The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-10-10
FAIR LOOKS BEST
SEEN AFTER DARK
Miniature City Surrounded by
Bracelet of Light, is
Enchanted Land
FIREWORKS DISPLAY
IS TRULY VOLCANIC
Last Days of Pompeil is
Great Spectacle Which
Furnishes Excellent
Entertainment

BE it ever so beautiful by day the
state Fair is even more wonderful
at night. Against the blackness great
lamps and bright little incandescent
globes CLEAN like clustered stars. sur
rounding the miniature city with a
bracelet of light.
The night hides untidy lanes and
lends mystic beauty to that which
IS tawdry under the glare of day.
The wide streets that stretch from
the portals of the grounds glow with
inviting warmth and even the bally-
hoos that bark at the passers by in
the midway. look less unlovely than
they do in the broad day
But to see the fair grounds at their
best you should stand on the big bridge
that spans the railroad tracks. Straight
ahead s-the race track Iosure,
where now the mimic city of Pom
peii sits with Mt. Vesevius smoking
in its rear. Mt. vesuvius is a most
imposing volcano its gray sides glis-
tenlng In the dull light grim and
ghostlike, while the smoke from Its
crater drifts on high across the brdhd
face of the moon. Mr.. Moon Is SUI
prised. He looks down on the Pom
peii with look of bewilderment ana
grief. 1t is quite plain that the
smoke is most offensive to him. Even
the music Of the band fails to COM
fort him.
Standing on the bridge you can note
all this and also the light decketl
tower of the air plane. The air
plane tower may not be compared
to the more famous one built by Mr..
Eiffel, but it is quite a high tower
and. when lighted up at night, can
be seen for an immense distance
All distance looks immense at night,
except the distance to the moon. That
seems very short on a real dark night
such as last night.
From the Midway comes up a
clamor OF voices and the syncopated,
throbbing beat of drums which tells
that the music that made the East
famous Is still initiated with much
vigor on the midway even IL the
Oriental dances have been abolished.
The lights and the pulsing music.
the cries of the ballyhoos, the sud-
den crashing Of the big band In front
OF the grandstand. the huge build
ings in the distance. succeed with
lights. the throng below-dim forms
save nov and then when a woman
in gay apparel can be seen plainly
in the lights-form a picture OF an
enchanted land. 1s5 .
Once inside the gates and much OF
the enchantment is missing. What
looked like beautiful booth from
above Is a thing of canvas In garish
colers. A votes for women" booth
Is close to a fortune teller's tent, and
a w. c. r. L. headquarters is hard
by wheel of fortune. The pic
turesQue gypsys look a trife dirty
at close range. and the paint on the
faces OF the women who dance be-
fore a show booth Is very evident
But the Midway this year is not the
usual collection OF cheap variety
shows. 1t Is not the city Of dread
full night where the foolish 60 to be
fieeced. Some of the shows are quite
pretentious, particularly Ferarfs ami
NAL arena and the cave of falling wa
tiers.
Indeed the entertainments this year
are far above any ever seen on the
Midway. and the spectacle. THE Last
Days of Pompeii." is the most thrill
ing ever given In Richmond.
When the show opens a procession
forth from the city streets and
marches to and fro and up and down
to the solemn music OF the Priests
March from Aida 1t Is a most
solemn procession. brilliant in, color.
1t certainly must be celebration OF
some great festival. for after the pro-
cession has wandered around, the
leading City Fathers take their places
in the chairs Of state stationed In the
center. the populace lines up and all
proceed to watch the games provided
for the entertainment Of the Aristo-
Gratis Of Pompeii and the Democrats
OF Richmond in the grandstand.
These games are furnished by the
same artists who entertain the throng
<Continusd on Fourth PagNl