The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1881-11-17
THE SANTA FEE RAILROAD Elk
HIBIT AT ATLANTA.

THE SANTA FEE RAILROAD Elk
HIBIT AT ATLANTA.
Frank Leslie's illustrated Paper: No
single feature of the International Cot
ton Exposition, now in progress at At
lanta, Georgia, attracts more general at
tention than the wonderful display of
agricultural and mineral products made
by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe
railro sd. II is in the mouths of all Wis
itors to Oglethorpe Park, and astonish
es those from the northern states scarce
" less than those from Georgia and
other parts of the south. Indeed, IL is
the most complete and artistic display of
the kind that has ever been made in this
excepting those at the Gen.
tennial. The Kansas-C Colorado exhibit
at the Centennial was the work of the
same artist, Professor Henry Worrall;
but IN this latter design he has added to
his own reputation, and achieved fresh
credit for Kansas.
Our illustration presents the more ga
lient points Of this beautiful exhibit.
We may supplement the picture by
brief description: The "Santa Fe
Railroad" display occupies
space sixty feet square in the
center of the railroad building.
In the midst of this space a circular
structure, twelve feet in diameter, rises
to a height of thirty-one feet; its lower
half is surrounded by sheaves of golden
wheat placed tier upon tier, while, sur
mounting this, An immense shock of
corn towers to the roof. The quality of
the grams and the enormous growth of
stalk are particularly noticeable, show
ing the rare fertility of Kansas soil.
Four porticos project from the base of
the cOnical pyramid of cereals, facing
toward the four entrances of the build
ing. The pillars of these porticos are
covered with wild grasses and embel-
lished with ornamental designs made
from cane. -Four giant roosters, ingeni-
Ously constructed out of grain, crow
Justify from the pOrticO roofs = one for
Kansas at large, one for Souihcentral
Kansas, one for Southwest Kansas, and
one for the Atchison, Topeka and Santa
Fe railroad. In the heart of the central
pyramid, ten feet from the ground, a
coy Office is provided for the agents in
charge Of the company's exhibit, and the
effect of the mulliOned windows and
filmy lace curtains, "half-concealed, yet
half-revealed" among the wheat sheaves,
is novel and very beautiful.
A court thirty feet wide runs all
around the central structure, affording
ample room for o promenade. Beyond
this are twelve booths, dodecagonel in
form, and each having two facades,
opening respectively upon the inner
court and outward toward the other
railroad exhibits. In the ornamentatiOn
of these facades, the artist has displayed
rare ingenuity and taste. The style of
architecture does not conform strictly
to any school, but combines features OF
several. Moorish arches span all the
entrances; these are supported by tall
glass DOEic columns filled with various
seeds and grains, and these in turn rest
upon twenty-four pedestals, which are
decorated with every species and combi-
nation of the staple Kansas field pro-
ducts.
The columns and pedestals together
show choice specimens of wheat, corn,
oats, rye, barley, rice-corn. sorghum,
fiaxseed, buckwheat, beans, timothy,
clover and millet, -four, cotton, silk CO.
coons, ETC., all raised this season along
the line of the Atchison, Topeka and
Santa Fee railroad. Within the booths
or stalls, are special exhibits of Kansas
productions. One is devoted to fruit,
one to wheat in the straw, another TO
threshed wheat; one TO corn in the ear,
another to corn in the stalk; one to oats,
rye, barley, buckwheat, fiaxseed. grass
seed, etc.. one to Kansas grasses, wild
and tame; another to Kansas woods, ma
tive cultivated; one to Kansas soils, and
another to Kansas minerals; one to
brOom-corn and sorghum-cane and syr-
up. A fine collection of minerals from
New Mexico, Colorado and Aroma fills
one booth. Thus q most effective display
is made of the native resources and cul-
tivated crops in the vast territory tribu-
tary to this great line. Above four of
the interior arches miniature railroad
trains 1.-TWO freight and two passengers)
are represented as crossing airy trestle-
wOrk-these, like everything else about
this wonderful display, built of Kansas
agricultural products Banners and
bouquets, festoOns and coals-OEarms
grace every prominent point, all pro-
claiming in some way the attractions OF
Kansas; while other cereal chandeliers
Qike those described) perch upon the
highest pinnacles and crow for the
"Atchison, Topeka s. Santa Fe railroad
the most direct and popular line to
Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and
California"
To New York Egypt has sent Cleopa-
tra's Needle, a relic Of her ancient civ
ilization. from the banks of the Nile.
Now. on account Of its fertility, the Val
ley of the Arkansas river in Southern
trail Kansas has been fifty termed "The
Nile region OF America" So, by hap
py thought, the farmers Of the Arkansas
Valley have sent 10 the Atlanta exposi
ton, as emblems of their newer civiliza-
ton, four great obelisks, tRenty-one feet
In height-not mOnOliIhs. like their
Egyptian prototype, but covered respec-
lively with ruddy apples. massive wheat
heads, corn in the ear and chopped
straw. The hieroglyphics which adorn
all the faces Of these shafts, when deci-
phered, spell only the word kansas"
The art OF the Western World may not
be as enduring as that OF the PtOlemies,
but It Is certainly more practical and
progressive. On the whole, the exhibit
OF the Atchinson, Topeka and Santa Fe
railroad company at Atlantis Is tri-