen.
tation of visiting card, but it is free. Thi:
year it was a grand success. and mer.
chants did a red letter business. Denver:
carnival lasts week.
Kansas City goes one better, her car.
nival lasts ten days. She has christened
hers the "Priest of Palas' and the "K
X. X" which transcribed means the
kansas Karnival Krew," who give the
entertainment. Her street fair far ex
| celled that of Denver. In Kansas City
the street fair had displays of every en-
| terprise represented by their most enter.
prising mid metropolis. There
was machinery ehowing the workings oi
| soap factories; manufactures of all sorts
Two firms had an exhibition OF how they
| manufactured ovcralls, shirts, ladies
| waists, dresses, &c. In the street fair
we saw each step in the work. and here
were dozens Of working men and women
with the machinery buzzing around them
and each doing his or her own particular
part of the garment. Was there ever
such enterprise in the East? Think oi
the expense one of these exhibits in the
street fair entailed, yet the business men
here do not hesitate for that.
An admission of 10 cents was charged
at the street fair during carnival season.
and hundreds of thousands of dollars
were the gate receipts. This is hust-
ling. busting community. Everybody
is wide awake and up and doing. There
are no idIers here, no drones in the bee
hive. and this is the secret of their suc-
cess. Kansas City is building Paseo, or
public park along her principal thorough
fare. 1t is to have fountains, colon
made and when completed will cost STo,-
600. About ten years ago-from 85 to
'So. the bottom dropped out Of real estate
here, and a number of moneyed men
went down with the crash. Business
now, however. is booming, and ground
that once sold for 500 an acre canno,
be bought today for 500 square foot.
There are not many wheels in Kansas
City. There are so many hills. bluffs
and "inclines" that riding a bicycle is
almost too great a physical feat for the
average Kansas Ciiyan. Kansas City i:
in this respect also unlike Denver, where
there are 4o. 900 wheels and one-fourth
of the population. men, women and chill
dren. ride a bicycle to the detriment o.
the car companies.
CONTINUED.
| yoDcdy need have Neuralgia. Get Dr. Miles