The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-05-02

FAIRS IN WESTERN EUROPE.
Through France, Italy and England many falrs
held that have lost altogether their ancient re-
lation to the commerce OF the country, and are
continued rather as curious relics OF ancient GUS
toms and occasions for merrymaking. To this the
only exceptions are the horse and cattle fairs,
which, though they are not so important CONNER
ciaily as they once were. since more convenient
means are found for mere trafic even In these,
yet they still combine certain Importance in that
respect with their greater value as shows OF the
results OF good breeding and for the good innu-
ence they thus exercise upon the products OF the
country.
MODERN INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITIONS.
In considering the modern great exhibitions and
worries fairs at the end OF this glimpse at the his
tory OF fairs we observe. first, that they are not
truly fairs in the ordinary sense OF that WORD, as
always hitherto used. Goods are not gathered
here for sale principally but for show, indications
OF the progress made in widely separated nations;
neither do merchants come principally to buy, but
rather to view, TO study and compare that they
may lay out their money more wisely In future
ventures. They are exhibitions OF samples, and as
such have a direct and incaicuable Importance on
manufacturing and trading; but they are pre-em
nently educational in their character. They teach
each people what thing it can make better and
cheaper than any other people, and what product
OF its industry some other people can produce in
greater excellence. They thus direct labor by q
practical comparison the usefulness OF hich IL Is
impossible to overrate. But their greatest i'm
portance Is that they are the successive
sessions OF the parliament OF Man, the Fed
GRAFTON OF the World" They are congresses in
which the representatives Of all the nations OF the
world come together and consider the state OF in
dustry, commerce, invention, household comfort.
domestic art and the fine arts-things directly re-
lating to the life of every man, and thus far more
influential with regard to his condition than the
political machinery or States; and what is done and
said at these congresses Is of far more consequence
TO human happiness than what Is done at all the
law-maklng congresses OF the world.
The Exposition at Vienna Is the fourth of these
great congresses The first was held at London in
1857 the second at London in 1862, and the third
at Paris in 1867.
THE LONDON ExHIBITIONS-1851-l862.
The first OF the "Great Exhibitions" was held
in Hyde Park. London, in the year 1851 1t was
opened May l and closed October Is, and was
visited by upwards OF six millions OF persons.
The building for this exhibition covered an area
Of nineteen acres, its supreme length being 1851
feet, or nearly threeeighths OF mile. It was the
first of the now regularly recognized Crystal
Palaces, and was erected from plans made by
Joseph Paxton, gardener to the Duke of Devon
shire. Mr.. Paxton had made for several persons
in England very beautiful Conservatives, CON-
posed principally Of iron and glass, and when
ediice was wanted for the proposed Worlds Fair
1t naturally occurred to him that one Of these
Conservatives made on a gigantic scale would
give structure OF magnificent effect and having
great advantage In regard to light. His plans re-
commended themselves to the Commissioners and
the building the first If not the greatest
OF the undertaking. Paxton was knighted. At
this fair there $1,000 exhibitors. The CLASH
ication Of things exhibited was made by Dr. Lyon
Playfair, and was an elaborate analysis of indus
trial and productive art. There were four great
sections devoted to raw materials, machinery,
manufactures and fine arts. These were divided
into subsections OF which there were four OF the
FIRST six of the second and nineteen OF the third
in all twenty-nine classes-and the classes were
divided on average into about eight portions
EACH For instance, section was manufactures.
One class Of this was manufactures in animal and
vegetable substances the letter OF this class
manufactures Of India rubber and No. of this was
waterproof articles distinguished from elastic
articles. Perhaps one of the most permanent ad-
vantages of these exhibitions Is derived from the
necessity encountered Of thus
CLASSIFYING THE PRODUCTS
OF the worlds industry-of making, as it were all
these apparently homogeneous facts into science,
that their relations to another may be definite
ly and readily comprehended. In the general edu.
cational activity too little Is, perhaps, thought OF
what has been achieved in the mere making OF the
catalogues to these great exhibitions. In the final
anaiy sis Of the Hyde Park catalogue there were
1000 headings and the jurors passed upon mill
lion articles.
WHO TOOK THE PRIZES.
In machinery in manufactures, IN metals and in
glass and porcelain manufactures British exhibitors
gained more prizes than all Others together. In
textile fabrics, in fine arts and in miscellaneous
manufactures the foreign exhibitors took the
honors In the proportion OF three-fths to two
fifths against the British; while in the section OF
raw materials for food and manufactures foreign
exhibitors gained nearly four times as many
prizes as the British. There were 1876 medals, and
more than half (eghty-eight) were given in one OF
the four main divisions-that for machinery which
might by the prejudiced public outside be attrbut
ed to the fact that John Bull is q manufacturer.
AN AMERICAN TRIUMPH.
Not the least interesting point in the history OF
this famous fair was brilliant American success
that has made as much noise in the AnglOAmeri-
can world as perhaps all the other successes Of the
fair together. This was the startling triumph Of
the glorious little yacht America. From the ne
cessity OF the case the America was not put In the
Crystal Palace, but she was sent to that exhibition
and the race she won was one Of the incidents OF
that great cOncourse OF people from all nations.
She started last in large fleet OF yachts and
came In eight miles ahead of everything, showing
England that one Of the great manufacturing in
dustries in which she was superior only by the
neglect OF others was the building OF ships.
THE LONDON EXHIBITION OF 1852.
In 1862 the second great exhibition was opened
in London 1t was inferior in splendor to that of
1851, and in every sense less interesting. One
most significant legacy, however, It seems TO have
left to the world is the International Society OF
Workingmen 1t is said that the origin OF this So
ciety was In the visit Of French worklngmen to
London In 1862. Through this circumstance the
exhibition Of that year seems likely to exercise
iuduence than all The athars cixillza-