Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-07-14
THE GORGEOUS DURBAR.
Reproduction of the Most Glittering
Pageant of the Orient.

Td9SanI OF InG OTlGnI.
Spectacles We're first introduced as
a part of the circus program in Amer
lea by the Barnum & Bailey greatest
show on earth. This establishment
has always maintained it's supremacy
in the production of spectacular dis
| play as well as in all other depart
ments of tented exhibitions. 1t has
been the usual thing to present in con-
nectiOn with the spectacle 4 ballet;
and. in fact, the spectacle has. with
others, been more or less an excuse
| for the introduction OF long lines Of
dancing girls in flowing costumes.
| For the present season of 1904 this
show. as ever keeping in the van
guard, Will introduce another specta-
Gle, but this one Will be devoid of the
ballet. While there viii be no dancing
girls in view. it Will embrace the most
gorgeous costumes, massive paTapher-
MALTA, costly material and dazzling de
tail that has ever been witnessed. It
will be a reproduction, upon a gigantic
scale. far surprising in this respect
any previous production. whether upon
| the stage or in the arena, by any
| amusement enterprise in the world, of
the gorgeous Durbar at Delhi.
People are prone 10 look back upon
| the traditional glOries of the past and
think that they were greater than any
thing that might be done at the pres
ent time. There is really no more rea-
son for this than there would be to
| suppose that the ancients would sur
pass people of the modern times in
any other particular. The world has
! advanced in spectacular displays just
as il has in practical inventions, and
all previous spectacles pale into utter
insignificance compared with the Dur
bar at Delhi, which took place in Jan
uary, 1902.
There are many reasons why this
should be SO. The Durbar was a meet
ing of the sovereign princes of the
great empire of India, which includes
% states, for the purpose of renewing
their allegiance to the king of Great
Britain and Ireland and emperor OF
India. He was represented officially
by Lord CurzOn, viceroy, with his
j.. American wife, nee Miss Mary Letter,
of Chicago, and in person by the duke
of COnnaught. his brother. who was
accompanied by the duchess. The %
princes, all endowed with their heri-
tage of centuries of accumulated
wealth and rich possessions, brought
to the Durbar all the barbaric SPLEEN
dor of ancient India. No attempt will
be made now to recount the myriad
details of their display, but one will
be given as an example. The Gaekwar
of BarOda wore a coat emblazoned
with gems worth $7.5OO,OOO. Hundreds
of elephants were covered with enOr-
nous robes or blankets that were sim
ply one vast encrustation of precious
jewels. Sacred bullocks with solid
gold-pIated hoofs and horns, drawing
solid gold and silver cannon-and
throughout this unprecedented array
of riches there was the same utter
disregard of extravaganza and eX
pense. 1t has been estimated by con
servative historians that the value OF
the parapheTnalia, elephants, Taiment
accOutrement and the jewels that were
displayed at this DuTbar was consider
ably in excess of half a billion of dol
lars All these things will be seen IL
Illustrated in the most adequate man
ner IN the presentation of the DUrbal
at Delhi by the BaTnum & Bailey
show. The enormous labor necessary
10 reproduce the various elements OF
; display begun Immediately after
the Durbar was prosecuted both il
this country and in Europe, and has
been in progress for a period of some
sixteen months before it reached {
state Of perfection in which it will be
seen when the Banum & Bailey show
2 exhibits in this city July %.