, 1893-10-25

BOS ASNS
the island for the purpose Of representing the
advantages which would arise from its send
ing On an exhibit to Chicago is not known. Mr..
Obsr in his work In the Wake Of Columbus
thus speaks Of the outcome of his visit to tho
Danish West Indies. alt was my desirs, VI
course, 10 obtain the co-opel alton Of the
Government in the Elk p~osition, and to
this end the American Consul, genial Colonel
Horne, presented me to the Governor Gene
raj. Areudrup. I found His Excellsncy a
pleasant and shrewd gentleman, who listened
with evident interest to the statement of my
case; but who was opposed to the granting by
his Government, of any appropriation for the
display OF the resoul ces Of these islands, and
proftssed to see no way by-which even Il few
thousand dollars could be- raised for an
exhibit at Chicago. Finally falling in nv
EFFORTS with the Government Of the COLONY.
| appealed with ONE success TO the merchants
OF the town. 1t was true, an the Governor
urged, that the lsland had but little to send.
having few native products and no industries.
But, KIN wing the desire Of the people to
make known The advantages of their island
as a winter resort, and its desirabllity a. q /.
coallng station, | recommended that a large
model, or relief map, be prepared, showing
the glorious harbor, the surrounding hills
the town, the tropical ye getStioR-in a word.
q small exposition of the island visible at
glance, that should convey to the world at
large, an adequate picture Of its beauty and
advantages. This idea was applauded. and
several Of the merchants PROMISED the neoas-
ssry funds for the pun pose. 1t was next
necessary 10 secure the talent for producing
the map; Il difficult thing in Il community
where there is no uplifting public sentiment
Tor tns encouragement of art or literature.
l. was then that Nj. Ober addressed him.
self to mo. a committee Of several of our
prominent mon to carry, ont this admirable
project had been already organized, but az
Mr. Obsr Justly observes, the difficulty wac to
find some one to make it. | had never made
such a thing in my life; had never seen a
reIlef-msp; SO, much ~ ! 'appreciated'' the
idea, rs the rest thing to display the value
of st Thomas as a Naval and CoalinK Station.
TO the millions who would visit the Worlds
Fair, / oourteously declined committing
myself to 30 serious an Undertaking. But
~hr. Ohsr was persistent. He argued that
had accomplished many things before under
similar circumstances, and il would undor.
take this, Il would surely succeed, and be
dong an lncalculable service to the oolnmu-
nifty in which lived: Il quote his own
words). On these grounds his ume
prevailed, and began the work which. with
the assistance Of my son Clarence. resulted
in the present Model of the Island Of St.
Thomas, now on exhibition in the Transports.
ton Building at the Worlds Fair, Chicago.
. o .
1t took me fer mOnths of hard labor. in
tbs intervals Of my business, to produce it.
and 1t would take many pages to recount the
many failures we made and all we went
through, to build such a model of the Island
as would oomprehenSivel show it's many and
varied attractions at = glance. With no
previous experienO, to guide me, there was
nothing else to do, but to initiate Nature "a
closely as possible. This. With the island.
was difficult enough, especially as everything
had, to be constructed to scale. But when
aimed to reproduce its picturesque town and
harbor on a sea frontage of nine inches.
gradually ascending the ,hree hills on which
it is Al uated; its two old timeworn towers.
6iueoeard's and Blaokbeard's, it's wharvss,
shipping and houses, of which there are over
800, some of them the size of a pins head.
and each with its door and window. | must
frankly confess that, | often was on the point
OF givlng up the whole thing in despair. One
OF my chief difficulties was in the manufso-
turs OF a composition from which to build il.
obtained two excellent receipts fer making
it from two experts in the business. But
unsuitable. possibly, to our climate, they
s.plit and cracked in all directions. / then