Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-07-19
BEYOND DESCRIPTION
Is What Prof Riley Says of the Worlds
Fair. --xRsw

Is What Prof Riley Says of the Worlds
Fair. -C
An Expert Gives His OpInio. Of the Build
inss and ExhibIts-The Display Of
Fireworks on the Fourth.
"Grand beyond all description" were the
words Of Prof. c. V. Riley Of the Smithsonian
Institution, in speaking Of the worlds fair.
Prof. Riley Il an old Chicagoan Of the eos and
feels proud Of her triumph. He Was one Of
the expert commissioners and also representa-
tive OF the Department Of Agriculture to the
Paris exposition Of 1883, and - an outcome has
published, as volume Of the Paris Reports, .
valuable work on the various aspects Of agri-
culture In foreign countries and on our own
agricultural resources. He has just returned
from Chicago and his enthusiasm over the fair
IL unbounded
No tongue can itiy describe" he remarked
70 HE Star, "the general beauty and msgni6-
seen no figures or photographs that do some Of
me combinations Justice. The earlier photo
graphs are greatly disappointing, and the
monopoly given TO . single photographs Arm
WAS mistake, in that II prevents competition.
Inc Fourth vas an ideal day. cloudy for the most
In no instance caused . jam except when stimuli
taneously converging for the return homo. Il
WA good naturned crowd, in which respect Il
resembled the similar French crowd on the 18th
Of July In 1889; but whereas in Chicago not
shrub was injured nor q flower tramped down,
and no one suffered personal inconvenience, in
Paris the people were jammed out Of all con-
hnee, and overran and demolished the psrterres,
while women and children were forced to acte
which would bring the blush to Americans.
Tho finest display Of fireworks ever wit
messed before this was that in London COM
nsmoratiug the close Of the Crimean war aud
that here at the Grand Army reunion last fall
was Exceptionally 6ne, but they pale in compar-
isou with that at Chicago on the evening Of the
Fourth I sat comfortably on the Illinois, that
imitation war vessel which does Lieut. Taussig
90 much credit that nine persons out Of ten cud-
gel their brains to know how II was brought from
the ocean. There could get full view Of the
pyrotechnics, Of the illuminated vessels on the
lake, Of the serried mass Of humanity that
crowded the lake front, the pier and every
cent buildings which at once reflected and
formed setting to the display. II was sight
unparalleled and such - never expect 10 wit
ness again.
The Exhibits.
"The exhibits themselves? They exceed my
most sanguine expectations, and weeks would
be required 70 do them Justice. Where there
ID 90 much that IL Hne beyond comparison,
comparison IL futile. Yet came away with
feeling that foreign exhibitors had done better
In many OF the buildings than our own, when
relative disadvantages are considered. The
government exhibit, a. Q whole, n
perhaps the most interesting. and In
structive and the machinery exhibit the
most disappointing. 1t does not compare in
Interest or extent with tnAf OF the last Paris
exnioiuon, CT even with that st Phiiadelphia,
ana YET mere one looked Tor chicago 70 be
sroneest CoL McDonsios squarh IN tne
nsheries building draw the biggest crowds and
are, considering the dimculty OF instailstion
and maintenance, the most unique and success
fui, perhaps. on me eroundA
"ons marves at the lavish expenditure IN
some darecsaons ana the unwiss economy IN
others The administration and terminal
ssenon ounoines are ous OF Al proportion 70
ne. si3.uS 49,. nc - aS,.,, s'a nov y
While The frieses a he eutrsnce Of the tius
arts building are yet wanting and the stat
along the edges Of the lagoons 10 allowed 70 ro'
and dissolve. 10 the artistic eye this V sad de-
feet, and when riding on the water. from which
some OF the most charming ehects Of the build
tn9s are Obtained, acts ~ an unpleasant disillu-
sion. Ihe groups and stasuary which ornament
the grounds and buildings are telling and char
acteristic and most creditable TO American
genius. / should except the sitting female
figure In the fountain group, for the undraped
human form assoir cannot Be- made graceful.
nor was impressed with the huge gilded figure
| Of the Goddess Of Liberty, which - piscs de
resistance Is stih and out OF color with her
white surroundings
"But these are almost imperceptible blem-
ishes upon the fairest and grandest aggregation
OF buildings ever brought together, forming In
their ensemble, especially when illuminated 81
night, . fairy scene such % was never before
beheld and may scarcely be surpassed in future.
1 was present ct the London exhibition Of 1851
and some Of its features, like the fountain Of
eau-de-colonge. left An indelible impression on
my boyish mind. When one thinks Of the
.oe oa P1s suo ssoe ~ cyocn-