Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-08-03
THE WOODED ISLAND.
One Of the Chief Natural Beauties
Of the Fair.
A JAPANESE TEMPLE REPRODUCED,
Description Of the Central Hall
and the Wings.
81 U N T E r s. Gu B D..
correspondence Of the Evening Star.

Correspondence Of the Evening Star.
Chicago. Aug. /, 1893.
The visitor to the worlds fair, strolling
about the edge Of the lagoons will probably
notice the island that lies about in the
center OF the park. 1t is heavily shrouded
n low woods and shrubs, which extend down
to the edge of the water and dip into
1t. Nestled amid the green foliage, one
can see peeping out the dark red roofs of
several low houses. The water about the
island is full of ducks and swans, and be-
fore the summer with it's heat and its
crowds Of people came there used to be
large focks of gulls. This is the wooded
island. one Of the chief natural beauties of
the worlds fair.
To reach 1t you may come into the
grounds at the Goth street gate, and passing
between the children's and horticultural
buildings. cross over one of the high-arched
bridges and find yourself upon the island
itself. You may pass now to your left and
go along the extreme southern border Of
the island. You find a plain yellow and
white cottage. and a sign warns you that
it is the office Of the imperial Japanese
commissioner, and that entrance can be
had only on business. There is no use in
forcing your way in. as there is nothing to
see. The commissioner has a pleasant Of
nee with beautiful view across the lagoon
OF the big Illinois building and the fisheries
building. and a part Of Brazils house, and
nearer by he can see the woman's building
and horticultural hall. Having passed
around the commissioners office you find
yourself among the three tile-roofed houses
whlch constitute the Japanese Ho-o-den,
one OF the most interesting sights in ali
the wonders OF the fair Briefly put this Is
what the Ho-o-den means. The national
Dlrd or Japan IL the Hoo, or Phoenix. 1t
Is represented as having the head of a
like a snake, for feathers it has dragons
scales, its tail is that of a fish, and its
wings are those Of a certain Japanese fab
uious bird, called kirin. The old legends
say 1t ascends 5000 miles in the sky, and
that 1t never appears in Japan. except when
good emperor is on the throne. There is
IN japan a temple to the Hoo, built about
the year 1852, and IT is called the Ho-o-den
or Phoenix Hall. The three wooden build
lngs. with low, overhanging roofs which
excite so much admiration on the Wooded
Island are tolerably faithful reproduction
or the famous Japanese temple to Hoo
A Continuous Structure.
They are not SO large and their religious
character is purposely left out. All are
Joined together by a covered way and
form. in measure a continuous structure
with central hall and two wings. The
first wing that you see Is the left 1t is
constructed in accordance with the period
Of japanese architecture which hourished
from $50, A. D., to H5o, and the apartments
are copied from tho those OF the imperial pal
handsome mating and upon this are other
mats and arm rests. for the Japanese peo-
pie of that period did not use chairs but
simply seated themselves cross legged on a
level with the floor. There are screens
als9' ar and writing stands Of gold lacquer
and the walls are decorated with paintings
by Rose Shoseki. professor of painting in
the art school at Tokyo.
Leaving the left wing and going into the
vogue from 100 down to isSs. There are
sitting rooms. study and an upper cham
Der The right wing is built after the style
celebrated artists. they not only cover
the walls but the ceilings as well. They
and the queer looking Hoo. The visitor
will find himself much fascinated by the
seautful art displayed in the Ho-o-den.
fortunately the character of the work IL SO
fine and fragile that it has been deemed
rnI d ,b 70 aamit the public within the
through the doorways. But enough can be
seen In this way to make a lover Of orr
entail beauties envy the fortunate city OF
the Hooden as permanent gift.
The Scene Changes.
Going south along Wooded Island from
the Holden the scene changes and becomes
wholly horticultural. Here are beds of
German flowers. principally roses, and after
that the scene grows wilder and then you
come upon a field of hardy sun flowers
with stout peonies near by. Here are En-
glish and American flowers especially
AS you continue your walk the island
grows wider. and you come to the entrance
to the rose garden. There are roses every
where. blooming, budding and dying. Hol-
land exhibits some, the United States
others, Germany Belgium and England
some. 1t is at the end of the rose garden
that you come to the tent given up to a
now reached a neat little shingled cottage,
implanted, and you may see upon a slight
is the chief home of d. II. Burnham. the
director of works of the fair, whose energy
and skill are responsible for much Of the
great success that has been achieved. Here
is really the end of the Wooded Island,
as you reach the water here and find a
bridge to carry you away, but the bridge
1t has no name of its own and Is generally
counted as part of the larger Wooded
Island. As you go upon 1t you proceed
rough path shut in on either side by thick
impenetrable bushes. You follow the path
and come right upon the hunters cabin.
put up by the Boone and Crockett Club,
an organization Of hunters many of whom
are officers of the army.
The Boone and Crockett Club.
There are a number of Washingtonians
who belong to this club and Theodore Roose-
welt is the president The cabin is a faith
full reproduction Of the kind that is use1 in
the far west when a hunter Is fortunate
enough to be able to ind ore. A pair of
large elk horns ornament The exterior above
the doorway. The structure is built of logs
and mud BY the entrance Is one of the
big canvas-covered wagons that one sees
on the frontier. AS for the contents OF the
cabin, 1t is rather difficult to enumerate
them. There are at least 4 half dozen sad
dies, all old and dusty. There is big pair
of snow shoes leaning against the wall.
There are half dozen rifles, several re-
volvers and some tools. About n dozen
cooking utensils are on the same table with
q bottle of ink penholder and a sheet Of
paper. broken bride AMI Il cows horn.
A number of elk, deer and bear rugs are on
the earthen floor. There Is big brick
chimney and fire place and in the latter, If
there is any excuse for 1t, there is a fire OF
logs burning. Among the rifles ii may be
well to notice that one really belonged to
Davy Crockett himself. 1t Is long and SO
very heavy that no ordinary huntsman
would be able to carry 1t far.
Nestled in the bushes across the path
from the hunters cabin Is d. singular little
bark hut. 1t offers little protection from
the wind or rain, is primitive and cramped
1t is the habitation which the early settlers
of New South Wales were accustomed to
build for themselves.
There is not much further to go on Wood
ed Island. A few steps more and you are
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