New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-05-09


Northerners, all for nothing. 1t will neither put
dollar into their treasury nor dollar into their
private pockets. c. c.
THE RAPID ADVANCE OF WORK.
CREDITABLE DISPLAY on OPENING DAY ASSURED
FRENCH wORKMRN-TuE JAPANESE WAY or DIS
PLAYING DRY GoODs-THE SWISS SCHOOL sYS-
TEM-sUNDAY AND THE MULTITUDEs.
IFRoM STAFF CORRESPONDENT OF TIE TRIBUNr.l
PHILADELPHIA May There is to-day eyeTy rea-
son to hope that by Wednesday the Main Bgnl.iing
will DO swept and garnislel and reasonably ready
for the opening ceremonies Ii vii certainly be 50,
if as much is accomplished in the two remaining
days as has been done since the interior OF the
building on Friday. Then it was ditneult to make
ones way about, and with the exception OF the
Scandinavian departments, where there was some
show of order, and the English pottery peoples quar-
ter where things were emerging bit from chaos,
there was hardly an exhibitor who had apparently
so much rs Clipped the she'll l dare say there was
more advance than showed on the surface, but am
only reporting appearances, ald on Friday appear
ances wero much against a good show for Wednes-
day. But today things are bravely altered, and it
is easy to see now that the show is to be splendid
and inspiritipg one. For my part am glad 10 have
seen it in the making. Your readers who will not
see il until il is finished can form little notion bow
interesting it is to walk about and study the
people of so many different nations all under
one roof and all industriOusly working side by side.
without lar OK discord. 1t is a beautiful pan rama
of the day Of universal peace. You turn corner,
and you in the French colony and here are very
heavy, sleepy Paris curriers' working-l was gong TO
say like beavers" but l think beavers are more
alert and get themselves credit for more Intelligence
than these Frenchmen, who. in spite Of all that is
said and sung have surprisingly slow way Of work
ing, while the tools they not a whit in ad-
vance Of those used by the Chinese and japanese.
watched French boy Of 10 to-day who was making
a cut in the end of turned post, cut intended,
should Judge to enable the post to straddle tran
verse bar. The post lay horizontally on trcstles, and
the boy stood facing the end, and made the cut
slowly and sweatngly by working buck-saw verti-
cally, up and down! The French are among the
slowest of the exhbors-in the Fine Arts galleries
not q single French room is more than begun, and
think AN safe in saying, not one picture hung in
its Gina! placc-but they arc working hard, after
their fashion, to be ready in time. Here for while
the visitor might think himself in the French Palas
PIndusric for shut out from the other sections in
the ample French Department he sees only French
faces and hears only French talk.
In another place we turn out OF the main avenue
few steps. and here in vast inelosuTe where
the Chinese and japanese at work. the busiest Of
all the busy crew. The Chinese quarter is very
snowy with its decorations, but the Japs have put all
their force into making ABUNDANT display OF their
goods These will represent almost entirely what
we know as raae articIos-a thousand pretty useful
and handsome things but hardly trace, SO FAR as
can learn or see, Of the high art G. the country,
which was so admirably represented at Vienna.
am told that the reason of this is, that at Vienna
the japanese Government sent the choicest speci-
mems il owned or cOud obtain of their most precious
manufactures-jadeS, pOrcelans, brOnzes stufls
WITHSTAND as the whole collection was irrecOverably
lost on itsTeturn by the sinking OF the ship that
contained it, the Government did not attempt to re-
peat the costly experiment So, our amateurs and
connoissours must not hope to find their eyes water
ing or their fingers pricking at the sight OF unac-
customed treasures in the japanese world. The
coDnoisseur who accompanied me III my proving
about in these caves and alleys assured me Ire didn't
have single twinge of covetousness as he looked
over the shelyes nor did ne feel, he has felt so
often. the faintest desire TO steal anything
But for all that, there new things in the Jap
collection, some specimens of woodwork, some
new pottery, and some printed stntIs. printed on
what looks like fine felt, that very elegant i'll
their sObriety And orr dry goods clerks fsght
learn a wrinkle from the exhibitor of these goods in
the way in which he has arranged them on tho
walls. They are made to look like butterflies like
moths like fans, like bats. are folded III geomet-
rical figures number of the Jap wOrkmcn-they
are carpenters gather-wear in its entirety their
native dress-tight very tight, leggns broad, felt
soled shoes and shirts of dark blue on which are
printed. in white, large figures resembling one OF
the old Daimio crcsts. The rest of the Japs make
themselves absurd usual, trying to look like
Americans. As they are all knock kneed, and as
their thighs work in their sockets with a swivel
joint the European dress which makes all these little
variations from tho European standard very appa-
rent, cannot it is plain, be becoming to them. The
Jap carpenters though poor fellows enough, had
good deal of dignity in their simplicity, and looked
picturesque and sensible at the time. could
not say tho same, however, for young man
who, l thought at first, must be the extinct
Mikado SO overpowering was the dignity
he tried TO assume But very tall beaver
hat with narrow brini, long slinky
dustcr and pair of eyeglasses held with difficulty
on q very short nose, made dignity difficult for
others in looking at him. his own dress, and
with his own Manners he would no doubt have
looked like q person Of consideration. The Jap
Department appears much more extensive than the
Chinese, but the Chinese have not yet begun
seriously the unnaoknQ Of their goods 1t is pretty