What We Saw at Madame World's Fair - Elizabeth Gordon

Our Day on the Zone

Dear Cousins:

Father said that on our last day at the Fair we might be as frivolous as we pleased. So we went in at the Van Ness Avenue entrance, and did everything we wanted to do. Father did not seem a bit bored, though we had been afraid that he would.

We went to Toyland, and saw the circus, and the dog show, and the funny little men and women, who are really grown up although they are scarcely bigger than little brother, who is only five. There was one little father and mother there with a baby nearly as big as they were.

Then we went over to Japan Beautiful, and it is indeed beautiful, and we stayed a long time, buying gifts for all of you. It looked like fairyland with all the red lanterns and pretty flags flying. It was Queen Day. The queen's chariot was a big bird, like a swan, only more beautiful. Then we zigzagged across again and did things on the other side of the Zone, like going up in the funny thing which gives you a ride in the air, so you can see all the Fair at once. Then we stopped a few minutes in Old Mexico, but we had been there before, you know, so we came out and went to see the little babies in the incubators. They are very sweet, but are so little that they cannot live in just beds like other babies. They should have had "The Blue Bird" to read before they came and then they would not have been in so much of a hurry, because it cannot be any fun to be shut up in there.

We were hungry when we saw the chickens being roasted in front of a cafe, so we went in and had some lunch, and came out in time to see the big man walk across the Zone on a wire stretched away above our heads. We bought some candies, and saw them being made, and father bought us each a Nova Gem pendant, so we should not forget how the Tower sparkles in the sun, and then we went down to see the man fly. He writes his name in the sky, but it does not stay there very long. Father says Fame is like that.

Then we came out and stood and looked back at the Tower, and out under the arches, out to where the bay was shining in the setting sun, and were glad that we had come. Father asked us what we had liked most. We couldn't answer just at first, but after we were outside we knew. We had loved it, every bit of it, but the best thing of all was going home to mother.

Your loving cousins,

Jane and Ellen.

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Western Section of the "Joy Zone"

Our Day on the Zone Dear Cousins: Father said that on our last day at the Fair we might be as frivolous as we pleased. So we went in at the Van Ness Avenue entrance, and did everything we wanted to do. Father did not seem a bit bored, though we had been afraid that he would. We went to Toyland, and saw the circus, and the dog show, and the funny little men and women, who are really grown up although they are scarcely bigger than little brother, who is only five. There was one little father and mother there with a baby nearly as big as they were. Then we went over to Japan Beautiful, and it is indeed beautiful, and we stayed a long time, buying gifts for all of you. It looked like fairyland with all the red lanterns and pretty flags flying. It was Queen Day. The queen's chariot was a big bird, like a swan, only more beautiful. Then we zigzagged across again and did things on the other side of the Zone, like going up in the funny thing which gives you a ride in the air, so you can see all the Fair at once. Then we stopped a few minutes in Old Mexico, but we had been there before, you know, so we came out and went to see the little babies in the incubators. They are very sweet, but are so little that they cannot live in just beds like other babies. They should have had "The Blue Bird" to read before they came and then they would not have been in so much of a hurry, because it cannot be any fun to be shut up in there. We were hungry when we saw the chickens being roasted in front of a cafe, so we went in and had some lunch, and came out in time to see the big man walk across the Zone on a wire stretched away above our heads. We bought some candies, and saw them being made, and father bought us each a Nova Gem pendant, so we should not forget how the Tower sparkles in the sun, and then we went down to see the man fly. He writes his name in the sky, but it does not stay there very long. Father says Fame is like that. Then we came out and stood and looked back at the Tower, and out under the arches, out to where the bay was shining in the setting sun, and were glad that we had come. Father asked us what we had liked most. We couldn't answer just at first, but after we were outside we knew. We had loved it, every bit of it, but the best thing of all was going home to mother. Your loving cousins, Jane and Ellen.