The herald., 1893-10-08
The West Pointers Were the
Great Attraction.
Architecture of Government Build.
ings Open to Criticism.
Tao Departure of the Cadets for Their
school-Features of the Exhibits
of the Various Departments
OF the Government.
special corrsspondence to .he HrnAIp.

pretty girls and great many other girls
from far and near thronged in that
neighborhood every day at dress parade
and drill hours and the poor boys in
Ferris wheel hats, i. e., cartwheel straws,
dwindled into significance and were no
longer seen while there was a single
West Pointer in view. Every one tried
his best to amuse the children while
they were here and from the balls, re-
ceptions, teas. banquets, regattas and
other entertainments that were given in
their honor, it is feared that military
tactics and army rations will be found
far more distasteful now that the cadets
have left the rippling Lake Michigan
and placid lagoons for the majestic Hud-
son. The palisades and haunts of Rip
Nan Wrinkle and old Hendrick and his
crew are all very well, but after the
fair it will be like looking through the
wrong end of field glass. But now
that the infant warriors have broken
camp and sadly departed, marching
away to the tune of rne Girl Left Be-
hind Me, the crowds have abandoned
the green sward surrounding the build
ing and waste little attention on the
former campus.
There are only two buildings upon the
grounds whose beauty and exactness OF
architecture have been questioned and
unfortunately they both bear American
uames, and one is the government
building. Of course the nine principal
buildings are strictly American, but to
have to point out this to visiting for
eigners as ''our" building, is rather hu-
initiating. For it seems that there is
something radically wrong with the
dome and such things are reckoned al
most criminal here. If attention were
directed to it's general contour one
might object to the port hole like
windows, the pepper-box apex or it's
extreme height or awkwardneHs, but
not consider it at all seriously.
The building proper is of the most
classic style, is 350x420 feet, and most
admiral situated. The dome struc-
ture ia spoken of as the semi -sperical
pattern (?), and is 100 feet in diameter,
rising to the height of 276 feet to the
top OF the flagstaff which ornaments the
crown, this being the highest point
reached by any building in the park.
Thirty foot eagles and groups of statu-
ary surmount the four 85-foot entrances,
and the walls are tinted delightful
clay color, With slate painted roof,
which was originally done in brick
hue.
But whatever has been sald as to the
detective architecture, the display is
frankly acknowledged to be most credit
able. Every department under govern
ment jurisdiction has space in Brother
l. D. - y. kh,xr ho~
is sure to be something to interest
oil the postoffice, war, agricultural, inte-
rior, state, justice, treasury. patent
Office, ordnance and quartermasters' de-
partments, the fish commission. Smith
sonian institute, the mint, coast and
geodetic survey, supervising architect o.
the treasury, bureau of engraving and
printing, bureau OF statistics, life-savinp
and lighthouse boards, marine hospital
separate exhibit of the navy on the
brick battleship Illinois, the other an
nexes being 110-foot lighthouse, life
saving station, model army hospital,
naval observatory, Indian school, small
camp and a weather bureau with ma
chimes in full operation.
Ao COiOaA0A AipPAoJt AANAbA4 1OOUOh vi
| the Smithsonian, fish hatchery and
dead letter office seem to attract the
greatest crowds, for the majority OF
worlds fair visitors are ruralites who
have never been privileged to visit the
splendid museums at the national cap.
ital, from which places the bulk of the
exhibits here are drawn. The samples
sent by the postal department. of the
HETEROGENEOUS collection held at the
dead letter Office in Washington Is q
never ending source of amusement to
the wondering sight-seers. who stop,
gaze, comment and make fun of any
rational pereon who would send live
horned toads, bricks, skulls, molassef
candy, snakes, rag dolls, Indian scalpH
and everything else on earth, in air OF
sea through the mails, under the seal ol
a Columbian stamp. Hatchets, feather
fans, human ears, false teeth, wedding
cake, dRggers, pistols, stuffed birds,
raisins, sunbonnets, alligators, watches,
false frizzes, bustles and all the odds
and ends OF civilization and barbarism
thrown together, probably forms the
most varied collection ever conceived OF
in the brain of maniac faddist.
Not far from these cases and in the
same department are complete sets of
all the stamps of the world down to
date, and those afflicted with the stamp
craze have much to study and covet.
Numismatists congregate near here to
enjoy the gold, silver. copper and paper
moneys, ancient and modern, that
Uncle Sam has so beautifully arranged
for them.
The war department shows uniformed
and armed figures representing the vari-
GUS ranks of infantry, cavalry and artil-
cry. In the ordnance section are all
kinds OF cannon, from the 50-ton gun
down to the smallest known howitzer,
including every make and variety OF
firearms and also full line OF gun-work-
ing machinery in operation. There is a
fine grouping of valuable and bullet
ridden battle flags, portraits of the presi-
dents. of the seven chief justices, the
attorney-generals. distinguished Ameri-
can statesmen and all the original his
toric documents appertaining to the
formation of the republic. The north
pole expeditions are brought forward
most prominently in oil paintings, relics
and most realistic reproduction OF
Arctit scenery with General Greedy, his
men and dogs looking most lifelike.
The Smithsonian section ia always
packed with people, for here it is that
one is tempted to linger the longest, be-