IllK OOLOOIST 



151 



strictly western. This is the '4!) Miiiinrr 

 Camp and 3, most interesting exhibit it 

 is too: one representing early day*. As 

 we walk along one of the main streets, 

 a novel sign on the side points out the 

 way to the Mining Camp. A walk over 

 a picturesque trail through a grove of 

 pines leads us to the entranee of the 

 Camp. We pay our quarter and enlcr 

 the main street, which is lined on both 

 sides with genuine miners' (•al)ins, 

 brought from the mountains. These 

 all contain relics of the "days of old, 

 the days of gold and the days of '4i>." 

 A familiar mule train slowly winds its 

 way along the street at intervals, and is 

 in turn followed by the rumbling stage. 

 The cabins are too numerous to men- 

 tion. One bears a sign informing \\s 

 that "Keuo" is played within. Another 

 is the office of t,he '"Pepper Box" whicii 

 is supposed to disseminate the news 

 amongst the inhabitants of the ramp. 

 Then again comes the stage office from 

 whence departs the stage for such noted 

 places as Bad Man's Gulch, Red Dog, 

 Yankee Jims, Shirt-tail Canon anil 

 other places of equal!}' euphonious 

 names. 



At the head of the main street is an 

 immense painting representing Mount 

 Shasta, and it is appai'eutly a mile 

 away, and is as clever an iilus on as I 

 have seen. 



As one approaches the grounds he is 

 confronted l)y the mas&ive Firth wheel, 

 which towers above the surrounding 

 buildings majestically. From every 

 spire and turret floats a streamer of 

 brilliant hue or else the Stars and 

 Stripes. Upon entering the grounds it 

 is difficult to de(Mde where we shall be- 

 gin our sight-seeing. Close at hand are 

 the Colorado Gold Mine, in which the 

 complete process of mining is shown; 

 the Mirror Maze, Dante's Inferno, the 

 most hideous portion of which is doubt- 

 less the building which is modelled af- 

 ter a dragon, for I am informed the in- 

 terior is a"fake; 'the Hawaiian Volcano, 



which is Very instructive and . realistic, 

 with its lakes nf lava, ancl numerous 

 other attractions. Possibly one of the 

 most intei'esliiig concessions is the 

 Scenic Railroad, which evei'yone is 

 tempted to try once at least. It is no 

 uncommon siglit I0 see a dusty granger 

 occupying the front s-eat, his teeth set, 

 as the ti'ain rushes down the steep 

 grade, his long locks floating in the 

 breeze. 



In other parls of the Fair Grounds 

 are the Indian and Arizona Villages, 

 Boon's Arena of Wild Animals, Col. 

 Hafford's Ai-izona Museum and a score 

 ofothri- private concessions. It was 

 my fortune or rather misfortune to vis- 

 it the Arizona Museum, which is adver- 

 tised to contain matchless collections 

 of birds, and stufl'ed animals. There 

 are hundreds of specimens that the ver- 

 iest amateur would be ashamed to own. 

 No pretense is made to place the birds 

 in a life-like attit;ule, but half-stufl:'ed 

 they are nailed throiigh the back onto 

 the wall. A "Gila monster" was for- 

 merly kept on the outside and the show- 

 man never tired of extolling its poison- 

 ous propensities, but it has since shuf- 

 fled otT this mortal coil, and left Col. 

 H afford to his grief. 



The private concessions aie of course 

 a secondary matter to the sight-seers, 

 and the tive main buildings afford 

 sights for many day's study. In the 

 Fine Arts Building is a collei-tion of rare 

 works of art. many of which are from 

 the brushes of western artist.s. The 

 Mechanics Arts Building is lilled with 

 mechanical contrivances, various exhi- 

 bits, and an extensive display of Cali- 

 fornia and Pacific 'Coast ores. Here 

 the Midwinter Fair souvenirs are coined 

 before the visitor's eyes. The Horti- 

 cultural Building is tilled with a most 

 interesting exhibit of California pro- 

 ducts, while the Manufactui'es and Lib- 

 eral Arts building contains the govern- 

 ment. Wells Fargo & Co's. as well as 

 many other valuable exhibits, besides a 



