The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1876-04-26
The GREAT SHOW.
FASTENING THE PREPARA-
TIONS.
A LOOK OVER THE GROUNDS

A LOOK OVER THE GROUNDS.
BAYARp TAYLoR's fMPREssIoNs-coMPAR
SONS WITH VIENNA AND PARASITIC
GROUNDS AND THE BUILDINGs-THE
MANAGERS HAVE CONQUERED SUCCESS.
Bayard Taylor writes to the New York
Tribune his first impressions at Pniladel-
phia: The interior space has been very
fairly allotted. OF the twenty inclosed
acres twelve are given to toreis nations,
and the remainder is for our own citizens
to fill. Thelatter, SIS usual, have been quite
remiss in their work; we the Americans
are emphatical V an eleventh-hour people.
When / compared the tasteful pavilions of
the Netherlands, the lnclosed court OF
Spain, the pylon and templelike Enclosure
of Egypt, the exquisite wooden hligree of
Norway, even the crowded boxes and show
cases OF Germany, England, and France,
with the vacant and bewildered aspect
our American domain. / lett slight sink-
ing of the heart. But there came conso-
lation in remembering that If we postpone,
we are capable of rapid work; and General
Hawley-to whom, as to Mr.. Gosaorn,
am indebted for ali the facilities of seeing
what now describe-assured me that the
late activity of the American exhibitors
will no doubt atone for their seeming LeI
ligence hitherto. The French and English
departments are advancing rapidly, and al
though G. rmany claims to be ahead OF
both, could not see that she Is more than
abreast of her rivals. From present indi-
cations 1 should judge that the foreign dis
play-with the possible exception OF the
Oriental nations-will be fully equal to
that at Paris in 1867 and at Vienna in 1878
In regard to the grounds and detached
buildings, no comparison can be made ex-
capt with the last exhibitions in Paris and
Vienna. The first, in Hyde Park, bad space
bat no external decoration; the first French
in 1855, and the second English, in 1862,
had neither. In 1867, the level, gravelly
floor of the Champs de Jars WAS converted,
st an immense expenss, into an ornamen-
tai garden; but the large trsnsplsnted trees
all looked sickly, and even the turf and
flowers wore an aspect of haste and force
rather than of natural growth.
THE PRATER, IN VIENNA,
was a much more advantageous location,
in the way OF space and full-grown trees
vet its dead level beside the Danube defed
the weak attempts made to vary the sur
face. Every shower made pools which fl
tered away slowly through the moist soil.
Paramount Park, on the contrary, offers a
situation which could hardly be improved.
With its grand old trees, its slopes of mel
low turf; its high, breezy plateaus, divided
by the picturesque hollow of Landsdowne
Glen; its airy outlook from Georges Hill,
and it's shining reaches of the Schuy kill
between sloping walls of foliage, it seems
to have been designed by nature for Just
such an occasion. The frat level, nearly a
mile in length, admits of a spacious open
air court, with trees, flowers and fountains,
between the main hall and machinery
building, while on the softly rising slope
the llfrpr the 6QfaahQA
native and foreign, have found their per-
feet site. At the head OF Lsndsdowne
Glen picturesque little lake has been
formed; on the second plateau beyond
stand the United States government build
ing, the womeu's pavilion, and, In the
midst of lair and flOwery lawn, the horti-
cultural building. Then follows snC ther
shallow glen, beyond which rise the queer
composite Cor rather nondescript) towers
and roofs OF the agricultural building
which covers ten acres of ground. All tie
main points are thus nearly on a level, yet
each is brought into prominence by the
hollOws which divide IL from the others on
the side toward the river. / DO not see
how a better disposition could have been
made of the grounds. When the alchemy
of the warmer sun shall have been felt
when the last scaffolding is cleared away,
and all the RI bbish of the final preparations
removed, when the new grass is thick and
the mounds of flowers hasten to bloom
aud the fountains are let loose-whoever
comes here will dread no comparison with
the large undertakings of other lands. Few
of the
NATIONAL OR STATE BUILDINGS
are completed. but the latter, at least, are
mostly slight structures, requiring only
few days OF carpenter work and plenty OF
paint. 1t will be a singular, / may say
an unprecedented collection of styles.
New jersey has nearly finished something
made up of gables, peaked roofs and bal
comics. qusint if not characteristic. Con-
necticut has a modes, little, old-fsshioned
cottage; New York, a villa that suggest
calico; Massachusetts, an astonishing
fabric, OF the most exclusive Boston
Brshminical aspect, and Indiana some
thing which can only interpret as repre-
sentIng the railroad car placed atop OF the
old csnvass-cOvrred wagon and crushing
down its "bows." Illinois and Wisconsin,
are less ambitions and more agreeable;
but Euzjard and japan are simply perfect.
Those old Saxon houses, honest aud true
Inside and out, with the utmost integrity
of form and decoration, ssem to have been
taken bodily from Chester or Shrewsbury.
And L have seen exactly such Japanese
country houses On the green slopes above
Kansgsws. Outside OF the main hall. the
United States promises to be very fully
represented, and in fac, taking the total
exhibition, i have strong hopes that we
shall make an impressive showing. The
government, in respect of promptness, is
no better than its citizens. 1t has erected
spacious building, with a monitor tur
act on one side OF the entrance and a
twenty ioeh parrot gun on the other; bu'
the interior Is still very vacant and barn
like. The WOmen's building. OppOSite