Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-03-09
WORLDS FAIR LETTER,
Great Interest taken in Agriculture
Dummy SoIdiers-The Engine
that climbed Mount WASH
ingtOn-What is ex-
hibited of the
Waiter Girls.
From our Special Correspondent

Ear reaching as is the influence of the
exposition in every branch Of business,
few recognize the interest that is being
taken IN the enterprise by foreign
people. In each Of the great depart
ments the foreign exhibitors are en-
gagged in an enthusiastic competition to
determine which can make the best
showing. In the eXpositions of the
past the agricultural department has
been relegated to the rear. And indi-
eating the general interest in the ex-
position the announcement that thirty
five foreign nations will exhibit in this
department is important. In this de-
partment will be displayed the various
methods adopted by foreign govern
ments for advancing agricultural in
terests and making the tilling of the
soil a science. Practical farmers will
have an opportunity of comparing the
methods adopted in this country as the
best with those by which the agricultu-
rist pays tribute to Ceres.
As comparative study there is prob
ably no department which will receive
greater attention. American methods
will be shown near those Of France,
Chill, Siberia and Ceylon; the United
States Experimental Station will be ad-
jacent to that of France, in both of
which will be shown the methods of
Analysing, testing and advancing the
agricultural methods and products.
The interior of the government
building wears a ghostly appearance
after dark. An electric lamp casts un-
certain light upon rows of black-robed
figures, which look for all the world
like the officers of the Spanish inquisi-
| ton as they appear in later editions OF
FoN's "Book of Martyrs" The illu-
sion is destroyed when shoes and
CATERS Of the regulation army type are
seen protruding from beneath the
black robes, and it is explained that
these are but dummies for the war de-
partment's exhibit. Each one when
uncovered reveals the figure of uni
formed man of the regular army in full
marching order. With the men have
been sent at least fifty dummy mules to
set off the carriages Of the department,
one old army transport wagon, dating
| back to the time before the war, stands
near the mules. 1t followed the troo ps
over the plains in the early fifties.
| Fifty million tickets have been order
ed engraved for the fair. In order to
make it as difficult as possible to
counterfeit them a special paper has
been ordered from a Massachusetts
mill. Little planchets of tissue paper
have been scattered between the sheets
of which the card is composed. These
planchets, which are of blue, pink and
salmon, easily show through the card,
and will make it an extremely hard job
to duplicate the ticket by counterfeiting.
The tickets will be p by A inches in
size, and will be handsomely engraved.
An exceptionally interesting and
valuable historical locomotive has been
contributed to the exposition by Walter
Aiken, president Of the Mount Wash
ington railroad, the original Pepper
sauce built in 1865, the first locomotive
to ascend Mount Washington and the
| first mountain climbing locomotive in
the world. It is q rare relic and is
about to be restored to its original form.
With it will be shipped some of the
original rails, so that when seen in the
transportation building, it will be in a
position as when ascending and stand
ing upon the first rails ever rolled for a
mountain railway.
The waiter girls who will rule in the
restaurants of the fair grounds are ex-
pected to break 10000 cups and a like
number Of saucers, as many more plates
and probably $4,000 side-dishes during
the six months of the fair. The cater
ing company has just awarded con-
tract for its crockery, and in doing SO
made liberal estimate fer the care
lessness of the walters. The contract
was without doubt the largest eyer
given, and the filling of it may result in
a ''corner" in the crockery market. A
contract has also been awarded for the
silver table service. This calls for 10O,-
900 knives and forks, 100000 spoons and
everything else in proportion.
NOTES,
Fifteen car loads Of the wooden ex-
hibits from the State of New York ar
! rived at the park yesterday.
There were landed at Baltimore last
Monday 5S5 packages of exhibits billed
to the German Imperial Commission at
this CITY. They will arrive on the
grounds neyt Monday.
Twelve cases of manufactured brass
goods we're switched into the manu-
facturers building Yesterday.
A fine exhibit of machinery has been
received from the Western Dummy Co.
of Providence, +. l., and will be placed
in machinery hall.
All along the line the exhibits are
coming in with an unpreced Tented rush.
Many of the foreign exhibits are de-
layed on account of an ice blockade.
4 concession was granted yesterday
to erect an ice skating rink to be kept
in operation during the entire six
months of the fair. No matter how hot
the weather, you may bring your skates
and find smooth ice and fair skating in
the cold storage rink.
The Persian violets haze rea ched per-
lection and will shortly be examined