The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1878-06-27
At the Paris Exposition.

lHE WeaCn0r mas become very warm,
and 1 regret to say that the Exhibition
is not exactly the coolest place in the
world when a hot sun is darting
its pale, pitiless rays right on
the glazed roofing. For the walls, ex-
cept in the two great end avenues, are
comparatively low, and the inner
awnings afford but little protection.
Consequently, the long aisles under the
glow of the midday sun become of an
admirable temperature from the growth
of palm trees. 1t was far hotter in the
Exhibition to-day than it was outside,
and yet out of doors it was too warm
for comfort. And then there is no ice
water or even ordinary water provided
for drinking purposes, and the cafes
are few and far between and horribly
dear when you succeed in finding them,
which is rather a difficult task to &C.
complish. And then the lack of seats
is terribly trying. None whatever has
been supplied by the general admins
tration, and had not some special ex-
hibitors and the foreign art depart
ments as rule supplied these almost
indispensable adjuncts, it would be al
most impossible for delicate person to
go through the Exhibition at all. There
are no seats even in the French Art
Gallery, though the other nationalities
have set good example in that re-
spect, even the American Art Depart
ment being supplied with chairs.
The wheeled chairs form q decided
feature of the Exhibition, and very nice
they look, being covered with pale gray
morocco tastefully picked out with red.
The men in charge of them have a uni
form to correspond. The price for
these vehicles is by no means small,
being fifty cents an hour, every quar-
ter Of an hour to be paid for after the
first hour is passed, which must be paid
for entire. The cost of visiting the Ex-
hibition (twenty cents) at first seems
very small, but the cost of your car
riage 0orty cents each way) soon brings
up the expense.
In the early morning a continuous
stream of carriages. commences to pour
through the shady avenues beside the
Seine that lead to the Champ de Mars,
and it is not till three or four in the aft
ernoon that the tide begins to turn the
VVuOA W6ys AuCACAOAVs WIG UCSC IlllS W
visit the Exhibition is to arrive about
the hour of the opening and to leave
between two and three o'clock, when
returning carriages are plentiful and
the cabmen are glad to get passengers
for the downtown trip. Very few
French people ever reach the Exhibi-
ton before one o'clock at the earliest.
That wretched consumer of time, the
midday breakfast, keeps the Parisians
dawdling at home or at q restaurant till
what we at home call the morning
is well-nigh over. This institution
is sad Interruption to business OF
all kinds, since the meal, with its &C
compartments of chat and newspapers
and q cigarette or two, seldom lasts
less than an hour and often consumes
two. The American visitor, therefore,
can do the Exhibition thoroughly and
be ready to leave just as his Partisan
competitor arrives.
The catalogue of tho art department
is out at last, and though very good and
thorough as regards the French exhib.
its in that line, it is frightfully mac.
curate in all matters concerning the
foreign sections. Names of prominent
artists and the titles of important works
are omitted, and two large and inter.
esting exhibits, those of Austria and Of
the German Empire, are left out alto.
gether. For this last there is some ex.
cuse, owing to the lateness of Ger.
many's participation, but there is none
ss regards Austria. In fact, the Di.
rectors of the Fine Arts Department
seem inclined to do things in very in.
complete. and shabby fashion. While
the foreign art sections are charmingly
fitted up, the floors spread with mat
ting or with carpets, seats provided
and flowers set forth in abundance, the
French rooms show bare floors, un.
draped doorways and not even cane
seated settee or 3 straw-b0ttomed chair
whereon the weary spectator might
rest for awhile. It is also complained
that the strong sunlight and the heal
are injuring the pictures, the well.
known artist, Landelle, having recent
| " published AN account of how a large
picture by him had split from top t
bottom ON account of excessive heat
succeeding too great dalnpness. How
aver, that damage could only have beer
done II the confusion incidental to tht
first Installation.