The Portland daily press., 1881-09-19
The Institute Fair.
A stroll In and About the Building.

BOSTON, Sept. 10th, 1881.
Everybody and everybody's relations seemed
to be going to the fair to-day. So your cores
| pondent, as an item of the population, went
along. In some mysterious way he succeeded
in getting aboard horse-car, which was al
ready vainly striving to accommodate hun
dred people, After ride of twenty minutes
under very compact circumstances the condue-
tor called out, "Institute Fair-end Of the
route" The living freight poured out of the
car, and was soon merged in the stream of
people steadily flowing through the gates of
the New England Manufacturers and Mechan-
les Institute. Ones within tho walls of the
great building, there was no more danger Of
crowding. A regiment of the inhabitants of
township might be lost 10 the spacious halls
and galleries. Over 100000 people, it is said,
can locomote and inspect the exhibits without
Inconvenience. 100000 bricks, 100000 feet
of lumber, and 10000 square feet Of glass went
into the structure 1t is without doubt the
largest permanent exhibition building in this
country. The plan of construction is exceed
ingly simple. There is front hall and an
enormous main hall, with galleries above the
former and round about the latter. The ex-
hibits are thoroughly systematized, 50 that
even without the comprehensive catalogue,
which has been issued, any particular one can
be found with ease
The textile machinery-the cunning metallic
fingers that weave our clothiag-the machines
that turn out our boots and shoes with marvel
GUS facility, the wood and iron working ma
chimes that supply all sorts Of necessities and
luxuries of life,-all varieties Of these, and the
engines that furnish the motive power, may be
seen in practical operation in the main hall.
The galleries are devoted to another class of
exhibits, ranging, however, from furniture
and pianos, heliotypes and chromos, to crock
cry and canned goods.
But your correspondent didn't attempt to in
vestigate and comprehend all these things on
the first visit With supreme Indifference to
the sage injunctions of that terrible race of
people, the me.hodical sightseers, he sauntered
about the acres of machinery, up and down the
spacious aisles, into the unique and artistic
sections of the galleries, anywhere and every
where, at his own sweet will. He did not hold
himself above partaking of the chocolate, male
berry coffee and gridde-cakes, that are dis
pelsed flee of charge in the rear gallery. Nor
was he proof against the glass-blowers, nor
even the caro- mania, which, Judging from the
miscellaneous collections the ladies carry out of
the building, has taken new lease of life.
Among the exhibits of peculiar and practi-
cal interest, is that of the Hampton and Car
Isle institutes. A day or two ago prominent
BcJtonian, standing on the hc )r of the main
hall, pointed to this section, and said, "There,
gentlemen. is the solution-the only solution
of the Indian problem. It is through educa-
tion that the wards OF the nation must be pro-
tecsed, and made into law-abiding citizens, and
period put to the generations of dishonor."
The noble work that these institutions have
done for the intellectual and Industrial devel-
opment of the Indian and negro is well illus
trated by the exhibit.
Striking and suggestive contrasts are contin-
ually forcing themselves upon the attention OF
oblervant visitors at the fair. For example:
in this Hampton exhibit sits somewhat taei-
turn but very industrious Apache not more
than ten weeks from his native wilds. With
ordinary shoemalers tools, but in a method
peculiar to himself, he puts together pair of
rough shoes in the coarse of two days. Almost
Of the Providence 1sa1froad.a ai IL 20 So sben Sc
ancient cobber, who consumes the same
amount of time with much the same result.
Round about the latter and reaching the ears
of the Indian as he bends oyer his work, comes
the incessant whirl and buzz Of the numerous
intricate machines of the model shoe-factory,
where the leather may be cut, a dozen process
ses gone through, and finely finished pair of
boots placed uron the feet, in precisely eight
minutes. There is something pitiable in this
contrast. 1t m axes the uncivilized look almost
helpless, and the ways and contrivances of the
past almost ludicroUs in the light of the pres
ent.
The shoemaking exhibit is the largest in the
fair, and is arranged to give the visitor as
comprehensive an idea of the manufacture as
could be obtained by spending a day or two in
the numerous departments of large factory.
In the latter a novice is apt to be confused by
the roar of machinery, and the swarms of
workmen, while here logical insight may be
obtained IN t)all the processes, from the uncut
leather to the finished boot The factory is
run full time, does regular work, and employs
a large number of the company's best men.
1t may be Of interest to note that on one day
'ately, fifty one csJes of boots were turned out
and shipped by order to Cuba and sixteen diff
ferent States
To attempt to make further mention of par
ticular -hibits would intrude too much upon
your space. Suffice it to say, that the oppor-
tn lties at the New England Manufacturers
and Mechanics Institute Fair for instruction
and amusement, for hearing excellent music
and enjoying ones self in general way. are
such that no visitor Boston should fail to
take advantage of. The admission fee is bat
quarter-the management placing it at this
modest figure that the fair might be more of a
popular educator. According to the turnstile
count, early 100000 people have already
passed tn oagh the gates. The other attrac-
tioas in tire city, the grand fair of the Mechan-
ics' Charitable AS; )ciation, the Art Museum,
the Natural History rooms, and the magnif-
cent churches of the Back Bay-all of which
are within fifteen minutes OF the Institute
Far-render it particularly desirable to be in
BoS.on at this season. Arrangements have
been made for excursion trains on all the prin-
ciple lines of railway, and those who avail
themselves Of the opportunity thus afforded
will not be likely to regret it. **&