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Yl UKPALO, Auk. 20. -(Special Cor
1 -X rcspondence of Thu llco ) Some
I X years ago u loyal llufralonlnn, Im
J J liui'd wllli Hid Idea that It In untlvo
town was n Mecca for the moving mil tl
luilo, wax astonished on hearing a group of
flilow-trnvolorB glvo their several iKstlua
I Ions without naming the Queen City of thu
l.ukes. IIIh disgust ami Indignation f . unit
Mut when, turning to tho conductor, hu ox
i Inlnied, "l'ut mo off at Uuffalo." The au
thor of that phrase would not hu luniB'ino
travolliiK nowadays. All roads lending to
lliilTnlo am crowded and tho city Is well
Oiled with people on pleasure bent.
Buffalo's Fair as Estimated by Western Eyes
Tho Pan-American exposition Ih nihor
used extensively an tho chlrf attract len at
Uuffalo. This Is u mistake. It Ih oiio if
ihrco, and Ih regarded by many at) tho
I 'SBer. Nlagarn Kails Is Justly considered
'oxhlblt A," tho grandest spectacle of nn
iuro'8 forces In tho country. Tho city of
Buffalo Ih an admirable oxhlblt In Its 'If.
Tho exposition Ih tho Joint production of
both. It Illustrates u fraction of tho mlghy
power of Niagara nntl the boundless onrry
anil public spirit of the people of Uuffalo.
Tho exposition Is Ideal, ephemeral, a sorl s
of rharmltiK pictures destined to pars away
with the year. Tho othors are io:l. en
lurltiK, throbbing with life and nmjoftv,
growing more attnictlvo with the passing
yearn, and Increasing their eharms on eloso
aciiunlntanco.
Uuffalo newspapers frequently compare
the attendance at the I'aii-Aiiierleau with
that of the Trnusmlsslsslppl for the pur
pone of soothing and cheering those who
havo Invested heavily In the enterprise.
"Average attendance Ih ho much larger
thnu at Onmlia at tho same time," snys the
local press, "that kicking Is unwarranted
and 'knocking' la llttlo Bhort of treason."
The cost of the l'mi-Amorlcau Is placed at
from 17,000,000 to $10,000,000, exclusive of
exhibits. Tho cost of tho Trnnsinlsslsslppl
was under $2,000,000. In round numbers
Uuffalo subscribed for $2,000,000 of exposi
tion stock. Omaha subscribed for about
$100,000 of Transinlsslsslppl stock and paid
In $201,001), besides donations amounting
to $103,070. Compared with the Omaha
show the rau-Atncrlcaii covers three
times the area, represents four times tho
cost and Its dally expense Is far In ex
cess of thiH proportion. The total at
tendance at Omaha wiih 2,013,000; total
receipts, $l,0IS,r.r.i!; surplus, $:i:ii,011, a
sum sulllclent to pay all claims and re
turn to the shareholders 07',i cents on tho
ilollar, tho highest exposition record
reached up to that time. Attendance at
the Puti-Aiuciicnu passed the .1,000,000
mark on August t! and the 1.000,000 mark
AtiKUst 2.1. The average dally attendance
last week was 01,700. Tho remaining days of
tho exposition are likely to double the at
tendance up to date, making a total of
S.000.000 admissions paid and deadhead, or
about three times the record of Omaha,
lleforo the exposition opened President
.Mlllburn was iiuoteil as saying that
S.OOO.OOO paid admissions would square all
obligations and pay the stockholders dol
lar for ilollar. I am Informed by local
newspaper men that the exposition piopcr
will pay out. but that the Midway, except
ing three or four concessions, will lose
money. It Is said an average of 100.000
a day would bo needed to save the whole
Midway from loss. Huffalonlans have put
a large bunch of money In this mile of
freak and fake shows sandwiched between
Mvo or six respectable and commendable
concessions.
Omaha visitors to the Pan-American
anil they are numerous bring with tro-n
the Imperishable pictures mirrored In mem
ory of the Trnnsinlsslsslppl, nnd naturally
measure the present exposition by the
famous product of tho west. The Impres
sion given by n front-gate view of tho Pan
American docs not by any means over
shadow that of tho main court at Omaha,
nor iloes It approach, In tho writer's
opinion, the grace and beauty anil artistic
grouping of tho buildings nround tho
Omaha lagoon. The principal spectaclo h rj
Is the Klectrlc tower. In front aro Humor
ous fountains anil basins Mnged with
lloral designs, many groups of sculpture, a
wide plaza and four mammoth pillars like
those reared In ancient Home to wolcomo
a conqueror. Viewed from the pillars thj
spectaclo Is gorgeously Impressive, almost
oveipowcrlng by the profusion of statuary,
towering columns, domes and splashing
water. The color scheme Is pleasing and
grateful to the eye, nnd marks a delightful
change from the blinding glare of white
ness that distinguished tho buildings at
Chicago nud Onmlia. All the roofs nro r.d
In imitation of Spanish tile roofing, and
this color, ns well ns brown nnd urango,
Is employed as a background on doors, orna
mental scroll and lloral designs on doors,
windows, dotniM and cornice. White bins s,
gray bulTnloes, green Hons nud pink cuplds
lend an amusing variety of color to th)
statuary.
The centrnl picture fronting the Klectr'c
tower lends to many others on each side,
smaller In slate, but no less nttractlvo. In
deed there nro so many ornate views that
one must linger at each to enjoy the wealth
of art and Moral charms that here abound
or else one goes nway with confused Im
pressions of tho spectacle. Tho opulent pro
fusion of tho decorations of grounds and
buildings easily surpasses any llko effort In
this country. Three hundred nnd fifty acrei
nro under fence nnd about one-fourth of the
nrea Is utilized for decorative effect.
The Illumination of tho grounds and
buildings Is a spectaclo of surpassing
grandeur. Several pen pictures of the scene
have been published In Tho Bee, but no
pen or pencil can reproduce the gradu
ated tones of light that mark the progress
of the Illumination from the faint tints
of waning twilight to tho mellow glow pro
duced with the full current turned on. AH
tho buildings nnd grounds are Illuminated
a little more extensively than thoso of
Omaha, but on slmllnr lines. The Klectrlc
tower, rising to a height of 391 feet, is u
modern "pillar of lire." Its windows, doors,
sculpture nnd deeorntlons nro clearly out
lined in light, nnd Is visible for twenty
miles nround.
The scene nt night Is Impressive, even
thrilling, and worthy of serious contem
plation. In tho twenty buildings com
prising the exposition nro shown the ninny
products of mills nnd factories, of invent
lv) skill, textiles from countless looms,
treasures of tho mines, the skillful work of
artisans, the arts and sciences, knowledge,
discoveries, ngrlculturo nnd horticulture
everything Hint contributes to the progress
nnd ennoblement of the human race arc
represented In their lntes' and best de
velopment. Over nnd about nil glows tho
magician of modern times Klectrlclty. The
effect of the Hpectncle Is to lift one, men
tally, to Ideal heights, to forget the strife
and struggle nnd toll of llfo, nnd feel the
Inward pulsings of gratitude for the divine
blessings of our times. Yet we are of earth
earthly. The applauding multitude moves
toward various bywnys, surfeited by the
beauties of tho scene, and drifts, whither.'
To the buildings where nrt and skill are
qunrtered? A fraction of tho crowd. To
tho mldwny tho multitude moves by c. m
mon Impulse, Illustrating in most Impres
slvo manner tho descent from the sublime
to the ridiculous and th rank.
Tho moBt Impressive featuro of the ex
position is tho amazing triumph of elec
tricity. Thai wii3 the chief purpose of the
enterprise nud it wns accomplished with
opulent lavishness. It comes from the
falls. It is thu motive power of Buffalo
nnd Its possibilities are shown by the fact
that the exposition takes l.'.ooo-hnrse power
of thu 30,000 gent to Iliiflalo by who. Hut
one must do thu falls, and get done In the
doing, to see the mighty torrent or 10.000-000-horse
power roaring and tumbling Idly
over cliffs and rocks. It Is tho exposition
of expositions. 1 have rambled about the
islands on the American side, ridden on the
Maid of tho Mist, circled about the gorge
nnd viewed the majestic scene from the
Canadian side of the falls and my Impres
sions of tho spectacle are made the more
enduring by the Incomparable "touch" of
tho scenic grafters on the Caimii;an side.
As I contemplate the visit a few days later
tho eloquent nnd pictlliesque epic of Josh
Wink conies to mind and serves to make a
lilting conclusion:
Hull on. N'launra. roll on!
Continue thy descent;
Aye, let thy torrents tumble down
l.lke wutersiHiuts unbent:
Yes, crash and smash uml luxh.
With billows llereely tossed;
Ho all the funny stunts you can.
Kor I must count the cost.
ltnll on, Niagara, roll on!
What do you care for me?
et I love vou because voll'ro not
Just workliu for u fee.
You do your duty everv day.
StiineiulotiH bunch of wet.
While u'lildes and drivers on the .slmi''
Hustle lest We forget.
I toll on. Niagara, roll on!
Thou marvel of nil time
(ICxcuso mo while 1 get my purse
And dig up another dime).
Hull , on. old cataract Immense,
I like you well-and, say,
I d give a ilollar more to see
You roll the other way.
T. J. P.