Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1885-01-12
THE GREAT EXPOSITION at NEW ORLEANS
Correspondence OF tbs Alexandria Gazette
INSTALLATION BUREAU,
New ORLEANS, January 8, 1855.

| less like 10 learn something OF this truly
great exhibition, and more particularly oi
the part taken in it by their fellow citizens
Of the two Virginias.
In the main building, covering thirty
three acres of ground, and crowded with
artisans and traders Of every nationality on
the face of the globe, old Virginia holds au
honorable place. Conspicuous among the
most magnificent displays upon this floor,
aud conspicuous for expense as for aesthetic
arrangement are the displays of Allen Il
Ginter and the Randolph Box Company, OF
Richmond. The former, at great expense
and with true aesthetic taste, make Il mag
nifcent exhibit Of every variety Of maui
featured smoking tobacco, which cannot
fail To add 10 the lorg. established fame OF
| our State as tobacco mart, while the dis
play of the Randolph Paper Box Company
IS such as the greatest houses Of Paris, Lou
don or New York might well be proud OF.
| The beauty of these two exhibits alone
should he enough to satisfy the State pride
of any Virginian.
But more interesting study than this
grand display of the progress Of nations il
the industrial arts is the government build.
ing, also of enormous proportions, and al
| ready pnol cd from floor 10 dome with the
| natura products of all the States and Ter
ritories of our vast empire. Here sections
and States are earnestly engaged-tbe late
fratricidal contest all forgotten-in a noble
| fort for the foremost place i'll the grand
race of human progress. Each State aud
Territory, represented by an accredited
com missioner with ample funds at his d>
posal, is vieiug with its neighbors in mai:
ing rich and ample display Of It's own nat
ural wealth and industrial resources, ans:
the results in many cases are woBdrous fine
Here again in this grand interstate COM
be;i,ion Firginian will find ample cause 10
ne proud Of the old mother and her young
daughter, West Virginia, though the one is
provided with q niggardly appropriation
altogether beneath her dignity, while The
other is without one dollar CT State assist
ance.
| Happily this want Of funds is in Il great
measure compensated for by the very ex
| nuberauce of the natural resources Of the
TWO Virginias a. exhibited here through the
energy and skill Of their two commission
ers. What old Virginia displays may be
best understood from the following memo
randa furnished by her very able comsn-
siouer, Mr.. Finney Virginia occupies i"
| ,eet Of space allotted between North Caro-.
lima and West Virginia. Having no money
20 spend in faucifu structures and adorn-
ments, she will confre hersclfto al exhibition
| intended 10 display her material resources
| of mine, forest manufactures, and agrcul-
ture but will add to these few things
going to illustrate her history from colonla
times to the present. She will also. have
| valuable paintings by native and resi-
dent artists, rot TO be excel!ed by those
from any State, notably E der's magnificent
work entitled "Custer's las charge" vniu
| ed at $40 900, which no Que should 60 away
| from The exposition without seeing. This
and the four paintings Of Lee, SloMcwa!.
Jackson, Joseph E. Johnston and Beanre
gard will constitute galaxy OF artistic cuI-
cure that The State uiny well be proud Of
Our exhibits will be arranged in several
divisions or departments-lh historical,
the mineral and forestry, the department.
| of manufactures and that Of agriculture
| in each of which it is thought creditahlr
display will be made. But the chief value
will be derived from the department of ores
and minerals, under the special care OF
Major Hotckiss, who has taken q world oF
| trouble, Notwithstanding il hiss been labor
of love with him, to collect aud arrange the
material. With admirable judgment and
taste be has subdivided this portion of the
exhibit into five distinctive parts, naming
them respectively after the five geographical
divisions Of the Slate. Appalachian Virginia,
the great Valley of Virginia, B!ns Ridge
and Piedmont Virginia. Midland Virgin!s.
and Tdewater Virginia.
A handsome sign will be placed so as to
distinguish each division. and in such divi-
sion will be included only the ores, &C.,
which properly belong to it. An attractive
sign, emblazoned with the shield of the
State, on either hand, and the word "Vir
ginia," in large letters, will span the centre
of her exhibit, making its whereabouts
plainly discernibls from considerable dis
lance.
AS for West Virginia, next to the wonder
excited by her exhuberant display in the
departments of mineralogy and forestry, is
the establishment that single individual,
unaided by a State appropriation, could
have made 50 grand a display Of the natural
wealth Of his native State. In coal alone,
Major Philip Pendeton, the Commissioner
for West Virginia, has succeeded in making
a display which an English gentleman, him
self the owner of two of the greatest colleries
in Britain tells me cannot for variety and
quality be equaled anywhere on the face
of the earth. 1t would seem from The ex-
hibit here made BY Major Pendleton that
West Virginia is one vast coa!field. Be-
meath her bosom verdant with the nutritious
grasses or covered with noble forests OF the most
valuable timber known to temperate clInes lies
buried mineral wealth beyond the powers Of
human calculation. Amosy tho varieties of coal
displayed by Major Pcndleton VIC may mention
the anthracite of the Meadow Valley mines in
the counties of Berkeley ard Morgan of superior
quality, containing higher per cenragc of carbon
than any yet discovered. Next are noble spcci
~ ,
coal from the immense fields the upper roto |
mac and the Allcghanies embra' ing the counties |
of Mineral, Hardy. Randolph, Tucker, Pendleton |
Pocahontas. &c, &C. This is enphatically the !
steam generating coal and is used by the steamers
out of New York. Next are specimens OF
gigantic proportions from the vast fields OF Ty- !
gert's Valley aud the Monougahela Basin, under.
lying the counties of Monongahe'a. Marion. lay
lor, Harrison, Preston, Barbour, Randolph,
Boon. Logan, Lincoln &C There repr. sent.
ed the mines along the line Of the Oh sa. and Ohio
Railway and south oft in the counties OF Raleigh
Mcdowell, Mercer &C This exhibit