New-York tribune., 1876-10-14
FEATURES OF THE FAIR
THE GOVERNMENT BUILDING.

IrRoN A sr,l1' CORRESPONDENT OF THR TRUUNRl
PHIiApYLpluA, Oct. G.-Cong gre2s did not treat the
Centennial Exhibition with generosity. The sub
seiptiou 10 lis stock authorized at che last session
was gruagiGgly made, and even the slm o,tilEated
by the Executive Departments as necessary f0t tbe
proper representation of the power and resources OF
this country-a very moderate one--was partially
denied. Congress cut and slasAed at these eStl-
mates without rhyme reason, aud after re-
ducing them by more than a quarter OF "A
million OF dollars required the building which now
shelters the Government display to be paid tor out
of what remained. Embarrassed by this nggaIuly
treatment and with only one-haE as much moley as
their disposal as was considered necessary 10 make
complete and crcdtable exhibition, the Government
Board went to work, and the result of its labors
surprises every thoughtful visitor. No dollar oi the
1858, 900 available for practical exhibits hes been
wasted: the duty of collecting and arranging each
department was intrusted to experienced and com
petent men, who with their limited means have
brought together in the Government Building The
most complete and satisfactory display of the whole
Exhibition. as well as one Of the most instructive
ever made on any occasion.
The visitor, citizen stranger, who admIts tho
United States Government Exhibit, or profits 10y the
study of it, should not forget its history. 1t has not
been made Up by judicious selection from great
national museum in Washington, such as may bo
found in somc foreign countries foc the Government
owns no such museum. During the past fcw years
exploring expeditions returning from the West nave
brought with them specimens illustrating the geo
logy, miEoral0gy, botany, ethnoiogy, &c, ol that
extensive and impcrfectly known portion Of Inc
United States and these have been deposited III thc
Smithsonian Institution, forming tho nucleus Of a
national museum. In the same way the IlSh Com
mission has made some very valuable collections
but there h,s been no comprehensive system. The
treasures of the Government, representing ls hatu
ral resource even, have been rich only N certain
particulars and in relation to certain sections oi
country: while other branches AID other loca'iVed
equally iu,uCsting have been entirely msrepie-
sented When the GOyernmen. Commission chIeied
upon its laboTs therefore. it had 40 great store
house bus the country at large 10 draw FROM In
stead of seecting the best specimens in tho various
departments, and arranging them for exhibition
here states and individuals had TO bo called upon
to contribute: and men had 70 be sent to the west
and even 10 Alaska TO obtain articles which II was
desirable to possess but which c0nld not be obtained
in any othsy way Thus The Government has actr-
ally improyi,td a museum for exhibition here lar
more complete and comprehensive than any which
has evor before existed in this country
Entering the United States Government Building
by the western door. the first department or the
rghtis that Of the General Land Office. The wcS OF
SNOWY display possible the mincralogcal depart
ment of ii having been transferred to tie Smith
sonian Ins;i u,on several years ago. Its chief con-
tribution is a Centennial Map OF the United states
recently completed and placed in position few
days ago. The scale of this nap is 10 miles to an
inch and it 5.iows with great accuracy the bound
arlcs of the states, the location Of State capitals
county seats cities towns and villages, all lines OF
railroad and canal with important stations npon
them tie positions Of lighthouses and laud-".nceS
and the bp;Udirie OF Indian and Military i'toeTN"-
tons. IN addition to this, tic map of course dis
PLAYS the work which has been done by the land
Office in surveying and marking the boundaries of
the public lands Of the United States. TIE land
office ais, las on exhibition copies Of its varouS
pablica,iors giving information 10 settlers avon or
purchasers of public lands in regard 10 their location
and the methods of obtaining titles
The woik accomplished by Prof. Hayden and
Major Powell under whose direction geological
survey of the Territories Of the United States las
been in progress for several years. has been con-
stmly brought 10 public attention in this country,
not only by their annual reports, which have been
very widely circulated, but by newspaper lrt'ers
magazine articles, and 10y paintings and photographs
representing The wonderful scenery Of some Of The
recently cNpl1Ird regions. Prof. Hayden has sent
10 the Centennial Exhibition a complete set Of bis
81
water-caio paintings representing tho acerery of the
Yellowstone National Park, and transparent photo
graphs # tae mountains Of Colorado and The curious
Aztec rrius iu the southwestern portion OF that
Stlte Y;rs.s Of tic wOnucfil elf and cave
houses and towns recently dis, oycrcd in Arizona are
a'o Displaced a- well as very 'ue series of plaster
models Of the same ntcr stIHg objects. Duplicates
o. tcs, have been made a,d sold al cost 10 cGuca-
tional institutions. aud sent II foreign scientific
soeicties The technical work done under the dire
tion of Prof Hayden is represented 10y fine series
OF ccooairtl maps and charts. geological 'nGdcae 81
ycorntqi,i regions which have brcn explored and of
the Yellowstone National Park, plates showing
fossil remains discovered, specimens Of anur1'
pottery, &C., &c.
Major Powell has contributed two extremely in
ter.stiug models Of the Grand Canon Of tie Colo
ra!o River of the West to the exploration of which
he has devoted much time. One Of them shows the
character of the surface aud the oiEor the groiogi-
cal formation. and in each the Colorado Canon is
COMPARED with the Yosemite Valley and the Niagara
GORGE 4 study of these models impresseS the Wis
itor i'm the most forclbc manner with tho imp 'ssl-
bility Of realizing the grandeur Of the wonderful
scenery of the West without an actual visit TO IT,
The Niagara Gorge, when represented IN The model
ou +he same scale with tie Colorado Canon, Is a
shallow line scarcely pcrcepGble to sight or touch,
while the latter is a deep, irregular depgeSNion com
pared with which even the Yosemite Valley loses
mrch Of its startling grandeur The series OF pho
toc1aphs exiiblted 10y Major Powell are remarkable
not only for the subjects they represent bnt also for
The excellence Of their workmanship. Among them
arr pictures of ancient villages in Northern Arizona
and between GO and 20 large photographs showing