The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1892-08-18
A Southern Exhibit at Buffalo's
BIG Fair

in Buffalo, N. Y, this week participating
in the opening exercises of the Interna>
tional Expeditions which began there
the 18th inst. The managers of the s. I.
/. Bureau have arranged an exhibit of
Southern products and Southern life
such as has never before been displayed
in the North, an account of which, taken
from the New York World of last Sun
day, is here given:
One of the most important features
if not the most important-Of this great
Exposition will be the great cotton show
and Southern exhibit, which is intended
to show the people of the North the res
sources of the South and to acuuaint
them with some of the principal charac
teristics of their Southern neighbors.-
This branch of the Exposition will be
planned with care and carried out with
a completeness which should leave moth
ing 10 be- desired. For instance, cotton
will be shown in every stage, from the
plant growing in the field to the finished
cloth, with all the various by products.
The staple will be ginned, spun and
woven Oh the spot, the latter operation
being conducted by hand in the print
tive fashion OF 100 years ago as we'll as
by the latest and most improved process
and machinery of the present day.
OLD AUNTIES FROM DIXIE"
Those Who have never seen the old
-aunties" of the South-almost an ex-
tinct race since 1.-The late unpleasant
ness" but who are embalmed in story
and in song-will find some of them of
the genuine kind, with their quaint
ways, carding and spinning the long
cotton ii re with their supple fingers
and weaving it on primitive looms into
strong and serviceable cloth such as
their grandmothers wore and such as
they themselves spun and wove for the
grandmothers of Southern bellies of to
day AS they sing, their rich, sweet
voices will blend in the old plantation
melodies which reach the heart with a
voice peculiarly their own. This one
| feature would repay visit to the Expo
sition, as in few years the old aunties
will have passed away and there are
none to replace them, for the great South
has now adopted other ways and North
ern capital has established in the heart
! of the cotton districts mammoth mills
which rival those of New England and
of the lands across the water. These
hand looms and the power looms, which
are in such marked contrast Herewith,
will be in operation from six to eight
hours each day during the exhibition.
VARIOUS SOUTHERN PRODUCTS.
Rice will be shown growing and all it's
by products as rice paper and rice cloth,
will be displayed, as we'll as the grain
prepared for food.
/ Nearly every kind of tropical fruit
which the Southern United States pro-
duce will be shown on the growing plant.
That wonderful plant palmetto, con-
corning of which it has been said that
nearly whole house, from fan to a
bedroom suit can be furnished with it's
products, will he shown growing with
full and interesting line of manufac-
lures therefrom.
All the seeds, grains and grasses of the
South will be exhibited for the inspec>
ton of Northern husbandmen; and the
Inineralogist will find specimens of all
the minerals and stones of the Southern
States.
The pitch bearing pines of North Car
DINA will be shown, as well as the tar
kiln and turpentine still, in full daily
operation.
The student of natural history and
the sportsman alike will be introduced
to a menagerie comprising the principal
wild animals of the South.
FORTY CULTURED NEGROES
The progress of the negro race will be
shown by troop of forty cOlored PEG
:. pie. many of whom are finely educated,
all of whom are good singers, while
among them there are enough who are
/ athletes to show the various plantation
1 sports
The music of the forty trained colored
singers has been pronounced by those
who are judges to be of the best of its
kind, and its kind has a worldwide
4 fame. Love ditties and songs of Zion
will mingle with the chants of the field
and fireside.
Lovers of odd sports will be inter-
ested in the sack races, wheelbarrow
races, egg and potato races, pig races,
etc, which will be contested by picked
members of the Southern cOiOred dele
CATION.
7 WHY THE soUTHERNERs EXHIBIT.
4 The reason Why the Southern people
bring their products and peculiar ex-
hibitsysto New York State. thousand
miles away, is that they feel that they
can by doing 80 in greater measure in
crease the feeling of neighborhood and
brotherhood between the two sections
that has been inaugurated by SO many
Northern people taking their capital
and their enterprises into the Southern
States. They feel that one reason of the
unfriendly feeling, or of the lack of
friendly feeling, between North and
South is that the people of one section
have not seen and do not understand
the other section, and ii. many cases
have never seen more than a few from
the other side of the famous Mason and
Dixon's line. They feel confident that
by showing the people of the North the
difference in methods and in products
between the two sections they can very
readily understand why there may be
and are differences OF opinion as to the
national policy. They also want to show
these people of the North who lack
proper opportunities for Investments OF
their capital, or who seek milder ellis
mate for the improvement of their own
health or OF some members of their fam
| lilies, just what they may expect in sur
roundings should they decide to investi-
gate the South with view to settlement.
That the Cotton Show and Southern
Exhibition is considered by the people
of Dixie to be of prime Importance is
shown by the fact that the railways of
the South have offered to transport it
free from its home to Buffalo and back;
and several Southern Governors have
promised to be on the ground and do
all in their power to p roperly inaugurate
it'and make it successful.
A TooTHsoME 'PossUM DINNER.
The Exposition opening day will be
marked by decided novelty, which will
insure the attendance of great number
of notabilities including the representa-
tives of many of the leading newspapers
of the country. This will. be an old
time Southern 'possum dinner. which
will be served in big tent on the Ex-
position grounds. A coon dinner is
the darkey's delight, and the white
folks who are favored with an opportu-
nifty of participating in this feast will
enjoy an unusual opportunity of testing
+ the much-vaunted toothsomeness of the
colored mans culinary triumph. Itgoes
without saying that possum will not be
T the only Wand served; neither will the
feasters go away thirsty after satisfying
| the cravings of hunger. The invitations
to this supper have been issued 10y Mr..
John T. Patrick, Secretary of the Exec
utive Committee of the Southern Inter
state immigration Bureau. to the repre-
| sentatives of the Northern press and
railroads. and the acceptances have been
very general, indicating great gather
| ing.