National Republican., 1879-09-23
THE DAY BEFORE the FAIR
Getting Ready for the Fruit Growers
Exhibition.
Busy scenes At Masonic Temple Yesterday
Some OF the Articles which Will be
Exhibitcd-A Rare Collection Of
Relics-New and Old Paint
ings photographs and
Crayon Drawings.
Fruits, Flowers, Art and soicuoo.

Fruits, Flowers, Art and Science.
The first annual fair and art.loan exhibition
Of the Potomac Fruit Growers Association
will open this morning in Masonic Hall at
o'clock and continue four days. The hall last
night presented a brilliant and busy scene.
Ladies and gentlemen, under the directions of
the committee Of arrangcments-Wi!liam ii.
Chase, chairman DR.. L. T.. Rowland, G. Gill
lingham, N. W. Pierson Hiram Pitts, DIR. s. A.
II. McKim, d. s. Curtiss, Mrs. NJ. ID. Lincoln,
S. s. Bingham, Mrs. j. II. Elliott, Judson S.
Brown and IL. V. Colton-werc hard at work
unpacking boxes aud arranging the exhibits.
There is now no longer doubt Of this being
the finest and most extensive fair Of the kind
ever given in this city. Numberless boxes Of
goods, upon which tho public gaze has never
feasted, had already been placed in position,
while wagou-loads of goods were arriving
hourly. The members Of the association were
kept busy until late in the night asserting
goods aud assigning them to their proper dc.
partmcnts. During the day there will be no
musical or literary exercises but an extra fine
programme has been arranged for tonight.
There is complete and extensive display of
fruits aud flowers. Among the principal ex-
hibitors under this head are John Saul,
who occupies the entire centre table
with fine display of rare plants
and the largest exhibit of pears, of which he
has 1O5 different varieties DR.. Van Began, of
Fairfax County, Va, who EXHIBITS 80 varieties
of apples, 10 of pears and 10 Of peaches.
Among his collection of apples is plate of un-
named seedlings having the flavor of ounce,
of which there are ~ different shapes sizes
and colors, all of a natural growth from a tree
10 years old. Chalkley Gillngham, president
of the association, exhibits 80 varieties of
apples Mr.. Richard Smith, Anacostiu farm, d.
g., exhibits the largest pears of which he has
several iino Specimens, particularly the
Duchess" Dried, canned, preserved, ielied
and picked fruits; Towering and ornamental
plants, cut flowers, native flowers aud grasses
ferns and leaves green and dried from the
fields and woods in their native varieties and
artistic design are also classed under this head.
The department of ladies' fancy and orna-
mental work, of the fine arts of science, of
relics and curosities, of mechanics and inveu-
tion embraces IL multiplicity of articles which
will at once attract the eye Of the fair sex. The
loan department is an important feature of
the fair, embracing works of art curioslties,
&C.
Mrs. Imogene Robinson Morrcll exhibits two
very large paintings representing "Washng-
ton Welcoming the Provision Train" and
miles StaudIsh in the First Battle of the
Pilgrims" These two paintings, which are
placed at the east end of the hall, are very
conspicuous and present an attractive appear.
ance. The apron which Martha Washington
| wore while making pastry, the knife with
which she crmped her hair, the chair upon
which the Bible lay at the. side of General
| Washington's bed at the time of his death,
| pitcher which was the property of Eliza Parke
| Gusts, chair brought from England by
| Thomas L. Law, who married u niece of Cen
eral Washington, and was the first president
of the Bank of Washington, also a silk vest
which he wore, hat and cockade which DIR.
/ n Al. q
| relics never before exhibited, arc here dis
played to public view.
Brady, the photographer, has a regular
| photograph gallery, as ii were. Besides the
photographs of the leading public men. lie ex-
hibits photographs of Edgar Allen Poe, Bryant,
Bancroft and Bayard Taylor and life.size
crayons of General Thomal, General Grant
and Admiral Farragut. The exhibit is com.
plete in every particular, and is model of
artistic skill Among the other exhibits are
a silver bracelet hammered out of solid coin
and carved by hand by hereditary chief of
| the Kako Suites or Sitka tribe of Indians of
Alaska one.half dozen silver spoons, $50
years old, made from the shoe-buckles Of DR..
John March, of Maryland the shoe buck les
aud spoctacles of Thomas Paine; history of
Quintius Curtius, published in 1884; the first
directory Of Washington, Alexandria and
| Georgetown, compiled in 1884; excellent
crayon drawings by the pupils Of our colorod
high schools the first landscape painting exc.
cuted by the great American artist, Benjamin
West, in 1853, and described in G It's life OF
West, in 1875 photograph of Socrates, from
q sketch by the wife of Dr. PEBBLES of bust
found in the ruins of Pompeii a Chinese EN-.
peror's carved and inlaid table, the only one
of the kind In America, being inlaid with
ivory and sandal and canphor wood.
1t is more than 200 years old, and
was brought to this country from China
In lS53 by its ureSeut owner Cantain William
Ross Brown; also small painting represent.
ing maiden reclining ON a couch, painted by
one of the finest artists of the Orient-L -Lamqua
more than 200 years ago, which was valued by 8
German artist at $1,000; three solid gold
knives, used at the table of King Loui:
Philippe, of France, presented by G. II. CAL
vert and full collection of coins of all coun.
tries and a quantity of money of tho old Con.
fcderate States.