The herald., 1893-05-21
RELICS IN Ia RAB|DA CONVENT,
Columbian Reminders Exhibit
ed at the Chicago Fair,
Great Progress Made in Identifying
the Grounds.
The American Publishers' Dispiay-Ths
Spanish Exhibit at Last Opened.
The Grounds Under Il1u-
minatton, Rto.
espondsnce to the HEnALp.l

CHICAGO, May 14.--The frat week of
summer has come at the exposition, and
rolling chairs, launches and gondolas
are in great demand.
Marvellous as the rapidity of the work
has been from the start on the grounds,
it was never better exemplifed than by
the strides made by the landscape de-
partment in Identifying the grounds.
Now that the work of installation has in
so great measure been completed, the
landscape man is getting his work done.
Great patches OF ground, which yester-
day were hard banks of clay trodden
down by hundreds of hurrying feet, are
today covered with soft green turf, in
closed by iron railings, with stern
voiced guard ready to call the patrol
wagon for the unluckv visitor who
chances to set his shoes on the tender
young grass. We visited the La Rabida
convent yesterday. One feels the sac
home. On the outside tents are pitched
and the soldiers there and in the
convent with their heavy muskets mean
nothing but that their lives are pledged
to protect this collection which belongs
to the Vatican and the descendants OF
Columbus. All the royal letters patent
from the sovereigns OF Spain to Column
bus and many letters written by Colum-
bus himself are in the cases. His will
is also there.
At one end of the room is collection
of pictures loaned from the Vatican by
| Pope Leo. A contract was made by
| Spain with the United States before the
collection left there that it should be
guarded by a detachment OF United
| States soldiers. That contract is fulfilled
| TO the letter. No one is allowed to touch
the glasses OF the cases even. There are
some wonderful pictures on the walls.
No two artists have the same idea OF the
features OF Columbus. There is fine
portrait of him there as also picture of
Ferdinand and Isabella, the king and
| queen OF Spain.
At the north end of the west gallery
in the department of liberal arts are the
exhibits of the leading American pub
fishers. The booth inside ia fitted up as
a library with copies of all frms' publi-
cations neatly arranged on shelves. An
open fireplace, with antique cushioned
settees around it, table, with comfort
able chairs and several Duets of eminent
men artistically arranged around the
tops OF the bookcases, give the room the
air Of comfortable library. speci-
atty is made OF the works of the great
American authors, such as Holmes,
Longfellow, Emerson, Hawthorne, Whit
ier and Lowd. Busts OF these celebrated
suthors toess, -sss.t ft.rf1sef ssfofffts Jif5
| tops OF the cases which contain sample
copies of their works in uniform cloth
binding. This is free reading room.
and when the visitor Is weary OF sight
| seeing no better place to spend a quiet
hour than this can be found on the
grounds.
The Spanish exhibit was opened for
the first time today, many fine exhibits
are to be seen there. But Sweden beats
them all in curious art works. This
display bas been ready for some time.
but being hemmed in between the Bel
sians on one side and the Norwegians
on the other, neither of whom were
ready to open, it has been difficult to
get at it. There are plenty of Swedish
Landscapes on the walls. They appear
very strange to us, ignorant of the
climate and conditions under which
they are painted. For instance, one
picture was called The Return Of the
Wild Geese. The first impression is of
a very dark winter afternoon but no. it
is night in that far-of country in the
north, and you try to realize, if you are
an untrayeled person, what the long
nights in which painters can see to
paiut, may be like. All the pictures
seem very odd in their coloring.
Two electric fountains, three bands of
music. five search lights, hundreds of
arc lights and thousands of incandes-
cent lights united in one dazzling illum-
instion on Saturday night. On either
side OF McMonnie's fountain the electric
fountains lifted their liquid prisms and
flashed their Kaleidoscope Jewels. For
the first time the waters of the grand
canal were illuminated by all the incap.
descent and arc lights. Over all three
grand search lights shed their rays.
Those who saw the electric crown poised
over the golden dome of the administra-
tion building sought for words to ex-
press their admiration. The peristyle
and cornice5 OF the great industrial
palaces on either side of the canal
we're etched against the dark night bv
lightning, and the spashing of the
water from the fountains mingled with
the strains of harmony from the banda
stationed in front OF the administration
building. One of the grandest sights
was when the lights were all turned off |
for moment and then the three search |
lights shot out in the midnight dark- |
ness. The effect of the five fingers of
light pointing out over the grounds held |
the spectators spellbound. 1t seemed as
though they were giving a warning TO
those on the ground that the fair would |
meet with some disaster. 1t made one
shiver, and many turned away and re-
fused to look longer.
NOTES.
It has been decided to have the expo
sition grounds open on Sunday, but not
any of the buildings in which are ex-
hibits. This does not prevent any OF
the state buildings from keeping open,
however. There is attraction enough
on the grounds alone to draw great
crowds every Sunday.
At present there are $50 roller chair
pushers ON the grounds. These young
men are all students from the different
colleges, and are not only attendants,
but are intelligent guides as we'll. The
chairs are becoming quite popular with
the lady visitors.
There are over 5000 articles of German
armor in the village at the midway
piaisance. The collection is valued at
81 100000. EVELYN MINIS.
Fire Insurance Rates Reduced.
Independent Of the compact" see Bssker-
l.. "a =