THE OOUKilST. 



lfil 



strictly western. This is the '49Mining 

 Camp and a most interesting exhibit it 

 is too: one representing early days. 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 entrance of the 

 Camp. We pay our quarter and enter 

 the main street, which is lined on both 

 sides with genuine miners' cabins, 

 brought from the mountains. These 

 all contain relics of the "days of old, 

 the days of gold and the days of '49." 

 A familiar mule train slowly winds its 

 way along the street at intervals', aud is 

 in turn followed by the rumbling stage. 

 The cabins are too numerous to men- 

 tion. One bears a sign informing us 

 that "Keno" is played within. Another 

 is the office of the "Pepper Box" which 

 is supposed to disseminate the news 

 amongst the inhabitants of the camp. 

 Then agaiu comes the stage office from 

 whence departs the stage for such noted 

 places as Bad Man's Gulch, Red Dog, 

 Yankee Jims, Shirt-tail Canou aud 

 other jdaces of equally euphonious 

 names. 



At the head of the main street is an 

 immense painting representing Mount 

 Shasta, and it is apparently a mile 

 awa}', and is as clever an illus on as I 

 have seen. 



As one approaches the grounds he is 

 confronted by the massive 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 decide 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 of Java, and numerous 

 other attractions. Possibly one of the 

 most interesting concessions is the 

 Scenic Railroad, which everyone is 

 tempted to try once at least. It is no- 

 uncommon sight to see a dusty granger 

 occupying the front seat, his teeth set,. 

 as the train rushes down the steep 

 grade, his loug locks floating in the 

 breeze. 



In other parts of the Fair Grounds 

 are the Indian and' Arizona Villages,. 

 Boon's Arena of Wild Animals, Col. 

 Hafford's Arizona Museum and a score 

 of other 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 .stuffed 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 attitude, but half-stuffed 

 they are nailed through 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 off this mortal coil, and left Col. 

 Hafford to his grief. 



The private concessions ai e of course 

 a secondary matter to the sight-seers, 

 aud the five main buildings afford 

 sights for many day's study. In the 

 Fine Arts Building is a collection of rare 

 works of art. man3 7 of which are from 

 the brushes of western artists. The-. 

 Mechanics Arts Building is filled 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 filled with a most 

 interesting exhibit of California pro- 

 ducts, while the Manufactures and Lib- 

 eral Arts building contains the govern- 

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

 many other valuable exhibits, besides a 



