The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1867-06-29
fnforulati0,l.
FROM PARIS.
The Ex position-Lctte from Hon. John r.
Reynolds, Illinois Commissioned.


.t'Hia 3t.IEH From, the Springfield Journal.
The following letter was received at the Exc
cutive office Yesterday and was kindly furnished
us for publication. 1t will be perused with IN
terest BY our numerous readers:
PARIS, FRANCE, May 25 1867.
Dear Gopernor:-I am not unmindful of the
obligation resting upon me to advise you from time
to time of the progress being made in matters
committed to INV charge by the State of Illinois
in connection with the Universal Exposition, and
though not prepared to report officially will en-
deavor to give YOU in familiar private letter an
idea of what has been done, and OF the SITUATION
generally. 4E
You have doubtless seen newspaper statements
to the effect that the preparations Tor the EXPOSE
ton, on the part of all engaged IN IT, we're very
backward and that although the formal opening,
on the LIST of April, took place as expected, the
middle of Nav did not find everything in readi-
ness These statements are true, and indeed
even vet. almost every nation has something to
do before it can set down, fold its hands and
receive she great public, whe are calling at the
daily average rate of $4,000 on week days and
$4,000 on Sundays the average daily number OF
francs received since opening of the gates-the
price of admission being one franc each) without
an apology for not being completely ready. The
United States forming no exception, l am sorry
to say. The American Farmers Home, and the
American School House, both from Chicago,
will be completed the coming week; Commits
sioner General Beckwth has controlled their
erection in every particular and has doubtless
done the best possible under the circumstances
te hasten the work.
Onr Illinois State collection, except such parts
of it as must necessarily be exhibited in the
buildings referred too, has been in place and in
good shape for some weeks, and has been examin-
ed by the appropriate juries, not with view to
the award Of medals or special;nIizes but to be
reported upon by them in making up their hnal
record in each class.
1t is perhaps not improper for me to say our
collection of grains is scarcely equalled in the
Exposition. and that without the agricultural
products of Illinois the American exhibition In
the seventh group would not do the nation
justice.
The Geological and botanical collections have
attracted much attention from scientific men of
Paris, of Vienna, Berlin, and Belgium. l have
several applications to exchange for them, and
anticipate no difficulty whatever in obtaining
their full value in kind. Both collections will
probably go to parties in this city, as they make
fair offers and can readily examine their pro-
posed exchanges.
Judging from the interest manifested in our
exhibition by all classes of people, who see it
daily and read the story it tells of fertile lands
in a country where they already know there are
cheap homes and democratic institutions the State
of Illinois has not made mistake in sending it
here. At all events ] have preached many SER
mon to willing ears, with that magnificent corn,
fine wheat, oats, barley, hemp, flax, breom-corn,
cotton tobacco, beet, pork, hams, sorghum, wines,
and beet sugar for my text
have already made arrangements for procur-
ing samples of grains, fibres and fabrics of many
varieties exhibited by other nations in exchange
for our own, or by purchase, and hope to bring
with me many things of that sort, interesting
and valuable.
hlAbout the 1st instant, at the suggestion of
some American exhibitors the United States
Commissioner General applied to the Imperial
Commission for permission to place an American
on the Jury in class 14-in which class are in
cluded all agricultural implements and machine
ry for trial, and all specimens of agricultural
establishments, both ut Billancourt and Champ
de Mars. The application was allowed, and he
requested me to take the position, which did
the more willingly because it gave me a favora-
BILE opportunity to examine thoroughly that part
of the exhibition in which Illinois has perhaps o
larger interest than in any other, and because II
placed me within reach of information in regard
to EuropcanNagmculture not easily otherwise to
be obtained. The Chairman of the Jury is one
of the largest manufacturers of beet sugar i'll
France; another member is the Chief Agricultural
Director of the Emperor; another is the Chief
Director of Agriculture in Spain. There are ten
in all ; most of them speak English, but no one
worked five days in each week, we are almost
through, the most important matters yet remain
ing being the field trials of reapers and mowers.
On Thursday last lat Fouilleuse. the Emperors
farm near st. Cloud,) the moving machines were
brought out--nineteen entries in all-the Amer.
can machines, represented by American cxhibi-
tors, being Woods McCormick's and Perrys "a
nearly new machine). After the first days trial,
the jury threw out eleven machines and CLASH
fed the Others according to the work then done.
The three above named head the list of the eight
remaining to be further tested in July. You
may safely put down the United States for all
the gold medals Oh reapers and mowers at this
Worlds Fair. .nU
BY the way, after the second days examine
ton OF the machines, and the classification had
been determined on, the jury were taking some
refreshments, when the Spanish gentleman
spoken of, proposed us toast, 1.-THE Union for
ever" and then sung the chorus of that national
song. You may imagine my surprise and graft,
tication. The toast was heartily received by all,
and of course responded by proposing ''The
Government of Spain, which nearly four centu.
rcs ago sent out Christopher Columbus to dis
cover America and thus made the Union posi-
BILE" They did not take the response badly, as
the Spaniards are justly proud of that historical
fact which speaks SO well for the intelligence and
enterprise OF the Court of Ferdinand and Isa-
bella.
1t, as is sometimes said, and perhaps with too
much truth, we have II hereditary enemy among
the nations of Europe. it is n pleasant thing to
remember that we have, also, friends. Among
the places of interest to Americans in Paris
which / have visited, is, us YOU know, the little
out-ot-the-way private cemetery of Piepus which
contains the remains OF Lafayette and his family.