The Olneyville tribune. (Providence, R.I.) 1893-189?, 1893-09-30
AT THE FAIR.
EXHIBITS MADE BY THE NATION
AL GOVERNMENT.
Remarkable Displays Made by the
Various Departments Big Trees OF
California-Colonia Relics.

Certainly the Government mas don
what IL could to make the Worlds Colum
bian Exposition success. The appro
priation OF the souvenir coins was al
item OF consideration made To those VIII,
manage the Fair. But the exhibit mad
by each department OF the Genera
Government Is for the people. 1t is
magnificent display. Money was no OBJ
ject in its preparation. A very larg,
building and war ship model built il
Lake Michigan on the same measure
ments as the war ship Illinois, smale
structure erected to display the hospita
service OF the army, a system Of electric
buoys just off shore, the presence of ont
OF the coast life-savng crews, giving
daily exhibitions of their work constitut,
the general compass OF the wonderful
exhibit. AS soon rs a person enters the
Government Building he 10 at once at
tracted TO the Central Court. This court
is octagonal in shape. Its covering is q
magnificent dome 100 IT. high. The dec.
orations Of this court are beautiful. The
double columns at each side OF each OF
the four entrances to the court are in imi.
tation of rare marble. The capitals are
COrinthian and are gilded. Each OF
these eight sides Of the court is orna-
mented by very large fresco symbolical
of some of the arts that have made
special progress among our people. In
the centre of this court or rotundn
stands unique object. 1t proves OF
interest to everyone. 1t comes from
the Sequoia Natural Park and is a part
OF one Of the big trees of California.
These mastodons of the vegetable
kingdom are among some OF natures
marvels, not yet mementoes OF an un-
known period. The rude hand of man
was fast desti Dying them until the Gov.
ernment took them under its protection.
preferring to leave them to the fate
kindly nature should decree. They are
found only in small groves on the noun
tain. Their foliage closely resembles the
cedar and the wood when green is very
heavy. Indeed the parts Of it nearest
the ground will, when first cut, sink in
water. But once seasoned it is quite
light and dry and is suspectible Of very
fine polish. The tree from which was
cut the part standing in the Government
building was about 26 feet in diameter,
81 or 81 feet In circumference and fully
800 feet high. This was not selected
because it was very large one, but
rather because Of its regularity. Others
near it were higher and wider The
section exhibited consists of 46 separate
pieces. 1t had to be thus cut before il
could be transported. 1t took eleven
cars to bring it to Chicago. 1t was
hauled from It's mountain home on spe-
cially built trucks by teams of Is mules
each. 1t had to be thus drawn some GO
miles before shipping. followed, u
winding stair mounts to the top of the
section up which visitors are allowed to
pass.
Within the rotunda display is made
that would admit of many letter. In
cases set mt each Of the eight sides Of the
court the Board of Lady Managers make
an exhibition of Colonial relics that
is positively fascinating to anyone
with the least bit OF knowledge of cur
country's history. One case is devoted
to a collection Of Washington relics.
Such articles as his sword, his commits
sion from Congress signed by John Han
cock, various diaries, ETC., etc, may be
seen. One of the last named articc cs is
opened where the hand Of Washington
traced the last words his pen ever wrote
The second last item is dated Dee. 18th
1t tells of ga circle around .he moon"
and notes that il ''started to snow at ten
o'clock" Dec. 18th. Then tells of the
continuance OF the snow-its stopping
during the morning-the visit of
friend. Then comes those last words:
Mercury 28 degrees at night" Verify,
it was growing colder. The next day
George Washington passed from earth.
In another case happened upon lock
OF his hair which had been given by Mrs.
Washington to Mrs. Asheton Bayard in
December, 1799-probably cut from the
head of the dead man on the l4th day of
that eventful December. The scarf
with which the Marquis de la Fayette
had bound up his wound at the battle OF
Brandywine; white silk vest from
whose pockets flowers and grass seemed
to grow and over whose front bees and
June bugs were daintily scattered By the
needle of the Inflated Queen, poor Marie
Antoinette. assisted Ky Madame Genet,
a Lady Of the Bedchamber; a drum that
had been beaten ut Bunker Hill; gun,
the property of n negro named John
Salem, who carried it at Lexington, Con-
cord and Bunker Hill, and with which
he shot Major Pitcairn; scarf that came
over in the Mayflower-these were few
among hundreds of other objects equally
interesting. l had to hasten. Then
were thousand other things to be seee
and went to theWreasury Department
Its history may he read in the display
it makes of the various issues of coins
and paper money. The collection OF
coins however, is by far the most unique
part of all it shows. Some of these are
from the dim long ago. One dainty bit
not quite as large as grain of corn is
counterpart Of the little piece of money
that has become famous because Our
Lord commended the genuine charity OF
her who gave it.
The Widows Mite Is prominently
placed and the sight-seer cannot
miss it. Some coins shown are from
the days of Seleucus |. He was
Syria's first king and lived from 354 to