The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1893-07-14
FOREIGN EXHIBITS
Europe's Display at the Great
Worlds Fair.
THE BRITISH EXCEL IN GENERAL

L
quet Room-showing in the Art Palace
and Transportation Building.
WORLDS FAIR, July 6. = Especial -
Having now had glance at many features
of the exposition propose to take up In
short series of letters the exhibits made
here by the chief European countries and
endeavor to ascertain in what lines they
excel and are most interesting. In con-
sideration of the displays of our cousins
from across the sea Great Britain must
naturally come first. The Britons are our
blood relations, they speak our tongue,
and they are, besides, the greatest people
| of the earth viewed from the standpoint OF
national Importance, wealth, commerce
| and influence upon human affairs. In al
most everything save the fine arts the
British excel. Their manufactures lead
the world in volume and in many lines in
artistic excellence. In shipping they are
without rivals, more than one-half of all
the tonnage of the high seas sailing under
the British flag. Had Britain made at
this exposition an exhibit fully represen-
tative and worthy of her greatness and
wealth it would easily have been the first
of the nations in this comparative object
lesson.
Unfortunately the British exhibit is not
fully representative or altogether worthy.
Sir James Dredge, one of the English COM
missioners, admits that it is not. And yet
the display Is so vast, contains so much
variety, so many evidences Of power and
wealth and development, that one almost
3D. l., a. AL = V,..@: ,l,
might have done had they done their best
and greatest. Owing to the recent tariff
legislation in this country British firms
and individuals were not willing to incur
heavy expenses for displays here, and the
cutlery and other makers refused to do
anything at all. The appropriation made
by the British government was not COM
mensurate with the Importance of the &C.
casion or the grandeur of British manu-
features. 1t was only $125,000 at first, or
but one-third the appropriation made by
the state of New York, and but one
seventh that of the state of Illinois. Aft
erward this sum was increased to 100000,
but this was less than half the appropria-
tion made by Germany, less than half that
made by the French government. Still,
as l said q moment ago, the British dis
play is enormous and interesting, notwith-
standing The commissioners spent their
money to good advantage. Without be.
ing pretentious anywhere they are every
where in good form, and the British de-
partments are among the richest and most
interesting to be found in the exposition.
Great Britain occupies altogether within
the thirteen great departments of the fair
between seven and eight acres of floor
| space, and this does not include the
| number of special exhibits. If to the
space used by England proper be added
that occupied by the British colonies we
should have total of nearly twelve acres.
| This is an enormous area, as you will dis
cover when you come here and attempt to
pass over and through it all, making a
careful study of what the British and their
| dependencies, upon which it is their proud
boast the sun never sets, have to show.
| OF course it is impossible for me in the
space of single letter to review this ex-
hibit as whole. The British have pub
lished their own catalogue of their ex-
hibits, and it is book of some 500 pages,
| which was printed in London. But there
are few features of the English show
| which may well attract our attention, and
| which will stand typical of the remainder.
| If the English excel in anything here it Is
| in pottery. When we visit the huge Man.
ufactures building, and go to the clock
tower which marks the center of that won
derful structure, we find the British and
Their colonies occupying pracu1caI1y ali OF
| the southwest quarter. Compared with
| France across the aisle to the east and
Germany to the west, the British section
appears commonplace and dull. There
are no gorgeous and impressive pavilions,
| tod lNxrf l.a yav.r.ft INF
have only the pagodas which private enter
prise provided, and these are dark and sim
| pie, like London shops. But they are rich
| If not pretentious. One is said to have
cost 5000, though it covers but 800 hun
dred square feet. 1t is the property of a
pottery firm. Another pottery firm spent
| 10000 for much smaller structure
The potters occupy the post of honor
here, and right royalty have they upheld
the British flag. Their display is one of
| the most marvellous features OF this build
ing ofwonders. Here is the great Lambeth
faience vase, six feet three inches high,
perfectly glorious in it's decorations and
coloring, and always surrounded by dense
throngs of admirers. A card tells us that
this notable piece of the potter's art has
been purchased by the Gaelkwar OF Baroda,
who is now en- route for the fair, and whose
| income 1t said to be O,OOO,OOOa year. lie
can afford q Lambeth vase, and the odds
are he had to pay pretty price for it. Not
many cheap things are to be found here,
though everything is for sale. Here is a
Shakespearean vase, about three feet high,
adorned with figures from the bard's plays,
and the price is $1,000. An Evangeline
vase, so small that you could putt in your
overcoat pocket, is held at $780,
A game set of twelve pieces is marked
$780, and dozen plates, illustrating Long
fellows Evangeline, and illustrating it
most beautifully, are held at the snug sum
of $1,000, or $l6G.66 per plate Even this is
not so costly as royal Worcester dinner
service OF 1874 pieces, spread out in all its
dazzling array upon a table, with crepe
lamps and other decorations to emphasize
its color and beauty, and marked 5000.
AS yet no ricfr American has come along
to buy this noteworthy service, but little
rose-vase, about six inches high, has been
sold eleven times at S43. The British pot
tiers, like ali foreign exhibitors here,
brought over many duplicates of their
wares, and are prepared to fill orders.