The Saint Paul globe., 1900-06-20
SIGHTS OF IHE MIDWAY
DIVERTING FEATURES OF ELKS'
BIG SHOW ARE WELL
PATRONIZED
BIG VARIETY OF FEATURES
German Village and Oriental
Dances the Most Popular Di-
visions, but All Were Well
Worth Seeing.

'Its all right is about the consensus
of opinion expressed yesterday by many
grown-up folks who took in the Elks'
| big show yesterday afternoon, and the
ten thousand or more children who were
given free admission. expressed their
pleasure in enthusiastic ways of youth
which must have been gratifying to the
management. The children are candid
| and discriminating critics, with eyes for
all points of a subject, and to secure
their verdict of approval is a considerable
achievement. And it seems as though
! about every child in the city had DON
ned a bit of the colors of. the Elks-the
open sesame to all the sights in the
enclosure-and f1ocks drifted from tent
to tent during the afternoon, enjoying
the interesting variety Of diversions.
Carnival street for a quarter of mile
from the main entrance is set off on
either side in booths displaying the wares
dealt in by st. Paul merchants, and in
itself is an interesting show. Much
taste has been displayed in these, many
being really artistic. The visitor finds
himself lingering on the way 10 the Mid
way attractions, his eye caught by some
that he must make at least second Wis
it to satisfactorily see all that is to be
seen.
Passing beyond the exhibition booths,
the German village is about the first
feature Of the diversions to attract the
visitor. 1t is a roomy tented place fit
ted with a stage where Tyrolean war
blers in costume sing the songs of the
fatherland and juggiers and other enter
tainers keep up a continuous show. There
are scores of tables, the shade is invit-
ing, and the beverage that exhilarates
is served to those that desire it by neat
maids, who look like daughters of Ger
many Either the stage entertainment
was thirst-provOking or the shade was
aliuIing, for this section of the midway
enjoyed generous patronage yesterday.
Geograp phically progressing, one would
go next to the trained animal show at
the upper end of the ground. but a bet
ter variation is had by crossing to the
tent of BOscO after a stay in the German
village, and peering into the pit in which
this uncanny being sits amidst scores of
writhing serpents, poking and fondling
them, and finally setting half a dozen
big rattlers to playing an accOmpanl-
ment while he selects a tOOthsOme lit
came in for a big share Of the children's
attention yesterday afternoon, and if he
understands schoolboy English he knows
what the St. Paul youth thinks of his
taste.
A real circus flavor is given by the
strOng-Voiced orators who declaim the It.
fractions of the various shows And there
is more than a mild rivalry between a
couple of the performers, for La Belle
Rosa, an Oriental, and Latepha, Porto
Rican, both claim to be the premier eX-
ponent of the dance first introduced to
American eyes on the Midway at the
! Chicago fair. Both give remarkable ex-
hibitions Of muscular control and develop
ment and they go I trough the sensuous
evolutions Of the Oriental dance with
grace and vivacity. In every division a
considerable variety of entertainment is
provided, which the aforesaid orators pro-
claim in tones audible all over the
ground, and the spectator may make his
selection without search.
A troupe of great Danes, in the trained
animal show, perform some clever feats
for dogs, and other accomplished CANNES
show that the bOw-wow can learn to
scOrch and do many things quite surpris-
ing. Here a tall, angular man, in a
buckskin costume with medals on his
breast and a siX-foot blacksnake whip
in his hand puts wild beasts through a
number of tricks. He has trained the
skulkng coyote and the crafty wolf to
do his bidding, and domineers a fierce
lion who has seven homicides to his debit
The trainer is Col. Boone, grand nephew,
or thereabouts, of the famous Daniel
Boone of Kentucky's pioneer days.
An enumeration of all the Midway
sights would be as long as the parade
yesterday, which introduced this part of
the show to the public. There is more
than enough for busy afternoon, and
plenty for several leisurely visits, for
which there will be plenty of time IN
the two weeks carnival. 1t is world 8
fair in miniature with an interesting
blending of the instructive and diverting,
supervised with regard to the comfort of
their expectations more than realized
in the nublic's Appreciation of it