Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-09-27
'srformancss Cleaner and More Frstentisu'
Than in the Past
AlRsHIP is READY ps ITS FLIGHT
Grounds More Comp. .etsly and Artistioally
Lighted This Year
CROWDS GOOD SATuRtO AND LIVELY
Every Indieatiop rhat the FAN Fes.
tivities of FxinE Ak-sar-Bcn VIII
Eclipse All Previous
Efforts.
weather: Fair and warmer.
Attractions

Weather: Fair and warmer.
Attractions:
Street fair at carnival grounds
| The Girl and the Bandit" at the Boyd
At the Worlds Mefcy,' at the krug
Lady of Lyons, at the Burwood
| Vaudeville at the orpheum.
| Attendance; This year Last year.
| Wednesday .,.,........" 2,6bS $50
! Ak-Sar- -Ben's carnival is on in full swing
and a most auspieious opening "Wednesday
was taken a good forerunner of tbs
good times which are to come. The GROVE
at the opening was large for the first day
and was composed principally of city folk
who were on a tour of inspection to see
what the big show which the governors had
prepared for the subjects of the king was
like Many visited the shows and were
not long in seeing that something new and
novel had been brought for the delectatior
and amusement OF all.
| Promptly at p, m. Wednesday the gates
OF the Kings Highway. the carnival
| grounds for the Ak-sar-Ben fall festival,
were thrown open and the turnstlles hegan
to grind for eleven days OF fun and frolic
The preparations for the festival this fall
far surpass anything Omaha has yet un-
dertaken and visitors will not be long in
recognizing the unprecedented commercial
activity Omaha is enjoying. Everything is
! in readiness for the coming of the visitors,
hotels and private residences having been
| put in shape TO handle the Increased
| crowds
The entire city has on its gala. dress and
! the merchants have striven to outdo each
other in beautiful decorations, not only In
! the windows. but for their entire stores
Everybody seems imbued with the festival
spirit In decorations. carnival. lights.
| floats for the three parades and in every
thing else. Omaha is going 10 set a new
record this fall and future boards OF
governors will have high standard to be
guided by.
Opening Might Propitioss.
The opening night found everything in
readiness and good sized crowd on hand
to enjoy ihe fun. The confetti men wero
/ busy from the start and the candy wheels
and, all other forms Of fun and amusement
were in full working order. skidoo hats
were all the vogue and Inany fair unaidcps
| who came to the carnival bare-headed were
| seen decised III the skidoo hats made IN
| Ak -sar- Ben colors. Head Gatekeeper swig-
ert had his men all lined up in working
order and everything ran of as smoothly
az II the carnival had been in operation for
week
The lights were turned on all over tne
city for the first time last night and pre-
! sented a beautiful effect. The scheme has
been changed considerable by the dierctors
who were forced to work out some new
idea because all the downtown poles have
been torn down and wires placed under
| ground. This made II impossible to run
! the festoons across the streets as In former
! years and the lights are run lengthwise
| of the streets, with festoons at the corners
Two large Illuminated signs have been run
across the streets with huge banners in
| the center and these guide the visitors to
the carnival grounds.
A trip through the Kings Highway shows
| the wisdom of the Board OF Governors in
! selecting the Parker Amusement company
to furnish the shows for the carnival All
the shows are high class and clean, no
show being permitted on the grounds which
would not be fit place for all to CO. Mana
ger H. r. Raber is especially. proud of his
two feature shows. the trained wild animal
show and North America. The women and
| children were especially Interested last
night in the three baby lions. ten days old
named Ak. Sar and Ben. Dollie DimpIe
made quite hit in the animal show when
she danced in a den OF lions and tickled
the lions as she danced. causing them to
snap and jump at her. The animal show
also has lion riding act in which fe-
rocious lion rides around the arena on a
pony's back. A trained pony show is also
given in the arena OF the animal show
Big Feature of highway.
North America is the feature show on
the highway. Here may be found Indians
in their native costumes, giving their dances
and war songs, Here also are large, sen
sational acts which are sometimes used
as the drawing cards for the entire street
fairs. The girl from Abilene rolls down
the steep incline and loops the loop while
eneased in large ball All did not run
smoothly with the little woman from Abb
Iene last night for when the ball was opened
II was found she had tainted. A doctor
was called and she soon recovered. Eleven
large acts are given in the North America
show and visitors here can see all sorts OF
sensational performances from the loop Of
the loop TO a man walking a human fiy
The bicycle leap Is also given in the North
America, and here again did the rider meet
with a slight accident showing that all
does not always run smoothly In these
death-defying performances.
George Donovan. the leather iunged ora
tor was on hand and showed his prowess by
talking against brass bands, railroad trains
and all sorts OF ballahooes. AS an adjunct
to the Highway the knights have leased
the Lyceum thester and here may be heard
the HsIwailan Glee club which has been
delighting audiences al the Auditorium for
the last week The entrance is from Nine
teenth street within the grounds and pear
the exit of the Douglas County Asricul-
tuTal society building
Meeker and His OK Teesa.
Ezra Meeker the pioneer, who IS cross
ing SHE country marking the old Oregon
trail over which he went hfty years ago
has been installed on the grounds where
he may be seen with his team OF oxen.
The usual assortment OF ferris wheels and
carousals is also on hand, only OF little
better type than formerly. PARKER Is
famous for his mechanical stun. as Il was
from this line OF goods he first got hiF
start Beginning with a little mechanical
shooting gallery on which the rabbits and
desrs evolved. he has expanded until today
he has four Of the largest carnival COM
panies In the country on the road. Another