New-York tribune., 1900-05-27
THE FERRY HOUSE A COUNTY FAIR.
LONG ISLAND COUPLE SPEND MUCH
TIME AND MONEY ON ITS DELIGHTS

by gosh Mariah," exclaimed a Long Island
farmer 10 his better half they entered one of
the East River ferry houses. this beats ther
county fair all ter smash,
The bewhiskered follower of the plough gazed
about the place and then put his hand in his
pocket TO see how much money he had. The ferry
house certainly a revelation to man who
hadn't been up ter town for several years About
seventeen kinds of musical instruments were In
full blast and they were all playing dlherent
tunes the effect created was certainly equal to
the entertainment of the best three ring circus that
took the road.
The scene was also enlivened by the presence of
the official candy who controls the stand
privileges in the ferry house. number of men
selling racetrack tickets and programmes. rail-
road porters ready to take charge of passengers
baggage and others.
Mariah was nothing loath to Ioiter with her hus-
band and the couple proceeded to take in the
sights They began instinctively, perhaps. by pur-
chasing bag of peanuts. and then they drifted
over to the automatic banjo, which was making
more noise than any of the other instruments.
at beats that there coon up in ther village all
ter piecesi" declared the countryman.
TT do" Mariah's rejoinder. as she began to
scrutinize the spring millinery worn by the col
ored who stood in a glass case over IN
the corner, telling fortunes. Then the couple
patronzed the different kinds of phono-
graphs arranged about the place, they chewed
fourteen different kinds of gum which they had
ture of money from the various penny n-the-slot
machines and then they had their fortunes told
both by the elephant and the colored woman re-
ferred
BY this time the happy pair had lost three boats
they continued TO turn a deaf ear 70 the en-
treaties of the ferrymen to get aboard They We're
resolved to get their moneys worth out OF the
show If il took all day. Next they put q nickel IN
the box of the automatic orchestra had thelr
weight sngly and combined registered three times
every time dfferently-by the weighing nlacnlne,
tested their lungs by blowing in rubber tube,
heard more music from electric ragtime piano
viewed the Streets of Cairo at the Paris Exposi-
tion and other instructive sights displayed by the
kinetoscope and last but not least, listened to all
the latest ballads and comic songs OF the day
warbled by artists of doubtful merit with wheez-
ing sneezing, buZzsaw accompaniment.
As was natural the farmer and his wife We're
sightseeing. They also hungry, so they
turned their attention for a few brief moments TO
the candy man. They INDUCED in fries In a box,
candy and oranges. looked at the multitude OF
magazine pictures the walls and were about
to hear the monographs recital of its views on
free silver when young man rushed into the
ferryhouse and shouted: . ;.
Say dad, you'll be late fer the train If you don't
hurry upi' ,
Dad and Mariah cast longing looks about the
varied attractions of the ferry house and then
moved toward the door. AS they were going the
old man turned to his and exclaimed:
Great show this!'
The SON having been up ter town twice in
twelvemonth. looked at his parent in a superior
sort of way and replied
IT'S dead slow: There isn't a cigarette machine
in the whole outfit