Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-09-02
story of Destruction of Pompei
Full of Human interest.
RRoDIGsLlTY AND SPLEHDoR
Events Leading Up to the Ultimate be.
struction OF the City by the Eruption
OF Mt. Vesuvius Includes Street
Scenes, Court ReveIries, Etc.

On account Of its unusual charactar
many people would not understand tha
exhibited grandeur and 1napnificance
OF the historical spectacle of the ssI,ast
DAYS OF Pompeii, unless thew were
assisted by plain statement tf what
the grand production really is. and
WI, Waiat IL is calculated to show. The
NE ana habits of the early Romans
alohe, would prove deeply interest
ing STORY, but when taken together
WIN thelr hatred of the then new re.
ilglon, and their persecution of the
carry CHRISTIANS, the tale becomes one
ol terror, tyranny, revelry, wild I'M
restrained prodigality and splendor.
enulng, hnally, in an untimeIy death
anu devastation and destruction These
are the material events upon which
| the plot and story is built, and to suc-
cessfully and truthfully depict all tbe
lneluents, street scenes, court reyel.
cries, midnight orgies, fetes, festivals.
ceremonies, combats, gladiatorial con.
tests, loves, hates, conspiracies, trag.
lc results, passions, lives, pursuits,
pleasures and occupations of the
heather, barbaric and Christian peo-
pie, all inhabitants of Pompeii in those
| days, has required no end of thought,
labor, time, money and every conceiy.
| able accessory.
Features.
The scenic effects are grand beyond
the possibility of description. The i'm
| perial palace of the emperors, the
streets, temples, gates, monuments.
citadels, fortresses, battlements pris.
/ ons and other interesting objects are
all portrayed with exact mathematical
| precision and studious attention, the
whole requiring five acres of canvas
I and materials. The aWe-inspirine
| eruption of Vesuvius and total destruc-
/ ton of the city, succeed the colossal.
dazzling ballets and holiday assem-
| blages and festivals of the ancient
city, and are made the occasion of a
grand tumultuous event, in which the
populace are seen flying in terorr,-
men, women and children. soldiers and
| citizens, vestals and priests, maidens
| and barbarians, slaves and masters.
rulers and surfs, all wildly rushing to
escape from the impending disaster,
and flame and lava, and riot and de-
struction.
Following this thrilling episode from
the ancient story and colossal real
/ ism of destruction, will be seen one of
Pains glittering and dazzling eye
! feasts of the latest devices and de-
signs in pyrotechnical display.
A Magnificent Affair.
Il have put in several years at thi0
business said Alfred L. Dolson, press
agent for the Pain company, who is, in
the city attending to the advertising
of the attraction, "but never have /
!. been with an attraction which can
make good with such thoroughness
anything that is said in commentator
of it as can the Pain productions. Gun
Last Days of Pompeii' which APP
! pears in Ottumwa this week. is a show
that has given satisfaction to audi
ences all over the world. We have
exhibited at all of the large cities in
Europe, including Paris, Milan, Buda
Pest Berlin, and many others, and
have also been at Melbourne Austria
liza and Havana, Cuba. Our trip this
season is log one and is composed
4 almost entife.g of long jumps. For
instance, we go from Ottumwa to st.
I Joseph, Mo-, then on to Topeka, down
4 into Texas, where we show at Calves
ton, then to New Orleans and on
4 through the southern states Every
where we have met with splendid sue
cess.
The greatest trouble. find from
Imy experience in advertising the at
: traction, is in getting the people to
understand it's magnitude. Our stage
l is $50 feet in length, and we have at
) least $50 people in the show We
travel in our own train and carry wag-
ons for the transportation of our seem
cry and paraphernalia from the trains
! to the grounds. Our amphitheater is
} built on the same plan as that of Buff
, falo Bill, but is just about twice as
large. We are little town in itself.
Our best advertisers are our patrons"
Whatever is easily done has the dis