Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-08-24
AMERICAS SHAME.
DISAPPOINTMENT OF AMERICANS IN
PARIS.
Commissioner DeYoung Speaks on the
Miserable Showing Made at the
French Exposition.
[san francisco Post, August 10th. !

Il was greatly impressed while in
Europe" he said to Post reporter, "by
the difference between the American and
the European. The average American is
quick of ideas and possessed of marvellous
individuality, while the average European
is just the reverse. He is noticeable for
his dependence on those who are little
above him, and his tendency to follow in
the lines laid down by his father and his
fathers father Their method of doing
business is slow, methodical and covered
with red tape, and the time they take to
do business is very tiresome to an Ameri-
can.
MILLIONS FOR IMPROVEMENTS.
Gone thing noticed was the manner in
which European cities seek to beautify
themselves and entertain their population
Paris, London, St. PetersbUrg-all of them
spend millions of dollars on improving
their buildings and keeping their very
beautiful parks up to perfection. In Paris
the Government takes care even of the
amusementS of the people, and entertain
ments are given, mott one end OF the city,
but throughout the entire city at the same
time. Bands of music are playing in all
the parks, and the people of every district
are entertained. In fact, the French
Government is parental one, and looks
after the citizens as though they were
children who had to be entertained and
amused.
"As far as the exposition is concerned,
see there is considerable discussion in the
American papers looking to 4 great worlds
exposition in this country in 1892. |
don't think those who favor this project
appreciate the vast nature of the under
taking. To be success it would have to
be as good as, if not better, than the Paris
Exposition. This does not seem possible
in view, among other causes, of the char
acter of the structures at Paris. The
buildings. instead of being temporary
permanent. They are elegantly decorated,
and it hardly seems likely that they are to
be torn down in six months
THE EXPOSITION.
Mr.. de Young, to explain some misap-
prehensions caused by published criticisms
of the exposition, entered into details:
''The exposition" he said, sis composed
of nine parts: /. Works of art; 2. Educa-
ton and processes used therein; s. Plain
and decorative house furniture; f. Textile
fabrics; 5. The raw and manufactured
products of mining, forestry, chemistry,
etc; 6. Apparatus and methods of me-
chanical industries; 7. Food products; s.
Agriculture, Viticulture and fish culture
8. Horticulture. The American exhibit
was divided into nine parts, perforce, to
conform with this. In some of these parts
we had nothing, or so little as to be prac-
tically nothing, bat in each of these
groups our exhibit was concentrated, not
scattered.
"Our principal showing was made in the
division called divers arts, As you would
walk through this division you saw Tifia-
ny's display of diamonds, CollaEores ex-
} bit of cut glass considered the best in
the exposition, and showing this couutry's
wonderful progress in the manufacturing
arts, the Gorham Company's silyerware
and the American Britannia Company's
silver plate. These were the really worthy
displays, and for the rest, Arizonas petri-
fed rock lay side by side with cigarettes,
pills and type-writers, and the American
'GoVernment-the great American Govern
ment-made one exhibit of eleven or
twelve wax figure in Continental uniform
In short, the rest was very ordinary-not
up to iirst-class affair here in California.
THE MACHINERY DISPLAY.
"The machinery exhibit is covered by
the finest building on the grounds, both as
to engineering and architecture. The en-
tire structure is built of glass and iron.
The building is 1900 feet long, and over
this arch girders stretch across q span of
$50 feet, resting in the rock on either side,
and supported by no brace of any kind.
AT the extreme end of the building are
the coats of arms of all nations in stained
glass. Outside of this the corners of the
building are of metal, wrought in figures
of cog-wheels, hammers, and the various
instruments Of mechanical art.
"In this enormous building we find the
American Government has very little to
show. The French themselves have taken
three-quarters of the entire space, and of
what is left Belgium has 80 per cent. more
than we have, and Switzerland az much.
The English, working only through
Merchants Committee, have nearly double
the amount of space given to the Ameri-
cans, and England did not officially recog-
nize the exposition OF the small amount
we had, one-quarter of 1t was given to
Edison. In fact, he was given 50 much
space that he has monotouous repetition
of ordinary instruments, and in order to
fill W space he has one wooden pedestal
fifteen feet square, covered with nothing
but punches of incandescent lights.
AMERICAN INVENTIONS LACKING.
"The poverty of the American exhibit
In the matter of our own inventions was
hnin L.
inventions in the place. There are some
instruments fer wood working, and two
small engines-very perfect of their kind
very fine and all that, but we can Judge
only by comparison, and when compared
with the massive machinery of Belgium
our engines were very Insignificant
Attached to the machinery hall is the
exhibit of railroad rolling stock. Now
here you would certainly expect to see a
display worthy of nation which has more
miles of railroad than any other on earth,
and which produces the rolling stock that
1t does But before we reach the Ameri-
can section we pass through the exhibits
of Belgium, Switzerland, Italy, England
and France. We see train after train and
enormous locomotives with wheels four
teen feet high. Other machines on exhi-
ton made their eighty miles an hour be-
fore they were given place there.
England has trains Of passenger cars built
of polished wood, and there are hundreds
and hundreds of freight cars. Well, we
reach the American display and what do
we find? A sawed-off section of a pas
senger car, and our freight cars are repre-
scented by one refrigerator car.
ONLY ONE LOCOMOTIVE.
There is only one locomotive, and that
miniature one in our section. Itswheels
are three feet six inches high. and man
of ordinary hight standing beside the ma
chine can look over the top of the boiler.
In addition to this we have a few oil cans
and snp,a easeS of raifrnaJ y,otarial The