Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1893-07-06
PRED. w. EARRIs. Editor.
Member d The South Dakota fts:. Association
FOREIGN EXHIBITS
Europe's Display at the Great
Worlds Fair.
THE BRITISH EXCEL IN GENERAL

THE BRITISH EXCEL IN GENERAL
Many Evidences Of Power. Wealth and Do
velopment-Fine Display Of British Pot
terry and Antiques-Hatneld Hall Ban
quet Room-showing In the Art Palace
and Transportation Building.
WORLDS FAIR. July 9. - lSpecial.1 -
Having now had . glance at many features
Of the exposition Propose to take up In q
lhort series Of letters the exhibits made
here by the chief E~uropsaa countries and
bndeavor to ascertain In what lines they
Hcel and are most interesting. In con
sideration of the displays Of our cousins
trom across the sea Great Britain must
naturally come first. The Britons are our
blood relations. they speak u tongue,
and they are, besides, the greatest people
pf the earth viewed from the standpoint Of
national Importance, wealth, commerce
and influence upon human affairs. In al
most everything ave 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 1t would easily have been the first
Of the nations In this comparative object
lesson.
Unfortunately the British exhibit IL not
fully representative or altogether worthy.
Sir James Dredgc, one of the English COM
m~issioners, admits that It is not. And yet
the display is 80 vast, contains 70 much
variety, SO :aany evidences OF power and
wealth and development, that one almost
stands aghast TO think of what the British
might have lone had they done their best
and greatest. Owing to the recent tariff
legislation In this country British firms
and individuals were not willing to ncur
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
mens .rate with the Importance Of the oc-
casion or the grandeur of British manu-
features. 1t was only Sl25, 900 at first, or
but one-third the appropriation made by
the state of New York, n but one
seventh that of the state Of Illinois. Aft
award this sum was increased to $780, 600,
but this was less han half the appropria-
ton male by Germany, less than half that
made by the French government. Still,
as l said a moment ago, the British dis
play is enormous and interesting, notwith-
standing. The commissioners spent their
money to good advantage. Without be-
fun prafapt;ouu apyvvbora thav r a avary-
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
ground occupied by Victoria house nor by
o number of special exhibits If to the
space used by England proper be added
that occupied by the British colonies we
should have a 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 a single letter TO review this ex-
hibit as a whole. The British nave pub
lished their own catalogue of their ex-
hibits, and it is a book of some 500 pages,
which was printed in London. But there
are a few features of the English show
which may well attract our attention, and
which will stand typical of the remainder.
II the English excel in anything here it Is
in pottery. When we visit b 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 practically all 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,
erected by the government. The British
nave only the pagodas which private enter
prise provided, and these are lark and SIM
pie, like London shops. But they are rich
II not pretentious. One is said to have
cost SOS, 000, though 1t covers but 500 hun
dred square feet. 1t is the property of a
pottery firm. Another pottery firm spent
10000 for a 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 of wonders. Herei is the great Lambeth
faience vase, six feet three inches high,
perfectly glorious in its decorations and
coloring, and always surrounded by dense
throngs of admirers. A card tells US that
this notable piece of the p~otter's art has
been purchased by the Gaekwar of Baroda,
! who is now en- route for the fair, and whose
income it said to be $4,000 600 a year. He
/ can afford a Lambeth vase, and the odds
are helhad to pay a pretty pricef for 1t. Not
: many cheap things are to be found here,
! though everything is for sale. Here is a
fS~hakespearean vase, about three feet high,
i adorned with figuresfrom the bard's plays,
and the price is $4,000. An Evangeline
vase, SO small that you could putt in your
kovercoat pocket, is held at $3.50.
/ A game set of twelve pieces is marked
$3.50, and a dozen plates, illustrating Long
Fellows Evangeline, and illustrating 1t
most beautifully, are held at the snug sum