New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-07-10
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
THE BOOK OF THE FAIR.

Among the results OF the Worlds Fair In Chicago
one not the least In importance Is the production OF
o massive volume The Book Of the Fair published
by the Bancroft Company and prepared by Huber,
Howe Bancroft Fairs whether they he international
or merely local must come 10 an end. Then por-
ton OF what they have accomplished Is forgotten.
OF the great expeditions which have preceded the
one al Chicago what knowledge remains j. not easily
accessible Publications for the general reader were
meagre and inadequate. The coming work. the first
part OF which has been issued. will consist OF LOCO
immortal folio pages twelve by sixteen inches in
size There will be- twenyfiv part Of forty pages
each The first part indicates that In paper, Npos-
raphy presswork and Illustrations the book VIII
leave nothing 10 DO desired Tho text 50 far a. gwen
consists Of preliminary matter. \ brief preface OF
two pages formally urges the benefits Of in;erailoAl
exhibitors the learning. science. art business ana
polit. culture OF the world "Of the several worlds
fairs which been held" says tho author "h'tle
now remains In tho OF description save what mas
been preserved in books In due time, their purpose
accomplished most OF the buildings of the present
Exposition. these splendid edihtes which have been
reared to science art and industry and to which all
the world has made It's pilgrimage, will he taken apart
and their contents removed Then all that VIII be
left OF this brilliant spectacle will BE- in the minds oil
men and in printers ink Many Of the ben'hclai
effects will remain i have already indicated. in
eanered experiences and crystalizatons OF thought
much will be lost which we'll worth preserving.
The reproduction and record in book form will exercise
an influence for good throughout the centuries
The first chapter Is devoted to history OF the
trade and the fairs OF the past. II begins az Inc
beginning or rs near 1t history makes possible
The instinct Of traffic lies at the basis OF all distnc
tons between and other animals Though trade.
therefore and gatherings of traders must be as old
as humanity itself. 1t is strange how uniform the
customs that attended them were down to very
recent date. In the Orient even yet. except where
Western enterprise has pushed Its way, the methooS
OF business and of the transfer of commodities nave
changed but little since the dawn Of history. Cara
vans OF cames and camel drivers Still rehed
upon for the exchange OF merchandise as IN 'he
days of the patIiarchs. IN" anthor glsnces hasuN
at the trade OF the Hebrews. the Phoenlcians' the
Greeks the African tribes and the nations OF ASIA
To all these races fairs were known. There were
monthly fairs and weekly markets in Juaaea Inc
festivals in honor Of the gods became III various
countries the occasions Of brisk trnde ana Wherever
these took place the Phocnician merchant from
Tyre or Carthage. TO be found. Even IN Africa
from time immemoria markets have been
common AZ regular Intervals Al Mecca in Arabia,
though the multitude Of visitors Is said 10 nave
greatly fallen off in recent years, there are sun
vast numbers of merchants In India the business
In the bazaars always has the aspect of lair but
there besides more general gatherings oil buyers
and sellers at fixed times.
The ancient fairs Of Europe. following custom
older than Christianity, held In connection with
Religious festivals. Even the churches were invaded
by the merchants. Local festivals OF this sort De-
came of national, then Of international importance
But with improvements In the manner Of living ana
In the means Of travel and transport there came
the need Of something better than the mediaeval
market and festival II the latter are still retained
in corners Of Europe they have been supplanted IN
the CAPITALS by the exhibitions whose history Is h'i-
tied 10 the present century The growth and mmu-
ricoton OF industries YEARLY added wonders 70 those
which the world once fancied could never be sur
BASED Life became complicated, while the means
of getting enabled people TO see In one year wha'
would have required a decade or lifetime IN Garner
ages The Continental cities were Ill" nrst 10 sec
the value of industrial exhibitions. Then came 'he
CRYSTAL Palace Exhibition In London followed by 'noNe
in Paris Munich Vienna, each in turn an advance
a., many respects upon its predecessors. The CRYSTAL
S,ace Exhibition. however has remained unique Ill
that II was great success financially me hlS'
az agricultural fair in the United states was hclo at
Washington In 1904. Now such fairs are common
throughout the country. An international cNhmuoh
Nas held in New-York in 1853, followed by one II
,eG5 in PHILADELPHIA But these were forgotten IN
the success of the Centennial Exhibition in 1876
" Little more than four decades SAYS 'he du'HoI,
have ELAPSED since the first exposition was oPeno"
in London in the spring OF 1o5l ana o"ilns inv
Intervening years In this heroic era oil lhe "o'lu
progress much Of marvellous achievement N al
branches Of science and art has been due 10 these
rotcnt factors In the civlizng influences Of the
age" -, ,,,oo,o
f.hanter Is n historical sketch OF 'HCdro I
from the tine when a Government surveyor reported
mat the only place the shore Of Lake Michkdh +
whore a town could not be built was IN" one 10" I
ocou-ied by the second city OF the New NorM uo""
a. the present day. Both chapters are coWonsN /
Illustrated with fun page ongravngS and with sha'er
ones in the text.
Stories from the RabMs,1 by Abram = lsaacs, /
PHI d. Charles l.. Webster Co.., contains mercy a 4
suggestion the legendary treasures OF the laimuu
and Mdrash from which IT Is drawn MOVIES &
familiar TO literature and folklore are SHOWN III /
stories which Dr. IsGacs entities the Faust the KIP
Van Wrinkle and the Munchauscn OF the Iainud' q
sun these tales have les, the air o. modern Iof- /
lore than Of the monk,h legend OF the MIddle Ages
The rabbits and monks to have heen ahhe intent /
eo pointing every story with moral.
"The Columbus Memorial" issued by JORDAN 2
Prothers Philadelphia. contains the iwo letters Of b
Columbus one in spanish the other in latin descrlo
,ng his discoveries and the four voyages OF Aher'
ycspucius in Italian. Tie documents are printed III
facsimile with TRANSACTIONS Introductory essays ana
doscin,ive notes BY George Young render niellSlme
sha history of these Interesting memorials