FOUR DAYS 
 AT CHICAGO 
 
 By R. BEVERLY EGGLESTON 
 
 977.3 
 
 Z.99A 
 
 r\o.3 
 
Four Days at Chicago 
 
 Descriptive and Historical 
 
 R. BEVERLY EGGLESTON 
 
 Pastor of the Third Presbyterian Church 
 Richmond, Virginia 
 
 RICHMOND, VIRGINIA 
 Whittet & Shepperson, Printers 
 Nineteen Hundred and One 
 
z. 
 
 PREFACE 
 
 This booklet sets forth those things that came 
 under the vision of the author at the World’s Fair. 
 It is historical and religious in part, but mainly 
 descriptive. The aim has been to write with 
 accuracy an account of a four-days’ pleasure trip, 
 to take the readers on this trip, to make them see 
 much that is worth seeing in a limited time, and to 
 bring them back home with a feeling that the trip 
 was worth the time spent in making it. 
 
 The Rev. Jere Witherspoon, D. D., pastor of 
 Grace Street Presbyterian Church, Richmond, Va., 
 has this to say : “The Rev. R. B. Eggleston has, 
 after eight years, attempted in these pages to tell 
 the story of four days’ experiences in the ‘White 
 City,’ on the shores of Lake Michigan. He has 
 done his work with ability, a high degree of 
 literary skill. His success in his undertaking is 
 enhanced by the difficulty of reproducing in a fresh 
 and readable form the impressions of those distant 
 
 3 
 
 T25512 
 
PREFACE 
 
 days. Many a visitor to the great Chicago Expo- 
 sition in 1893, and numbers who were denied that 
 pleasure, will peruse this little volume with profit, 
 and close it when the graphic recital ends with 
 sincere gratitude to the author.” 
 
 Rev. M. Ashl)y Jones, D. D., pastor of Leigh 
 Street Baptist Church, Richmond, Va., says: “Mr. 
 Eggleston is a very accomplished guide through 
 the beautiful and interesting sights in Jackson 
 Park. The White City, which appeared and disap- 
 peared like magic, is builded once more beside the 
 beautiful lake as you read this little book. Those 
 who were so unfortunate as not to visit the great 
 Exposition will find a compensation in this descrip- 
 tion, and those who did enjoy its attractions will be 
 charmed with this review. How often we long to 
 recall that which is gone ! One who does it for us 
 so pleasantly certainly deserves our gratitude.” 
 
 Rev. Russel Cecil, D. D., pastor of the Second 
 Presbyterian Church, Richmond, Va., speaks thus: 
 “Mr. Eggleston has succeeded in a vivid and 
 pleasing way in reproducing, for the mental pleas- 
 ure of his readers, many interesting things which 
 
 4 
 
PREFACE 
 
 were seen in Chicago in the year 1893. Those who 
 enjoyed the privilege of visiting the great Colum- 
 bian Exposition will live over their experiences in 
 reading these pages, and will be grateful to the 
 author for preserving them in such attractive, 
 permanent form. He has ingeniously interlarded 
 his narrative with anecdote, incident and bits of 
 history, which add not a little to the entertaining 
 and instructive character of the story. The descrip- 
 tion of the sermon by Dr. John Hall is deeply 
 impressive.” 
 
 5 
 
Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 in 2015 
 
 https://archive.org/details/fourdaysatchicag01eggl 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 Page 
 
 Introduction 9 
 
 CHAPTER I 
 
 Natural History Exhibit — Archaeological Display — Agri- 
 cultural Products — Midway Plaisance, etc 14 
 
 CHAPTER II 
 
 Midway Plaisance (continued) — Wax Works — Graven 
 Images — The Guillotine — Marie Antoinette — Hagen- 
 beck’s Wild Animal Exhibit — Irish Village — Trans- 
 portation Building, etc 29 
 
 CHAPTER HI 
 
 Mining Building — Amalgamating Machine — Electricity 
 Display — Manufacturing Building — Work of Those 
 Devoid of Vision — Woman’s Building and Buffalo 
 Bill’s Wild West 40 
 
 CHAPTER IV 
 
 The Art Exhibit — “Bringing Home the Bride” — “A 
 British Funeral” — “Rent Day” — “The Flagellants” — • 
 “Breaking Home Ties” — The Central Music Hall — • 
 Moody — The New York Preacher — The Return 
 Home 52 
 
 7 
 
Four Days at Chicago 
 
 INTRODUCTION 
 
 HE writer of this little book did not 
 contemplate its publication. At the time 
 of his visit to Chicago, in October, 1893, 
 he wrote out a few notes on what he 
 saw, simply for his own pleasure and the perusal 
 of a few friends who did not have the opportunity 
 of attending the World’s Fair. Before going to 
 the AA^orld’s Fair he had seen many people who had 
 been there. Some of them were asked this ques- 
 tion, “AAdiat did you see that you liked most?” and 
 the repl}^ was nearly always, ‘T saw so many won- 
 derful things I hardly know what I liked most, and 
 everything is so confused in my mind I hardly 
 know now what I did see.” 
 
 So, fearing that he might come back with the 
 same answer (which undoubtedly would have been 
 the case had he not purchased a pencil and blank 
 book), he took notes on entering the Fair Grounds 
 from day to day, jotting down many things of 
 
 9 
 
FOUR DAYS AT CHICAGO 
 
 interest, and on his I'etnrn to Virginia, the notes 
 were fully written outy covered with brown paper, 
 and sewed together for preservation. For some 
 weeks, after they were gotten in readable shape, 
 they passed from friend to friend, and not a few 
 of them urged that they he published. Whatever 
 of pleasing comment they have merited has been 
 gratefully received, and the modest little manu- 
 script goes to press at this late day with a threefold 
 object in view: first, with the hope of refreshing 
 the memories of those who went to Chicago in 
 1893; second, of bringing once more before the 
 minds of those who did not go some of the won- 
 derful things that were there at that time; and last, 
 hut not least, to aid by its sale in printed form, a 
 most worthy enterprise undertaken by the zealous 
 and devoted people whom the writer serves and 
 loves. 
 
 At the time of this writing - — October, 1893 — 
 it is recalled that there have been within the recol- 
 lection of a man of sixty years of age, four great 
 exhibitions of the wonders of nature and the handi- 
 work of man: one in Paris, France; one in 
 
 Glasgow, Scotland ; a third in Philadelphia, Penn. ; 
 and a fourth at Chicago, 111 . The last named is 
 said to be the greatest which has ever taken place 
 in the history of man. Certainly, as far as splendor 
 
 10 
 
INTRODUCTION 
 
 and magnitude are concerned, no human eye has 
 ever seen the like of what was seen at the World’s 
 Fair. 
 
 One heard there the “confusion of tongues,” as 
 representatives from every nation on the glohe were 
 exchanging words at the same time. Tlie “Tower 
 of Babel” was in the heart of many men and 
 Avomen who were seeking to make for themselves a 
 name in preference to all else. 
 
 Kingl}^ palaces of the purest white stood in all 
 their glory as recipients of silent homage from the 
 beautiful placid waters of that splendid lake, whose 
 inviting shore was embellished by their command- 
 ing presence as well as by temporary landmarks 
 gracefully distinguishing that magic city from 
 many sister cities of other States. 
 
 The poAver of God, Avho created the heavens 
 and the earth, as Avell as the ingenuity of man 
 “fearfully and AA^onderfully made,” so blended in 
 the situation of Chicago and the mechanism of the 
 buildings on the Fair Grounds, as to render that 
 city most suitable in every particular for unfolding 
 Avithin her far-reaching borders both the products 
 of the omnipotent hand of nature’s Architect and 
 Builder and the inr^entions Avrought out by the 
 brain and skill of man. 
 
 Beautiful for situation is the “White City” 
 
 II 
 
FOUR DAYS AT CHICAGO 
 
 upon the bank of the blue waters of Lake Michigan. 
 Handsome and substantial were the immense 
 World’s Fair State and National buildings, whose 
 exterior and interior walls were ornamented with 
 the most delicate touches of earth’s architects. 
 Since there was no stint of either pains or means 
 in the construction of those buildings, we are not 
 surprised when we read of their beauty, but one 
 was surprised when one reached the Fair Grounds, 
 and with uplifted eye and soul realized that they 
 exceeded anything “ever dreamed of in his 
 philosophy.” 
 
 Honor to whom honor is due! To man alone 
 is not accorded the credit of proper preliminary 
 arrangements, nor the subsequent success of the 
 Exposition, for traces of the beautiful found in 
 woman’s mind and executed by woman’s hand were 
 seen in many buildings, adding refinement to 
 strength and grace to the substantial. 
 
 Indeed, can we not right here go so far as to 
 reiterate the much-quoted statement that “the hand 
 that rocks the cradle rules the world.” How often 
 is woman “the power behind the throne.” Surely 
 we must admit that primarily as mothers of men 
 and nations, and then as promoters and advocates 
 of the good and the beautiful, women play a most 
 conspicuous and most important part in the attrac- 
 
 12 
 
INTRODUCTION 
 
 tive drama of general life, as well as in the charm- 
 ing history of great events. 
 
 The splendid taste, skill, means and methods 
 of the sons and daughters of the dust, wonderfully 
 united to give to the pages of history for permanent 
 record the greatest event of modern times. If one 
 star differeth from another star in glory, the one 
 event that outshines every other similar event is 
 the one that was flung upon the world in honor of 
 Christopher Columbus. 
 
 13 
 
FOUR DAYS AT CHICAGO 
 
 CHAPTER I 
 First Day 
 
 N attempt to relate that which is most 
 interesting- as it came under one’s vision 
 at tlie World’s Fair is similar to an 
 effort to select from a bed of diamonds 
 the most beautiful of them ; it is a matter of great 
 difficulty — even of the greatest difficulty. Like the 
 enthused woman, we might say “everything was 
 most interesting.’’ 
 
 Nothing was too insignificant to be devoid of 
 interest. Each succeeding object of interest so 
 grappled the attention, that for the time it was 
 the most interesting. The writer, however, will 
 he satisfied, after he mentions the many interest- 
 ing things, if the readers will select for themselves 
 the objects that most forcibly impress them. 
 
 Go with me first upon the Intra-mural (intra — ■ 
 within, and mums — wall) railway, which was an 
 elevated electric line that ran within the Fair 
 Ground limits, but all around the buildings. From 
 this railway one got a bird’s-eye view of the whole 
 
 14 
 
FIRST DAY 
 
 situation, an excellent idea of both the buildings 
 and grounds, as well as a pleasing and refreshing 
 sight of Lake Michigan. 
 
 He who did this much did well ; he had made 
 a good beginning, as everybody made it his first 
 duty to travel in that circumference of some eight 
 or ten miles, and while wheeling around decide 
 what building to enter first. No mistake could 
 be made in entering first any special building, as 
 all were special buildings containing objects of 
 great interest and permanent value. 
 
 It was my lot to enter first after a ride the 
 building of Natural History. There one saw a 
 specimen of every thing that had the impress of 
 nature upon it, any and everything nature had 
 ^ produced. Look at the skeletons of men and 
 women, apes and monke}^s, and insects of every 
 class and description, in magnified forms, embel- 
 lished by the hand of man, making prominent the 
 muscles, veins, ligaments, nerves and sinews, that 
 their composition might be more clearly seen and 
 more perfectly understood. If these representations 
 of what a bug, as well as a man, is made of could 
 be had in all schools, the children and youth would 
 more clearly understand physiology and natural 
 history, and besides receive an incentive in such 
 lines of work that would not accrue without them. 
 
 15 
 
FOUR DAYS AT CHICAGO 
 
 The object of greatest magnitude in the 
 Natural History building was the Mastodon ele- 
 phant — now extinct — the largest animal ever on 
 the globe. Suspended from the ceiling was the 
 devil fish, with hundreds of mouths. 
 
 Let the eye pass to the buffalo, elk, sea-lion, 
 antelope, baboon, giraffe, lizard, terrapin, ducks, 
 birds, the ostrich being the largest; the pelican, 
 opossum, lynx, deer, mountain lion, and panther — 
 all of which were mounted and arranged in certain 
 places where they would show to the best advan- 
 tage. Without close inspection ’twould indeed be 
 hard to tell that those were not living animals. 
 
 The Stamp Exhibit, connected with that of old 
 coins, hundreds and hundreds of them, together 
 with specimens of paper money from all parts of 
 the world, was pleasing. Old-fashioned weapons 
 of warfare — cannon, guns, tomahawks — by the 
 side of which were Indian skulls from North 
 America — very close companions, tomahawk and 
 skull. These things held the attention of many 
 people many minutes. 
 
 Pennsylvania came up well with her grand dis- 
 play of birds and animals of every description, 
 while Ontario showed her beavers and elephants, 
 that is, their skeletons, of tremendous size ; while 
 little Costa Rica, in her humility, modestly pre- 
 
 i6 
 
FIRST DAY 
 
 sented her pots, jars and tubs, believing that, how- 
 ever humble, Diogenes was right when he said 
 every tub must stand on its own bottom. 
 
 The Archjeological display of images of 
 heathen architecture, to which .are rendered in 
 some parts of the world devout homage and praise, 
 as if divine, was of deep interest. The images of 
 Buddha, Apis and frogs were the three on exhibi- 
 tion to which had been given the greatest promi- 
 nence. 
 
 The Aborigines of Australia, together with 
 many pictures of that country, were conspicuous. 
 The above objects meagerly described, with many 
 others seen, and many others not seen, were in the 
 Natural History Building. Take off your hat, 
 make your bow, and take leave of this net-work of 
 wonders. Go out, and on your way to another 
 building keep open your eyes and notice the various 
 tents of different kinds kept by different people of 
 different nations of the bartering world. 
 
 On one side of the street, in passing, was 
 noticed a unique tent presided over by Aztecs, of 
 I Mexico, exhibiting rocks and stones of their coun- 
 try. A little further on the eye fell on a tent kept 
 by people from Tunis, North Africa. They were 
 selling rugs of peculiar make, articles of jewelry, 
 brass, silver, aluminum (lightest metal known), 
 
 17 
 
FOUR DAYS AT CHICAGO 
 
 oxidized silver bracelets, cuff-buttons, and every 
 little article that a North y\frican believed would 
 please souvenir hunters and souvenir buyers. 
 
 Hard by stood the ruins of Yucatan side by side 
 with tents of Omaha Indians with their display of 
 unpolished, yet excellent handiwork. Towering 
 above, and in the midst of these tents were immense 
 columns of wood, with carved representations of 
 different objects of worship. 
 
 Enter the Dairy Building as the second house 
 of interest, stay for several minutes, and view 
 hastily (as ’tisn’t yet dinner-time) the butter and 
 cheese exhibit, together with the instruments and 
 utensils used in the manufacture of these; receive 
 brief instructions from the lady manager as to the 
 most profitable way of managing the contents of 
 the milk pail, then pass out of one of the many 
 doors, and enter the Leather and Shoe Building. 
 No one would ever dream that as many animals 
 were in existence as were represented by the tanned 
 and untanned skins and hides found in this attrac- 
 tive building. 
 
 The man who wears shoes thinks that he has 
 two hides on his foot — his own and that of some 
 other animal ; but he is surprised when told that 
 there is the possibility of his wearing shoes, from 
 time to time, made of the skins of numerous quad- 
 
 18 
 
FIRST DAY 
 
 rupeds and creeping things of which he has never 
 dreamed. The skins of every animal on the globe, 
 and especially those properly prepared for the man- 
 ufacture of foot apparel, were objects of no small 
 value. Look at the show cases in one side of this 
 immense room, and see attractive pictures of every 
 style and kind of shoe as worn by people in the 
 civilized and uncivilized parts of the world; and, 
 better still, go a little further down in the building, 
 and let the eye rest on the real shoes represented 
 by the pictures. These shoes were nicely arranged 
 in narrow glass cases that extended almost from 
 one end of the building to the other. There were 
 the shoes of all classes and grades of people, from 
 the rough shoe of the laboring man on up to that 
 of the king and queen in royal dress ; Greek shoes, 
 Turkish shoes, Oriental shoes, shoes from Asia, 
 Corea, L^ruguay, China, Russia, Australia, Spain, 
 Egypt, India, Lapland, America, and from Africa, 
 the last named being made of turtle claws. 
 
 To one who had never seen the rapid manufac- 
 ture of a shoe, it was worth his time of a half an 
 hour or more to stand in another part of this build- 
 ing, and watch, with intense interest, the making 
 of a shoe from start to finish. Men and women 
 were working on them ; there was the leather to 
 begin with just as it came from the tannery. It was 
 
 19 
 
FOUR DAYS AT CHICAGO 
 
 cut out in proper shape and size ; the lining was cut 
 to match ; the holes were punched for the strings ; 
 the lining and upper leather were sewed together ; 
 the sole, having been properly shaped, was ad- 
 justed to the tops, etc., each man and woman doing 
 his and her part, so when one part was finished by 
 one workman, it was passed down the line to an- 
 other ; so it went, until finally, after a short time 
 of rapid work, the shoe came out ready for use. 
 
 Apropos of shoe-making, let it be said that 
 very few visitors to this building failed to look up 
 to see, elevated about ten feet, in the west side of 
 the room, a burlescpie wax advertisement of an old 
 shoe-maker, run by machinery underneath. 
 
 The old man sat with the shoe on his knee, and 
 a needle in his hand, pulling the thread through the 
 sole, and apparently talking to his customer in front 
 of him while mending the shoe. His head was in 
 constant motion, and his eyes went from right to 
 left and up and down in obedience to the move- 
 ments of the machinery that controlled him. All 
 were struck wdth the “old fellow,” and in passing 
 didn’t fail to give him a smile, which, of course, he 
 appreciated. 
 
 The display of thread, and wax, and rubber 
 shoes was most excellent. One rubber shoe was 
 so large as to extort this remark from a looker-on. 
 
 20 
 
FIRST DAY 
 
 “That shoe must have been worn by David’s oppo- 
 nent, viz., Goliath of Gath.” It was enormous, and 
 a good advertisement of the size of the firm that 
 dealt in such material. 
 
 On the first floor of this building one was struck 
 with the genius of an advertiser, as seen in two 
 immense stuffed cows, very life-like in appearance, 
 while on the second floor, just at the top of the 
 steps, on either side, stood an immense white statue 
 of the same animal. How appropriate for a shoe 
 and leather building, as the skin of a cow flnds its 
 way into the shoe of the man, and to dispense with 
 that animal would mean dispensing with shoes 
 made of the very best material. Would that time 
 and memory were sufficient to enable the writer to 
 tell with accuracy of everything that he saw in this 
 magnificent department. 
 
 In passing out of this splendid white structure, 
 and going westward, you are charmed on catching 
 a glimpse of Lake Michigan, its waters reflecting 
 the color of the blue canop}^ of the heavens, and 
 carrying upon its bosom ships of war, as well as 
 vessels containing the commercial stores of the 
 world. 
 
 When tired of looking at the lake, all that one 
 had to do in order to change the scene was to gather 
 his thoughts and use his will sufficiently to walk a 
 
 21 
 
FOUR DAYS AT CHICAGO 
 
 few yards and step into a third building, rustic in 
 its appearance, and designedly so, because of its 
 contents — it was called The Forestry Building. In 
 this were found all kinds of wood from the forests 
 of the world. Some specimens were in the rough 
 state, and others were refined by the mechanic’s 
 plane, and beautified by the painter’s brush. There 
 was wood ! Avood ! ! wood ! ! ! 
 
 Germany had forwarded samples from her for- 
 ests ; so had the y\rgentine Republic and Paraguay, 
 Brazil, France, and the United States, notably 
 California, who is proud of her rich and varied and 
 wonderful forests. From Old Virginia, the State 
 that never despises the “day of small things,” there 
 came for exhibit three jars of sumac (called by the 
 Southern negro “shumake”). One jar contained 
 the leaves, another the stems, and a third the pow- 
 dered sumac. It may sound like a “Texas yarn” to 
 tell of the size of an Oregon tree known as the 
 Orcgon-tide-land-spriice. A placard was tacked on 
 the side of the exhibited trunk with the wording, 
 “This tree when standing in the forest measured 
 sixteen feet in diameter, was three hundred and five 
 feet high, is three hundred years old, and when cut 
 down and sawed, yielded one hundred and eighty 
 thousand feet of lumber.” Those who saw the 
 trunk specimen were ready to give credence to the 
 
 22 
 
FIRST DAY 
 
 abo^•e specifications, while those at a distance sim- 
 ply reading of it would accept it as they would a 
 “Texas yarn.” 
 
 ]\'Iichigan had an exhibit ; among other valuable 
 things, a sample of alcohol resembling rye whiskey 
 in color, and made from the sap of Michigan trees. 
 Of course, there were innumerable things in this 
 great house that I haven't touched rvith pen. 
 
 My thirdly in the list of the contents of national 
 buildings has been meagerly developed, though 
 sufficiently so to give the reader some idea of the 
 great forestry exhibit. 
 
 Let us change a little our plan of sight-seeing, 
 with perfect libert}'- to return to the old plan of 
 visiting national buildings when thought desirable. 
 
 The different individual States had their ex- 
 hibits. North Carolina, with her pitch and tar, her 
 pine and cotton, her frnits and flowers exhibit, is 
 heartily congratulated, as she has no reason to be 
 ashamed of what she is and what she has. It is 
 predicted that in the near future the “tar-heel” 
 State, already alive to her possibilities, will become 
 one of the leading States in products of field and 
 forest. 
 
 In an Indian tent nearby we saw a living object 
 of curiosity, and that was a very old and feeble 
 Indian of the purest blood and the most decided 
 
 23 
 
FOUR DAYS AT CHICAGO 
 
 copper color, purported to be a chief, and the kins- 
 man of the famous Cornplanter who made treaties 
 with George Washington. On entering the Indian 
 Industrial School Building one saw excellent works 
 of art executed hy the descendants of the banished 
 copper-colored man, and heard sweet music ren- 
 dered by an Indian c|uartette, consisting of two 
 little Indian boys and two little Indian girls. This 
 fine evidence of real talent shows us that the Red 
 Man’s descendants are susceptible to education, and 
 capable of cultivation and refinement ; that they 
 possess sentiments and feelings very near kin to 
 those of the Caucasians, by whom their forefathers 
 were banished and supplanted. 
 
 Greece, not desirous of being forgotten, though 
 once dropped from the list of great empires, appears 
 on the scene with an excellent exhibit of raw silks 
 of ever}" color and grade, together with honeys and 
 tobaccos, and soaps and wines. 
 
 Louisiana held her own in rice, molasses and 
 sugar-cane; while British Columbia, Louisiana’s 
 World’s Fair neighbor, loomed up with her fowls 
 of every variety, as well as with her products of 
 the soil. 
 
 How delighted was a Virginian to have his eye 
 fall upon Mount Vernon exactly reproduced. 
 Mount Vernon was modest, devoid of elegance, yet 
 
 24 
 
FIRST DAY 
 
 loved because there is something in the name in- 
 separably associated with the place. In it were 
 found several pieces of statuary, W^ashington’s 
 arm-chair, a picture of him who was “first in war, 
 first in peace, and first in the hearts of his country- 
 men,” many books by Virginia authors, beautiful 
 fancy and embroidered work by Virginia women, a 
 handsome picture of Miss Pryor, an old-fashioned 
 piano, and several other antic|ue pieces of furni- 
 ture. Of course, there was in Mount V ernon the 
 Virginia Post-office for Virginia people, as there 
 were post-offices in all the State buildings. It was 
 reported that Mount Vernon was more largely 
 visited than was any other building. Of course, 
 Virginia came to the front in the Agricultural 
 Building in her display of the products of the soil, 
 and her minerals, and in liberal arts held her own. 
 
 Who has not heard of the Mid-ivay Plaisancc, 
 a broad avenue with attractive buildings and scenes 
 of every conceivable description on either side? 
 
 On entering the Midway one's attention was 
 irresistibly drawn to one side of this great street 
 by the strange music of a foreign tambourine, and 
 the hideous yelling (music, so-called) of non- 
 American girls, and on closer observation it would 
 be learned that muscle movements of Persian girls 
 were attracting the crowds, such action being 
 
 25 
 
FOUR DAYS AT CHICAGO 
 
 known as the famous muscle-dance, peculiar to 
 Persia. 
 
 To those possessing the sense of propriety, these 
 bodily contortions were unrefined and even repul- 
 sive. Not being very much interested nor spirit- 
 ually enlightened, we left the place of this par- 
 tially theatrical and gymnastic performance of a 
 semi-indecent character, and soon found ourselves 
 in the Japanese store of exquisite grandeur. This 
 store contained every article of trade, either fancy 
 or coarse, made by the ingenious Japs. Several 
 hours of close inspection might have been spent 
 there with pleasure and profit ; but the “revolving 
 train” attracted the eye and called us away from 
 these objects, affording temporary amusement. In 
 the distance, several squares from the place of the 
 Persian muscle-dance, there towered above every- 
 thing else the famous and much-talked-of Ferris 
 IV heel, whose construction cost four hundred 
 thousand dollars. It was made up of thirty-eight 
 coaches, each coach approximating the size of a 
 Pullman car. It was two hundred and fifty feet 
 high, and brilliantly illuminated at night with hun- 
 dreds of little electric globes. The seating capacity 
 of each car was at least thirty people, making a total 
 capacity of eleven hundred and forty people. This 
 handsome collection of cars, placed together one 
 
 26 
 
FIRST DAY 
 
 after another in a tremendous wheel, revolved at 
 the touch of a lever of the engine below the surface 
 of the ground, and likewise was stopped at the will 
 of the engineer. 
 
 Two engines were required for proper service. 
 Just before we reached Chicago, a lady suffering 
 with angina pectoris died of it while elevated in 
 the wheel, several hundred feet above the ground. 
 On one occasion, the machinery got out of working 
 order, and the managers were unable to readjust 
 it, so the people who were making the circuit were 
 compelled to stay up in the sky for six hours. The 
 passengers were glad, you may know, when they 
 touched mother earth again, and were heard mak- 
 ing themselves promise after promise never to get 
 up so high again until they should be called to a 
 better world, and even then they hoped they would 
 not be asked to go in a Ferris Wheel. 
 
 The sun had gone down some hours since ; the 
 much-walked visitors were feeling the effects of a 
 day's novel dissipation; the clock had already 
 struck ten, but we wanted to see the streets of 
 Cairo, Egypt, and learn the manners and customs 
 of the Eg}qitians, to see their articles of trade, to 
 hear their wedding march, and to ride one of their 
 camels. Ride with us, dear reader, out of the gate 
 of the city of Cairo, on a humped-back camel ; let 
 
 27 
 
FOUR DAYS AT CHICAGO 
 
 it end our first clay’s sight-seeing. Don’t you 
 know that we, dusty and tired, were glad to reach 
 our room in even a crowded boarding house, and 
 that it was not necessary either to sing or rock us to 
 sleep ? 
 
 28 
 
SECOND DAY 
 
 CHAPTER II 
 Second Day 
 
 EFRESHED after the night’s sleep, and 
 strengthened by an appetizing breakfast, 
 we are ready this morning for another 
 interesting day in the city of Chicago, 
 to which hundreds of people are flocking on every 
 train. The weather is all that could be desired, and 
 the sight-seers are happy. Haven’t you heard of 
 the Moorish Palace? Certainly you have. WTll, 
 this is in the Midway Plaisance. Buy your ticket 
 for fifty cents, because yesterday’s ticket won’t be 
 good for to-day, then go up to the kloorish Palace, 
 and if you so desire, spend the half of a day on the 
 first and second floors of the building; do so, and 
 you will enjoy more than one hearty laugh. 
 
 Like a thousand and one gems of poetry re- 
 flecting the thoughts of men, there are a thousand 
 and one mirrors on the first floor of the Aloorish 
 Palace, reflecting the figures of both men and 
 women. This great net-work of upright mirrors 
 is confusing. They were placed there to beautify 
 
 29 
 
FOUR DAYS AT CHICAGO 
 
 tlie building, and to confuse the people, and the 
 two-fold object was certainly accomplished. 
 
 After entering the building, you say to yourself 
 as you start through the pathway between the mir- 
 rors, “I know all about this thing. I’ll have no 
 trouble in finding my way in, nor in reaching au}^ 
 one of the doors.” You think at every turn that 
 you are going through a door, and that you are 
 getting along in fine style, while neighbor over the 
 way is being laughed at, when suddenly you find 
 yourself as completely non-plussed as your neigh- 
 bor is. After recovery from the first surprise, you 
 start again and walk on, thinking that you are 
 going through a doorway, and meeting people as 
 you go, you suppose they are coming from another 
 apartment, when lo ! and behold, it is your own 
 reflection and that of your friend by your side, and 
 you bump up with a terrible bump against your 
 own self. The entire interior of this immense room 
 is nothing but mirrors, giving it the appearance of 
 a great smooth expanse. If you can possibly find 
 your way out without being laughed at, go up on 
 the second floor, and stand with seven people, 
 within a space of ten feet, look at a mirror hanging 
 on the wall and you will see reflected, by means of 
 this peculiarly-shaped looking-glass the figures of 
 about one thousand people. These are none other 
 
 30 
 
SECOND DAY 
 
 than yourself and your seven friends. If you are 
 not too big-headed after seeing yourself thus mag- 
 nified, enter the second room on this same floor and 
 admire the splendid representations of the crown- 
 heads of all countries, as well as several family 
 groups ingeniously presented in wax. Nearby is 
 printed on a piece of card-board, in a conspicuous 
 position, the words, “Please do not flirt with the 
 wax figures” ; also this, “Any gentleman found 
 flirting with the wax figures will be arrested.” 
 
 A most interesting family in wax was that of 
 INIartin Luther, who, like John Knox, of Scotland, 
 never feared the face of man. There sits Luther, 
 the great hero of the Reformation, with hlelanc- 
 thon, his co-laborer by his side. Four of Luther’s 
 children, standing as a quartette around him, are 
 singing to his accompaniment, which he plays on 
 the lute. Just across the table from Luther sits 
 his wife, Katharine, holding, with the care and 
 tenderness that only a mother possesses, the young- 
 est of the Luthers, a babe of a few months. 
 
 You recall in reading the history of Luther’s 
 life, that he said he would never marry. However, 
 he met his fate, “he couldn’t help it,” when he met 
 Katharine von Bora. He fell a victim to her 
 charms ; she reciprocated his admiration and love ; 
 they were married, and God blessed the union. 
 
 31 
 
FOUR DAYS AT CHICAGO 
 
 After their marriage, in his war against error 
 and corruption with tlie pagan world, when he 
 shook Europe to its ver)^ centre with the great 
 truths of God’s glorious Book, one of the weapons 
 he used with especial delight was the Epistle to the 
 Galatians, which he called “Katharine von Bora,” 
 in honor of his much-admired wife. While we 
 were looking at this family group, some man 
 walked up and addressed this question to Luther’s 
 youngest son, who was nearest to him, “Buddy, 
 what is your name?” 
 
 The eye fell with horror upon a scene not very 
 far -off, one of great historical interest, and that 
 was the wax representation of the execution of 
 Marie Antoinette on the awful guillotine. There 
 she stands in her queenly beauty, splendidly attired, 
 surrounded by her assassinators, who gazed first 
 at the condemned woman, and then at the awful 
 instrument of execution, as they put to her the final 
 questions. 
 
 She was executed October i6, 1793, just one 
 hundred years ago this month. She was the wife 
 of Louis XVI., who also lost his life on the same 
 guillotine, together wdth eighteen hundred aristo- 
 crats. This guillotine seen at the World’s Eair w'^as 
 the only one ever on exhibition in the United 
 States. 
 
 32 
 
SECOND DAY 
 
 A wax representation of Christ and the Samari- 
 tan woman at the Well of Sychar was exhibited in 
 the Moorish Palace. At a little distance across the 
 room were images of Napoleon L, Queen Victoria, 
 her son, the Prince of Wales and future king of 
 Great Britain, and his wife ; the Czar of Russia, 
 Presidents Grant and Harrison, and in magnificent 
 wax, with white flowing robes, was the aged Pope 
 Leo XIIL, the Pope of the united Catholic order, 
 an immediate descendant of Leo X., the Pope ar 
 the time of the Reformation. 
 
 The assassination of Lincoln, with all of its 
 attending horrors, the falling victim, the blood 
 dripping from the wound, the anguish of his coun- 
 tenance, the evidence of pain, etc., were all brought 
 out by the skill of the workers in wax. It is 
 recalled that while in his private box in Ford’s 
 Theatre, Washington, D. C., in company with his 
 wife and a gentleman friend. President Lincoln 
 was shot by a man named Booth, who made his 
 escape by leaping for his life from the gallery of the 
 Theatre, but rvas afterwards caught. There was 
 also the wax statue of Frederick IT, the Great, 
 dubbed by his people, on account of his intellect and 
 attainments, “The Incomparable.” How wonder- 
 ful is the skill of a man’s hand, behind which is an 
 ingenious brain as seen in all of these beautiful wax 
 
 33 
 
FOUR DAYS AT CHICAGO 
 
 designs, iDringing- np the fact with almost speaking 
 splendor to the mind and vision of the interested 
 spectator. Amused as well as edified, you pass 
 down from the second floor of the Moorish Palace 
 to the first, only to become entangled for the second 
 time in the maze of mirrors; but your time is 
 limited, so some attentive guide “gathers you to- 
 gether,” and leads you through the right door out 
 into Midway Plaisance, when you breathe once 
 more the pure oxygen of the air. Being thus re- 
 freshed, and determined to make the best use of 
 your time, you start for Hagenbeck’s Wild Animal 
 Theatre, to see one of the best exhibits of trained 
 animals and birds ever brought in this country to 
 the attention of the public. 
 
 As you walk hurriedly along Midway Plaisance 
 your eye falls on a yellow building, two or three 
 stories high. On the front near the top are written 
 these words, “Plagenbeck’s Wild Animal Theatre,” 
 and just underneath this sign, embedded in the 
 wall fifteen feet above ground, is a large iron cage 
 containing a nervous lion and a quiet lioness. You 
 have found the place. The ticket agent’s window 
 is right by the entrance. Pay fifty cents admission, 
 go along in with many others, walk around the 
 circular interior of the first floor, and see the ani- 
 mals in cages, the leopard lying down with the 
 
 34 
 
SECOND DAY 
 
 lamb, the lion with the panther, the bear with the 
 dog, and the monkey with the lioness. 
 
 Watch the trained animals in their remarkable 
 performances. Look at the jumping dog, the rid- 
 ing bear, as he sticks to the back of the horse that 
 gallops around the circle. 
 
 Behold the snake-charmer, with a tremendous 
 rattlesnake wrapped around his neck and shoulders, 
 as he gently strokes the head of his pet ; see the 
 smart tricks of the little red-capped monkey, and 
 those of his larger brother; witness all the gym- 
 nastic performances of the trained animals; look 
 with wonder upon the numerous c|uadrupeds and 
 creeping' thing's brought from the mountains, the 
 wildernesses, and the forests, and when your time is 
 up go somewhere else, although you might be in- 
 clined to stay longer in Hagenbeck's Midway 
 House. 
 
 The Irish Village next confronts you. This, 
 of course, brings before your eye the home-life of 
 Irishmen in the Old Country. “Pat” was seen in 
 different trades and professions. Those who 
 needed the inspiration necessary to join the society 
 of the smooth-tongued flatterer found their way to 
 the Blarney-stone, and after kissing it went on their 
 way rejoicing. 
 
 Saint Peter’s Cathedral may be seen near the 
 
 35 
 
FOUR DAYS AT CHICAGO 
 
 Ferris Wheel. This is of magnificent construction, 
 and has as exterior front ornaments statues of sev- 
 eral of the apostles — Paul, Simon, Thaddeus and 
 Peter. 
 
 If not too weary, go into a nearby building to 
 see the Gold Mining Process of Colorado, showing 
 work done minutely and elaborately with machin- 
 ery made for separating purposes. The machinery 
 separates gold, when dug out of the earth, from the 
 dirt and every other intimate metal. In this pro- 
 cess, as represented, men are seen working way 
 down in the bowels of the earth, getting out the 
 precious dust to gratify the wishes of the rich and 
 poor, the great and small. 
 
 May we not leave Midway Plaisance with the 
 feeling that it is a very attractive place; and, al- 
 though we could stay there much longer and be 
 entertained, let us visit some of the great buildings 
 equalling, if not surpassing, those visited the first 
 day. 
 
 We find ourselves, after a walk of several hun- 
 dred yards from Midway, in the Transportation 
 Building. It gets its name from the use of its con- 
 tents, which transport people from one place to 
 another. In it may be seen almost every vehicle of 
 travel used by man. You are struck, on entering, 
 with the great exhibit of the Pennsylvania Railroad 
 
 36 
 
SECOND DAY 
 
 Company. There stands, in all of its modern splen- 
 dor, a steam engine from New York, the great 
 Empire State, with wheels eight or ten feet in diam- 
 eter, with a weight of 240,000 pounds, and with a 
 speed of 1 12 miles an hour. Right by the side of 
 this iron horse, with muscles of steel and breath of 
 steam, stands a modest, breathless engine made in 
 1831, sixty-two years ago. The coaches to which 
 it was attached were as ancient and as insignificant 
 looking as their leader. They were but little better 
 looking than the old-time ante helium two-horse 
 carriage, and but little larger. What a contrast was 
 thus presented between the former and the present 
 vehicles of railway transportation ! 
 
 Thus the progress of a half-century was very 
 clearly brought to the eyes and mind of the World's 
 Fair visitor. Besides this, there were many small, 
 but beautiful boats, of perfect construction, enclosed 
 in glass cases, representing the seaworthy transpor- 
 tation vehicles of a great company. How skillfully 
 made were the miniature ships (in glass cases), 
 representing the ships of every country’s navy. 
 The products of the Northern Pacific coast were 
 handsomely exhibited in four unusually large cars 
 from the State of Pennsylvania. The boy who 
 loves the bicycle method of transportation is readily 
 attracted in this building by the presence of “The 
 
 37 
 
FOUR DAYS AT CHICAGO 
 
 Victor,” ‘‘The Columbia,” “The Western,” “The 
 Raleigh” bicycles. Who was not struck, when 
 looking among the wheels, with the picture of Zim- 
 merman, and that of his “Raleigh” bicycle, with 
 which he had won seventy-five prizes, the majority 
 of them gold medals, all of which were on exhibi- 
 tion ? It was a great treat to see every variety of 
 carriage, buggy, sulky, dog-cart, driving-cart, and 
 electric machines both ancient and modern. 
 
 Lord Mayor’s dress coach, most elegantly orna- 
 mented both on the interior and exterior, painted 
 black and blue in the main, with golden stripes and 
 trimmings, and altogether very handsomely con- 
 structed and offered for sale at a cost of twelve 
 hundred and seventy dollars, was one of the most 
 beautiful carriages on exbibition. 
 
 Canada sleds of good finish attracted the atten- 
 tion of the small boy, who loves the snow, but his 
 heart fell when he noticed that if he bought one, it 
 would cost him a hundred dollars, so he passed on 
 to see Mexican horses in wood, with wax riders, 
 clothed in Mexican costume, seated on fine Mexican 
 saddles, and showing forth the life that the Mexi- 
 can loves above everything else. Let’s be satisfied 
 with what we have seen in the Transportation 
 Building and elsewhere on the Fair Grounds to-day. 
 Get a bicycle and transport yourself away from the 
 
 38 
 
SECOND DAY 
 
 Transportation Building, for you will be trans- 
 ported by some one else if you don't, because the 
 door-keepers are yelling “All out,” “all out,” and 
 are making preparations to lock the doors for the 
 night. 
 
 Find your way to-night to Park Gate Hotel 
 right near the Fair Grounds, get a warm supper, 
 e\'en though it is late, enjoy what is set before you, 
 thank a kind Providence for the pleasure of the day, 
 as well as for His care extended, commit yourself 
 to his protection for the hours that you are to rest 
 in silence, for “He neither slumbers nor sleeps,” 
 and gentl}^ pass over into the land of nod, without 
 feeling any necessity whatever of a dose of IMrs. 
 'Whnslow’s Soothing Syrup. Thy pillow will be 
 soft, though it be a clod ! 
 
 39 
 
FOUR DAYS AT CHICAGO 
 
 CHAPTER III 
 Third Day 
 
 P to-day with a bounce, and get breakfast 
 of coffee, buckwheat cakes, biscuits and 
 steak at 7 ; 30 o'clock, and off to the Fair 
 Grounds by 8 o’clock ! The crowds are 
 pouring in at the different gates. See all you can 
 to-day, for one-half your time in Chicago has gone, 
 and there is a great deal yet you want to see. It 
 will be pleasant to go into the Minifig Building this 
 morning. Just on the outside is a fine advertise- 
 ment of what may be seen within, and that is a 
 tremendous lilock of coal, weighing several tons. 
 As we enter this building, containing samples of the 
 wealth of the bowels of the earth, we may inspect 
 every variety of the minerals, rocks, stones, asbes- 
 tos ore, iron, tin, copper, lead, brass, gold, and more 
 than one kind of coal. How splendid is the marble 
 of several sorts and from several places ! The 
 marble statuary was exquisite, notably the statue 
 of “Liberty,” holding in her hand a light enlighten- 
 ing the world. Marble mantel-pieces and tomb- 
 
 40 
 
THIRD DAY 
 
 stones, from the mines of Italy, were highly pol- 
 ished and pleasing to the aesthetic e}^e. Close to 
 Pennsylvania’s advertisement, which was an im- 
 mense pyramid of coal, we noticed carefully a statue 
 of Lot’s wife in salt. As we looked at it, we were 
 not only mindful of the fact that we were in the 
 Mining Building at the World’s Fair, but we re- 
 called the familiar biblical warning, “Remember 
 Lot’s wife,’’ so we passed on and didn't look back, 
 but went forward and examined a wonderful in- 
 strument for extracting gold from the gravel de- 
 posits of the river in gold regions. It is called 
 “The Amalgamating Machine,’’ and was exhibited 
 by the State of Wisconsin. 
 
 The Administration Building is not far from 
 the Mining Building, and is a good place in which 
 to rest. And as this is Italian Day at the World’s 
 Fair, let’s sit for a moment in front of it, and listen 
 to sweet music rendered by several Italian bands. 
 What fine musicians the Italians are ! 
 
 did not find very much variety in the Ad- 
 ministration Building. The offices of the managers 
 of the Fair, a bank, and a telegraph station, to- 
 gether with a small house eighteen feet long, nine 
 and a half feet wide and forty-two inches high, 
 called “The United States Treasury,’’ and made of 
 Columbian silver half dollars — the sides, top and 
 
 41 
 
FOUR DAYS AT CHICAGO 
 
 all made of this money and very suggestive — were 
 the only objects of interest we saw in the Adminis- 
 tration Building. 
 
 Who is not interested in the Electricity Build- 
 ing, exhibiting one of the greatest wonders of the 
 many wonders at the Fair? 
 
 The graphophone and phonograph invented by 
 Edison, perhaps the greatest genius of the nine- 
 teenth century, were most attractive factors in the 
 electrical exhibit. 
 
 The different uses to which electricity is put in 
 operating machinery and turning night into day 
 were splendidly demonstrated. It was a privilege to 
 enter this building at night and enjoy the wonder- 
 ful play and display of electricity in the variegated 
 revolving lenses of several feet in circumference, as 
 well as the pillars supporting this immense house, 
 thickly covered with red, white and blue electric 
 globes, and then watch it playing in curves, then up- 
 ward and downward and finally pass in three shades 
 across the entire building that covers several acres. 
 
 Those who saw this declared that the nineteenth 
 century is indeed the century of progress and en- 
 lightenment. 
 
 The largest of all the buildings next meets our 
 view, and this is the Manufacturing Building, cov- 
 ering an area of forty acres. Think of it ! 
 
 42 
 
THIRD DAY 
 
 Here we find the handiwork of man in every 
 shape and form. Yon will notice with deep interest 
 the school exhibits of art, the maps and other draw- 
 ings, the work of the pupils of our land ; that done 
 by the students in blind asylums was especially 
 good. The books and instruments with which they 
 studied, the chairs, brooms, carpets, mattresses and 
 brushes that they made solicited the admiring atten- 
 tion of all who were fortunate enough to see the 
 results of the efforts of those devoid of vision. 
 Their books and maps were so made with raised 
 letters as to enable them by the sense of touch to 
 locate accurately with their fingers the situation of 
 cities, and the location of rivers, lakes and oceans. 
 
 We noticed with care, but not with pleasure, the 
 exhibit of images. The Good Book, to which we 
 cling and by the teachings of which all should 
 earnestly strive to live, tells us, in the twentieth 
 chapter of Exodus, what our attitude must be to- 
 ward graven images : “Thou shalt not make unto 
 thee a graven image, nor the likeness of any form 
 that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth 
 beneath, or that is in the water under the earth ; 
 thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor 
 serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous 
 God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the 
 children, unto the third and fourth generations of 
 
 43 
 
FOUR DAYS AT CHICAGO 
 
 them that hate me ; and showing mercy unto thou- 
 sands of them tliat love me and keep my com- 
 mandments.” 
 
 To those impressed with this great command, 
 and the necessity of obeying it, the sight of the im- 
 age of our Lord made of wax, lying in a sepulchre, 
 with gash in his side and nail-prints in his hands 
 and in his feet, and another of brass suspended 
 from the cross, produced the feeling of keen sorrow 
 that his memory should be treated with irrever- 
 ence by dragging his body thus into the common 
 affairs of the world, and that his sacred command 
 should be shamefully disobeyed. Along with these 
 two images there were fifteen others of different 
 styles representing the Son of Mary. 
 
 Not very far from these images, in the Manu- 
 facturing Building, there hung upon the wall some 
 fine pictures, such as “A Later Day Moses,” “The 
 Evening Zephyr,” “Gretchen,” “Buffalo Bill,” and 
 a fifth called “In Bondage,” a painting showing 
 submission on the part of a caged lion. 
 
 One thing after another comes before the eye in 
 this tremendous house, and we were struck particu- 
 larly with the shrewdness of a firm known as the 
 Rothschilds Bros., in advertising their clothing in 
 a very ingeneous way. It was this : President 
 Cleveland and his Cabinet are all in wax, sitting 
 
 44 
 
THIRD DAY 
 
 together, nicely attired in Rothschilds Bros.’ cloth- 
 ing. The President has a check in his hand ready 
 to pay for the clothes of Carlisle, Smith, Lamont, 
 Olney, Gresham, Bissell, Morton, Herbert and his 
 own. Adjacent to this was an amusing advertise- 
 ment in wax, of a little boy, jumping over a fence. 
 A bull-dog has gotten after him, and as was natural 
 he ran for a fence, and as he leaps to the top of the 
 fence the dog grabs him and tears a piece from the 
 seat of his new trousers, but doesn’t tear the skin. 
 The little fellow looks back, and is sad because a 
 part of his pants has gone, and glad because he got 
 off the fence with no greater loss. 
 
 In concluding the brief account of the contents 
 of the Manufacturing Building, let it be said that 
 anything from a cambric needle in a woman’s work 
 basket to a colossal engine from the Empire State 
 may be found ; that the official classification of its 
 contents shows that there are two hundred and 
 fourteen classes, divided into forty-six groups, in- 
 cluding chemical supplies, glassware, silverware, 
 goldware, rubber goods, scales, vaults, leather 
 goods, plumbing and sanitary materials, and many, 
 many other things and every other thing that is 
 manufactured. It would require a book larger than 
 the twenty-volume Encyclopedia Britannica to con- 
 tain them. You leave the building wonder-struck 
 
 45 
 
FOUR DAYS AT CHICAGO 
 
 at its great size and enormous contents. It is three 
 times larger than that great building St. Peters 
 Cathedral in Rome, and is the largest building in 
 the world. Its unparalleled size makes it the archi- 
 tectural wonder of this planet. 
 
 Take now a drink of Brazilian coffee that dif- 
 fers from the coffee used in America in that it is 
 very much stronger, and a shell waffle from Costa 
 Rica, with which you are refreshed, and if you are 
 a woman, go to “The AVoman’s Building,” and 
 spend hours looking at hats and dresses and cloaks, 
 embroidery, lace work, and the like, thus obtaining 
 topics for almost an endless conversation ; but if 
 you are a man, spend only a few minutes, which are 
 enough to satisfy a man’s curiosity about woman’s 
 work. 
 
 You are now in a building devoted exclusively 
 to woman and woman’s woi'k. This is indeed a 
 step in the line of progress for the gentler sex; as 
 in the past, woman’s place at expositions has 
 scarcely been so prominent. Here every article of 
 work peculiar to woman is exhibited in an attrac- 
 tive way. Twenty-hve organizations composed of 
 women have been allotted space in this handsome 
 structure of pure white. 
 
 We are through with the woman’s building, and 
 as we look out through the door we find that the 
 
 46 
 
THIRD DAY 
 
 United States battle-ship invites inspection. The 
 United States Navy presents an unique exhibit in 
 the form of a faithful, full-sized model of one of 
 the new coast-line battle-ships. It is an imitation 
 built on piling, off the shore of Lake Michigan. 
 Surrounded by water, it gives the appearance of 
 being moored to a wharf. The model is an exact 
 reproduction of the coast-line battle-ship Illinois. 
 It is manned by a crew detailed by the government. 
 It was an object of great interest to strangers. 
 
 The clock is now striking 5 p. m. It has been 
 raining ever since 12 o'clock noon. 
 
 I have not stopped for the rain, and am as wet 
 as if I had been immersed. The climate is very 
 changeable in Chicago. It reminds me of the state- 
 ment I heard once from the lips of an oft-discarded 
 old bachelor. He said, “If there is one thing certain 
 about certain young ladies it is that they are uncer- 
 tain.” If there is one thing certain about the cli- 
 mate of Chicago, it is that it is uncertain. But an- 
 other thing is certain, and that is that the people of 
 Chicago certainly know how to do their part in 
 preparing for a great Exposition of the Woidd’s 
 Wonders. Well! although having gotten wet, and 
 having sneezed with my sneezer until my head is 
 going around at the rate of fifty miles a minute, I 
 am determined to face the storm without overshoes, 
 
 47 
 
FOUR DAYS AT CHICAGO 
 
 gum-coat or umbrella; so off I go to the hotel to 
 make preparation for comfortable admission into 
 Buffalo Bill’s Wild West at 8 o’clock to-night. Get 
 supper after getting dry, and then at 7 ; 30 o’clock 
 buy your ticket in order to get a good seat. Get a 
 pair of opera glasses so as to be well fixed for ob- 
 serving everything that William F. Cody (Buffalo 
 Bill ) has to present. 
 
 The first thing on the programme was the open- 
 ing speech by the orator, L. J. Loving, who, we 
 suppose, makes the same oratorical display at every 
 place where Buffalo Bill unfolds his experience in 
 the West. The grand review of one hundred rough 
 riders of the world was next introduced and 
 watched with spell-bound interest. These riders 
 were soldiers of the armies of the United States, 
 England, France, Germany and Russia. The 
 riders were placed in companies, each company 
 having its own captain, and advancing in the order 
 of announcement. 
 
 Miss Annie Oakley, the celebrated shot, next 
 illustrated her dexterity in the use of fire-arms. 
 Glass balls were the victims of her skill ; almost 
 without fail, whenever she fired with gun, pistol or 
 rifle, the balls being thrown in the air wouldn’t 
 reach the ground in a whole condition. She would 
 shoot with her gun, with her body in various posi- 
 
 48 
 
THIRD DAY 
 
 tions. She is the most celebrated shot on this con- 
 tinent. 
 
 A horse race between a Cossack, a Mexican, an 
 Arab, and an Indian, on Spanish-Mexican, Bron- 
 cho, Russian, Indian and Arabian horses, next 
 amused a large gathering of sight-seers, and this 
 item alone was worth more than the cost of a ticket. 
 
 Buffalo Bill has had, in the years gone by, exten- 
 sive experience with the Indians of the West, so he 
 had a prairie emigrant train brought out, and while 
 crossing the plains, was attacked by Indians, and 
 repulsed by Buffalo Bill with scouts and cowboys. 
 This held the undivided attention of the people, 
 who were delighted with representations of West- 
 ern adventurers that occurred thirty-five years ago. 
 
 Racing between Prairie, Spanish and Indian 
 girls was next witnessed, and they convinced us 
 of their skill as riders, and showed the many spec- 
 tators that they were even equestrienne wonders. 
 
 The wild and queer customs of the Indians of 
 the far West were splendidly illustrated by real 
 Indians, so that those who had never seen their 
 copper-colored neighbors, but had read historical 
 accounts of them were charmed to see that history 
 was correct in its portrayal of the character and 
 customs of American Aborigines. 
 
 The hunt for the wild Buffalo as it is done in 
 
 49 
 
FOUR DAYS AT CHICAGO 
 
 the West was a real thing. The animals were 
 turned loose, anti snch excitement in capturing 
 them yon never saw before. This ^was done by 
 William Cody and his trained Indians. 
 
 Buffalo Bill next appeared alone upon horse- 
 back, and as he merged upon the scene it was under 
 the hearty applause of thousands of interested 
 spectators. 7\s he rode around the large circle, at 
 different points stood men who, as he passed, threw 
 glass balls in tbe air, at which he aimed and shot, 
 and which he struck, scarcely missing one while 
 his horse was running. He thus plainly showed his 
 remarkaljle dexterity in this attractive feat of sharp- 
 shooting. 
 
 The conclusion of the evening programme was 
 “The Battle of the Little Big Horn,” which was a 
 representation of Custer's last charge. 
 
 There were other features of the Wild Wes* 
 exhibit worthy of mention, and would be recorded 
 here, but enough has been given to the reader to 
 show that Buffalo Bill’s exhibition is not a sham, 
 but interesting in every particular. His perform- 
 ances always come up to the expectation of his audi- 
 ences. 
 
 We will say good-night to Buffalo Bill, and turn 
 faces towards the night’s lodging-place, as it is 
 already past 1 1 o’clock. As we turn under the 
 
THIRD DAY 
 
 cover of a boarding house bed, and close our eyes, 
 visions of Indians and horses and buffaloes and 
 guns and glass balls, and emigrant trains crossing 
 the plains come to us with a freshness that will not 
 die away with hours of the night, but will last for 
 years to come. 
 
 It is earnestly hoped that the kind reader has 
 not become weary with the third day's stay in 
 Chicago; if so, let him retire until to-morrow, and 
 be ready for the fourth and last day of sight-seeing 
 at the World’s Fair. 
 
 51 
 
FOUR DAYS AT CHICAGO 
 
 CHAPTER IV 
 Fourth Day 
 
 N the presentation of argument for the 
 support of propositions in the presence 
 of a jury of twelve men, or that to sus- 
 tain statements with regard to heavenly 
 revelation, it is said that the strongest line of argu- 
 ment should be saved for the last, and be used as 
 the clincher. The writer may not be able in this 
 little presentation of what he saw at Chicago, to 
 convince his readers that the last day was the best, 
 but one thing is true, and it is this, that whether or 
 not the contents of the Art Building and Music 
 Blall shall be clearly described, his greatest pleas- 
 ure was realized in these two buildings. What was 
 seen here has made a more lasting impression upon 
 his mind and heart than the things seen elsewhere. 
 
 On the principle that “variety is the spice of 
 life,” the last day was particularly pleasant, since 
 the secular enjoyments were interspersed with the 
 religious. I heard to-day in the Music Hall a ser- 
 mon of great eloquence, simplicity and power, and 
 
 52 
 
FOURTH DAY 
 
 saw things that impress the reality of life upon the 
 mind and heart, but we will have more of this 
 later on. 
 
 Let us go into the splendid Art Building, that 
 holds under its towering roof and within its wide 
 walls the art treasures of this great world. It 
 covers an area of five acres, and is unlike the other 
 buildings in that it is made of brick, and is claimed 
 by its architect, who had it constructed with iron 
 roof, galleries and floors, to be fire-proof. The 
 main entrances are through four large doorways, 
 handsomely ornamented with carved work, and 
 approached by large and wide flights of steps. The 
 walls are extensively painted in different designs, 
 illustrating the history and progress of the arts. 
 
 The contents consist, in the main, of sculpture, 
 paintings in oil and in water colors, on ivory, 
 enamel, metal, porcelain and other ware. There 
 were also fresco paintings, engravings, prints and 
 etchings, drawings in chalk, charcoal and pastel, 
 carvings antique and modern, engravings in medal- 
 lions or in gems ; there were cameos and intaglios. 
 Besides, there were many private collections of 
 paintings. All of these were wonderful, and 
 charmed the eye and gladdened the hearts of all 
 lovers of the beautiful, and even made the non- 
 lovers of art say that they were “very good,” and 
 
 53 
 
FOUR DAYS AT CHICAGO 
 
 that they would like to have a few of them in their 
 parlors. 
 
 You would probably like for the writer to de- 
 scribe briefly several of the thousands of pictures 
 that he was delighted to look upon. 
 
 One of magnificent execution was called 
 “Bringing I-Iome the Bride.” With the groom she 
 enters the home of her newly wedded husband’s 
 mother, who greets her with the accustomed kiss 
 and motherly-in-law embrace and cordial words of 
 welcome to a place in the family circle. The father 
 and sister of the groom have already met the new 
 daughter and sister, and are represented as talking 
 in congratulatory tones to the groom in conse- 
 quence of his achievement, and of their belief that 
 they will love the new-comer. Just in front of 
 where the bride was standing was a flight of steps, 
 and two negroes with hats and coats of¥ were as- 
 cending, carrying the baggage up to the bride’s new 
 quarters. An old bachelor standing by this picture 
 remarked, “All’s well that ends well.” This beauti- 
 ful painting commanded great attention and ad- 
 miration. 
 
 The next painting was not one that pleasingly 
 impressed the spectator. It was far from represent- 
 ing the happiness of a newly-wedded pair. It was 
 one of tremendous size, and called “The Flagel- 
 
 54 
 
FOURTH DAY 
 
 lants.” The Flagellants were a fanatical sect which 
 arose in Italy in the year of onr Lord 1260. They 
 maintained that flagellation was of equal virtue 
 with the sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s Sup- 
 per. In the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries 
 there were many of these self-torturers in Southern 
 Europe. This picture was a representation of the 
 awful and painful practice of bodily punishment 
 believed to he conducive to spiritual advance- 
 ment. 
 
 “A British Funeral” was another expressive 
 painting. 
 
 “Rent Day” was amusing in the extreme. As 
 Homer portra3'ed with his pen the character and 
 achievements of his heroes in glowing colors, so the 
 artist of “Rent Day” portrayed with his brush, in 
 almost speaking terms, two old Southern darkies, a 
 hero and heroine of the cotton-fields and corn-rows. 
 They were renters, and had worked hard for a }^ear. 
 They had just received their “pay” for their crops, 
 and with heads close together are sitting on a bench 
 counting the money, cent b}' cent, while their land- 
 lord stands before them waiting to receive his rent 
 money. 
 
 To the writer the finest painting in the great 
 Art Building was the “Breaking of Home Ties.” 
 It is a touching scene that carried many a man back 
 
FOUR DAYS AT CHICAGO 
 
 to the days of his first experience with that most 
 dreadful of all sicknesses, namely, home-sickness. 
 A hoy in his teens is leaving home for the first time 
 to enter the wide world for weal or woe. The 
 mother, the best friend a boy ever had, is standing 
 by him with her hands on his shoulders, giving him 
 sweet, tender and parting words of admonition. 
 We could almost hear her say, “My son, be strong 
 and shew thyself a man;” “Remember now thy 
 Creator in the days of thy youth;” “Fear God and 
 keep his commandments.” The boy’s head is hang- 
 ing down, and his eye is fastened upon some spot on 
 the floor, as he takes in the situation, lays his 
 mother’s advice up in his heart, and feels keenly the 
 sadness of leaving home and breaking the home 
 ties. His older brotlier is standing at the door of 
 the room, with the young man’s satchel, and is 
 looking toward him as much as to say, “Let’s be off, 
 it’s almost train time.” The sister, too full for ut- 
 terance, is leaning on the arm of a chair, stroking 
 the pet kitten as it fondly lies on her left arm. The 
 father has turned his face away from the scene of 
 the parting mother and boy, to hide the tears of sor- 
 row falling over the departure of his affectionate 
 son. No picture perhaps has ever attracted greater 
 attention. 
 
 The Art Building and contents will always be 
 S6 
 
FOURTH DAY 
 
 fresh in the minds of the thousands of visitors at 
 the World’s Fair. 
 
 Pass with me out of the Art Building, through 
 the moving, surging crowd, on through the exit, 
 out of the Fair Grounds; catch a street car that 
 goes down town, and tell the conductor to put you 
 off at the Central Music Hall, where the great 
 evangelist, Dwight L. Moody, has been preaching 
 for several months to large and interested audi- 
 ences. 
 
 It wasn’t my pleasure to hear Mr. Moody, but 
 as thousands of God’s people listened to him, many 
 of them doubtless thought of Ruskin’s words as 
 fitting Mr. Moody, the preacher known and loved 
 by the world, namely, “Oh ! it is great, and there 
 is no other greatness, to make one nook of God’s 
 creation more fruitful, better, more worthy of God ; 
 to make some human heart a little wiser, nobler, 
 happier, more blessed.’’ 
 
 I expected to hear Mr. Moody, but instead 
 heard Rev. Dr. John Hall, the distinguished Pres- 
 byterian minister of New York City. The hall was 
 crowded ; the great stage in the rear of the pulpit 
 was made beautiful by the sight and singing of 
 hundreds of Christian men and women, who lifted 
 their voices in aiding the man of God in his attempt 
 to bring the devotions of the great congregation 
 
 57 
 
FOUR DAYS AT CHICAGO 
 
 before One who sat upon the throne ready to hear 
 prayer and praise. 
 
 Dr. Hall preached on the great things of the 
 gospel, taking as his text Romans vi. 26 : “But now 
 being made free from sin, and liecome servants to 
 God, ye have your fruit unto holiness and the end 
 everlasting life.” It was a masterpiece of truth, 
 simplicity, eloquence and power. He brought out 
 God’s grace in freeing his followers from the bond- 
 age of sin, so that they, though sinful after accept- 
 ing the Redeemer by faith, were not slaves to sin ; 
 then he dwelt on the great fact of God’s people 
 serving him wjth singleness of heart ; then he un- 
 folded the scriptural meaning of the great doctrine 
 of sanctification, “your fruit unto holiness and 
 enforced as his last thought the fact of God’s gift to 
 these he calls according to his purpose, namely, 
 everlasting life. It was so simple a child could 
 understand it. During the course of his sermon 
 he illustrated the lesson of “fruit unto holiness” by 
 relating the experience of a poor widowed mother 
 in her efforts to advance the interests of her only 
 son. 
 
 This mother went before the faculty of a West- 
 ern college, and said, “Gentlemen, I have a hoy 
 whom I am anxious to educate. I am a widow 
 without means, hut am willing to do anything that 
 
 58 
 
FOURTH DAY 
 
 is honorable to earn the money with which to pay 
 for my boy’s education. I am willing to come to 
 the college with my son and do the washing of the 
 students here if you will just let my boy enter and 
 take the prescribed course.” 
 
 The faculty considered the woman’s appeal and 
 quickly decided, with unanimity, to accede to her 
 request. They said, “All right. Madam, you may 
 bring your boy and take the laundry work of the 
 students.” 
 
 When September came the noble widow, with 
 her only son, was on the college grounds. She 
 entered the boy as a student, and she, entered upon 
 her duties as college washerwoman. The boy 
 labored hard, and the mother’s labors were no less 
 arduous. They both toiled on, the one anxious, 
 and the other grateful. At the end of the first ses- 
 sion the boy was distinguished in all of his studies, 
 but, ah ! that mother was none the less distin- 
 guished. The second session passed, and at the end 
 of it they were both distinguished, the one as a stu- 
 dent, the other as a servant. 
 
 They entered upon the third session with their 
 minds and hearts full of their work, and at the 
 close of this session the boy led his class, and the 
 mother was distinguished for fidelity in her humble 
 vocation. 
 
 59 
 
FOUR DAYS AT CHICAGO 
 
 The fourth session came, and during its months 
 there was no idleness on the part of mother and 
 son. At the end of this last session there were two 
 celebrated inmates of that college wall. There was 
 only one medal given, and that to the first honor 
 man, who was crowned with gold, while the humble 
 mother was crowned with glory, the glory reflected 
 in the achievements and love of a worthy son. 
 
 The closing exercises of the school were held. 
 Glad young hearts gathered in the college hall. 
 The programme was carried out, and it was an- 
 nounced that this boy had received the medal. 
 There was applause from all the students, whose 
 hearts swelled with delight that he was the recipi- 
 ent. He arose to receive the prize of distinction, 
 to wdiich was attached a piece of ribbon. He 
 gracefully acknowdedged his appreciation, walked 
 down the long crowded aisle, pushed his way to the 
 rear of the building, where, on the last bench there 
 sat an humble woman, thinly clad in a calico dress. 
 He took the medal, slipped it around his mother’s 
 neck, and as he did it, said, “Here, mother, this is 
 yours : take it and wear it; had it not been for you, 
 I would never have gotten it ; take it and wear it in 
 token of the gratitude of your son.” 
 
 As the preacher used these last words, all eyes 
 in the great Music Hall were clouded with tears. 
 
 6o 
 
FOURTH DAY 
 
 After the sermon the people left with the thought 
 thus expressed, “Ah! ’tis great to make one nook 
 of God’s creation more fruitful, better, more 
 worthy of God ; to make some human heart a little 
 wiser, nobler, happier, more blessed.” 
 
 There may be few, there may be many, who, in 
 one way or another, from month to month, and 
 year to }^ear, will read this little book, brief and 
 imperfect in its description of the things seen at 
 the World’s Fair. It goes forth on its mission, 
 accompanied with the prayer that some good in the 
 way of information imparted, and truths related, 
 may be done by it, and that its sale may aid in a 
 realization of the hopes of those who have on foot 
 a most worthy plan for the material improvement 
 of the sanctuary in which they worship. 
 
 The writer left Chicago at half after 2 o’clock, 
 October 14, 1893, rejoicing that he had had the 
 trip ; spent Sunday in Cincinnati, Ohio, and 
 reached his home in Virginia the next day at noon. 
 The four days spent in Chicago will ever be remem- 
 bered as days of much pleasure and great profit. 
 
 May the recollection of them never grow dim ! 
 
 61 
 

 
 
 
 
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