Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-10-13
THE SOUTHERN EXPOSITION.
This 10 n. c. State Fair Week and . Goo
Time to Visit It

Special Correspondents of The Evening Star.
RALEIGH, n. c., October II, 1891.
This IL the North Carolina state fair week al
the southern exposition. A most attractive
program has been arranged and this week viii
probably be the most successful one during the
entire exposition. The exhibits are now nearly
all in place and there will be interesting run.
ming and trotting races every day this week.
The horse and cattle shows will be particularly
fine exhibits Of what this state is doing in the
cultivation of blooded stock.
The exposition may now be said to be at its
height and those Of The STAR readers who con-
template visiting it can find no better time to
do so than during the present week.
As illustrative OF the wonderful and wide
range Of climate of North Carolina attention is
called to the fact that the southeastern counties
show specimens Of magnificent palmetto palms.
While the extreme western counties exhibit the
balsam fir (abies fraseri), some of which are
from Mount Mitchell, which has altitude OF
8. III feet. There also grow in this state the
white pine (pinus strobus) and the black
spruce (abies nigra), which are also found
along the Appalachian range from Canada south
ward and, on the other hand, there are seven
ma gnolias, which also grow cast OF the Rocky
mountains A. large and finely favored cran-
berries rs grow in New Jersey arc found
among the exhibits from Ashe county, which
also grows grass alLloss identical 70 the
famous blue grass Of kentucky. The forestry
display will astonish visitors. Many of the
woods are polished, showing tho texture as well
as the variety OF the woods of North Carolina.
No less wonderful is the exhibit of North
Carolina gems ana minerals. which includes
the following: Slate. mica, kaoEn, copper. cup
riferous ores including chalco pyrite, &C.. and
all the gold-bearing rocks. The gem stones
are beautiful and varied. Conspicuous among
them are specimens of the famous hiddenite,
The magnificent green gem named after VIM.
Z. Hidden. who discovered it in 1851, and
which is found only In North Carolina. and said
to be as valuable as diamond. The discoverer
is now at work in Alexander county mining for
the gem SpodGmene, similar to hddenite,
except in color, is also shown. 1t is pale
yellow gem, shading to green, and is also found
in Brazil.
There are beautiful specimens Of garnets,
sapphires aQd rubies. Rutiles in aricular crys-
tais, red, blown and yellow, in clear quartz
matrix, cut into exceptionally beautiful gems
Is also shown. 1t is called "arrows of love-
stone. the Touches d amour of jewelers., and is
found In several Of the western counties of this
state.
Next Friday will be educational day, when
Hon. W. I. Harris. United States commissioned
OF education. will deliver the principal address.
zine exhibits from colleges, graded schools
and agricultural and mechanical colleges from
several states are already in position. The
= uitcu ot8tts government Will materially aCu
to these. Thirteen boxes containing the gov
eminent exhibit will be shipped from Washing
ton tomorrow (Tuesday) morning.
Among the curiosities on exhibition are the
nrst hre engine ever used in the United States
and the old printing press on which was printed
tin liia) the Meckiinburg (May 20, l715) Dec
laration Of Independence. The former comes
from the old town of Salem, n. c., and the
latter from Charlotte.
Two cabinets. which contain minerals from
Macon county. are made of !, 766 pieces of ma
tive wood, highly polished in the natural
colors.
There are a full-rigged ship and an autom-
atom bull. half life size. made entirely of tobacco,
among the exhibits of the Durham Tobacco
Company, of which the bull is the trade mark.
Tomorrow and Wednesday are also Texas
days and Gov. Hogg and several other promi-
nent Texans are expected to make addresses.
The exposition is a success and all who visit
it will SO pronounce it. All the southern states
are not as largely represented as could be de-
sired, but the exhibits. as they are now. are
large and varied ones, beautifully al ranged and
calculated to interest and instruct all who ex-
anime them, especially visitors from the north.
The attendance during the opening ten DAYS
has been fair and considerably larger than for
the same period at the Atlanta exposition in
1851.
Nearly 500 northern editors have been in
vited to attend and they will begin coming this
week. Their railroad expenses are paid by the
exposition managers, whose guests they will be
while in this city.
Round-trip tickets from Washington to
Raleigh are sold at = IL. TO- good until December g.