Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1876-05-27
AT THE CENTENNIAL.
A Hasty GLANCE Through the Maia Exhibit.
tion Building ~ Il 10 Ts.day.


A Hassy Glance Through the Alaia RxhibI
tion Building ~ Il is Ts.day.
The ground floor OF the Main Exhibi
ton building covers 872, $40 square feet
or about twenty acres. The superstruc
ture rests upon brick walls seven fee
high, and consists of 672 wrought irol
columns, supporting roof trusses Of tn
same material, and weighing altogethe
2, 200, 900 pounds. Including the roo
trusses, the whole amount OF iron usel
is 5000, 900 pounds. The building i
1850 feet long and 464 wide.
The following countries are now rep
resented on the Centennial grounds
Argentine Republic, Austria. Hungary
Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chill, China
Denmark, Egypt, France with Algeria
Germany, Great Britain with her colo
nies, Hawaii, Italy, Japan, Mexico
Netherlands, Norway, Orange Free
State, Peru, Portugal, Russia, Sweden,
Spain, Switzerland, Tunis, Turkey and
Venezuela.
Entering the Main building by the
eastern gates, the visitor finds himself
in the division allotted to the United
States. Almost every domestic produc.
ton OF mining, manufacture, and science
is found here. The government Of the
Netherlands makes striking and exten.
sive display. I was especially interested
in the exhibition Of the engineering and
other public works which, to the trav.
eler, are undoubtedly the feature OF
Holland. But the traveller by the usual
route from Amsterdam through the
Hague to Rotterdam, and thence to Ant
werp, does not get the slightest concep-
ton Of the real nature and extent Of the
wonderful dykes Of which he has heard
and read since his childhood. Now.
however, he can come here and see and
learn all about them.
beautiful partition around her treasures,
which, of itself, is sure to secure ones
attention. But when we enter, the
scene seems worthy of the surroundings;
particularly brilliant is the collection of
butterflies and tropical birds.
Belgium makes show of Brussels
lace which some lady would 60 hun
dred miles to see and stay day to in
spect. saw nothing equal to it in
Brussels itself. But did see there the
poor, half-blind women who make the
fabric, every week becoming more near.
ly wholly blind, and I almost resolved
never to buy or admire point lace again.
Switzerland furnishes specimens of
minerals and of carved woods, and also
very interesting Typographical charts of
the approaches to the new st. Gothard
tunnel.
France seems as elastic and artistic as
ever, and, while drilling an army of a
million and half of soldiers, has time
to manufacture glassware and bronzes
that are scarcely inferior to the produc-
tions of the age of Louis Quatorze.
Great Britain is great here as almost
everywhere, and what her home depart
ment cannot produce her colonial de-
partment, her India, her South Aus,
tralia, her New South Wales, her New
Zealand, her Queensland, her Victoria,
her Cape Colony, her Bermuda and her
Jamaica, most certainly can. One of
The post-office buildings in New South
Wales would compare favorably in size,
in material and in architecture with the
New York post office.
Sweden and Norway. which stretch
beyond the Arctic circle, exhibit many
samples of their famous iron ores, and
pretty collection of pottery.
Italy, always brilliant, sends straw
goods and mosaic work from Florence,
,orals, seals, pink shells, Venetian jewel
y and glass, and countless matchless
patterns of bijoutry. She is still the
peerless mistress of the fine arts.
The Argentine Republic instructs us
hat her resources comprise the products
If two zones; and the other South
American States, especially Chill and
Peru, are rich in displays of ores, of
vines and of birds of gorgeous plumage.
The horned cattle, horses and sheep of
his republic of the Rio de la Plata yield
an export produce of $50, ,O00,-
100, and its total trade is estimated at
200, 900, 900 per annum.
Far-off China, with its indefatigably
Industrious population of 425, ZOO, 900,
eminds the Occident that porcelain and
pun silk first came from the Orient,
nd that in the carving of ivory and the
nlaying of mother-of- pearl it is still
acile aorinceps. Japan, the marvellous
and of mountains, of volcanoes, of
of typhoons and of water
pouts, and the true home of silk fabrics
nd ceramic products, outstrips her
eighbors in the extent and in the ar
angement of her products.
The Sandwich islands show us that
hey are fit for something better than
acre coaling stations; and although |
heir chemical manufactures, woven
oods, travelling equipments, educational
1eans, engineering and architectural |
esources, mosaics and specimens of
photography, are not in themselves par
Icularly interesting, they are deeply SO
s the record of the triumphs of Chris
ianity and constitutional government
yer barbarism and heathenism.
Tunis does pretty we'll for a de.
endency of Constantinople, and for
ne of the Barbary States, in view of
be facts that its northern districts are
ocky and precipitous, its eastern dis
riots dry and sandy, its southern dis
riots desert steppe, and its streams
But, although I do not
bject to it's showing Of felted goods and
uniting apparatus, its woven fabrics
nd its horrifc firearms, I should GER
ainly prefer to have my mouth water at
be sight of some of its luscious pome-
grapes, olives, oranges, al
bonds, spices and dates.
Spain has outdone herself in decorat-
1g the facade of her inclosure, and in
isplaying her art work, carpets and
larbles. Is it Amadee, CASTELAR, or Al
onso whom we have to thank for this
or is it before the civili-
alton OF the Moor, or of the metador,
r of the Bourbon, that we should make
ur s0iaam?
Denmark, though bounded (as the
,hool teachers aver) on the north by
ne Skagerrack and on the east by the
attegat, has for its capital the Paris of
40 North and the Baltimore of the
'ast. Its China ware is better than
ven that of the Dresden. l.
In Egypt it never rains. The climate
unhealthy. Ophthalnlia, cholera and
le plague prevail. Mans health is
lie, but every prospect of acacias and
7camores and palms, of papyrus and
,tos and melon pleases. And SO does