The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-10-15
FESTIVAL FIELD CROWD.
More than 1900 People Attended
Second Nights Exhibition.

Despite the cold weather, which was even
more severe than on the opening night of
the Fall Festival, 1900 people passed
through the brilliantly illuminated gates of
Festival Field and enjoyed the numerous
attractive exhibitions. The Indictment
weather of the opening day delayed the
side shows and a number which did not af-
ford access to the public on the opening
night had been put into shape yesterday for
the second nights exhibition. Monday
night the exhibitions which advertised their
attractions through the mouths of noisy
bankers attracted only a comparative few.
Last night, however, a number of shows
which had not been ready to receive Wis
itors were respondent in the gaudy glory
of painted canvas and Illuminated signs.
Through the half-mile oval street Of Fes-
tival Field the 1900 passed with an en-
thusiasm that refused to be chilled by the
arctic winds Starting in at the De Kreke
show, the Streets of Cairo, the multitude
passed with the usual holiday Jokes through
the Bostock animal exhibition the glass
blowing show, the Wizards Temple Of
Music, the diminutive horse exhibition, the
display of plastic art, the Alsatian village
and all the rest Of the shows which seemed
to promise a few minutes amusement. Had
1t not been for the excessive cold 1t is prob
able that the beautiful public promenade
would have been packed to the point of
absolute discomfort by the Festival Field
visitors. As 1t was the attendance was sat
isfactory to the management and gave
promise of even greater crowds for the rest
of the week II the weather moderates even
slightly.
Although the sideshows were literally
patronized, and the smiling managers tes-
titled their appreciation OF the success of
the evening, IL was the free shows that
were the most successful i'm every way
and were attended by the largest crowds
Dan Canary, in his hair-raising feat OF
mounting spiral incline at breakneck
speed and then humping down a stairway
100 feet in length with apparent disregard
for life and limb, furnished the really spec
tacular event of the evening. The act Of
the bicycle rider, while not new. furnishes
an element of danger that appeals suffi-
GENTLY to cause more than the usual thrills
of excitement. King and Queen, the diving
horses. performed their task with the same
precision that made them popular during
the summer season at Fairview Park. An
other feature of the free shows. the orches-
trion of the Willard music show, was
decided novelty to the big crowd and was
enjoyed to the fullest extent.
The most attractive feature Of Festival
Field was the brilliant electrical display
AS on the opening night the many thou
sands of incandescent colored lights which
twinkled high In the air over the vast ex-
panse, presented scene that had been
absolutely unrivaled by similar exhibitions
I'm this city. Even IL the side shows and
other attractions had not been of superior
class, the illumination of the field would
have been sufficiently attractive to earn
the plaudits of the crowds. In addition
to the fiery oval that marked the limits Of