The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1904-06-24
Large Musical Instrument Catches the
Eyes Of Many People.
The Most Stupendous Affair of Its
Kind in the World.
Local Folks Take Great Pride in
The Display Made.
From Saturdays Daily.


had sojourned three weeks taking in the
grand fair. Even after remaining that
length of time, Miss Jache could not fee
that she had had an opportunity of do
ing justice to every thing. The fair is
SO immense that the ordinary visitor
cannot help missing great deal.
Everything is on SO grand scale, that
one soon fails to realize the actual mag
nitude of the buildings and other huge
objects of interest. In comparing these
things with the structures of ones own
home town, one is apt to underestimate
vastness of the works on the fair
grounds in proportion.
st. Louis people take intense pride in
the stupendous exhibition. They feel
however, that the people of the north
do not show the appreciation they
should. The st. Louis people complain
that the newspapers of Chicago and the
Twin Cities do not give the fair any
thing like the attention it deserves. They
say that when Chicago had its big fair
in 1898, the st. Louis people and their
newspapers gave the institution the
heartiest kind of support. Chicago fails
to reciprocate the same courtesy, and the
northern people generally care far less
for the st. Louis fair than they did for
that at Chicago.
One of the most interesting features
of the fair to Miss Jache was the mag.
nificent music, that is played at the
festival hall. The effects of the music
are often marred, however, by the poor
acoustic properties of that immense au-
ditorium. Curtains are now being drap-
ed here and there in the hope of distri-
buting the sound better. At eleven
o'clock every day the huge organ is play
ed. This instrument was built by the
Los Angeles Art Organ company, and is
claimed to be the largest and most won
derful organ in the world. 1t is GO feet
long, 80 feet deep, and so feet high. 1t
has l40 speaking stops, SO mechani-
cal movements, lO,O59 pipes ranging
from "a inch to 371a feet in length. The
largest metal pipe weighs $50 lbs, and
is IL inches in diameter. The largest
wood pipe measures 231sx2s inches in
side, and weighs 1875 lbs. There is
a set of 20 tubular chimes. The combi-
nation switchboard has l,6l6 electrical
switches, capable of producing H,l79,.
1863, lS3 distinct tonal combinations. The
organ contains 100 miles of electric wire
1900 magnates, 4 motors aggregatine
231s horsepower, fills IL large furniture
cars and weighs 100000 lbs.
This great organ is not yet complete.
ed; yet they play upon it.
The exposition orchestra plays in the
hall every Friday afternoon at foul
o'clock. This music produced by this won
derful aggregation of artists of the realm
of sound is enchanting. This orchestra
contains no less than eighty pieces.
Moreover there are numerous other
orchestras and bands that play from
time to time: Sousa's, Weber's, Coter-
NOS, and Wells bands, Kerns' orches
ira, and numerous others. The bands
play in all parts of the grounds. The
extent of the exposition is so great that
several may play at once without the
least danger of disturbing one another.
On the northerly side of Forest park
in which the exposition is located, lies
the Pike, along which are located the
lighter and more humorous features OF
the fair. The departments here are ar
tistic indeed. Perhaps the most strik
ing feature of the Poke, consists of the
Tyrolean Alps. These wondrous monu
ments of nature are reproduced with ad
mirable skill by the clever use of plaster
paint, water and other materials. The
silent snow-capped monarchs of the Eu
ropean continent stand here in excel
lent miniature, towering as high as thu
Saulpaugh, and covering a 500 foo
square. AS one enters this department
he finds himself in typical Tyroles'
village. Here are real genuine Tyroles'
people, with their regular dress, habits
customs, and dwellings. Now the visitor
is taken ride in car for distance
through the Alpine valleys, and by anc
by must get off the car and go afoot
Admirable too is the reproduction O
the terrible Galveston flood, anothel
amusement of the Pike 1t is said tina
this department alone cost as much a.
100000. The whole CITY is built il
miniature, every street and building o
Importance being reproduced with pre-
cision that excites everybody's wonder
The clouds gather and darken the sky
the storm bursts and the Inflated cit.
is engulfed.
Hagenbach's animal show is excellent
There is splendid representation o
Ire III Japan. oaPdHese hodILiiS houSe
and gardens are seen. There is a Jap
anese theatre, where ten girls are sing
ing and playing. The music sounds yer,
strange to American ears and rattle
tends to provoke mirth. In Japanes
lunch room, Japenese girls are sellin
rice cake and tea. Both are very gooc
especially the tea.
On the Pike too is the Alaskan quar-
ter, with the Esquimaux and thei