The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-08-29
Darkest Rfrica
al fhe Exposition

THAT MIDWAY is too heavy a balance for the
Pan. American exposition This may seem
i paradoxical since the Midway is often
called Vanity Fair and is therefore light
in weight but it seems TO he so devised that
IL attracts more attention from visitors than
should he given or was originally intended by
tho exposition officials to he given to mctc
amusement. 1t may bc asserted with some de.
ercc VI assurance that the msIot-y vi patrons
arc better qualified TO give an exhaustive descrp
tiun of Midway features than they are to tell
mnch about the art and architecture or the eN.
hibts in the exposition proper This Is rather n
pity, for while the foreign people and the
anuserrents in the broad and crooked way lead.
ing from the Esduimaut village 10 the Indian
congress. are interesting and entertaining for
few hours. the real value Of the exposition for
the people in general Lies beyond Vanity FAIR.
o
Among the Interesting features which the
Midway affords. Darkest Africa should be counted
in. First IL has the most uncompromislngly,
hideous and satanic Ballyhoo in the entire OUTFIT.
He or she, Whichever II may bet looks ugly
enough to he man but has grass and palm
pctticoats like a real lady'--is seen at inter
Nals on the platform outside going through the
madde>t eyrations with all the fury ot de-
mentcd creature and beating kind Of heathen-
i,h rattle thing which adds distrlctnsly to the
pandcmonium in that vicinity. Like the Others
of hi, race in the incloeure he wears no clo.h.
ing above the waist. but he has = ansle OF Wild
and woolly hair hanging about his eyes which
crinklcs q Ia Ncdusa as he throws back his head.
One day when he Was doing d particularly
violent stunt in the effort to get crowd about
the ticket window woman with camera thought
| shed like to get snapshot. She lcNclel II AZ
him when suddenly the creature secired - go
| mad indeed. He aimed some sort of gun with
which he was armed and le,ping from the plat
| form. pursued her with the fury of fend. She
A.. a,I har haela
| the angry ballyhoo following through the crowd
| and yelling like demon. The keeper shouted
| after her in excitement "lou take his picture
| at your peril. madame. He won't allow anybody
| 10 do it and he tears cameras in pieces when
! ever possible"
| The srrinting qualities that woman developed
| would have surprised Nor family it any oi the
| members had been on the scene. They had Gil
| gone off 10 some other show and she was alone.
She would have been running yet II somebody
| hadn't taken the trouble o assure her that nor
pursuer had been called of. 1t seems that he,
| in common with others OF his tribe, has the
| Oriental superstition against representation OF
| himself hcing taken. He lahors under the hal.
| lucination that the artist who sketches his ugly
| face Of the photographer who points the muzze
| Of that omnous little black box toward him
| steals something Of hs immortal self without
| which he must wander incomplete in the world
| ~ shadows towards which the years are whlrling
his feet So he rcsents vociicro,sly any such at.
te,npts and il apt 10 bring grief TO the heart of
| the person who makes them on the Midway II
| is bad enough to pay from 20 cent, 10 81 to get
| your camera inside the gates, without having It
| destroyed by an ape.like object with murder
GUS eye and a snGulirly agile manner OF express.
| ing his dispeasurc.
| --o--
Once inside Darkest Africa you find II inter.
e-'ting enough though not perhaps ds absorbing
| to the onlookers as il you stayed outside and
| were chased by the Ballyhoo. They have heauti
has said that a white man is a god carved in
| ivory; black man one in ebony. These people
| we're the most superb in carriage, the most per
feet in development in the Midway parade that
memorable Saturday. They walked like kings
and owners Of the earth, and you wanted one o'
| them anyone would do-to stand in the front
| hall at home and pose. Their lack of clothing
| did not shock YOU, they were simply animated