Evening star., 1938-05-01
Manhattan Mirror
Preview of 1889 Worlds Fair
Is Like Walking Into
H. G. Wells Novel,.
BY Grace Hendrick Eusfis.

ORDINARILY this would be q
quiet. gentle spring week in
New York. The parks are lush
and green, those who can are mov-
ing to the country, those who can
not are planting pansies in their
window boxes and backyards and
children's schools are having their
annual field days. But no. The
preview of the Worlds Fair has
come upon us and the whole island
Is in turmoil from the Junior
League to the Merchants Associa-
ton. This week end the works are
being shot by Grover A. Whalen,
president of the fair corporation,
and his palladins. Only Gargantua
the Great could live through the
program they have arranged for
. fair-hungry public!
The first item, held on Friday
night in two immense bathrooms
in the Business Administration
Building, was ball Of the fu-
ture," given under the auspices Of
the Junior League for their welfare
fund. 1t was charity ball to end
all charity balls. The list OF pa
tronesses included all the first so
families and the hundreds Of
guests filed out any social blanks.
The tickets were $3.50 apiece for
admission and $5 more for the
privilege of sitting in the bigger
ballroom, looking at Mrs. Vincent
Astor and listening to Paul White
man. The more economical folk
sat in the lesser ballroom. where
Markets Orchestra played and
there was a cabaret.
AS the motto of the fair Is Time
Tears On" and this was a ball of
the future. Cleon Throckmorton
swathed the prodigious pillars in
thousands of yards Of orange and
blue bunting. These are the
Worlds Fair colors. He arranged
surrealistic lighting effects. There
was a game of the future called
post Office" where, if you paid 81,
you didn't get kiss in the old
fashioned way, but a chance for a
trip to South America or some very
fine silk stockings. The chief en-
tertainers were william Gaxton,
Jack Dempsey and Charles Butter
worth, which seemed to those of us
who were looking forward, a trifle
vieux jeu.
On Saturday came the motorcade.
This was Mr.. Whalen at his mighti-
est. Three hundred floats repre-
senting business and industrial con-
Germs who are going to exhibit at
the fair. among them Billy Roses
Casa Manana, Park g. Tilford,
Bloomingdales, moved gradually
from the Battery out to the Flush
ing meadows. Flags were hung on
every pole and the city traffic was
IN stew all day.
Three hundred more self-pro-
PEELED vehicles groaning with loads
OF radio stars. handsome blonds,
political chieftains and industrial
leaders followed the exhibit trucks.
and the whole thing was led by
Grand Marshal Gen. Haskell with
cross section of United States
Army tanks, Coast Guard. National
Guard. field artillery, motorized
battalions of field artillery and
coast artillery at his heels. Today,
the music festival takes place with
Walter Damrosch leading the Phil
harmonic Symphony Orchestra and
matinee pageant of 1000 dancing
and singing stars, including Rose
Brampton of the Metropolitan. all
arranged by Olin Downes. At night.
for those who are still alive. there
Will be gigantic display of fire.
works.
INSPIRED, or badgered by not
being able to go past a shop
window without seeing trylons and
pylons and peripheres (these,
translated from the architectural
baby talk which has been adontsd