Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1885-01-03
DAKOTA AT NEW ORLEANS:
The Chief Attraction at the Great
Exposition. r.,.

OAhOTA Al NEW ORLEANS,
The Chief Attraction at the Great
Exposition. .a
The correspondent of a Chicago
paper pronounces the Dakota display at
New Orleans a great success. After
some reference to the gentlemen in
charge of the exhibit. he says: The
next feature of the Dakota exhibit is a
circular park, sloping from the center
in all directions, wearing a bright
mantle of living green, and containing
handsomely mounted specimens of the
buffalo,. white deer, antelope, elk,
mountain sheep and wild game Of all
descriptions found in Dakota, which are
certainly triumphs of taxidermical art.
Tho Indian group with its surrounding
and the park inhabited by wild animals
are intended to form an idea of Dakota
as it presented itself to the first settlers,
aud the primary stage in its settlement
is illustrated by bark cabin hard BY
the park-an accurate model of the
pioneers home-which is surmounted
by the coat Of arms of the Territory and
the word dakota" in rustic letters,
while above the entrance is perched the
American eagle, his wings spread, and
boldly screeching defiance to the world.
In the center Of the Dakota space is q
monument of "liberty enlightening the
world" latter Bartholdi). The design
of the monument is somewhat elaborate.
Upon base of earth, covered with fresh
green sod, rests the pedestal, the sides
of which are decorated with every
variety and quality of Dakota grain in
the straw, and above it rises the figure
of an imposing creature constructed by
deft fingers of wheat, oats, fax, barley,
rye, broom corn, and all the grasses,
and surmounted by an American eagle
with an eight foot spread. The dis.
tance from the floor to the eagles head
is fifty feet, and the monument, like the
Territory in whose honor it has been
named, must be pronounced simply
immense. Conspicuously displayed
upon the sides of this unique granular
structure are such legends as these:
Dakota, $4,000 school fund; $500
miles Of railroad; 100000 acres of land
for free homes for actual Settlers etc.,
etc. On either side of the monument
is pyramid containing twelve tons of
Dakota flour and near by is suspended
in air boat made of Dakota grains and
grasses.
Dakota ingenuity has not exhausted
itself, however. 1t has devised among
other things, model of grain eleva~
tor, showing through its glass sides the
engine and all the machinery for clean
ing and elevating wheat in actual oper-
alton; models Of grain fields, showing
wheat, oats, barley, etc., as they appear
when ready to harvest; corn crib, with
thatchcd roof and cornicc of the yellow
grain, lofty pyramid of hay, surmount~
ed by mammoth stuffed OK, weight
$3.50 pounds; highly ornamented
pagoda, in the center of which are at
tractively displayed heaps of small
sacks, each filled with gilt edged Da.
kota grain, To be given away as souve-
Mrs; number glass.like cylinders, from
five to eight feet high, and pyramid
of bottles also containing grain, and q
lofty pyramid of sacks of the best Da-
kota grain.
For tho rest, there are specimens of
Dakota timber, among them the trunk
Of an oak four feet in diameter; gold,
silver, lead and tin from the Black
Hills; coal in abundance; building
stones, rough and polished; pumice
stones; vegetables in great variety, etc.
That the fine arts have gained foot
hold in the Territory is proved by the
display of woman's work in the gallery,
which comprises pictures, carvings,
needlework, hammered brass, etc., etc.
Among the curiosities worthy of notice
are the petrefactions, one of which,
found near Bismarck, weighs one thou.
sand pounds; the stones from Cannon
Ball river, the weight and shape of
which give that stream its name, and
the trunk of tree knawed off by
beavers. All in all, Dakota presents a
big advertisement, and her eagles have
perfect right to scream. The Terrific.
rial legislature made an appropriation
of $4,000 for the exhibit, in addition to
the $4,000 appropriated to the Territory
by the exposition management.