1898 Trans-Mississippi Exposition Opening to Closing
3-24-2006                 OPENING DAY - JUNE 1, 1898

June 2, 1898    The illumination of main court was in itself a spectacle
                    sufficient to reward those waiting. Just as the outline of the
      EB         buildings began to grow indistinct...a single cluster of electric lamps
on each side of the lagoon was lighted.  Then another and another
until the row of pillars that circles midway between the lagoon and
the buildings was crowned with incandescent luster.  Another turn
of the switchboard and the circle immediately surrounding the lagoon
added its radiance.  In another instant the full circuit was opened and
every outline and pinnacle of the buildings was blazed with light.  The
                   effect was indescribable.  Thousands of electric bulbs filled the vast
court with golden effulgence.  The glaring white of the buildings was
tempered to a softer tint, and the lagoon glowed and glistened like a
phosphorescent sea...The immense crowd...gazed in dumb admiration.
For a few seconds the crowd was as silent as though they were wax
 figures...then a volley of cheers and hand clapping...             (Pg. 11)

June 3, 1898    Difficult to get out...not enough exits...Bandstand is in the wrong
EB     place as the sun beats down in the afternoon making it impossible to
     stay there any length of time.  At night it is most enjoyable, but
afternoon concerts will be given on the steps of the Government
Building or in the Auditorium...(later went to morning concerts.)
                                                                   (Pg. 13 & 14)
         EB     Kodaks were plentiful yesterday...people gladly paid the $1 fee.

June 4, 1898    The push cart man is not getting much business...Western
         EB     people are able to walk.  The unfortunate people who used him
                    received a chaffing from the crowd.  (Pg. 16)

         EB     The first fire on the Midway started in the 20 foot shaft of
                    the California Gold Mine Exhibit.  (Pg. 17)

                    The camels left New York today on their trip to Omaha...High winds
caused such waves on the lagoon, that some boaters felt seasick.

June 5, 1898    Nearly a dozen well known pick-pockets were spotted and evicted
SB    from the grounds...no arrests were made...among them were Chicago's
Jimmy Sullivan, AKA-The Velvet Hand;...and Lucy Stanley. Also,
Kansas City, John Winters; from St. Louis, Butch Sullivan; from New
York, Gilbert Parker AKA-Tony the Dago; and Mrs. Lou Decker, AKA-
Little Lou, a 60 year old woman easily identified because she is minus
her right ear.                                                   (Pg. 19)

June 8, 1898    Several young ladies from Omaha's high society were spotted on
         EB         the Midway grounds taking in the sights...gazing at the dancers in the
oriental theaters that do not move their feet or head…but hesitating to
go in...too modest to enter, too curious to leave.  "I wouldn't think of
such a thing", said a modest maiden when her escort hinted they
 might go in, but she did think of it. She managed to keep near the
 entrance until quite a party of women had gathered, all in a similar
state of mind, until one, bolder than the rest, would go in.  Then the
modest maidens would discover quite a few nice people were going in
                    and it might not be so bad after all...Not one of them left until she had
seen the whole show.  (Pg. 24)

         EB     Why the crowd gazed at her.  One of Douglas County's young women,
employed at the Douglas County exhibit, has discovered why she has
 been the center of attention for visitors.  One exhibit is a huge glass
case, designed to contain a number of specimens from Nebraska soil.
She had been working in the case all day and was painfully aware that
every visitor would stop and stare at her with every indication of
amusement.  She would slip out and consult a mirror, but nothing
seemed out of place.  As the day went on she continued to attract a
                    grinning crowd and became worked up to a point that she was ready
to quit.  Eventually (she discovered) that the case was labeled in large letters, "THIS IS A NEBRASKA PRODUCT".    (Pg 24)                              

June 11, 1898   Unfair to Omaha-
         WH     "The show now being run at Omaha by a few first class grafters
                    does not seem to be drawing like a mustard plaster, except to those
who put up the dough to start it.  It would not be a surprise if it
petered out long before Nov. 1.  Whether the show is any good or not
(name withheld) is not prepared to say but to judge it from the gang
managing it, it is impossible to imagine how it could be any good...It
might prove a success were it not for the various hold-ups visitors
meet at the hotels and hash factories in Omaha.  Every one treat
visitors as though he were the last they expect, and the robber rates
                   they charge will prevent thousands from going...for who ever goes
will...be bled to a finish.           (Pg. 33)
                        (Ed. Note: This letter was sent to the World Herald)

         WH     Chinese Village will open tomorrow...German Village will open
                   (within 3 days)...Streets of Cairo closed in a legal dispute
                   with Streets of All Nations over muscle dancers...   (Pg. 34)

         WH     Prof. Bernhardt has composed a T/M Prize March...He will be in
                   charge of the piano exhibit in the Manufacturer's Building.

June 12, 1898   The Nebraska girls picked for the composite picture, Miss
         SB     Nettie Harmer of Syracuse and Miss May O'Shea of Lincoln, will
                    be here on Nebraska Day.                (Pg. 36)

June 17, 1898   The balloonist who landed in the lagoon was ordered not to
         WH     pull that trick again.  His parachute landed him two blocks away, 
but the basket came down in the lagoon.  He was made to pay 50c
admission to enter and report his loss and another admission the 
next morning to come in and get his basket back.               (Pg. 56)

June 18, 1898   Some new lighting surprises are being planned by Stieringer,
                   but they will be kept as a surprise.  (Pg. 60)
         EB     The German Village and Scenic Railway opened today.

         EB     Montgomery Ward has just received a magnificent piano that is
                   operated by electricity.  It will be placed on display in their
                    building.
         WH     The Kansas Building is far advanced.  (Pg. 59)

June 19, 1898   The Wisconsin Building was dedicated.    (Pg. 63)
         SB     Exit gates being placed just south of the Georgia Building.
         SB     The new Expo stamps were made available today.
SB     Brainy women in Convention...   (Pg. 62)

June 20, 1898   A team of horses pulling a wagon load of brick and sand
         EB     bolted, dashing from the bridge through the Administration
                    Arch...past the service building, where a light pole was
                    smashed, up the north Midway before being stopped near the
                    fire station...no one was hurt...          (Pg. 65)

         EB     All kinds of excuses have been made by people requesting a
                    temporary pass, but the reward for the most remarkable goes to
                    a lady telegrapher.  She had written a letter to a friend in
                    California...and left for work on the grounds carrying the
                    letter and her photo pass.  Her dress had no pockets, so she
                    slipped her pass in the unsealed letter for convenience.  She
                    later sealed and mailed the letter and not until she reached
                    the gates did it occur to her what she had done.     (Pg. 65)

                    The Art Catalog was issued today.
         WH     The Press Building was opened.             (pg. 67)

         EB         A 20 foot Boa Constrictor, from Hagenbacks Animal Show, escaped
         somewhere between the Webster St. Depot and the Expo grounds
(along the Bluffs Tract). Residents were quite nervous until it was
found by a young boy in a cave at the foot of Ohio Street.       (Pg. 67)

June 21, 1898   The official badges of Expo Officers were received and worn
         EB     for the first time today.  They are the work of a local firm and made
of Silver or gold.   The Illinois Building was dedicated.    (pg. 69)

June 22, 1898   The new illumination features in the Grand Court will be
                    welcomed with a fireworks display.
         WH     New exit gates were opened on the North viaduct, but no
                    entrances allowed.

         WH     The Wild West Show was put into total darkness for about 30
                    minutes, when a rifle shot from Prof. Fremont Wheeler,
                    sharpshooter, cut a wire.          (Pg. 75)

         EB     Council Bluffs officials were surprised...that Children's day
                    is today...Teachers had been making elaborate arrangements to
                    bring the entire juvenile population of Council Bluffs...
                    Businessman were raising money...had expectation of a day
                    entirely their own.  Now they are compelled to leave much to
                    a future occasion.                         (Pg. 77)

June 23, 1898   Recap of the building of the Wigwam.  Ended up 83 feet high
         EB     with a 30 foot flagpole..180 feet in circumference..4 stories covered
with a heavy ducking painted to represent animal skins.      (Pg. 81)

June 24, 1898   Dedication of Wigwam.            (pg. 84)
         EB

June 25, 1898   Rolling the Rolls opened...first of its kind in America...
         WH     barrels 15 feet long, 10 feet high, that make 16 revolutions a
                    trip...each holds 12 people.                 (Pg. 85)

         WH     Newlyweds from Virginia honeymoon at the T/M.  Caleb Dillow from
Bland County, Virginia and his bride Susan (Hall) of Patrick County,
Virginia, arrived here after a great tribulation... Her father objected to
their union...so they eloped.  They mounted a horse and fled, pursued
by the father to the nearest railroad station...married in Bristol, Tenn
 ... boarded the first train west, ending up here.   They will see the
 Expo before returning.                  (pg. 85)

         WH     The jinrikasha is a society fad on the midway.  Fred Cummins
                   is sorry he cannot supply the demand for these vehicles.        (Pg. 85)

         WH     Ki-Yi, famous Zulu ballyhoo artist, caused quite a sensation
                    in front of the Dragons Head, where he is performing. (Pg. 85)

         WH     A new picture, the Bombardment of Ft. Matanzas, was featured
                    at the Edison War Gragh last night.  (The bombardment occurred
                    April 27th)                         (Pg. 85)

         WH     Power of the Press...Directors believe newspaper editors should
                    be treated most liberally. Feel season passes should be issued
                    to the editor and his wife of all newspapers in Nebraska,
                    Iowa, So. Dakota, Colorado, Kansas and Wyoming.  Rosewater
                    doesn't see any good in favoring "miserable little weeklies".
                                                           (Pg. 86)
         EB     New gates were opened several days ago along Sherman Ave.

         EB     Dust from 24th Street is getting on exhibits in the Gov't Building...
need to have it watered at least twice a day to keep the dust down.
                (Pg. 89)

         EB     Changes were made in the illumination of the statue atop the Gov't
Bldg...only the cluster of lamps in the torch will be turned on...
                      (Pg. 89)

         EB     Distribution machines for Ice and Postcards often don't work
                   right...(they take the penny, just don't give anything in return.)
                            (Pg. 89)

June 27, 1898   It appears local people prefer to come in the evening, unless
         EB         some exceptional feature inspires...them to come before 6:00.
                    Every attendance nearly doubles the day crowd.  The beauty (of
                    the grounds) is augmented by illumination by lamps...a visit
                    to fairy land...Omaha people have already seen the exhibits
                    and content to pass away a summer evening in the cool air
                    and admire the electrical effects that never become tiresome.
                                                                   (Pg. 94)

June 28, 1898   Repair work continues on the lagoon walls, although always at
         EB         night, so that the Grand Court is not disturbed.     (Pg. 97)
                                                                             
         EB         Sarah Krappe, Wild West Show rider, was injured when her horse
                    fell on her during a bucking bronco show.           (Pg. 97)

June 30, 1898   Musical Congress...intensely American sentiment...   (Pg. 99)
         EB

July 1, 1898    The six-pound rapid fire gun that was to have been displayed at
         EB         the Expo, has been sold to the Gov't and sent to the front in Cuba.
                        (Pg. 101)
         EB     1200 Texas watermelon are to be distributed.     (Pg. 101)

July 2, 1898    One woman was in her element as she crowded and pushed
through to the front rank for her slice of watermelon.  She was
rewarded with a large piece, but as she marched past the others, with
a gleam of exultant satisfaction, she discovered she had lost her
diamond pin worth $100.  Pushing people aside she looked on the
ground, remaining until after they had left, hoping to find it in the
gravel.  She did not.  She declined to give her name.           (Pg. 105)

         EB     Discussion on harmonic basis of Indian music...      (Pg. 104)



July 3, 1898    An 4 foot long alligator has been sent to the Horticulture
                    Building from someone in Iowa.

         EB       Guard tackles black box...One of the guards, instructed to stop every
person not having an official ticket attached to their camera...caught
sight of a man with a suspicious looking black box, rushing toward the
Main Court.  Hurrying after him the guard saw there was no ticket...
and informed him he would have to get a permit to use that thing.
"Don't need a permit", replied the man, as a crowd gathered as the
man seemed to be making fun of him.  The guard repeated himself,
"I don't want to make you any trouble, but",..."I don't intend to buy a
                    permit and you can't make me", stated the man. "Now look here
                    mister", replied the guard, who was getting mad. "I don't need any
permit and I'm going to use it right now, just watch me", the man shot
back as he winked to the crowd.  With this he walked to a seat, sat
down and opened the box, extracting a sandwich and other eatables,
while the crowd gave the guard  the laugh.          (Pg. 109 insert)

         WH     Harry Sayre was taken to the hospital last evening with his face and
head badly cut.  He was in the Mirror Maze with friends and trying to
dodge out of sight, when he tripped and fell through one of the
mirrors.  The doctors had quite a job getting him patched up.
                   (Pg. 108)
         WH     A lack of advertising...has the public at large in blissful
                   ignorance of the sights at the Exposition.  Passes for the
                   country editors still being held up by Rosewater.    (Pg. 108)

July 4, 1898    Ostriches shut out by clergy...Manager Cawston of the Ostrich
         EB     Farm had made plans for an extensive display in the parade,
                    but a Methodist parson misunderstood what he was advertising
                    and had him arrested.  While explanations were being made to
                    guards the parade started.         (Pg. 109)

July 5, 1898    Fire in the east casino (Twin Tower Restaurant)... (Pg. 111)
         EB     Illumination of the Midway...with hundreds of red, white and
                    blue fires turned night into day.

         EB     Accident on the Scenic Railroad injures several.  One of the
                    cars ran off the track and nearly tumbled to the ground.  Five
                    were hurt, none badly. They were visiting from Council Bluffs.
                                                                       (Pg. 111)

July 6, 1898    The Gov't Building must be closed on Sundays... other Expo’s
         EB     have asked to be able to be open on Sunday too, but none allowed.
                                   (Pg. 114)
         EB   The Hawaii exhibit, which was expected in early June, has been
                delayed because of the war.  The Gov't impressed all the
                steamers in San Francisco.

July 7, 1898    Leaks in the buildings during heavy thunderstorm...Gov't
         EB     Building suffers the most.  The worst sufferers were the
                    concessionaires whose establishments were built on flat ground
                    ...water one-two feet deep in the streets...came through roofs
                    and from the street into buildings.            (Pg. 111)

         EB     Lion tamer Bronco Bocaccio injured...was working with a
                    lioness had given birth to a litter of cubs about a week ago
                    ...was trying to force her away from the cubs to do her act
                    ...when she leaped at him...               (pg. 112)

July 8, 1898    Greeley County people coming...500 to come in September...
        
         EB     Wading through deep water on the Midway...sewers backed up
                    near the Press Building during Wednesdays storm and caused the
                    entire street to be covered with water up to a foot deep.   (Pg. 115)

July 9, 1898    People visiting the Expo living in their cars.  W.I. Allen and
         WH     friends of the Rock Island Railroad, who are bound for Chicago
                    are staying in his private RR car, which is side-tracked north
                    of the grounds.  They declare it is not as inconvenient as
                    might be supposed.                          (Pg. 116)

         EB     Part of rotunda of Nebraska Building falls into fountain... 
                                                                   (Pg. 117)

July 10, 1898   First religious services held at Auditorium... (Pg. 114 & 121)
         SB

         SWH   Parody on Camera Obscura...The Camera Obscura differs from the
                    vitascope in that it transfers person & things from any part of the
Exposition onto the screen in the building occupied by    the camera.
                       (Pg. 119)

         SWH    East Coast knows nothing of the T/M...receiving no publicity.
                                                           (pg. 120)

July 11, 1898   Theater Building on Old Plantation consumed by fire...sending
         EB     a panic through the Streets of All Nations...      (Pg. 123)

         EB     The Hawaii Exhibit has been moved from the International
                    Building into the Agricultural Building, since it is now a
                    U.S. possession.                   (Pg. 126)

         EB     Ambulance out of control on the Midway...the breeching broke
                    which let the whiffletrees up against the horses, causing them to bolt...
brought under control without serious results.         (Pg. 126)
         EB     Serious accident in the Georgia Building...painters working on
                a ladder which slipped and went down with them.  Two men were
                hurt, one breaking both legs.        (Pg. 126)

         EB     A train load of 300 people is coming from Tennessee...Pg. 126

July 12, 1898   The Expo is not known of east of Chicago...lack of publicity...
         WH
                    H.A.Cunningham was looking for trouble on the Midway and he
                    found it at the German Village...his wounds are not considered
                    serious...                                 (Pg. 127)

      WH         The Lagoon Transportation Company will receive tomorrow two
                    electro-vapor launches...The beautiful Swan Steam Yacht and
                    the four Gondolas have been very popular.      (Pg. 127)

July 13, 1898   A small landing was built on the west end of the lagoon to
         EB     keep boats from rubbing against the staff...       (Pg. 128)

         WH     The alligator will be put in the fountain in a cage in front
                    of the Horticulture Bldg.             (Pg. 129)

         WH     A new gate was opened at the SW corner of the Bluffs Tract...
                    100 per day are using it.

         WH     The Cotton Belt Route has issued a pamphlet with pictures of
                    its display in the Agriculture Building.         (Pg. 129)

July 14, 1898   New flooring has been put on the Main viaduct that is less
         EB      sticky than the tar that would stick to shoes on hot days. The
                    old floor, although double thickness with tar paper between,
                    let water into the restaurant storerooms below during heavy
                    thunderstorms.                     (pg. 130)

         EB     Fence climbers will be dealt with more severely...previously
                    just arrested and thrown out...now they face going to Jail...
                                                                  (Pg. 130)
         EB     The Expo postcards are meeting with great favor...visitors
                    using them to write home.             (Pg. 130)

         EB      Bands on the Midway are disrupting the regular concerts...
                    Midway people assert that the band concerts on the plaza are
                    duly prolonged, thus holding the crowd from the midway.  They
                    have started a band that begins playing across from the plaza
                    at the time they think concert should cease, thus interrupting
                    the concert with their own peculiar music.  It is very
                    exasperating to the people enjoying the concert.    (pg. 130)

         WH     Camp grounds are ready for the Indian Congress...30 acres on
                    the south portion of the Oak Chatham tract..."Rattlesnake Pete" 
will have a tent on the grounds...Bluffs tract people envious...
                          (Pg. 133)

         WH     Lastest issue of the Farm Implement Magazine has 7 pages with
                    1/2 tones.

         WH     Rosewater is directed by the Board of Directors to send passes
                    to the country editors.                    (Pg. 131)

July 15, 1898   Life-saving crew making ready...practice shots with 18 lb.
         WH     projectile bombard buildings...carries line over mast but overshoots
lagoon striking colonnades on north side dislodging a few bricks in
the paving...a smaller boat has been ordered…the present one is too
large to capsize.  It has decided to cover the bricks with boards, as
they cannot stop cannon from shooting too far.           (Pg. 133)

         WH     Children's Building dedicated.             (Pg. 134)

         WH     Over 100 Ostriches...fight between two of the larger ones... 

         EB     Fish about 4" long found in lagoon...mystery as to how they
                    got there...similar to fish sent to Gov't Building.  (Pg. 136)


July 16, 1898   The Camera Obscura is based on one of the simplest principles
         WH     of natural philosophy, namely the reflection of refracted light.  An
opening...in the center of the roof, encasing a mirror, the angle of
which can be regulated...to reflect the surrounding landscape,
buildings, people, etc. A powerful lens below the mirror reduces the
picture to the right size and intensifies the image...By revolving the
mirror, the entire horizon may be reproduced.                       (Pg. 136)

July 17, 1898   E. A. Felder has been through hundreds of mazes...and was
    SWH        explaining to a friend the angles and reflections of the
                    mystifying glasses.  "Now this appears to be a mirror, but is
                    not as you see," and he kicked hard and high.  In a second,
                    glass worth $60.00 was in a thousand atoms at his feet.  He
                    didn't say a word, just pulled out $60, laid it on the
                    shattered glass, nodded and walked silently into the street
                    where the air wasn't so thick.      (pg. 137)

July 18, 1898   Crowds are not in as much a hurry now...taking a closer look
         WH     at exhibits.  Sunday admission was restored to 50c, but it was
                    not announced to the public.  Several hundred left rather than
                    pay the extra quarter. They were undeceived when they reached
                    the ticket office, but not altogether satisfied.  (Pg. 143)

July 19, 1898   Heat does not penetrate buildings.

         EB     Work on the Minnesota Building being pushed night and day...
                    they promise to have it ready.             (pg. 144)

         WH     "Barney the Buffalo" arrives from Montana...to be followed by
                    a Moose...

         WH     Tanks 18 ft. x 30 ft. x 2 ft. deep are being put in for the
                    Indians to wash clothes and bathe.  They will be kept full
                    with running water from the city.    (pg. 145)

         WH     Those connected with the Indian Congress given a magnificent
                    badge of a gold or silver plated tomahawk appropriately lettered.
                          (Pg. 145)
         WH     Parasites wreck havoc at fish display in Gov't Bldg...surplus
                    fish put in lagoon as more arrive...most from Lake Michigan.
                                                                   (pg. 145)
         WH     Brawl at the Pabst Building...             (pg. 146)

         WH     Music-Monday evenings will be devoted to popular music, no
                    overtures or classic selections, but catchy new airs and old
                    songs that have a warm place in the publics estimation for a
                    generation or more.  Thursday evenings concert in the Grand
                   Court, where the Expo Chorus will have full swing and various
                    novelties of Greek-fire illumination will be blended with
                    music.  Friday evenings will be given entirely to request
                    programs.  A new feature, introduced last evening...has the
                    band stationed in the outside gallery at east end of
                    Agriculture Building to make it more generally heard in the
                    Grand Court as well as on 20th Street, north of the Adm. Bldg.
                                                                       (Pg. 146)

July 20, 1898   Secret of the Flying Lady illusion was almost made clear to
         WH     the audience last night.  While the young lady...was moving
                    airily about, her slipper fell off...the curtain was quickly
                    drawn and in answer to why the slipper remained in space, the
                    lecturer declared it was under the same magnetic force that
                    held the flying lady up.             (Pg. 147)

         WH     Thirty female ostriches at the southern California ostrich
                    farm.  Some are beginning to lay eggs.  She will lay every
                    other day for more than two months.  An ostrich egg is equal
                    to three dozen hen eggs and valued at $25.00.  Forty days are
                    required to hatch.  The female bird sits from 9 AM to 4 PM and
                    the male then sits from 4 PM to 9 AM.        (Pg. 147)

                    A circular Venetian Gondola will be brought to the Midway by
                    Mr. & Mrs. William Russell of France.       (Pg. 147)
                    (Ed. Note: This is called a Carrousel on the photograph)

         WH     Mystic Maze Bldg. is being remodeled and redecorated.  Mr.
                    E.D. Allen has a large force working and when it is finished
                    it will be the most attractive building on the Midway. 
                                                                   (Pg. 147)
         EB     Lions almost eat tamer...Prof. Lewis was jumped by four lion
                    cubs...they rolled up and down in the same sawdust, first one
                    on top, then the other.  At length he succeeded in beating
                    them off...but had wounds on his wrist, scalp and back.
                                                                (Pg. 148)

         EB     First of Indians arriving...mostly Sioux...expect 700 to 1200  total.
                           (Pg. 149)

         EB     The Chorus will be on the boat landing (east end) and the band
                    in front of the Liberal Arts Building.  They will alternate
                    selections and combine for an echo effect on some numbers.  
                                                                   (Pg. 149)
         EB     Colored lights in electric fountain have been turned on...
                    spray shoots 20 feet into air...colors of the rainbow. 
                                                                   (Pg. 149)
         EB     Montgomery Wards is not looking for city trade, has previously
                    done most of its business with farmers, miners, mechanics and
                    laborers, but they are creating an impression...that will force
                    them to take city trade.                   (Pg. 149)

July 21, 1898   Silver badge directors declare war on Gold badge bedecked
         WH     magnates...object to the aristocratic attitude of the
                    executive committee.                    (Pg. 150)

         WH     Making lightning in the M/E Building...People entering the
                    building were startled to see actual thunder and lighting...It
                    is furnished by Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Co.  The
                    current used is 250 volts and by induction coils this is increased to
          60,000 volts. The current from one pole goes into the copper letters
          giving the sign of the company and the current from the other pole
          goes into the tin foil that forms the dark background of a case 5 x 8
          in which the lighting appears vividly.  The report can be heard all
          over the building.                          (pg. 150)

July 22, 1898   A protest was made at the board meeting against (charging for
         EB     seating at) the outdoor concerts. It was argued that since the
                    music was free, so also should be the seating.  The suggestion
                    was referred to a lawyer...                (Pg. 156)

         WH     Antiphonal concert a success...a novel and interesting performance...
                             (pg. 154)
         WH     Local Omaha railroad officials are not to blame...for the lack
                    of lower rates.  Omaha is being used as an example to create
                    anti-scalper sentiment.  Orders came from back east and the
                    local people have very little voice in the matter.  The
                    railroads are trying to oust ticket brokers...     (Pg. 155)

         EB     It is hoped hawkers of photographs...may be banished from the
                    grand court.

         EB     It has been suggested that the Minnesota Building be
                   permanently located in a park after the Expo.    (Pg. 157)
                                                                           
July 23, 1898   General manager Lane of the Nebraska Telephone Co. wanted to
         WH     remove one of the telephone booths in their display in the
                    Mines & Elec. Building.  He thought he had gotten the correct
                    pass, but the guard informed him that the pass admitted the
                    horse and wagon, but not the driver.  He would have to pay 50c
                    or go through the main entrance several blocks away.  That was
                   easy compared with the difficulty of getting permission to
                    remove the exhibit.  He was batted back and forth and back,
                    from one official to another, for several hours before
                    permission was finally received.             (Pg. 159)

         WH     Manager of the Roll the Roll concession was given permission
                   to rebuild and rearrange to put on a Parisian dance feature.
                                                                   (Pg. 159)

                    A gatekeeper refused admission to two officers assigned to the
                    Expo..., who were then ordered to jump over the turnstiles and
                    walk over the gatekeeper if necessary by the officer in charge.
                                            (Pg. 159)

       EB         Bluffs Tract people want a gate added behind the Georgia
                    Building...presently people are dropped at the gate under the
                    viaduct, but it leads to the Grand Court, and they never get
                    to the Bluffs tract.                       (pg. 160)

July 24, 1898   Novelties in Musical line...coronet solo from a gondola in
         SB     lagoon.  He starts just west of the bridge and is slowly
                    pulled toward the audience.                (Pg. 161)

         SB     Sunday afternoon religious services at the Auditorium will be
                    a permanent feature.                       (Pg. 162)



         SB     In view of the fact that the working classes are expected to
                    constitute a considerable portion of the Sunday Audience, due
                    to reduced admission, the bulk of program will be selections
                    not above the musical understandings of the ordinary individual. 
                              (Pg. 162)

         SB     Dr. Tamaiousian, a converted Turk, will give services in his
                    native language at the Streets of All Nations, for people of
                    his language.                               (Pg. 163)

       EB         W.F. Edwards of Dawson City, Klondike area, says people along
                    the North Pacific Coast know of the Expo and it is well
                    advertised, but Railroad and business people inclined to
                    induce people not to come, saying it is not worth the price.
                    He had been told he could stop in Omaha for ten days and then
                    resume his trip to Chicago, but was informed upon arrival here
                    that a stopover of over 12 hours would void his Chicago ticket. 
                                        (Pg. 163)

     SWH        The World-Herald is investigating RR rates and has found some
                    conventions have secured lower rates than our Transportation
                    Dept. did for the T/M.                               (Pg. 165)

         SB        A whale, 55 feet in length, is the latest feature of the Midway.  It
arrived yesterday and will be shown as soon as the enclosure can
be constructed.  It is not alive, but is embalmed.         (pg. 164)

         SWH    Catherine Brown, employed in the Agricultural Building,
                    indulged in a flirtation with an electric fan, to see how fast
                    it was moving...she inserted her finger.  Hospital attendants
                    applied a bandage to the place where her fingernail ought to be.
                                                                       (Pg. 165)

         SWH    The phonographic reproduction of the squeals in the hog
                    killing establishment at South Omaha is one of the exhibits in
                    the Manufacturers Building.  A lady visitor from out of town
                    asked where it was from...So. Omaha she was told.  She looked
                    at him doubtingly before remarking, "It sounds very much like
                    the way they squeal at the packing house in Kansas City. Are
                    you sure there isn't some mistake?"  She was assured that...
                    hogs squealed at South Omaha in the same language as that
                    employed at the mouth of the Kaw.          (Pg. 166)

July 25, 1898   Indian Congress...Indians will appear on the lagoon to
         EB     demonstrate their skills with the oar...Special bath houses
                    are being built for them...all the food to be supplied by
                    Uncle Sam...cooking will be done over open fires to the rules
                    of each particular tribe.         (Pg. 166)

         WH     Mr. F. T. Cummins has asked for permission to illuminate the
                    Grand Plaza.

         WH     Guard E.S. Pollard covered himself with glory and mud yester-
                    day.  A pair of horses pulling an ice wagon ran away down the
                    East Midway and would have run over a 6 year old girl had not
                    Pollard, who was off duty at the time, dashed in and rescued
                    her when she was almost under the feet of the horses.  
                                                           (Pg. 167)
         WH     Commandant Llewellyn and Captain Hare went around the grounds
                    yesterday securing evidence against parties for selling beer
                    on Sunday.  Practically all the beer concessions ignore the
                    ban, taking the precaution to serve the amber fluid in cups
                    and saucers as cold tea...                 (Pg. 167

July 26, 1898   Receipts on the Midway are surprisingly high and in proportion
         EB     greater than at Nashville and Atlanta...Previous Expositions
                    concessionaires lost money...but at Omaha made money, almost
                    without exception.  Aggregate receipts have exceeded entire
                    gate receipts...           (Pg. 168)

         EB     The fish in the lagoon are starving.  Bits of bread tossed in
                    bring hundreds to fight over it...Picnic parties would perform
                    a charitable act if they would throw left over bits into the
                    lagoon to feed the fish.                     (pg. 168)

         EB     Angus Morrison of Scotland, touring the U.S., visits the Expo
                    and says it is as good as any he has seen in the last 20
                    years...they are staying several extra days to see it all.    

         EB     Souvenir postcards are available from U.S. Post Card Co., 215
                    NY Life Bldg.                              (Pg. 169)

         WH     The small gasoline launch "Admiral Dewey" was launched
                    yesterday.  It was made to order in Racine, Wisc....seats 30 people.
                    Two more are coming, the Admiral Schley and Admiral Sampson. 
           (Pg. 170)
July 27, 1898   Railroad rates are keeping people away...summer resort rates
         WH     are cheaper...                   (Pgs. 170 & 171)

         EB     Canada and Mexico were not invited to participate in the
                   Indian Congress, because the money Congress appropriated will
                    only pay expenses of American Indians.      (Pg. 171)

         EB     An old Washington Hand Press is part of the Utah exhibit.  It
                    was used at Kanesville (Council Bluffs) to print the first
                    paper, The Guardian, in these parts.       (Pg. 173)

July 28, 1898   The California Gold Mine has changed to "Heaven & Earth"...
         WH                                      (Pg. 175)
         WH     Admission after 7:00 tonight will reduce to 25c for adults and
                    15c children.

         WH     Several new Midway features...infant incubators...Solomon’s
                    Temple has been installed...Venetian gondolas on the east
                    midway that run by steam.  They will run on land, but have the
                    same motion as ones on the lagoon.          (Pg. 177)

July 29, 1898   Five new Midway shows will open by the middle of next week...
         WH     The Scenic Railroad opened June 20...4200 feet long...two
                    trips for 10c...so far 40M people have riden..10M on July 4th.
                                                      (Pg. 181)
         WH     The coffin room of Heaven & Hell will be an exact reproduction
                    of the Cataret De La Morte at Paris.  Beautiful maidens
                    dressed in widows weeds will serve refreshments in skulls to
                    patrons who are seated at coffins, which serve as tables. 
                    Inferno will be reproduction of Dante's Inferno.  It should
                    open by Aug. 15.                 (Pg. 181)

         WH     The Pabst Building is now featuring the dancer Tyrone, queen
                    of the French novelty house.                      (Pg. 181)

         WH     The new Khaki uniforms are in display in the Gov't Building. 
                                                           (Pg. 181)
                    There are new entrance/exit gates east & west of the
                    Horticulture building...east gate will afford access for the
                    Council Bluffs people...contract closed for 10 trains a day
                    from the Broadway crossing to the grounds.

July 30, 1898   The mammoth whale on display was captured off the coast of
         WH     Massachusetts in 1895...weighs 80M pounds and is 55 feet long...                            
(Pg. 182)
         WH     When Allen Koch talks about the Monitor & Merrimac, listen...
                    he was in it!

         WH     The Agriculture Building is a paradise for sparrows. 
                    Decorations of grain, straws and grasses furnish them with a
                   continual banquet.  They have caused great annoyances...and
                    have built nests inside the building.            (Pg. 183)

         EB     Indians arrive today...entrance to the grounds will be through
                    a gate at 20th St. just south of the Apiary Building.    
(Pg. 184)
                    A collection of souvenir medals has been donated to the Omaha
                    Library.

July 31, 1898   Council Bluffs fares to the Expo are 15c & 20c round-trip from
         SWH    Council Bluffs and 30c to Lake Manawa.             (Pg. 186)

         SB     The Montana exhibit in the Agriculture Building...is a
                    mountain to the top of the gallery.       (Pg. 188)

         SB     A ferryboat consisting of a single Navajo blanket will be on
                    the lagoon soon...as part of the New Mexico exhibit.  It will
                    ferry two ladies across the water.         (Pg. 189)

         SB     The gate that was just south of the viaduct has been moved to
                    a point just west of the Georgia Building (Lothrop & Sherman
                    Ave.?).  The gate formally at Sherman & Locust was moved to the
                    SE corner of the grounds.

Aug. 1, 1898    The Indians enjoy riding the camels...one of the ostriches
         WH     panicked and jumped through the fence...a sword dancer was
                    stabbed on the grounds...lion tamer was bitten on his head...
                    the 10 year old son of Ching Ling Foo died suddenly.  The
                    father, a magician, with tears in his eyes, still must
                    perform.  The hearts of the Chinese performers are filled with
                    sorrow for the little athlete...                  (Pg. 1)

         WH     The X-Ray will open tomorrow...largest ever built...made to
                    order for show purposes only.     (Pg. 1)

         WH     The Scenic Railroad, one of 6 in operation, is the largest and
                    most complete gravity-cable system in the country.  It dashes
                    through grottos...and gives a fairyland picture when you
                    emerge from the tunnel to see Expo grounds.          (Pg. 1)
                        (Ed. Note: This was an early roller coaster.)

Aug. 2, 1898    An Indian dance was part of the concert...           (Pg. 5)
        
         EB     The Union Pacific will distribute 50M folders in the East on
                    the Expo...62 pages...with color pictures.           (pg. 5)

         EB     All flags on the grounds will be at half-mast for the death of
                    Bismark.

         WH     The third wedding among Midway people took place at the Pabst
                    Building...both were from St. Louis and employed at the
                    building. 15M bags of confetti have arrived for the carnival..
                                                             (Pg. 6)
         WH     Heaven and Hell will contrast Dore's Hell and Milton's  Paradise...

         WH     Life-size statue of Bismark unveiled in honor of his death.

Aug. 3, 1898    First Spanish flag captured is being sent to the Expo...taken
                    at Santiago.
      EB         Indian tribes...estimated 800 will be here...Sac & Fox from
                   Tama City, Ia.

      EB          Joseph Tossen, interpreter, served 3 years with the 2nd Nebr.
                    Cav. during the Civil War and is a prominent member of the
                    Tama GAR Post.  His father was a full blooded Indian.  (Pg. 8)

Aug. 4, 1898    A Whitehead torpedo, 15 feet long, will be on display in the
                    Gov't Building.

         EB     The miniature RR will be double tracked and extended to the
                    Transportation Building...New equipment for a second miniature
                    train ordered from Detroit, St. Louis (cars) and Schenectady,
                    N.Y. (engine).  It is expected to be ready next week.  
                                                                           (Pg. 10)
         WH     Indians enjoy trip to Old Plantation...compare snake dance to
                   buck & wing.  Negroes and Indians develop profound friendship.
                    Mr. Millicon in charge of Old Plantation.            (Pg. 9)

         WH     The stench from improperly flushed sewers around the Gov't
                    Building is almost unbearable.  Expo officials blame city and
                    city officials blame Expo.  Unless it is given proper attention it
cause a wide berth to be given to the area.          (Pg. 10)

Aug. 5, 1898    Gen. James Longstreet is visiting the Expo...40 years since
                    his last visit here.                         (Pg. 14)

         EB     The captured Spanish flag is suspended from the ceiling in
                    Wattles office...in the Administration building.  It was captured by
our boys from Ft. Crook, 22nd Inf., Company B.       
(Pg. 14)
         EB     One of the aides for Gov. Clough of Minn. drifted away long
                    enough to chase into a fake museum on 16th St., where for 10c
                    the patrons were regaled with delectable visions of tawdry
                    chromos of uncertain value.  After showing the party around,
                   the lecturer informed the ladies and minors they were through,
                    however for 15c the men could see their "special bill".  Most
                    of the men stayed.  "Are you ready, Maud", shouted the
                    lecturer, metamorphosised into a stage manager with the easy
                    grace of an Omaha Chesterfield.  "Not quite", was the feminine
                    reply.  The crowd surged closer, eyes set forward in the
                    sockets like pigs at their matutinal trough.  The curtain was
                    pulled aside. Maud was ready all right, and there was not a
                    wrinkle in her brand new bicycle suit either, that had not
                    been draped before the stage mirror.               (Pg. 14)

         EB     A new pamphlet has been prepared by the Bureau of Publicity,
                    which includes some of the best views yet issued...shows the
                    buildings from different views...general views of midway...
                    landscape effects...large amount of descriptive matter. 
                                                        (Pg. 15)
         EB     The Indian Congress is the first gathering of so many
                     different tribes in one place.                    (Pg. 15)

Aug. 6, 1898    Indians and the Exposition...Horace Ribok, Tama, Iowa news-
         WH     paper editor and Indian agent, observes that the redmen coming to
                    the city remark on the changes they see...reflect on how it used to be
                    ...the contrasts on the land as they used to know it and as it is today...
                          (Pg. 18)
         EB     A floral flag of natural flowers was run up the staff...then
                    the flowers were picked off and given to the crowd.  (Pg. 19)

         EB     A fire at the "Bombardment of Ft. Matanzas" has destroyed the
                    film.  The film broke and one end flew against the machine
                    used for projecting the pictures.  The film is of combustible
                    material and as soon as it came in contact with the electric
                    light it burned like loose powder.  New film should arrive
                    in three to four weeks.          (Pg. 20)

         EB     The carriage of Mrs. T.M. Orr in the flower parade almost
                    stampeded...the horses took fright and only quick action by
                    Capt. Haze and other policeman kept the horses under control.
                                                            (Pg. 20)
    EB & WH     The fencing of the grounds has shut in the people on Manderson
                    Street on three sides...They were promised two gates through
                    which they could pass without annoyance...passes given to
                    some, but the majority are not provided for.  Unless something
                    is done soon, (they) will chop down the fence.       (Pg.22)

Aug. 7, 1898    Lincoln Funeral car is on display...Gov't Building has some
         SB     rare old legal books on display.           (Pg. 30)

         SB     Exhibitors have signed a petition objecting to the Agriculture
                    Building closing at 6 P.M. each day.  They want to stay open until
gates close, so more people can see the exhibits.           (Pg. 30)

         SB     Here to fore the lights on the Grand Court were turned on at
                    8:30, but...now will be lighted 1/2 hour earlier.   (Pg. 27)

         SB     Clinton Boydon, Omaha lad of 11, forced his finger into a bicycle that
was operated by electricity...He drew it back as soon as he could, but
not until it had been amputated up to the first joint.  The job was
done as neatly as though done by a surgeon.         (Pg. 27)

         SB     The Montgomery Ward Electric Carriage was on the Midway  and was
the center of attention.  There was great surprise on every face as
mysterious vehicle crept along...under perfect control.  It would be
impossible for an accident to occur...as it can be stopped instantly...
and can dodge an object like a bird.              (Pg. 29)

Aug. 8, 1898    Anti-Expo letter from Iowa-OMAHA AND HER SHOW by Mr. E.
Green Lemley, editor of the Clarion in Richland, Iowa.   "The great (?)
EB     Expo is a nonentity.  It deserves the name Expo only because it
exposes the schemes of a set of rascals...You might call it a delusion
or a snare, but nobody is deluded or snared. If you planned to go to
Omaha, give it up...it is too expensive...Omaha has been called the
rival of Chicago.  Better     call her the rival of Council Bluffs, which is
neat, clean and full of business.  Omaha is the deadest, dirtiest and
most dilapidated town ever seen...many of the plank walks have whole
                    planks missing, grass grows in the cracks in the sidewalks and the
streets are filthy...Omaha is already as dead as a mackerel and by the
time the fair is over there won't be enough of the town left to pay for
burying"                           (Pg. 26)

Aug. 9, 1898    Indian baby born in Camp...Mr. & Mrs. Spotted Back of the
         EB       Omaha  Agency...had the first Indian child born in this vicinity in
                    some time.  Curiously, the mother had been born within a mile
                    of the same spot 32 years earlier, under the bluff behind the
                    Nebraska Building, while passing through the area.  They are
                    charging 25c to see "Little Spotted Back".           (Pg. 35)

                    There is a movement to pay the admission for the poor who
                    cannot afford to, so that all will get to enjoy the sights of the Expo...

Aug. 11, 1898   First sham battle takes place.   (Pg. 39)
        
Aug. 12, 1898   Apaches do not like the climate here...
         EB     Initial life saving exhibition takes place.  (pg. 41)

         EB     Incubators, that started yesterday, are attracting interest
                    from the medical profession. They are glass and metal cases
                    heated to a certain temperature, into which enough air is
                    admitted to maintain life...until such time as infant is strong
                    enough for temperature of room.  Yesterday two babies were put
                    in...85% of the babies using it have lived...intended for
                    weakly born who otherwise would pass away.           (Pg. 42)

                    Opening of the new organ in Auditorium by Harrison Wild of
                    Chicago.                           (Pg. 41)


Aug. 14, 1898   Hospital wagon made 30 calls...none serious...

         SB         You can "see" for nothing, but it costs you 25c to "saw"...
                                                           (Pg. 55)
         SB         Sights at the Moorish Palace...Marie Antoinette going to her
                    execution...a captive tortured at the stake...nymphs in bosky
                    dells with rocks & trees.

         SB     The explosion of the Maine is the prettiest little thing on
                    the grounds.  The scene of ships riding at anchor in Havana
                    Harbor, the tropical storm, illumination of the city and the
                    sunrise are remarkably pretty.  As for the explosion, it
                    wouldn't disturb a rabbit", relates Octave Thanet.    (pg. 55)

         SB     There were only 75 Indians at the Chicago Worlds Fair...over
                    500 here.

Aug. 15, 1898   Sick Indians...white man's medicine...several receive
         EB         treatment for ailments...leave convinced white man's medicine
                    has some merit.                            (Pg. 58)

         EB     The east gate at 20th & Manderson was moved up flush with 20th
                    St. to allow neighboring property owners to pass through
                    grounds.                                   (Pg. 58)

         EB     Rev. Celia Parker Woolley of Chicago gives sermon in the
                    Auditorium.                                (Pg. 57)

Aug. 16, 1898   There will be a party of 300 from Frontier County.   (Pg. 60)
         EB     Two thousand arrived by train today to visit the grounds.

         WH     Old plantation people Lizzie Sherman, female basso; Jim
                    Johnson, Sam Scott and Henry Knight, burlesque and barber
                    artists; and others receive invitations everyday to appear at
                    some sociable or entertainment.                      (Pg. 63)

Aug. 17, 1898   Indian Encampment accident...John Brush was thrown from
         EB     his horse and severely injured, (due to) a loose saddle girth.  He
                    was dragged some distance and badly bruised on the shoulder,
                    side and hip.  The horse also stepped on his hand and severed
                    his little finger.                 (Pg. 65 & 67)

         WH     Heaven and Hell has opened under its new name, "Darkness &
                    Dawn...From the time one enters the lobby, passes down the
                    descending passage into hell, until paradise is reached, one
                    finds himself back in the lobby by a different way...like a
                    weird drama. The idea of being served by widows and eating off
                    of coffins was not fascinating, but the reality was far from
                    horrible.  A monk guides the way into the infernal regions...
                    St. Peter is on guard at the gates of Heaven...After climbing
                    the golden stairs a vista of a beautiful grotto, with
                    brilliant electric effects...glittering crystal stalactites...
                    all taking place upon the surface of a lake with electric
                    fountains.  Beautiful maidens sing and dance under 60M candle