The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1891-08-19
WONDERS OF THE DEEP.
A GREAT FISHERIES EXHIBIT AT
THE WORLDS FAIR.
Outlines the Magnificent Show TO be
Expected-A Brief History of Fish
cry Exposittons.

cry EXpOSlttons.
One of the most interesting exhibits
at the Worlds Columbian Exposition
will be that of Fish and Fisheries. Cap
tain j. W. Collins, of the Fish and Fish
cries Department of the Exposition, says
Everything that science has rescued
from the depths of ocean, sea, lake or
river, will be displayed at the forthcom
ing fisheries exhibit-inhabitant OF
deep sea grottos, the coral animal
builder of islands and continents-sea
anemones that blossom miles below the
surface of the ocean, monstrous devil
fish, sharks and other terrors of the deep
will be seen, beside the speckled beauties
of stream or lake, plebian catfish, perch
and sucker, suggestive of the boyish
angler and the shallow stream. From
ocean depths will be brought specimens
of subaqueous life so marvelously deli
cate, and SO richly beautiful that the
microscope will only reveal, in part,
their wondrous beauty and flm-like
tracery. The methods, too, by which
the mysteries of the deep are penetrated,
the paraphernalia of the United States
Fish Commission, the inventions by
which the finny tribe is cultured, the
wonderful progress ma le in the art of
fish farming, in addition TO the imple-
ments of commercial fishing and the lat.
est tackle for angling-all of these will
be displayed to their fullest extent.
The idea of a fishery exhibition seems
to have originated with the Dutch, and
to them belongs the honor of having in
augurated displays of this kind. The
first exhibition of this description was
held at Amsterdam in 1861, and for sew
eral years this was reputed to have been
the best display of its kind, though, in
the meantime, there had been several
similar ones elsewhere. Much care was
exercised in drawing up the programme,
which, all things considered, was a com.
prehensive one, and the display so far as
it went was thoroughly practical pre-
sentation of the fisheries, and the several
arts connected Herewith. The second
fisheries exposition was opened at Ber.
gen, Norway, on the 1st Of August, 1865.
In arranging their programme the Norwe-
gians copied closely after the Dutch; all
kinds of fishing apparatus for the capture
of aquatic animals, from the whale to the
shrimp, being included, besides models
of tish-curing establishments, and various
forms of sea products. In the following
year (1S66), third fishery exposition
was opened at Archachon, France, and
1t seems that the French were determined
to leave no stone unturned to render fish
ing popular in their country, for a little
later, in the summer of that year, there
was also similar exhibition at Boulogne,
the latter place, however, being far less
favorably situated than Archachon.
The success of the expositions at Ar
chachon and Boulogne seems to have in
cited other countries to follow the ex-
ample of the French, for in 1867 there
was display of fish and fisheries at the
Hague, while the exhibitions held at the
same time at Aarhuus, in Denmark, and
at Vienna, though to a certain extent
general agricultural shows, nevertheless,
were chiefly remarkable for the presenta-
tion of material illustrative of the fish
cries and the industries connected there
with. Comparatively little was shown,
however, beside specimen of fish, and
the Danish affair was not, strictly speak
ing, success. Sweden, was the next
to follow, display of this kind being
opened at Gothenburg in 1867.
In 1868 France again took the lead,
the Havre Exposition being iuaugufated
In Juno of that year under favorable
auspices. Strange to say, so far as is
known, picked maokerel were shown
for the first time on this occasion, and
were looked upon as novelty. For the
next four years things were at rest, but
In 1871 the Italians entered the field,
fishery exhibition being held at Naples
thatyear This was, however, compare.
lively unimportaut, and after its close |
little was done by the promoters of fish.
cry displays until 1878, when the pisci-
cultural exhibition was held at the West
minister Aquarium, London; but, owing
to the haste with which the affair
was gotten up, the result was un
satisfactory. During the same year
1S7S) the Germans begun to talk OF
holding an international fisheries exhi,
bition at Berlin, and invitations were
sent out to all countries to participate.
After two years of preparation the exhi,
bition was opened on the 26th of April,
1880, by the Crown Prince of Germany.
Among those who gave prizes were the
Emperor, Empress, the Crown Prince,
the King of SaXony, and several of the
of the empire. 1t is now a
matter Of history that the display made
by the United States on this occasion fan
exceeded that of any other nation in com.
prehensivcness and in the variety of the
objects shown. The first prize of the
Emperor was awarded to America foI
the completeness of its display, while
large number of medals, etc, were re-
ceived by private American exhibitors.
Curiously enough, the English, from
being, apparently, the least interested,
become the most jealous advocates Of
fishery displays, and April is, 1881,
.he Prince of Wales opened a national
exhibition of this kind at Norwich.
This proved so successful that il was fol.
owed the next year by the international
Fishery Exposition at Edinburgh.
The Great International Fisheries Ex.
position was held at London, in 1888.
{ was perhaps one Of the most impor.
ant events in the history Of the fisheries
If the world, and did more to advance
hese interests than had been done in
many years previously.
But on no previous occasion has there
Deen such beautiful and lifting setting
or fishery exposition as that which
as been designed for the ENnositiop at