New-York tribune., 1901-06-09
THE AMUSING MIDWAY.
JOURNEYS TO BE MADE TO AyERNUS,
AROUND THE WORLD AND TO
THE MooN-SPoRTs. EXHIBI-
TIONS AND ILLUSIONS.

II was sald al Inc time OF the Worlds Colurn-
bian Exposition that the Chicago people did not
know that there a Midway till the New
York people went out there and discovered it.
Nobody discovered the Midway in Buffalo. II
vas heraded, yea. trumpet4d. As the weary
guest comes into a hotel, writes his name in
the register and asks Where is the barr" so the
visitor to the Pan-American Exposition passes
through the turnstile, looks expectantIy around
and asks, Which way is the Midway" Af-
terward he will look over the rest Of the ex-
position, if he has time to spare
Some remarks have been made in The Trib-
une about the shows in the Midway at Buffalo
which tend in some greater or less degree to
convey information or to improve the mind
whether they do so purposely or not 1t is the
intention now TO say word about some which
aim at nothing in the world except amusement
This will, therefore not be the place to discuss
such exhibitions the Indian Congress- the
wild animal show. Venice in America. Fair
japan and the Streets of Mexico There is
much TO divert in all Of these. and Of
them are, in fact. among the most attractive
features Of the whole exposition but they are
not purely frivolous, and therefore do not belong
IN this column Moreover, the readers of The
Tribune are already more or less familiar with
these exhibitions
There are several shows which are delightful
in their very uselessness. It is most interest
ing, too, 10 observe what thought and and
ingenuity and invention have been expended
TO produce things which do possible good
10 anybody, except in far the providing
Of mere amusement is good. Could anything be
further from any use, for instance. than Dream
land? The best part of Dreamland is exactly
the thing which exhibited in New
York a few years ago, with the title of the
Crystal Maze It is a room fitted with upright
posts, between which mirrors are set. The
visitor takes two steps from the entrance, turns
a corner and is lost. All around him he sees
long files of himself walking toward him, walk
ing away from him, crossing his track Some
body else appears from nowhere. crowds past
and is lost to view. The visitor can wander
around till he becomes thoroughly amused at
his own helplessness or thoroughly angry at
Pan-America and all that is therein according
10 his temper. 1t is impossible for him to guess
whether the whole place is miles in extent or
the size Of a hall bedroom; he is completely lost
in it, anyway. He may happen TO come upon
the exit by accident, or he may get back 10 the
entrance but in the end an attendant will prob
ably steer him 10 a room where he may see wax
figures down wells and ether sights. including
young woman who moves gracefully about with
visible means Of support.
THE HOUSE UPSIDE DOWN
The real place for illusions is doubtless the
House Upside Down The house itself is a lit
tie disappointing. the best OF il being the out
side, but the Hall OF Ilusions-included in the
same price Of adnnission-is worth seeing.
Donaes which constantly revoIve and pillars
which constantly mount toward the ceiling and
never get there are the commcnplaces Of the
establishment. There is a beautiful young
woman who swirns any side up and there is
another who rides bicycle any side up. There
is a woman without a head, and there is a head
without a woman There is a woman cut off
At the waist and there is a head which has lived
contentedly in tank with party Of goldfish
for hundreds Of years. There is also a COM
Portable little sitting room which changes into
Niagara Falls before the very eyes of the spec
tator Professor Pepper was certainly bene-
factor to mankind, and his ghost trick is boon
70 all who would astonish the uniformed and
smuse those TO whom understanding does not
bring WEAKNESS.
II you have not had enough Of the Pepper
ghost trick when you get out Of the Hall OF
Illusions go TO Darkness and Dawn and see 1t
again. There you can go on the stage yourself,
II vou like. and your admiring friends see
your flesh fall away and your skeleton stand
revealed, and then you and they can walk
through the place of departed spirits and see
things actually before you which Dante only
imagined, and at last you can hear four beautl-
ful young women singing Sunday school hymn
as they drift around the inside Of luminous
circle.
IF Won leave the neither regions behind you
and take your way toward the moon, by the air
ship Lima, operated by the Aerial Navigation
Company, you Will see yet more wonders
There is 10 doubt that the Trip TO the Moon is
one Of the cIeverest exhibitions in all the Mid
way. and il shows fertility and oddness Of
Imagination which simply amazing.
When you get back to earth you can cross the
way and see the Panopticon. if you like, but
hear in mind that this high sounding name con-
czsls something very like the Eden Musee,
which you may have seen already, II you nave
ever visited the city of New-York. Crossing the
street once more, you viii be confronted by the
Old Plantation where young man will talk
10 YOU Of the delights TO be found behind the
pretty Southern portico. in such a persuasive
way that you would gladly go in and sit on
bent bins and swear that you were having the
time Of vour life There the two log cabins
wherein Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis
were horn the logs warranted to be the origi-
nal ones while the mud which fills the crevlces
is admitted TO be the Buffalo article. Then the
dancing and the cakewalks the real dances
and cakewalks whereas all others are imita-
tons You NAV think that the children who
take mart in them are made to work too hard
in doing them so often. but, on the contrary,
watcbnen have TO be employed to keep them
from dancing and cakewaIking all night after
doing IL all day. Ask the manager II this Is
not so.
Certainly a curious exhibition is that which
is designated as wild Water Sports. The run
consists chiefly in seeing men and animals get
wet But IL is really quite q sight to see an
elk plunge down thirty feet more into pool
NJ uva+er ri+b NOT even a word of command.