THE HESPERIAN.
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independents and democrats by republicans, nfter vending
like charges against republicans by independents and demo
crats, after watching the adroit coddling of the independents
by the democrats, and after seeing the independents cast
back nothing but saucy epithets for all the caresses of the
democrats, after reading and beholding all this and more of
like kind' in unlimited quantiy, we are told that this is in "off
year'1. Aye, even so.
But may a gracious .Providence spare us an "on year"
two years hence if it is to be proportioned to this "off year".
No candidate's reputation will be worth a sour peanut then if
the present rancor is to continue. If a person were to read
one side only of the present campaigning he would have
great reason to become afflicted "with a violent case of the
blues. He would have to regard his owu men as angels, but
those on the other side as demons. And so between the two
there would be for him but little chance on this earth or else
where. Things must surely go to the dogs. And then if he
turns to the opposite sides and read, he will find his own men
rated as demons or worse, and the other side as the angels,
which will he believe? Neither, probably, hut class them
all with the bad. He alone a mugwump, a shining example
of sublime conceit, will remain to represent the good. And
thus matters go in an "off year" in politics. Politics, we
fear, arc continually becoming more "ofi" than "on" and
more "on" than "off". A seeming pnrodox, yet not a par
adox; for politics, though "off" in quality, may be terribly
"on" in quantity. This, undoubtedly is the state ol the case
this year.
the EiGirrn wonder of the wonw).
A Trip to the Slonx City Corn I'aIhoo.
In the mind of the average man corn is thought of as being
used only, or, at least, mostly to make corn meal and fire
water. Those persons that have made a trip to the Sioux
City corn palace at any time since the idea was first consum
mated by the erection, in 1887, of a splendid palace, decorated
with corn, have had their views in regard to the uses corn may
be put to, greatly broadened. This corn palace idea origin
ated in Sioux City, the first one was built in Sioux City, and
since the latter event each succeeding palace lias been the
means of advertising to a very great extent Sioux City itself.
It is not my purpose to advertise this city but certainly great
credit is due her for originating a plan that has made her
known almost all over the civilized world and has advertised,
not only Sioux City, but the remainder of the west. The pal
ace this year was much nicer than the palace of any preceding
year. It is really wonderful what very fine artistic work ma
be done with corn. A stalk of corn as it grows in the field
fwith the car, husks, leaves and all on is not a specially beau
tiful thing. It js not admired any more than the other pro
ducts Tnaffgrow around it. Let this same stalk of corn,
together with many others, be placed in the hands of a decor
ating committee, let this committee have a large, well-modelled
frame build'ng to work upon and, after the decorating is fin
ished, give to the whole structure the name of corn palace and
their stands before you a work of art as was the Grecian archi
tecture of old. Thus we have the outside of the building com
plcted. Within all is more wonderful, more beautiful, and if
possible more artistic. The work on the inside is not so
coarse. It forms a splendid picture gallery. Works of art are
there in abundance. Work done in corn that is nearly as fine,
both in outline and expression, as some of the finest paintings.
I will now go more into detail in regard to the palace recog
nising, however, my inability to do justice to such a grand
structure.
Before reaching Sioux City one may sec high over the city
the dome of the palace having on top a large cornucopia which
is 280 feet from the ground. Approaching the palace from
the south its extraordinary beauty forces one to exclaim "How
magnificent!" The question immediately arises "How can
so much work be done in so short a time?" for it really seems
as though it would require an army working a long time to
accomplish so much. Lining the streets on cither side arc
fakes, fakirs and other fakes. These, however, arc not, noticed
until the corn palace is thoroughly studied inside rind out.
They arc not passed by, however, altogether. O no! every 0:1c
patronizes them before leaving in order to encourage them and
induce them to come back again the next year, for n corn pal
ace without the usual number of side shows, petrified women
and circular swings would be as much of a novelty as a Punch
and Judy show or mount Blanc. As one enters the palace
(cither by means of a pass or a fifty cent ticket; preference
largely in favor of a pass) one is stnick with the beauty of all
the eye can see. The numerous incandescent lights add much
lustre to the scene. The lower floor is occupied with county,
city, etc., exhibits. Opposite from the entrance is the Sioux
City electric light exhibit. To the right of that is Heller's
sausage exhibit. This shows sausage in all its stages, except
the consumption stage. This stage is not shown because of a
limited amount of material. This sausage, being made from
nothing but hog, would not supply the demand if handed out
to the "great unorganized public." The next thing that was
especially noticable on the ground floor was the band platform.
This was built in n sort of alcove, situated at the cast end,
arched over and painted to represent, in the upper part, the
sky and clouds while below banners were represented, each
having painted on it the name of one of the most famous musi
cians such as Liszt, Beethoven, etc. A curved line of incan
descent lights surrounds the front of the arch while suspended
from the middle of the alco"e is a bunch of lights arranged in
the shape of a snowball in full bloom. The scenic effect pro
duced by these lights is very striking. At the back and a lit
tle above the heads of the musicians was quite a large hole
furnished with a tube which was capable of admitting about a
pailful of prepared corn juice between selections. Thjs how
ever was not what the tube was used for. My first impression
I found out was wrong. The hole was made there in order to
let part of the sound escape for so much music suddenly strik
ing against the back of the arch was liable to rebound and
become an instrument of destruction in the audience unless fur
nished with an outlet where it could no harm.
On the second floor were the art exhibits. , It would be
impossible for me to describe these accurately nud in detail.
A few of the most striking I will try and note briefly. At the
head of the stairs a large statue of Ceres, carved from bread
and draped in hominy, smiles benignly upon all that have paid
the admission fee. To the right may be seen "A Tale of
Three Cities." The three cities arc Sioux City, Omaha and
Kansas City. Omaha and Kansas City, each represented by a
dog, fighting for a bone. The fight becomes fiercer and soon
the bone is neglected. Sioux City, also represented by a dog,
comes up and walks off with the bone while Kansas City lies
dead upon the field and Omaha slinks off in a sadly demoral
ized condition. A little farther along a suite of rooms, nicely
furnished, containing corn curtains, corn furniture, corn every
thing, captures the eye of every student as being an ideal place
during the fall and spring months. Being heated by means of
cold nir they would not be very desirable in winter. At the
head of the stairs at the east end of .the building one maylook
down upon the Black Hills. Everything representative of that
region may be seen except the hills themselves. The black is
all there. At the extreme cast -is perhaps the most artistic
J
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