Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-10-29
SEEING THE FAIR

St. Louis. Oct. 2S.-Of course no
one will undertake to prepare a cen
sus of the funny people who visit this
exposition. No one will even attempt
to count the men who wear celluloid
collars or those who get mad at the
slot weighing machines for refusing
to say more than three words for five
cents. The placard on each of these
machines says: Il speak your
weight" Most people after dropping
nickel in the slot seem to expect
the voice on the inside - engage
in conversation. But it merely says.
"one hundred fifty I've" and then
lapses into silence. 1t won't talk about
the weather. the fair. the pike or any
thing else. Even John said he
thought the machine might give
| little more talk for five cents"
Then there's the man with the ubi-
quitous umbrella. He brought it to
| the fair and of course he must carry
| it everywhere. rain or shine. and
| wherever he goes he uses it 10 point
out objects of interest Now its all
! right 10 poke a big red. yellow and
green poll parrot in the Honduras
| building. All he can do is to sQuawk
profanity and say shut up" But
when il comes to pOking at $500 vases
in the Japanese section or at the por-
celain wares in the German section il
! is different matter. One fellow with
a 90-cent umbrella damaged a 5000
| lockwood lamp in the varied indus
/ tries building the other day.
The woman who doesn't know how
| to step into boat is also here. Most
women have learned how TO step off
| a trolley car without being thrown
| on their backs in the street. but they
/ don't step into lagoon launches every
| day. \ party of five were capsized
| and thrown into the lagoon one day
| this week because one of them step
| ped Oh the edge of the boat instead
/ of in the bottom. The whole bunch
was fished cut OF the lagoon by by
| ISLANDERS.
Ore OF the interesting sights in the
varied industries building is the pro
| cessiOn that lines up to the altar of
| roses fountain in the Bulgarian sec
| ton each one with his handkerchief
] ready to hold under the drippings
| from the fount. Some days. however.
this fount is not discovered for
hours when some individual who
| knows all about it walks up and sat
| urates his handkerchief with the rose
| scented water Then the crowd. like
! a flock of sheep. proceeds TO perfume
| itself.
| Making altar of roses is a great
| industry in Bulgaria, and this founJ
is intended to illustrate the bOunti-
full richness of the country's product.
The sculptural part of the fountain
| represents the struggle between Tur-
key and all races once under Turkish
oppression. The roses from which
the altar of roses is made grow in
luxuriance in the valleys of the Bal
kans. the soil and climate being pc
culiarly adapted TO the growing OF
roses that are rich in the oil that
gives them their odorz One dealer
in this country sells "A million dollars
worth of Bulgarian altar of roses ev
cry year.
Equally interesting are the men who
line up TO a hole in one OF the booths
from which air is escaping and which
they find will brush their hats clean
Each one holds his hat against it un
til it is thoroughly brushed" and goe:
away happy in the satisfaction that
there is no colored man near by &c
5 demand a tip" Ii is only a feature
= of an exhibit which illustrates IN,
. dustless method of cleaning carpets
and furniture by sending compressed