Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-06-08

Observations Made at the Big Fair in
Chicago.

THE MARVELLOUS SCENE AT JACKSON PARK
SOMETHING ABOUT THE BUILpINGs-rHr
GOVERNMENT EXHIBITS AND THE WAY THEY
ARE HoUsED-Kow PRICES WERE REDUCED.
Prof. Otis T. Mason Of the National Museum
has always been considered a gentleman who
possessed eyes and knew how to use them.
Prof. Mason has only recently returned from
Chicago, where he was detailed on the work of
setting up the National Museum exhibit a, the
fair. A STAR reporter had little talk with
Prof. Mason Just after his return from Chi
cago.
tine fair" said Prof Mason, sis O marvel oil
beauty and Of pluck and enterprise. Any one
who looked at the grounds a few days before
the opening would have despaired OF seeing
the affair in any sort of shape for the opening.
| Work. however, was kept up day and night, In
fact, by means Of huge electric lights, night
was turned into day. and in a marvelously
short time the grounds were cleared OF rub
| Dish, the exhibits rushed into some sort of
shape, buildings completed and roads laid. Al
present the fair is IN first-rate condition. The
grounds are clean and pretty, the roads are
very fair, although from the powdered lime
stone of which they are composed apt to be
dusty in dry weather and sticky in wet Many
L
but the progress Is very rapid. The buildings
and grounds form one OF the most beautiful sights
In the world. the buildings pure white and archi-
tecturally proportions to each other, the wide
sweep Of bay, backed by the imposing Colum-
bian colonnade, the winding canals and broad
lagoons, dotted with craft OF all kinds from the
active little electric launch to the gliding and
picturesque gondola, the sloping banks Of green
turf stretching to the water and the busy.
bust!ing. often strangely costumed crowd,
make picture well worth a trip to Chicago to
see. At night the buildings, canals and lagoons
are lit up by a dazzling display of many colored
electric lights and the scene is q realization OF
our early ideas Of fairyla land.
HUGE BUILDING.
at would be hard to suggest where the
buildings on the grounds could be improved,
either INTELLECTUALLY or in regard to their
convenient grouping. The biggest building is
Of course the one devoted to manufactures and
liberal arts. which forms the largest building
in the world. 1t stretches $50 by 760 feet,
with roof 200 feet from the ground. In
other words, the building would stretch from
Dupont to Scott Circle, and IL set down in that
locality would cover up the section for squares.
The tall Baptist Church steeple would not
scrape the roof.
"Ihe exhibits in this tremendous affair are
not yet in complete condition Of arrange
ment. although very fair comparison can be
is SO immense that the cases in which exhibits
are made have an exceedingly dwarfcd appear
ance, and only q few nations have grasped the
need OF some arrangement to bring out their
exhibits. England has n fine lot of exhibits,
but it is arranged simply in streets and does
not show up to any advantage. France and
Germany. on the other hand. have realized the
needs, and by handsome architectural devices
have brought out their exhibits into promi-
hence.
The government exhibit? Oh. yes. The
government exhibit is completely set up and all
the temporary men have been ordered home.
The exhibit is a remarkably fine one and does
full credit to the country. One portion of the
fair furnishes government exhibit outside OF
the regular building. This exhibit can be
found in every nook and corner OF the grounds
AMI consists of the Columbian Guards, chair
boys. &c. All these bodies Of men and boys
are dressed i'll neat uniforms and every morn
ing are drilled by United States army officers.
They have become very proficient in their re-
spectiye drills.
THE GOVERNMENT EXHIBITS.
''The building in which the glory Of the gov
eminent is heralded is about one-third larger
than the National Museum here. 1t is q hand
some building on the general plan ofgovernment
buildings everywhere, but with very hand
some dome. Tho exhibits Of the several de-
partments are excellently arranged and the in
terror of the building makes fine show. There
is only one artistic drawback to the interior,
which consists of huge California big tree.
placed just in the center OF the rotunda and
cutting of the view in all directions. The tree
has big silver plate inscribed John W.
Noble but the words sacred to the memory
OF have been omitted.
1.-The government officials sent out with the
exhibits have worked together to produce q
harmonious national exhibit. and their success
has been complete. The general foundation Of
the exhibit has been to show rs completely as
possible the resources and methods Of the gov
eminent. The National Museum exhibit is a
marvel OF completeness and must be considered
one of the best installed and labeled exhibits
in the world. There is splendid showing Of
mounted animals and lay figures. Some peo-
pie, believe. have gathered the idea that the
National Museum here has been greatly de-
pleted to make up the exhibit ut the fair. This
is q mistake. Practically, nothing has been
taken from the museum which has not been
Immediately replaced. and in the end the
museum will be very greatly the gamer. as the
new exhibits will all be brought here and will
add to or replace portions OF the old collec-
tioI.
..All the departments are we'll represented in
the exhibit. The State Department among Its
treasures has a splendid collection Of pictures.
The various bureaus of the Agricultural De-
partment have each characteristic exhibit.
The fish commission has q remarkable collec-
ton of fishing apparatus. Among the coast
survey exhibits is the full apparatus for print
ing chart, and small charts are engraved.
printed and presented to spectators. fine
collection Of minerals and germs marks the
geological survey, while the land survey is
marked by a large globe. The Post Ofice De-
partment is represented in practical manner
by means of n working post Office, which attends
to the large mails coming to the grounds. II
also has an interesting collection of pictures
and models of the postmen of all countries. In
the same way every branch OF the government
has en- exhibit which tells Of its especial char
acter and work.
HOW PRICES WERE FORCED DOWN.
"No, at present there are no very exorbitan
charges at the grounds or in Chicago. You
can hive about as cheaply or as dearly as yor
wish On the opening days Of the fair tho
crowds were tremendous. and the people who
held the privileges in and around the grounds
lost their heads completely. Dazzling fortunes
glittered before their eyes and they rushed The
prices OF everything up to extravagant figures
Among the governments people the question o.
getting a lunch for something less than year
salary was Of some consequence. and in the
early days of the fair it was the general custom
to hold a faculty. meeting every morning on thu
price of pie and milk The high charges, how.
ever. did not keep up over three days. The
papers and the people raised such howl thai
prices Immediately dropped to reasonable
figures"
Hunting Now for the Hunters.