San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1885-04-09
OUR EXPOSITION LETTER.
From our Regular Correspondent.

twenty feet square OF occupied space
, in any of the Exposition buildings,
and write a letter describing but one
exhibit and still leave much unsaid.
When the final judgment is made up
concerning this exhibition, it must be
confessed that this century has not
seen its equal in grandeur and excel
lence, taken as o whole; for while it
really falls behind in fancy exhibits,
it has had no superior in the domain
of utility.
While it is true as said, that this
Fair falls behind in fancy and orna-
mental exhibits, it is also true that it
contains enough Of even them to graf
ify any taste. In the exhibit of the
"Womans Exchange" is cashmere
shawl valued at $4,000, the gold
trimming of which is alone worth
$1,5OO, and its somewhat romantic
history adds to its value. Some years
ago Mrs. Dorsey, Of Mississippi, was
ona visit to England, where she meta
wealty Rajah of India, who was also
on visit to the same country, with
his wife and family. The parties were
thrown together and became warm
friends, and ION his return home the
Indian gentleman sent Mrs. Dorsey
the shawl as present. 1t is in size
4tx2 yards, and apart from the value
of the goods would not ordinarily be
regarded as particularly handsome,
and the good lady to whom it be-
longs, having but little use for so
costly an ornament, has donated it to
the "Christian Womans Exchange"
of this city, to be sold at the close of
the Fair, the proceeds to go into
their charity fund. The Society
gives out work to, and in every pos
sible way is assisting working girls
and women, and is deserving of q
jeweled crown for their noble work.
They keep one of the best restau-
rants in the city, On Bourbon street,
which is delightful place for stran-
gers to procure meals, where your
correspondent has occasionally dined,
paying cheerfully tho cash and get
ting the worth of his money, which
cannot be said of many restaurants,
and this free mention is made as q
small tribute to q noble enterprise,
and to the good and noble hearted
ladies who manage it without money
and without salaries.
As an educational force, the value
of this Exposition cannot be over-es-
timated, the people of the respective
states are acquiring more practical
knowledge of each other, and each
others resources than volumes could
otherwise impart. Take for instance,
the little hand book of Nebraska, COM
piled by Elk Governor Furnas, Com
missioner for that State, and study it
for few minutes in the presence of
her lofty statue and bulletin boards,
and you learn at once of the grand
resources and wonderful fertility of
that favored land. In 1866 it's terri
tory was a wild Indian hunting
ground, now it is great common
wealth with large and rapidly in
creasing population, enjoying all the
social and physical advantages of cen
tury old states, with thousands of
churches and schools, great and flour
ishing cities, and yet left millions of
acres of fertile lands, which can be
procured by people on the easiest
terms in search of homes, thousands {
having secured competence
for themselves and children ON her
genial prairies. In the Exposition, |
the Nebraska exhibit attracts univer- q
sal admiration. On her lofty model c
Of the "Bartholdi Statue of Liberty" q
built entirely Of native grains and !.
grasses, is inscribed her school sta :
tistics, nearly 1000 school houses, v
500, 100000 school fund, while her n
bulletin boards stun the reader with I
The immensity Of her crop products
making in 1884 nearly 170,0O0,000 n
bushels of corn and about 50,O00,000
bushels of wheat On the wall OF her
beautifully furnished headquarters, is /
. great medallion, bordered with ar a
.istically woven grain and grasses in 8
bloom, and in the center a star spang- .
ed banner OF the same materials.
All these splendid exhibits were ar G
anged and put together by Ncbras- v
,a's own artists and architects under .
he direction Of Gov. Furuas, a resi-
lent Of the state for thirty year., !
vice It's governor ard Low Secretary 4
Il it, Board u Agriculture. o