Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1884-12-26
THE NEW ORLEANS EXPOSITION

soME ACCOUNT OF THE GREAT WORLDS FAIR,
WHICH CELEBRATES THE CENTENNIAL or
THE FIRST EXPORT OF COTTON FROM THIS
COUNTRY.
The grounds of the fair lie in the New Or
leans city park, located in the new and rich
upper portion of the city-at the opposite
corner from the quaint old French quarter
and fronting upon st. Charles avenue. In
the rear flows the Mississippi river, making
at this point a portion of its semi circular
sweep around the city, and giving TO the ex-
position a water line of over half mile, thus
Offering facilities for steamboat trips down
town" If one tires OF the horse-oar and steam
car rides through the city. Magnificent
groves of live oaks dot the grounds, while on
every side art has aided nature in presenting
a beautiful picture Of flowers lakes and foun-
tains, arranged in artistic groups The eli
mate there is just suited, at this time Of year,
for q display Of verdure astonishing to the
visitor from the cold, gray, wintry North.
The buildings cover go acres of the park.
First and foremost is the main building, the
largest structure ever erected and one that
could hold within its walls the main building
at Philadelphia and still have room left for
another building half the size Of the centen-
nial mammoth. It measures 1873 feet in
length-a quarter of a mile-and 905 feet in
width, and extends without break, covered
by one continuous roof, mostly made of glass
Within its embrace is machinery hail. which
was originally designed to extend the length
of the building and occupy 800 feet of width,
with provisions for two miles Of shaftng, but
which, on account Of the demand Of exhibit
ors, has received an addition Of 500 feet. In
the centre of the main building is the music
hall, with seating capacity for 10000 people
and 600 musicians end with a massive organ
built expressly for the exposition.
A short distance from one corner of the
main building is the art gallery, fireproof
structure $50 feet long by 100 feet wide, and
close by this is horticultural hall. The latter
is, without doubt, the largest conservatory in
the world, for il measures 600 feet in length
and 1874 in width-far larger than the CORE.
spending structure at Philadelphia. The
government building, on the opposite side OF
the art gallery, also exceeds the United States
building at the centennial, measuring as it
does 1856 by 5G5 feet. But all this space was
found necessary to accommodate the eXhibits
from tine various departments, commissions
and bureaus as well as the state exhibits and
educational display. Horticultural hall forms
one in line of three buildings, the other two
being the Mexican national headquarters and
Factories and Mills"
No building can be of more interest to our
DtODlt luhu lub htAlCAu Dullultk, iOE Aub
probability of a treaty with that border coun.
try makes it desirable and even necessary for
those in mercantile pursuits to study the
character and habits OF the Mexican people.
The building, erected by the Mexican gov
eTnment is in style Of architecture and ar
rRngement similar to the residence Of q senior
of wealth, and is therefore one of the hand
soonest on the grounds. In strong contrast
with its external beauty is the plain iron struc.
ture directly beside it, the extension of ma
chinery hall, known as Factories and Mills "
And yet within this plain building is an ex-
hibit vastly more important in the eyes of
the progressive American than all the bric-a-
brac aud elegant Injuries shown by foreign
nations. Here is enthroned King Cotton in
all his glory, while around him are scattered
all the Influences which bave nourished and
increased his power and made him the mon
| arch he is. From boil to bale, from the field
to the factory-the gradual growth and chang
| es Of the great southern product are exhibit
ed. Nor are the princes Of the blood, Sugar,
Rice and Wood, forgotten in this exaltatlon
of the King.
To show what an immense interest this ex-
| position involves in pecuniary way alone,
one need only reckon up the appropriations
made by the government aud then add to
that the amount already expended and to be
expended by individuals The general gov
ernment has expended 81 800, 600, the state
of Louisiana 500, 900, the city of New Or
leans 800, 900, the citizens Of New Orleans,
as a body, in contributions, $500, 900, Mexico
$780, 0OO and other countries, states cities
and towns hundreds Of thousands additional.
An act of Congress on Feb. 10, 1888, estab-
lshed the exposition ito be held under the
joint auspices of the United States the ma
tional cotton planters association and the city
of New Orleans, and these bodies have given
to their fair the full title, indicative Of its OBJ
ject, of The Worlds Industrial and Cotton
Centennial Exposition"