The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1885-03-28

the largest ever erected, being 1878 feet
long and 9O5 feet wide, enclosing thirty
three acres If space, besides an addition
35Oxl5O feet designed for the exhibition OF
heavy machinery. Around 1t runs gal
lery % feet wide and in the center Is Music
Hall with seating capacity of 1000. This
building contains all the foreign exhibits
and the greater part of the exhibits MADE
by foreign parties. One side is devoted
wholly to the display of machinery ana
one may behold there bewildering array
of almost every type of mechanism that the
genius of man has contrived.
Ponderous engines revolve the shaitins
that furnishes power to smaller machinery
Complicated and ingenious looms weave
beautiful handkerchiefs and book marks OK
silk with portraits, music, NC, on them'
in all the hues of the rainbow, Numerous
turning lathes rapidly transform wood,
ivory and other materials into beautiful
forms. and the band.saw man with his
nuzzles Is here in full force. A monster
cotton compress, the largest machine Ia
the exhibit IN, &C n lenses an ordinary bale
of cotton into half its former bulk with a
density of 3915 lbs to the cubic foot.
Numerous machines for extracting and
utilizing the fiber of ramie hemp jute, silk
grass &C., are shown, and an exhibit of the
process through which cotton passes on
its way from the field to the fabric is OF
interest to Northerners.
Gigantic locomotives and magnificent
palace cars illustrate the progress OF rail-
reading, and farming implements in all
their variety are fully represented.
Large refrigerator rooms show how per
ishable articles are preserved through the
hottest weather, and one may see the fin
est ice manufactured in way that Boreas
never dreamed Of.
Among the foreign nations Mexico makes
the largest display. Here may be seen all
that wealth of material, lying SO near us,
waiting only for enterprise and capital to
bring it into the markets OF the world.
Mexico also makes very creditable show
ing of native manufactures. Numerous
glass cases are filled with samples of tex
tile manufactures from delicate silk hand
kerchiefs to the heaviest blankets and
ponchas. Here may be seen buckskin
for clothing, soft as the finest cloth and
stamped in attractive patterns. Other ca
ses contain every variety of horseman's
prominent among which are
the saddles richly stamped and ornamented
with gold and silver ranging in price from
$50 to $500 each. Another row of cases
shows the Mexicans to be masters OF the
art, for here are almost every
variety of fruit and vegetable transformed
into delicious sweatmeats We know, for
through the courtesy of the commissioners
we were permitted to taste some of the
most curious The exhibit of cigars and
cigarettes is very complete, some of the
IlOSl utllCdlt VI tuC ldltCi oCiuS LhaA hCu
'For ladies'" There are cases filled with
small models of Mexican birds, very nat
,lral and said to be true to life, while 9th
ers contain models illustrating Mexican
life. The exhibit includes fine furniture,
a street car, firearms and models of artil
ery besides numerous other manufactures
Mexico has reason to be proud of her ex
hibit, and she is preparing others that
promise to be even more attractive.
Two special buildings are as yet closed
to visitors, one of which is gem In archi
lecture, with windows of stained glass, and
a beautiful dome of the same material.
Nothing in the Mexico exhibit Is for sale,
the government making the exhibit simply
TO call attention to her vast resources and
to invite and extend commercial relations
with other nations. OBSERVER.