New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-07-16
AMERICA AT PARIS.
AGRTUULTURE AND MACHINERY.


,p,prrrs vpOM TuE FRENCH PREss-TROUBLE MKT
wrrH IN SECURING NECESSARY sPAcE-NoWEks
AND REAPERs-OTHER MAcmNEs.
rvRoN An OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT or THE rRIhUNE'l
PARIs. July 1.-The French journals concur in
uraisna the contents of the United States Agrcul-
tural Annex and direct special attentionto It, The
exhibit of Agricultural Machinery is not alone
very important in ITSELF but successes IN that me
have made il necessary for TO keep MP our roputa-
ton. PEeko AgTioOle, Of Paris, refers to the
United States Annex as follows;
The American agricultural exhibits viii be without
doubt OF the principal attractions Of the hhposlon
ON entering the building one y charmed oy syIdaOs
mate. The Of those magnineeht u9pthShts, ee
mirabe 10 Their mechanleal PeroVp tbsS Yasenaie the
unsked and above ali the ladieswho Ny 5 W. e
laDOrs OF agriculture.
The paper proceeds to draw aparallel between the
American and English agricultural annexes, which
are in iine with each other, and have side-door
communication.
The collection shown in the English annex presents
Totally different character II the comparison may De
permitted we should say that the American section rep
Tesenps fying artillery. the sHler forces OF @ %
tiery slege guns, which from their strength We must
compare to the Armstrong guns.
La france m treating OF the Agricultural Annex
says:
We have examined carefully in the shed, where thoy
have been ngoniOusy hidden. along the Ayen9e sunre,
and En,dish as II they ad not deserve prominent
No apnt iofear 10 render homage to the truth in de-
earng that il Is TO this eide Of the grounds we are
bound % call the attention OF agricuiturisS ana necD
as.
II ia familiar to all who have taken interest in
The matter that owing the failure of Congress to
take any action OF make any appropriation, the
French were not notified of our desire to partcl-
pate in the exhibition and our Government was so
slow In moving that the authorities here reserved
only a small space. such they could readily MI
with exhibits from other quarters If the United
States failed TO appear. This space was 400 by lOO
feet equal 10 10000 square feet When Congress
made an appropriation at last. the United states
Commissioner-General was much hampered by
two things one was that the time was too short to
make a collection entirely worthy of the country,
and the other that the space was so small that the
room was inadequate for the probable offerings
How late tho Commission was in getting TO work
may be Judged from relative fact that the British,
who know too we'll the value of such an exposition
in extending their trade had made all their selec-
lions and had actually prepared and printed their
catalogue in three volumes before we were able TO
Get ON the ground-even before the appropriation
was voted, as am informed. The surmise as to m
adequacy Of the space in the main building was very
soon proved 70 be correct and it was found pOssl-
bic 10 stow away much less exhibit. the machines.
manufactures and what not which were offered.
Two things had 20 be done make selectiOnsa very
necessary thingin any ease-and provide more ROOM
or failure would 30 the result Manufacturers
would not be at the expense of sending man to at
tend 10 one or two machines selected from stock
when they prided themselves upon their assortment
and the United States could not afford to make the
exhibition more meagre than the already untoWard
circumstances seemed to threaten.
Three other difficulties then beset the Commits
sioner-GeneFal growing cut Of the circumstances
already detailed. One was that in many cases only
one of a kind could be taken when competing man
ufacturers in the same line reasonably expected TO
have Che same facilities furnished tothem TO obtain
praise prizes and advertising. This seemed hard,
but what could be donei All could not go; some
must be excludodt 70 the regret of all, except, per
hans. little natural exultatIon on the part Of the
fortunate exhibitors Another difficulty consisted
in the shortness Of the time, which scarcely adj
tted Of very large exhibits being prepared for the
occasion. Imagine our regret at having no Hoe OF
Bullock perfccting printing machine, when there
are about half dozen from France and Belgium.
Our regret about the nOn-appearance OF the Corhss
engine in our section was somewhat relieved by
finding a number Of them in the French, with
"sysieme CorlissT in prominent Dlacards; and by
the fact that the " WhoelOck" engine runs 80 well
and so smoothly. and exctos 50 much attention and
favorable remark. We hoped that some steam ire
engine company would send one ON here, but they
are expensive and perhaps all in hand were to fill
orders; at any rate, we have none. The list could
readily be prolonged; the Crompton and Bgelow
looms are absent, aud score more that try TO es-
cane from the end of the pen, but ! am not making
q ist-only illustrating a statement.
The third difficulty was in the fact that so much
more was offered than could be put in the space,
that the Commissioner was deferred frommakingre-
quests for representative machines and manufac-
lures in quarters whence response had been
made 10 the general published invitation Threat
ened on one hand With incompeteness, and on the
other with inability 10 do justice TO the exhibits of
fenod Il was determined 70 apply for additional
space The reply shat only yard room was avail
able, and that to such and such an extent the
amount as we'll as shape and location Of the outside
space permissible being cabled 30 the Commissioner
In reply 10 telegram addressed to General NoyesOur
Ambassador in Paris. There was not day to
be lost and Mr. Henry Petit the architect
Of the man building at the Centennial, being
then in Earope. was telegraphed by the Commits
sjoner 10 proc ed at once TO Pars view the ground
prepare the plans, and obtain estimates. All the
room offered was accepted, and building 300 by
100 feet was erected at a cost greatly what it
would have been If more time had been allowed,
certainly more than if the Commissioner had had the
season before him, as the other nations had Hurry
Is always expensive; overtime work always rates
high. 1t is an expensive time to hire men when
hundred employers are calling for them at once.
The credit OF the exhibition saved at cost Of
100000 for the additional building in which to
lodge ITS agricultural machinery and productions
an expense of 60 cents per square foot OF floor
The agricultural annex has Its back against the
outside fence and Its face presented toward the
main building opposite to the American section in
the latter. but tapping upon the space of our