The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1904-04-23
AS THE PIKE OPENS.
A Gay and Picturesque Procession
Of People of Many Nations.
A Mile aud a HaIfParade Of Great
est COngIOmerRtiOn of Amuse-
ments Ever Gathered
Together.

On the afternoon Of the thirtieth day
Of April next there will be a spectacle
on a certain mile and a half strip OF
ground in the western edge Of st. Louis
such as the world never saw before.
The Pike will celebrate its opening
that afternoon. The rest Of the great
Worlds Fair will have had It's open
ing ceremonies in the morning, and
after luncheon The Pike will be the
center Of attraction.
Director Of Concessions Norris b.
Gregg and the members Of the Conces-
sionaires' Association are now arrang-
ing a programme for that event. They
are not d~ivulging the details, but 1t Is
understood that a grand parade Of all
Pike features that live and move Will
be the piece de resistance OF the cell
ebration. There are parades and pa
rades, but this one will be different.
There will be camels in it-oh, yes!
and elephants; but the human element
will be the really interesting thing.
Occident and Orient will be represent
ed, and the isles of the seas. In the
long procession that will swing up
and down the great street Of conces-
sions there will be Turks, Egyptians,
Arabs, Persians. Hindoos, Fflipinos,
Africans, Spaniards, Siamese, Core
ans, Japanese, Chinese, and representa-
tives of other races TOO numerous to
mention-all in their picturesque ma
tive costumes.
Queer musical instruments will fur
nish marching melodies. Some of the
Orientals will dance along in theil
peculiar styles. The bowling Dervisl
will howl, the whirling Dervish vii
whirl, and altogether it will be a howl
ing and whirling affair.
There will be in line Jews, Gentle
and Moslems from Jerusalem-hun
dreds and hundreds of them. Dancin.
girls from the variety theaters q
gay Seville-yes, and from the hilari
u halls of gayer Paris-will be ther'
Beauties - stunning beauties - frol
many European and Oriental nation
will lend the charm OF their faces an
= figures and their picturesque costume
to the aggregation. Arab horses, Bal
barry steeds, sacred cows, tailless ca
and hairless dogs viii figure in Il
Il parade.
And all along the way the thousant
of spectators will enter into the spir
of international gayety, humming al
singing such familiar ballads as Isl
Never Saw the Streets Of Cairo
"Therell Be a Hot Time in the o
Town Tonight and the like. F
the opening Of The Pike-the worl'
greatest amusement bouleyard-w
"inaugurate a season Of c-onglomerat
gayeties such as the sons and daug
ters OF mirth never knew before Il
eventful year of 1904.
EN No doubt that old gag, ITS
M warmest show that ever came do'
the pike" will take on a new a
more intimate meaning. There q
already built and in course of &C
struction on The Pike thirty-five /
portant concession enterprises, beg
ming with the Tyrolean Alps and
village of the Tyrol at one end a
leading to an eleven-acre REPRODUCED
Of the city of Jerusalem at the oil
end, which is nearly a mile and a h
away. The Pike is in the shape of
capital letter L." the vertical strC
being a mile long. The angle of
IL" accommodates the Naval Exhil
the Galveston Flood and Hale's III
Fighters. Jerusalem is at the fart
end of the horizontal part of the ID,
All along this thoroughfare, on b
sides, are the immense buildings,
picturesque and odd construction, t
house the concession shows. On
opening day The Pike will be
,n9I with flags and bunting, and for
seven months thereafter it promi
to be the most interesting amusem
district ever created.
XXI