The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1904-10-26
DIR. BROWN SEES THE FAIR.
An Interesting Letter From St. Lonis and
The Great Exposition.

! An Interesting Letter FROM 81. L0hIS anu
The Great Exposition.
am here, Mr. Editor, at ST.
Louis, where the whole world seems
Just now to be assembled. st. Louis,
I ind, is quite town. | should say
it is as large as Sumter and Wedge
field put together-that is, mean, If
all the miles lying between Sumter
and Wedgeield were laid out into
streets and built up with houses. the
| result would be town as big as St.
| Louis, provided we should run up
and down between Sumter and the
Wateree River for Is miles so as to
make our Imaginary city as long as 1T
is wide.
Ny first experience on arriving was
a charming two dollar ride about the
city in the solemn but noisy night
time, IN search of a boarding place.
NV friend, A. Moses, had advised ne
to stop at the Laclege Hotel, and I
did so-just long enough to find oct
that not room was to be had. then
tried the Madison, and finally ran in
to the st. Louis, where l am now So
iourning.
my fixed purpose was to take the
good advice of loving friends, and go
slowly at first, SO as not to break
down; but found that such a course
| was wise in theory, but not possible in
| fact, I was in charge Of two women,
and they led and tolled me on for two
days from place to place, and by Sat-
urday it seems to me had worn an
inch or more from each leg.
EVERYBODY is now here-Big Bird,
Little Bird, Buddy and the Baby.
| The crops are laid by, the people have
money, and fully three-forths of the
visitors are farmers from the country
-ali nice and genteel people, but
some of them fresh to the point OF
spelling.
The Olive street car line seems to be
the choice route, as it leads to the
main entrance to the Fair, to which a
silver half dollar admits you. Ii you
approach the turn stile, and have no
half dollar, You must fall out OF line,
and get your money changed at some
one Of the adjacent booths built for
the purpose. The man who enters
most have silver half dollar.
To the right upon entering, the
Pike begins, while just in front is a
broad esplanade, leading up to the
Cascades and fine art building, while
on either side are the vast and bewil-
1enrig structures for varied indus
tries, transportation, electricity, etc.
The Intramural Railway and the
Miniature Railway confront you just
within the gate-the latter of which
is a very small structure and very
large humbug. [ have three of its
tickets now, which [ will put on sale
when / reach home, at very low
figures.
But now that you are in the grounds
where shalt you go? My advice would
be Just to 90 ahead. After the first
day, you will learn the "lay of the
land, y and confusion will vanish. On
Saturday and today-for [ am now
writing on Monday night-our only
trouble was in the people. They
poured in from every quarter.
Standing room in the street cars was
at premium. Every building on the
grounds was full. A hundred and
fifty-four thousand passed in through
the gates, and swarmed over tie
grounds. One wearied of seeing and
rubbing against people. In the midst
of so vast concourse, one becou es
common in ones own estimation. 10
get separated from your party is
serioue matter, fox there is but little
hope of finding the lost any more.
The ...sest plan is to enter into an
agreement not to worry over the sepa-
ration, but to meet at your hotel at
some hour later in the day.
Samantha and Josiah and Belinda
are here in a variety of forms. Sam
autha has her bonnet, Josiah his uln-
brella and Belinda her lunch box.
They sit t,on the grass, on the steps. on
the low walls to the cascades. ley
ask all manner of questions, and seem
bent on seeing all that can be seen.
Somewhere or other, some one is CIV
ing away Ralston bread boxes as ad.
vertisements, and they are carried
around by thousands Of persons as
lunch boxes.
BY day, the Pike is quiet and order.-
ly, with not more than ten thousand
persons upon it; but by night the
thrOnS runs up TO MY thousiIu' the
great street is solid mass Of moving
humanity. Every show, with one or
two exceptions, is full to the utmost
limit. and the beaters-in at the varl-
Gus entrances make the evening hide
Gus with hoarse cries. Many at the
Pike shows are extra good. The Baby
Iucubator-the new plan fer raising
children born immature-is a wonder
to look upou. The babies are there as
evidence of what is being done. anc
two excellent physicians explain the
various processes nv which life as pre-
served in such little creatures as
would otherwise die. hagenback's
trained animal show, Creation, the
scenic railway, the Tyrolean Alps,
from Hades to Paradise, are all we'll
worth seeing. This last trip-from
Hades to Paradise-is full of excite
ment, and the lady sitting rext to you
in the whirling car is sure to hug
you tightly, no matetr who she is ncr
! who YOU are.
IF You have money to waste, you