The Arizona sentinel., 1879-02-08


 receipt for your trunks only ten minute: before the starting of tie train. Be there 400 trunks and yours the last handled, and the train leaves without you, your cnly compensation and satisfaction is a shrug In France the oisy,ier's tongue must wag five minutes before he lifts two.
 "I can never predict stable govern ment for France" said the CEief Commis sioner one day, while in mood of humor ous veXation, until they change their bre akfast hour. No nation can flourish on a firm foundation which breakfasts al eleven o'clock One of my greatest trials has teen the French breakfast hour. It l has delayed us weeks. While the Ameri- can section, previous to the opening on May 1st, was in process of preparation both American and French workmen being employed, have left everything under good headway for the day at ten o'clock in the morning. I have returned at eleven to find heavenly calm reigning over all The French Workmen had Knocked off for breakfast. At twelve the Yankee was off for his dinner, and it would be after one before the work was resumed."
 But this was one of the many lesser trials. The CEief Commissioner stood be- tween two fires. He served as double target, shot at from one side by complain ing American exhibitors, from the other by the French authorities.
 The exhibitor Is often difficult to satisfy or manage, He wants the best stand on the main aisle. He wants the largest pos sible amount of space. He surveys As place with envy if in space it exceeds his own by an inch. He wants entire control as to the arrangement of his exhibit. He has Sometimes to be protected agaInst himself Thus: At the Exposition the proprietor of the American steam engine which took the grand prize covered it with a diabolcal profusion of red paint, American flags ard screaming eagles. The Chief Commissioner came, was hor- rifed and said tc the mechanic: "That wont do. The paint must come off. Too much stars and stripes here will work an injurious prejudice against you. The ways of national prejudice are mysterious and unaccountable. Scrape the engine clean and plain. Foreign taste in these matters is rigid and uncompromising."
 The proprietor was sorely stricken. It had cost him between S100 and $20O to star and stripe that engine. The remOrse- lees scraper did its work. But hs took a grand prize Yet I doubt if that barely compensated for the loss of his eagle birds.
 Again, exhibitors would promise to show wares necessity to d national rep resentation, secure 3 large space and then neglect bringing the very speciality asked by the Commissicrer. One firm by su"h promise succeeded in obtaining large space, on which they erected a model of the ancient tabernacle, but it lacked the very specialtles called for, nor did they supply the deficiency.
 Then the Chief Commissioner was be- sought, from time to time, to admit ec centric exhibits within the American sec tion. There was the lady with the Dreaming Iolanthe carved in butter. She came to Paris fully expecting that her work of ant would be admitted to our de- p3tt,tert The Commissioner was obGu- rate It could not be done. Many inter- ested themselves in favor of art in butter. The Commissioner was besieged ir and out of his office by young ladies pleading for the Dreaming Iolanthe. Even other Commissioners thought it a pity that the privilege was denied The Chief Con- missioner stood firm "As an exhibit proper it is hybrid" he argued. eff al lowed place n our section it will afford precedent for all other eccentricities. To admit it to our art gallery would make us target for Gallic ridicule. If the lady will chop the Dreaming Iolanthe into a few pieces 1t might go into the agricultu- ral department as butter pure and simple. regret her disappointment and will head a list with a liberal subscription to pro cure place for exhibiting the work inn mediately outside the Exposition."
 This he did, and the lady's statue ex- cited considerable attention.
 The immense number of honorarY con- missioners created by the various Gov ernors of these United States and sent to Paris gave the Chief Commissioner some peculiar trials. Many of them expected attention and honors due their station. l They came also with an idea that there l was something of importance for them to do. But there was nothing, literally noth- ! ing for the great majority. The real work