Evening journal., 1899-09-27
eAIEIY Of LIE EsPLANApE.
Amusement Features Of the National Ex-
port Exposition That Make the Place
a Fascinating Resort.
a Fascinating Resort.

exposition has so FAR been told only in
lighter episodes. It 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 II may be said that
II is neither. yet both. It is a play
ground for the few; it is pleasant way
for all who admire the picturesque
and trifing sidelights of a great en-
terprise like the Export exposition as
3 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.
It differs from the Chicago midway"
of which one is reminded by its gen
eral appearance and suroundings-in
that 1t 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
Univ NAAnHs lAN AaoHloAtAAt - oN A'AA
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. II
is divided into two parts, each 80 feet
wide, separated by a series of gardens
of flowers and. plants, 20 feet in width.
The native blossoms and evergreen
and choice fora from southern climes,
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-
tion 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 are gaudy, and are decorated
with bold proclamations in gorgeous
lettering or grotesque paintings, more
noticeable for their beguiling combina-
/ tions 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 exposition-are a bazaar in
/ themselves, and during the active
hours of the day offer fine opportuni-
ties for the study of the odd and fanci-
full effects of a 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 it
finally unfolds to the full sweep of the
eye in all its fine detail. On either
curb line of the Esplanade leading
from the entrance to the main build
ing is a 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.
tensified by a great stream of light
from the electrical decorations on the
front of the main building and the
masses Of incandescent lamps
upon the Esplanade structures them.
selves, is brilliant and enchanting
Through this flood of light from below
the 200 opalescent globes, which decor.
ate the tops of the fagstaffs on the
main building, and the hundreds OF
incandescent lamps which hang upoT
the cornices Of the grand facade, mari
a double line of fire from above
The Oriental flavor and mystic i'm
pressions given by the multi-eolore(
garments of the eastern denizens of tn,
Esplanade mingle in a somewhat be
wildering but pleasing confusion will
the equally variegated beauty anC
greater sprightliness of the gowns anC
gewgaws of the women of more famil
lar countries who constitute a verl
important and considerable part of thl
Esplanade throng Light and life anG
gayety is everywhere, and the utter
most good humor, enlivened by tn
vigorous competitive clack of tn
screamer, who has always a striden
voice and many wonderful and allur
ing stories. Such is the Esplanade t
the eye Those who are curious to oh
serve what rag-time is in it's mos
accentuated and terrible form lister
to the drum and samar which an
nounces to the distracted multitude il
front of the Egyptian theater the at
fractions of that enticing resort. Rag
time has been described as eccentri
time in music-musical notes cut N
haphazard-but possessing possibilitie
of melody as we'll as elements of ear
splitting evaporation. The Graz
Egyptian drum and shrill samar fur
nishes all of the eccentricities possibl
to musical note and lends to the Es
planade the diversion of rag-time ru
wild. When half a dozen screamers
the brass band of the Hagenback show
the clang of the Old Plantation bel
the harsh and inharmonious alarm q
the Cairo music and an occasiona
trumpeting of the astonished elephant
all fall. upon the buoyant air of tn
Esplanade at one and the same me
ment, the effect may be imagined;
is impossible of description
Such is the Esplanade at its noises
climax to the ear.