Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-01-24
MR. BLAINE'S SHOW
He is Sending an Expedition This
Week to Gather the Materials.
ARMY AND NAVY COMMISSION
Ten Commissioners for the Latin-American
Republics-wbat They Are Going for and
How They Expect to Get 1.-THE Pam
American Show at Chicago.


something already of his hopes and plans for
reciprocity in trade between the United States
and the latin republics of the continent. Not q
little toward the results he is aiming at is ex-
pected to be achieved by the opportunity which
these nations of the south will be given at Chi
cage of showing what they have to sell and, in
ciaentally, what they want to buy.
The ten energetic young officers four Of them
selected from the army and six from the navy,
who are going as commissioners from the
United States to the sister republics have been
attending for the last few weeks a sort of pri-
mary class at the Smithsonian Institution here
Inasmuch as their duty will be to collect mate
rial of every possible description for the expo
sition, it was necessary that they should have q
rudimentary acquaintance with certain arts
not ordinarily taught at West Point or An
napolis.
WHAT THEY ARE LEARNING.
For example, they have been imbibiug in
struction in the science of gathering, preserv-
ing and transmitting specimens Of all sorts
animal. vegetable and mineral. No little study
Is requisite for comprehension of the proper
methods of preparing and packing for ship
ment in cans of alcohol or otherwise perisha-
BILE material. For. among other things the ex-
pedition is to make collections of the fauna. as
well as the flora, of the countries they are dele
gated to, largely in the shape of stuffed crea-
| lures and skeletons in the rough. Accordingly
Ornithologist Ridgway has been giving the
young officers some notions of taxidermv bv
! showing them how to skin English sparrows.
caught with hand nets after dusk on ivy-clad
walls. while Curator Smillie has given them
lessons in photography, 80 that they may bring
back pictures of whatever is interesting and
Prof. Clarke has demonstrated for their benefit
| the manner in which ''squeezes'' of sculptures
and inscriptions ought to be made, &c.
MR.. BLAINE's INTEREST.
Mr.. Blaine is intensely interested in securing
great Pan-American exhibition at the Chi
cago fair. His design is that it shall be in its
nature two-fold-commercia and historical 1t
will illustrate the progress Of civilization in the
republics of South America, Central America
and Mexico by showing the condition of those
countries at the time Of their discovery by Eu-
ropeans and by tracing their development since
that period Pictures will be given by means
OF lay figures, costumes. houses and industries
represented of those people which are least civ
liked at present. because they will afford the
best glimpse obtainable of the life on the con-
tinent centuries ago. Also the amplest show
ing VIII be given of the resources and indus
tries of these regions now. and incidentally will
be displayed all things which our neighbors
toward the south produce and have to sell.
THE YOUNG COMMISSIONERS
carry with them letters from the Department
OF State at Washington to the respective gov
ernments, the work being so divided that one
officer attends to Perm and Bolivia. another to
Chilli, and on. Having thus made them
selves known as duly accredited representatives
of the United States they will do their best to
interest the authorities in the exposition to
begin with. 1t is hoped that many of the re-
publics viii be disposed to put up their own
exhibition buildings. for which space will be
reserved on the fair grounds. For such of
them as are not so inclined all the room they
want van, VIII De PROVIDED a. onlcago IN structure
ernensa Ncxt The Ieenatas viii sam
with museums, scientific societies and botanical
gardens with view to securing collections
| from them. They will advertise for the benefi,
of the public the objects they are working for
and VIII make some purchases III addition. Con-
gress Is expected to appropriate considerable
| sum TO. buying collections historical and ethno-
| logical Efforts will be made to secure the
attendance at the exposition OF native artisans.
| such as potters. weavers, woodcarvers. basket
| makers, metal workers and Others. who will ply
| their various crafts at the fair.
| WHAT THEY WILL COLLECT.
| Amopo the THINGS which the commissioners,
| -, -. - - - -,
| VIII ooneI' on ,nei, own "ooouh. VIII Do COS
tunes plants, plrds, mammals. tools, utensils
everything IN short, that VIII contribute t.
| 1iiustrate the lives, surroundings and habits o.
| the peoples: what they cannot take away bod
/ lily they VIII MAKE photographs OF. ana pho
| Biography VIII be particularly applied to the
procuring OF ikenesses OF native types, so that
| with the picturesandt the costumes, llfe-llke mod
| els can be produced here. From the squeeZe
| produced In papIer mache OF sculptures and in
| scriptions plas ter productions will be turned
| out at the Smithsonian. Doubtless the repub
lies will choose that in the exhibits they sent
| 10 chicago tneir me arts snail pc Wen repre-
and sc,,,.nra ara a,raI =. "nr or,, vi PA'n"iie
1
J., ,,;.ia., -. Al;
'""' WIN oo =! .n.'
| can parncipauon IN the worid Iair Is the ere
alton of an actual acquaintance between thu
| United States and the other republics on tbi
| continent II seems n shame that the onI,
| definite notions entertained concerning Souti
| America bv the average intelligent citizen o
| this country have been derived in childhood
! from the geography book and are to the gen
erai effect that all that part of the world il NOR,
| or less of a bowling wilderness. Inhabited b,
| barbarians. with giants Mt the south end anf
cannibals Mt the north. The teachers are no,
sufficiently informed TO tell the children abon,
| tbe mighty civilization Of this vast Southland
its treat wealth. its inexhoustible resources n.
| institutions os enlightened as onrs and II.
| peoples as well educated. Why. Brazil alone il
slightly bigger than the United States, with q
Iar nrsor ProauI ,. aericui'urai area, tnt
s,,d !, sn,,erh cI;,nata TnbamriIy tho Sill,
| Am.r;cape b,ve aImost &c EfHa i,oa,oi,,o y,
| M no we have NJ tben, tbongh tbeir roIa t;on.
| w;,h Fr~ona aro cioae 49, pnaras -,
alone the sriant seanort of the ArDent;ns NO.
L