The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-08-06
Some fife BOutl,s
Bew cDest fur q Street
falr are Iklaee.

Fair are MADE.
About 800 street fairs will be held in
this state this year. The chances are that
none viii excel and few equal that to be
/ given in Wichita. The street fair is q
| congregation of booths, creations of brill
| liant cloth on light framework, the booths
being individual but all going to make up
street within the original street.
Beautiful designs have been obtained af-
ter experiments and Wichita will have
access to the ripened experience OF other
| exhibits.
As considerable decorations are exposed
to the elements and is likely to be ruined
by the rain, the following treatment of
| cheesecloth Will be found desirable: Soak
the cloth forty-eight hours in a solution
of equal uarts OF sugar Of lead and rock
alum. two pounds of each being used to
each gallon of rain water. Hang the
cloth on line. and dry thoroughly. Rain
will not affect cheesecloth thus treated.
Some OF the booths in eastern cities In
the last few years have become standard.
One OF these was the booth of G. w. Ew-
ers, of Keokuk, Iowa. This booth in
the center displayed a large octagon
frame. Mr. Ewers tells how he made the
booth as follows:
THE booth from floor to ceiling was
eleven feet. and fifteen feet to top; roof
slanting on, ali sides, extending one foot
over edge of booth. The width OF booth
was eighteen feet, the depth ten feet. The
lumber used was 2x4 inch. except The four
posts which were AKA inches. The floor
was made of old boxes. There was a plat
form inside. The platform was sixteen
feet long, three feet wide and twelve inch
es high. leaving three and a half feet on
each side to walk around and one foot on
each end to pass from one side to the
other without getting out of booth as we
bad man inside distributing advertise
ments.
1.-THE railing was made by mailing a strip
four inches wide around the booth, eight
cen inches from bottom. and lacking
cheap bleached muslin from floor up and
and around the strip.
"After having the frame built we put on
white canvas roof and nailed a four
inch strip, one foot from ceiling, around
outside of booth and tackled bleached mus
lin from edge OF roof down around strip
and up to the ceiling, leaving the inside
plain white and the outside painted in
vine design. On the corners pleated roy
al purple dheesecloth. The ceiling was
made of bleached muslin drawn tight, and
panneled by covering strips with royal
purple cheesecloth. There were five strips
running lengthwise, equal distances apart,
eighteen feet long, one and one-half inches
wide and one-quarter inch thick; and eight
strips across cut to At in between spaces
of the five strips. The four upright posts
were covered with bleached muslin. drawn
tight The octagon in booth was made Of
one-iich board, ten inches wide. The out
side measures six feet and stands on two
legs, one foot above platform. The side
pieces were made of old hat cas- es. forty |
two inches long, by mailing to- board sew
en- feet long and saving it out on top. |
mailing strips the same thickness as the 4
seven foot board around the edges on. the |
side and the board was nailed on, covering |
It with pasteboard to give a smooth sur |
face and heavy appearance.
1.-THE octagon was built the same way |
on the sides on which the legs were. The |
side pieces were pulled with white cheese
cloth on both sides. the platform in like |
manner.
THE edges OF side pieces were pulled |
with royal purple cheesecloth by taking |
full widths of eheesecloth. gathering It,
lacking one end and stuffing paper under |
same three inches high and four inches |
long, gathering and lacking cheesecloth |
and continuing around. The octagOn was |
puffed on both sides. one side using bright |
red. the other royal purple The inside
and outside edges were puffed and stuffed
the same as the side pieces. but in white
cheesecloth. A boys form was placed in
a swing in center of octagon.
THE trimmings on octagon were white
windsor bows. one on each corner and
two white band bows between. The side
pieces had two coats and two fancy vests
on each side and artificial smilax decora-
tons"
This will give. some idea of the make
up and the material in a street fair booth.
As will be surmised a great deal de-
ponds upon the skill Of the designee and
decorator. Wichita is renowned in the
west for the briliancy of her window
dressers and It will find new demonstra-
ton during the street fair.
Mrs. Addie Foose Hemrighaus. No 26
Sedgwick Block, who was until recently
resident of Mattoon, Illinois. relates the
success of the street fair there, writing
the Eagle as follows In regard to II. The
first fair was held in October. 1897 Mrs.
writes:
There was no entrance fee. no adnis-
sion fee. Everything was free; even free
in great variety was fur
nished throughout the day and evening.
while liberal cash premiums were award
ed in every department of exhibits. AS
compared to a county fair. 1t offers a
maximum Of advantages TO exhibitors
and the visiting public.
The fair was held on the two princi-
pal business streets. which are paved
With brick Twelve blocks of canvas
covered booths. with a combined front
age OF over two miles. occupied the cen II
ter Of the streets. This continuous line
II whittier roofs, decorated with flags. bunt-
ing and electric lights. made a picture
as a FSirylsnd. The pavement
from curb 10 curb Is fifty feet wide, and
on either side concrete sidewalks twenty
five feet wide. As the double booths
were but sixteen feet wide there was left
a wide promenade on either side. Wide
as they were. however. they were crowd
FL by those moving from one exhskSt to
another. The exhibit OF horses and !
mules were al the last end OF the line |
ISs,.,., mara -.r.sr,l. fine entries