The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1893-07-14

TO make a suggestion it is that these brass
beds are fine enough as works of applied
art to sell on their merits without being
cheapened by appeals to American patriot
ism.
In wall paper and all sorts Of house fur
hishings the British excel. To thousands
Of visitors pair of British billiard tables
are interesting exhibits. The English
billiard table is very large concern. 1t
covers a good deal of ground and has six
pockets in it, If cue ball Is somewhere
near the center of a table the player has
to drop his regular sized cue and take a
stick that is about as long as small fish
Ing rod in order to make the stroke. One
Of these exhibitors shows a model of a
mountain of billiard balls, and the figures
are interesting as showing the extent to
which the game Of billiards seems to be
played in Great Britain. In this one heap
are 10000 balls, worth $4,000. 1t is the
largest stock Of billiard balls in the world.
Five balls are all that can be taken from
each tusk, and this little mountain Of
ivory spheres represents the product of
1000 elephants The tusks of lao ele-
plants are used every year to supply bill
lard balls to this one manufacturer.
Two more pavilions in the Manufactures
itor. One is that of soap firm, which
shows a model of Windsor castle 1t is As
feet long and nearly 2 feet high, and the
lawn surrounding it is deftly represented
by an arrangement of green baize. A
chemical house has erected pretty Eng
lish shop, with dormer windows and lattice
work outside and oaken rafters showing
within 1t is like bit of old England set
down in our midst, and is very popular
among visitors.
Victoria house, the special British build
ing which was erected here by the royal
commission, is a fine specimen of sixteenth
century wood-house building, but unfor-
tunately some idea of exclusiveness on the
part of the commissioners keeps it closed
except during two hours each day.
The British make fine showing in the
art palace They have not large number
of pictures, but almost every canvas is the
work of an artist Of reputation. In the
British section there is much less of that
commercialism which has has been criti-
tised in other foreign departments of art.
In the Transportation building the Brit
lsh have splendid exhibit. A number OF
English locomotives and trains, with pic
lures and models of stations, work shops
and scenery along the lines, possess great
fascination for visitors.
Some of the finest models Of steamships
ever made are shown here, too, including
the great transatlantic vessels and the
battleships and cruisers OF the royal navy.
A model of the Victoria, the battleship
that was sunk few days ago in the Medi-
terranean, is now constantly surrounded
by large crowds of visitors. The beautiful
model. the largest ever made, is dressed in
hlocl ond o-ives all who behold it q better
idea than they ever had before OF the eA-
tent of that awful disaster
In the Agricultural building England has
little, but Canada, Ceylon, Australia and
other colonies make magnificent show
ing. One of the striking features OF the
whole British display at this exposition is
the important position in the world of
| commerce and manufacturers assumed OF
late by her colonies We find here ample
| evidence that Australia alone has become
o. great empire, which one day may greater
| than the parent country in wealth and
population, as it is in area, and thus emu
| late the example OF the American colonies
of the Great Britain Of 125years ago.
In Machinery hall and the Electricity
building the British showing is poor
one, compared to what might have been.
In this electrical age the British, however,
are not very strong. Electricity istoo new
thing for them and they do not take
readily to it. Most of the electrical work
| in England has been done after American
models and often by American hands.
| In coming letters L hope to have some
thing to say about the displays of the
| French, the Germans and others of our
friendly riv"ls from &C across the sea.