National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1886-01-16
Two roamed among the onnebrakes,
I've stood among the palms;
I've seen tho Crescent City,
In nil its winter pharms

cago end-all guests Of the Baltimore and
Ohio and the Illinois Central railroads. We
Joined forces OF Centralia H., then steamed
away southwark in our four palace cars.
The morning after found us "received" I'm
the parlors Of the st. Charles by the city
magnates and dozen knights Of the quill.
This was to be "Press Day. at the Exposl-
ton. Our ride out--fve miles-took in the
suburban glories of New Orleans. We were
first to sec the main building, covering
thirty-three acres, and then the states
building, covering tweve--all built and
paid for with Uncle Sans money.
Alta O'Clock the doors Of the great build
ing swung wide open TO the twisting Jour
nalists" from the north. The entrance was
disappointing. Such vast spaces of empty
nothingness, with piles of store goods here
and there, and an occasional machine in
place, could only bring on sense Of gloom.
None OF the foreign exhibits had yet arrived.
Mr.. Gills "Bamboo Castle,n from Baltl-
moro, is the one attraction OF the building.
The states building, large enough for any
earthly use, redeems the Exposition. Thirty
states and territories are represented. The
first thing to attract our attention here was
the "pioaeer farm" representation OF ILL
nois, exhibiting in miniature more than
twenty phases Of pioneer life sixty years
ago-beginningw with the ''prairie schooner, ~
and taking in dogs children, sports, camp
fires, piling logs, burnings, raislngs, wash
days, cooking, deer feeding, rabbit chase,
and ending with an Indian fight in the tim
her. The contrast Of the Illinois of 1920
with the Illinois Of to-day was the lesson OF
the pictures. The best thing from Iowa is
the representation in like manner OF q
model creamery farm, with Its tasteful outfit
and scenic surroundings. Colorado is best
shown by typical miners cabin, made of
mine rocks, with q Rocky Mountain goat
springing from its top.
Leaving these scenic representations, we
were directly drawn to the great empire
states OF the southwest. l say "empire,n
forno otherword expresses It. twas worth
coming the 900 miles lust to see and hear
that embodiment-of brag and shrewdness,
Capt. w. g. Veal, eXpatiate on the glories
Of Texas-larger than France or Austria,
and beating all the world in cattle, climate,
cotton, pine timber, school funds, and
cheap taxation. And here were the evil
dences to show It. After Texas came Cali
fornia, exceeding all In wheat, wine, fruits,
big woods, and gold. Another surprise was
Arkansas. We had In mind the olden
picture Of the "backwoods traveller with
his toothpick In belt, fiddle, and coonskin
on cabin. The Arkansas Of to-day shows
among the foremost In its products of
higher civilization. Louisiana is here,
world by herself, with her stores Of cane,
sugar, salt, cypress, and tropical variety.
Alabama astonlshes herself with her ''grand
combination" Of coal, iron, and cotton, which
she dreams is yet to drive the "northern
invader" to the wall. Georgia bids high in
the same direction. Old Kentucky never
tires Of tobacco. All the west vie with
each other in cereal display. Little New
England is fifty represented by It's granite
and marble, its fabrics and notion, but it's
plain to be seen where the march Of empire
is leaving them.
The mineral display is the largest ever
gathered under one roof. California, of
course, leads in gold at home, but Nevada
has the finest cases OF ores, fossils, and pre-
cious stones on the ground. Colorado has
$50 OF her richest mining companies repre-
sented. Judge Sloan's collection from
New Mexico had the most attractions for
our party, among whom was Hon. Antonio
Joseph, territorial representative in Con-
gress. Mr.. Joseph is native born, speaks
Spanish fuently, and is sat homen on all
border questions. His constituents are 90
per cent. Mexican and Indian. He says
our people have got to learn Spanish before
they can master the trade Of South Amer
lea. His stories OF the riches Of New Mex
leo, its mines, mountains, springs, forests,
canyons, ruins, and cattle ranches have
filled my head with all sorts of desires to
visit that ancient land OF the Pueblos.
Arizona shows the largest cactus, and the
richest silver ore In the world. Wyoming
glories in the Yellowstone, and Montana
In the biggest rams horns.
Horticultural hall was only glanced at.
We had ripe bananas cut directly from tall
trees, which had been saved especially for
our party. The banana bears fruit but one
year and then yields up its life forever. The
.'creole department. is the distinguishing
- l,,a 4 Ill
over by Mrs. Forstall, an agreeable creole
lady, who showered us with the names of
precious relics and mementoes in cases. and
sanity faces and pictures on the walls that
date back hundreds Of years-all interest
ing In their way, but they concern the past,
not the present or future, Much Of the
French life hereabout Is mere routine life,
doing and thinking as their fathers did, and
asking no questions for g. sake.n
down-river excursion was planned for
us "wednesday. We set sail at o, passing
the barracks and Jackson's immortal battle
plain; thence southwark, with orange
groves, rice and sugar plantations on either
hand, for o hundred miles. All was south
ern to the life. Gov. Warmoth's place
was reached at noon, where wedlsembarlied
and were received with knightly courtesy.
"These are my jewels,n said the governor,
pointing to his ebony workmen, and "thls
is my scepter," holding aloft o stalk of
cane Sugarisking in Louisiana. The gov
ernor has the finest sugar mill and best ma
chinery. on the river. He cultivate 1000
acres Of cane and 5000 orange trees. He
has seventeen miles Of railroad track on his
plantation. He has two sets Of steam plows
and works 100 men, His plant here and In
the city is valued at $3.50, 900. This seasons
crop will net him $4,000 profit. War
years ago, and has made himself what he
is-the beau ideal planter of the state.
The jetties were reached at 4, when we
We're transferred to tugs for run through
into the gulf. The two miles of parallel
dykes on eitherside are being overgrownwith
willows, and make little show above water
The current is deep between, and the larg-
est sea-going vessels move In and outwith
the utmost freedom. There are no signs of
a bar--l mean sand-bar--at the mouth or
elsewhere. Returning at dark, our boat
held It's way northward for night of II,
mus atording our "press boys" a chance TO
throw OIL their pent-up eloquence. Elk
Marshai fitkin, the orator OF the exposition,
opened eway for them. OF course Peck's
"Bad Boy'', who was along, was early
called Tor, and was responded to by the
veIitable boy himself. Peck never fails on
occasions, and nothing but excessive mod
esty can long keep him out of Congress.
All the Chicago and st. Paul editors were
1erVid IN praise and proIuse In promises.
Clint Snowden, OF the Mail, would boom
the whole Mississippi Valley for an Sim
proyement' president Lastly came Col.
Charles Long, the great explorer, who was
still harping ON "My Princessn in Africa,
when sleep rang down the curtain upon u.s.
An excursion TO the great salt mine and
the "Acadian country" came off the day
following Our train made the run west
ward in four hours. Most of the country
by the way showed alternate marsh and
swamp When a1speck OF dry land put
up there was seen the negro cabin, with
its little accessories of dogs, poultry, pick
aninnies, and green garden patch. Where
an African viii live and fatten, an owl or a
musiuat would die Of hamilton The land
rises as We apprOaoh the Aoallnn raglan