The evening times., 1901-05-06
The EYPOSITION'S MIDWAY
Odd and Interesting Features
Found at Buffalo.

Midway of the Pau-American Exposition
would be q more entertaining and less
educational institution tEaH its mighty
fororuuror in Chicago. In Chicago the
Midway was SUPPOSED to belong to the
Department Of Ethnology. and it really
did contribute not q little to the clarity
ing of popular notions of that science
But il contributed more to the Eayety
OF the American nation. by exhibiting TO
II certain judicious selections from the
s5avsty- of ether nations Here in Buffalo
the mask Is dropped, and the Midway IS
frankly q place of amusement
When the Midway is really open and
ready there viii be more 10 be said about
It. but there IS an especial. If somewhat
different interest in a stroll through 1t
today. when nearly everything III it Is IN
the stage Of preparation II the stroller
happens 10 begin at the end Of the pas
sage which is near the Plaza, he viii find
the Streets Of Mexico close to him on his
left
y most tempting Mexican dining room
Is in the prevailing state Of unprepared-
ness. Today there are frijoles, tomor-
row there viii be tamales, and in another
day or two there viii be those rich and
sweet and heavy preserves which Span
ish-Americans love so well The public
now they are only for the people Of the
Streets Of Mexico.
The bun ring is sad sticking place,
in more senses than one, and it is caus-
ing most OF the delay. 1t IS composed,
like much Of the exposition grounds just
now, OF soft. slippery clay. 1t gives no
sure footing for horse or bull. When 1t
has received a good bottom, of some kind
OF stable earth, and a good top, of tan
bark, bullfghts will be given as much
like real ones as can be accomplished
without harm to bulls or risks to horses
There Will be much music in the Streets
of Mexico. A pale, refined, scientific
young man presides over the band, which
is composed chiefly of stringed instru-
nents: there are girls who sing-and, in
cidentally, dance-and there are three
men and boy who beat on wooden keys
with hammers. They play two instru-
ments, the maTimbon and the marimbd.
The chief differences between them are
that the one is larger and in three pieces.
and the other is smaller and in one piece
The players cannot read music, but they
are most expert and play elaborate compo-
SItl0ns- The boy seems TO be the most ac-
complished. as he uses three hammers at
once, while the men use only two each
They say the instruments have come
down from the days Of the Aztec kings.
and that they themselves are of the Aztec
race
There is a Carmen in the Streets Of Mexi-
co. and she has an EscamilIo- She Is one
CT the girls who sing and dance. She is
meek and almost childish locking-but she
means 10 have EscamiIl0 all 10 herself
He Is said TO be one Of the best bulIf1ghters
Of Mexico, and while the bull ring is stiH
unprepared he is content TO sit in the
shade with Carmen, resting
Over the way from Mexico they are pre-
pairing to take passengers TO and through
the moon The designer OF the show. AIr
Thompson, says that his lecturer viii de-
scribe in few well chosen words the ex-
act principle Of navigation between But
falo and the moon. and viii then take
parties aboard the airship and make the
trip.
The same young man has designed the
display called Darkness and Dawn Il
begins with room somewhat like the Inn
Of the Dead, in Paris, which so diverts
that easily diverted city, and diverted New
York for q brief time some years ago
when ii was initiated At the Casino From
Jl1S TOOTn-the visitor IS led to caves and
grottoes and bowers, representing heaven
and other places, according TO the imagfu-
IlEs Of Dante, DOTe, and Mr.. Thompson
When the place IS ready for the public
there viii be no sort OF danger, but. on
lne contrary, important moral lessons the
designer says, even IN the most awful
regions.
Ii the Old Plantation they are engaged
in setting up the log cabins which were
the respective birthpIaCes OF Abra ham
Lincoln and jefferson Davis They were
rescued from the cellar under a BOWerv
restaurant recently In a romantic manner
which Is soon to be told. The pieces are
numbered ana II IS asserted that the two
caDlns can be put together pretty much
as they were originals
The house upside down is still in rather
too Chaotic u state within for a good
judgment 10 De formed about it. It's man
ayers say that IL viii be a beWiIderiDg
place 10 visit when II is done far s1Derior
70 the one in Paris last summer. II is
finished outside anC II Is certainly two or
three times as big as the one in Paris
le JonnstoWn hood seems q curious
subject for q show. but q show is made
OF IL or VIII be when il IS open. More
over, its manager makes The same boast
about 1t that IS made by each and every
other manager. namely. This is the
only show in the Midway that has abso-
lutsly no fake about Il The building IS
spacious, having large lobby adorned
with pictures OF the lake above Johns
town. before ana after the flood and this
lobby opens into the theatre. There is a
wide stage, set with q scene representing
the town before the food. The flood is to
come down with real water, and is TO
4eaFe the town n ruins and afterward
there is TO be a fire and then q rainbow
as the emblem OF hope.
There are q few concessions in the Mid
way which the grumbleTs say have moth
ing to do with America OF with q Pan
American Exposition. The Beautiful ORR
ent "a new name for the So me old Streets
OF Cairo is one OF these Old Nurem-
berg Is another, and Venice IN America
ts another. There are few more Old
Nuremberg Is e large and picturesque
space It's wall On one side represents
the old city wall OF Nuremberg. with the
castle perched high above it, Various
actual houses Of the city. including the
good German restaurant and there is q
good German band.
Venice N America is also in q most
consPicuousiy unfinished state. The ca
nal is there. but the managers Of the ex-
position have not Vet been able 10 flI i
ed upon the cars which brought them
They viii fioat in good time. The theatre
viii be ready TOO. soon. and there will be
some Of the dancing and singing which
are the breath OF life Of AiidWayS, and
the venetian string band is already audi
bic and visible Another attraction Of the
place IS to be ErHesto Bioudi's group I
hithCT.
4 connecting link between the purely
amusing and partially instructive is form
Cd by the Hawaiian section. This con
ststs Of a village. not get ready. and cv-
CloraEHic view Of the great volcano al
a trick OF deCeiviug the eye rs TO where
built up foreground leaves of and paint
Cd background begins. and the deception
81 this case Is cieveFly carried out and ef-
1ectiVe- The view Of the volcano IS GER
tainly desolate and terrible enough. The
Philippine village iS also incomplete
though its palm-thatched houses are con