New-York tribune., 1901-06-02

the Pan-American Exposition never having
heard Of Midway before. he might be puzzled
by the name 1t would not be obvious to such a
hopeiessly Unnstructed person why a road
making zigZaG course along two sides Of an
inclosure should be called The Midway" But
To persons who more than eight years old.
md can therefore remember the fair which
held in Chicago once the term conveys the
meaning more accurately and promptly than
any other could.
1t must be remembered that although Mid
way" is 4 noun in BuTalo il was only an ad-
jective in Chicago. The of the thing
tho Midway Plaisance and il called that
because il was supposed to resemble plaisance
aad because il midway between something
y other and something else. Bat Midway at
once became the recognized word the world over
for street hordered with shows
In Chicago the Midway Plaisance was a part
Of the department of ethnoogy Of the fair 1t was
"a be devoted chiefly to displays Of the actual
i!fe and customs of peoples who might be
pected % be odd and interesting to Americans
ar visitors from abroad 1t soon discovered.
however. that public interest in the study of
strange peoples centred chiefly in the studous
ohserya atons of their methods Of dancing
AS the world advances and a experiments are
tried. the wise learn from the experience Of
others. and so ii falls that in Buffalo
.cuses are made ana pretence of scien ntihc
purpose is put forward. and the Midway is
frankly devoted to shows and shows. And
people to Buffalo and go home and say
that the Midway is the exposition. That is not
true but there is a germ of truth in it, The
manager cf cne of the Midway shows said the
other day:
II we succeed here going to Charleston
next winter and To ST Louis in 1907; as soon
as il becomes generally understood that the
Midway is the whole Of "A worlds fair. il VIII
all be up and must make our hay while
the sun shines.
But. although amusement has been the lead
Ing consideration in the Midway in Buffalo IL
has been managed in liberal spirit and moth
ing has been excluded from it merely because
Of the danger tina, some person bent learning
instead Of on pure frvolity might gain something
rom it. Neither is it to be supposed that
those shows which have an element of instruc-
ton in them therefore unamusinE: that
would be "A terrible mistake.
THE INDIAN CONGRESS.
Unless you are already an expert in things
;ertaining 10 the North American Indians you
find out a good deal which will both in
struct and please you at the Indian Congress.
which lies at the extreme south end OF the
Midway. There are manufactures Of the Ind
ians OF Arizona and New Mexico which
revelations to those who have never seen them.
and the Indians themselves when close
range do strike the degenerate
creatures which IT is much the fashion To
think them When you are tired Of learning
about them YOU can sit down and the riding
and the shooting and think that you are at Buff
falo BiIrs again.
Probably the Philippine village will gave
Americans much interesting information about
their possessions. when il is opened, as it
s Le in a few days; and il is reasonable u
fuppose that Darkest Africa will show some
thing OF how that quarter OF the world lives.
when it's gates opened. also few days
hence Doubtless the Esqumau village belongs
in the same list The Streets of Mexico is "A
show which aims to display 10 some extent the
curious ways Of foreigners. but il shows, also.
more things than can conveniently be discussed
mere. ard besides. the assiduous readers of
these columns have heard something about il
already.
At the Hawaiian village may be seen the cu-
rious matched roofs which the natives for
clothes; also their music which is European,
sumably their own may he seen' For the rule
still holds that the most fascinating charac1
teristic of any country is its dancing. II is re!
rnarkaLle. too. how much alike the national
dances of peoples widely separated and having
no relationship one to another. The most in
tercsting dance 10 be seen in the whole Mid
way is the Cingalese. in the Beautiful Orient.
1t Is called the silver dance the stick dance.
Each dancer carries short stick, and these