Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-01-03
UNCLE SANS PART.
What the Government Win Do. For
the Columbian Exhibition.
THE MONEY AND BUILDINGS

Plans for the United stasss Building Are Gem
plsts-What It WIN Look Lake-Projscts of
the Departments Respecting Thsi. Exhib-
its-waiting for Ready Money.
A STAR REPORTER has ascertained that the
crnment is going to do for the worlds fair has
just been decided and the plans regarding it
arc published for the FIRST time. The supervis-
ing architect of the treasury has finished the
plans and specifications for the government ex-
hibition building and they have been formally
accepted, although some ministerial changes
may be made, 90 that everything is in readi-
mess for driving the piles on the lake front and
beginning the structure. A combination Of
beauty and utility has been most happily
attained in the edifoe as designed, which will
be nearly square. covering 150, 900 square feet
OF floor space and having an ornamental facade,
with main entrance resembling somewhat the
Arc de Triomphe ut Paris. In the middle will
rise handsome psgoda-like tower, beneath
which will be big rotunda. Around this
rotunda the great hall will be divided M for
sne uses o. tho various departments. The
building will ca 90 90 and u 900 900 will
be spent uPo' ibition in it ard its an
nexes. In Which will afford more
than 5o.VU au,.t feet Of floor space. will
De accommodate tne navy, the life saving
service. the military hospital service. &c. That
the government show In Chicago will far sur
pass the one II gave 81 the centen NAL in Phila-
dedphia is readily perceived when the fact is
considered that ut the exposition Of 1876 only
CSC. 900 was spent upon building and $500 600
upon the display it contained.
AN INDEPENDENT ExHrRrrros
The scheme on which this government ex-
hibition is being organized is that it shall be
one harmonious whole, entirely independent
of the fair at large. For example, the fish
commissions show will be located not in the
general fisheries division of the exposition,
but in section of the United States building
In short. Uncle Sans contribution will be
complete in itself and without relation to the
rest OF the celebration. The managing board
has Professionally allotted the million dollars
to be spent among the departments, giving
each sum in proportion by no means to its
relative importance AZ q department OF the
government The departments of State and
the Treasury were given comparatively little.
for the simple reason that diplomacy and
finance do not materialize very we'll for show
purposes. On the other hand, the Department
OF Agriculture needed big slice, because it
has very much to display that is well worth
exhibiting.
THE NAVAL EXHIBIT.
or all the departments which propose to ex-
hibit at the Columbia fair the War and Navy
have the easiest task Of preparation, inasmuch
rs their materials are all pretty much in readi-
ness for exposition purposes. The most i'm
portant contribution of the Navy will be the
duplicate, already spoken of in the newspapers,
OF a battle ship which will be fac simile OF one
OF the latest war vessels built by Uncle Sam.
Nevertheless, for the sake of convenience and
cheapness, it will be built of brick instead of
Un un1 irnp, and h. a., -sxl
painted cement. that the effect will be quite
realistic, even though the craft sails on dry
land. In this ship vii, be housed the entire
naval exhibit. and the people from the western
states who have never seen the ocean will get a
notion as to what O war vessel looks like and
will learn how the officers and men live, for
there will be an actual crew on board of sailors
and mariners, properly Offered. and all the
latest naval appliances will be on view for the
edification particularly of the inland folk, who
will thus have the privilege of seeing what they
are paying taxes for.
IMPROVED GUNS.
As for the War Department., q board of five
officers under Maj. Comfy has been appointed
by the Secretary and is bmiiy engaged now in
putting things into shape The exhibit Of this
section OF the government will be quite elabo-
rate. 1t will embrace, among other things. a
display Of improved small arms and big fortif-
cation appliances.a an exemplifcation of the man.
ner In which cartridges are made. models OF
typical engineering works and illustrations OF
the telegraph, hospital and ambulance and flag
signal services The signal service proper
would be included likewise bat for the fact that
it will be transferred in July next to
THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
This latter department is rather more EN-.
barrassed than any other to know precisely
what it will do for the fair. 1t has So many di.
visions. each Of which is especially interesting
that it is O question which Of them deserve best
to be exploited. Neither the means available
nor the space provided are sufficient to show
all. The work of the department in the wav OF
importing and distributing seeds will be Illus
trated by the exhibition Of various kinds OF
cereals, fruits. vegetables and grasses raised in
different parts Of the country. Incidentally to
this. attention will be given to showing the
notifications Of crops by soil and climate,
which will be most interesting to the farmers
The chemistry division will show the processes
Of analyzing foods and the component elements
of which they are found to be composed. BY
the bureau of entomology specimens of bugs.
injurious and otherwise, will be displayed, while
the division of vegetable pathology will show
how fungus and other parasites affects plants,
The division of mammalOgy and ornithology will
exhibit how the animal and vegetable areas OF
IT, United States arc divided up, the two hay-
ing immediate relations to each other. and each
experiment station will offer to view whatever
is most distinctive OF its branch of work.
THE DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR.
Now for the Department of the Interior The
geological survey, to begin with. will make a
superb display of tho mineral resources of the
country. BY the patent Office board has been
appointed to prepare a collection of models
! and instruments showing what the patent svs-
TEN hIs. done for invention and mechanical
civilization Mt large For example the germ,
of a machine will be shown as it first origiua-
a.ed and this will be followed up by display
OF progressive improvements upon the begin
ming showing the steps which led to each com
plete and perfected creation. The Indian bu-
reau will show by illustration the progress of
the aboriginal races on this continent and the
industries which the copper -colored people
have learned to pursue. To the bureau of
ethnology the savage in his primitive condition
will be left, including the theories as to his
origin and the lines of demarcation which sep
nrated the various great tribes at the time when
the white man first came to America The bu-
| reau Of education will show the most approved
appliances for teaching the young idea how to
shoot. But the great exhibit in this eiepart-
ment will be that Of the fish commission. II ia
always a great success and this time il means
to be particularly 40. The latest fishery ap-
pliances, which are far ahead of any known
abroad, viii be displayed; likewise aauaria with
living ser and fresh-water creatures big and
little. OF all the displays at the fair this il
likely to be the most popularity attractive.
MONEY AND LIFE SAVING.