Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-05-18
WORLDS FAIR LETTER.
The La Rabida Convent full of relics
Books for the literary people
Sweden's Art Exhibit.
From our Special Correspondent

mand.
Marvellous as the rapidity of the work
has been from the start on the grounds,
it was never better exemplifed than by
the strides made by the landscape de-
partment in identifying the grounds.
Now that the work of installation has
in so great measure been completed,
the landscape man is getting his work
done. Great patches of ground, which
yesterday were hard banks of clay trod-
den down by hundreds of hurrying feet,
are to-day covered with soft green turf,
inclosed by iron ratings, with stern
voiced Guard ready to call the patrol
wagon for the unlucky visitor who
chances to set his shoes on the tender
young grass. We visited the La Rabida
Convent yesterday. One feels the
home. On the outside, tents are pitched
and the soldiers there and in the con-
vent with their heavy muskets mean
nothing but that their lives are pledged
to protect this collection, which belongs
to the Vaticon and the descendants of
Columbus. All the royal letters patent
from the sovereigns of Spain to Column
bus and many letters written by Column
bus himself are in the cases. His will
is also there. At one end of the room
is a collection of pictures loaned from
the Vatican by Pope Leo. A contract
was made by Spain with the United
States before the collection left there
that it should be guarded by a detach-
ment of United States soldiers. That
contract is fulfilled to the letter. No
one Is allowed to touch the glasses of
the cases even. There are some Won
derful pictures on the walls. No two
artists have the same idea Of the
features of Columbus. There is a fine
portrait of him there, as also picture
of Ferdinand and Isabella, the king
and queen Of Spain.
At the north end Of the west gallery
in the department Of liberal arts are
the exhibits of the leading American
publishers. The booth inside is fitted
up as a library with copies Of all firms
publications neatly arranged on shelves.
An open fire place, with antique
cushioned settees around it, a table,
with comfortable chairs and several
busts Of eminent men artistically ar
| ranged around the tops Of the bookcases,
ha ho 81, ,>fo nj hi 10
library.
A speciality is made of the works of
the great American authors, such as
Holmes, LongfelloW, Emerson, HaW-
thorne, Whittier and Lowell. Busts Of
these celebrated authors together
with that of Harriet Beecher Stowe,
are arranged around the tops of the
| cases which contain sample copies Of
their works in uniform cloth binding.
This is free reading room, and when
the visitor is weary of sight seeing no
better place to spend a quiet hour than
this can be found on the grounds.
The Spanish exhibit was opened for
the first time to-day. Many fine ex-
hibits are to be seen there. But Sweden
beats them all in curious art works.
This display has been ready for some
time, but being hemmed in between
the Belgians on one side and the Nor
wegians on the other, neither of whom
were ready to open, it has been diff
| cult to get at it. There are plenty of
Swedish landscapes on the walls. They
| appear very strange to US, ignorant of
the climate and conditions under which
| they were painted. For instance, one
picture was called the Return of the
Wild Geese. The first impression is Of
| a very dark winter afternoon; but no,
| it is night in that far off country in the
north, and you try to realize, if you
are an untraveled person, what the long
| nights in which painters can see to
paint, may be like. All the pictures
| seem very odd in their coloring
| Two electric fountains, three bands
of music, five search lights united in
one dazzling illumination on Saturday
night. On either side of McMonnies
| fountain the electric fountains lifted
their liquid prisms and flashed their
kaleidoscope jewels. For the first time
the waters of the grand canal was illu-
minated by all the incandesent and arc
| lights, over all three grab search lights
| shed their rays. Those who saw the
| electric crown poised over the golden
| dome of the Administration building,
| sought for words to express their ad-
miration. The peristyle and cornices
| Of the great industrial palaces on either
side of the canal were etched against
the dark night by tightening, and the
| splashing of the water from the foun-
tains mingled with the strains of har-
mony from the bands stationed in front
of the administration building. One of
| the grandest sights was when the lights
were all turned off for moment, and
| then the three search lights shut out in
the midnight darkness. The effect of
| the five fingers of light pointing out
over the grounds held the spectators
| spellbound. 1t seemed as though they
| were giving warming to those on the
ground that the fair would meet with
some disaster. 1t made one SILVER, and
many turned away and refused to look
| longer.
| NOTES.
1t has been decided to have the Ex-