The Russellville Democrat., 1893-09-21
The Russellvilfe Excursion Party's
 First Day at the Fair.
"Tell 1t as you may,
 It never can be told; Sing 1t as you will,
 If never can be sungN--

The story of the glory of the great and only Worlds Columbian Expo sition
 To say that this is the grandest aggregation of the worlds products in science, literature and the arts ever brought together, is but to re peat an told story. Volumes upon volumes could be written of the wonderful evidences of progress and advancement displayed in its magnificent buildings, and yet no pen can do justice to the theme. The half has never been told, and no one can fully appreciate its mag nitude until he has seen it. Pope has said that ''the proper study of mankind IS man" So, to properly study the world, past and present., one must see the Worlds Far.
 To narrate i'll few brief articles the experiences of the Russellville delegation in the windy city, and to mention a few of the more interest ing sights that came before them during ten days sojourn, falls to the lot of this unworthy scribe.
 On Monday, Sept. 1, the merry party of excursionists from Russell vile, Dardanelle and Dover, boarded the special cars for Chicago and the Fair. All care was left behind, and it is safe to say merner party had not left our doors for many a day Arriving at the windy city at 6:30 Tuesday evening, the party separat- ed and were soon safely located at the various hotels, number stop ping at the Great Eastern, where special accommodation had been secured, some going down town, and several putting up in Engle- wood.
 Early Wednesday morning all faces were turned toward the White City-that Mecca of a million pill grims-with it's many multi-colored banners futtering in the breeze, and its thousand gilded domes and tur rets pointing heavenward. Seats in the electric cars are at premium by ' o'clock; if you are later than that you must hang on by the teeth or walk to the fair,--and this is no delightful experience to the one who is stopping ten or fifteen miles away. (By way of parenthesis 1t may be said that street car etiquette doesn t go at the fair, at all. 1 have seen a lady stand for miles while the seats were filled with rosy young tiends of the eyeglass and Darwinian man nah. Yet, when offered a seat, many of them decline to accept it.
 The site of the exposition-Jack son Park--ls seven miles from the busy heart of Chicago, and includes an area of 664 acres, with lake frontage of l5 miles The crowning features of gardening art are the basin, grand canal, and broad la goons that surround the beautiful wooded island in the center of the grounds. The total expense of pre- pairing the grounds, including the erection of the immense buildings, was near $25,000,000 When we take into consideration the fact that nearly 30,000 employees come in for daily share of the receipts, we can conceive the enormous responsibili- ty of the undertaking, and the i'm mense expense attached to the en- terprise.
 The first day at the fair was spent by our party in various ways, after viewing the grounds from the Intra- mural railway cars. With eharac- teristic Arkansas patriotism, all went over to the little building bear ing the name of our State, and reg istered their names.
 Though hardly up to the standard in the matter of display, this cozy little edifice is a thing of beauty and joy forever to the Arkansan. The most inviting and homelike re- treat in the White City, graced by the courteous presence of Coi. Adair and Miss Fannie Scott, with their assistants, it is a source of pride to every sojourner at the fair from the Bear State, and many weary visit or makes it daily resort for recup eration after stroll about the fair grounds. The chief attraction with in it's walls is the modelling in butter of the busts of Columbus and Isa- bella by Mrs. Caroline S. Brooks, an Arkansas sculptress of national reputation. After the fair is over, statue of Columbus, cast from moulds of the original model in but ter, will be erected on the spot where the work is now being done. An other feature of interest is the splen did paintings that adorn the walls, one being a large plantation scene by colored dentist of Little Rock. The fountain of Hot Springs crys tals in the rotunda has been partial ly repaired, and is in operation. Our fruit and grain display is excellent. In this connection, we can boast of the largest watermelon and apple at the fair. Our educational exhibit has captured several of the awards, and it is expected that the horticul- tural will be equally successful. So, you see we are gaining some recog milton at the big exposition.
 50 much has been said of the al mensions of the buildings that repetition here IS wholly unnecessa- ". Suffice it to say, however that all the business houses of Russell vile, with the factory buildings as a top piece, could be placed beneath the roof of the great Manufactures and Liberal Arts building. When one has passed through all its aisles he has walked 21 miles. The Trans l