The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1893-05-19
OUR WORLDS FAIR LETTER.
IHE LABlDA CONVENT FULL OF RELICS.
BOOKS IoR THE LITERARY PEOPLE.
SWEDENs ART EXHIpI
lFrom oAr s,eeIal co.r.slo -enL }


dolas are III great demand.
Marvellous as the rapidity of the
work has been from the start on the
grounds, it was never better exempli.
ned than by the strides made by the
landscape department in beautifying
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 we're hard
banks of clay trodden down by hund-
reds OF hurrying feet, are to day Gov
cred with soft green turf, inclosed by
iron railings, with a stcrn-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 Rabda
Convent yesterday. One feels the
sacredness of those relics of Columbus
home. On the outside tents are pitch
ed and the soldiers there and in the
convent with their heavy muskets
mean nothing but that their lives are
pledged to protect this collection,
which belongs to the Vatican and the
defendants of Columbus. All the
royal letters patent from the sover-
eigns of Spain to Columbus and many
letters written by Columbus himself
are in the cases. His will is also
there. AT one end of the room is o
collection Of pictures loaned from the
Vatican of Pope leo. A contract was
made by Spain with the United States
before the collection left there that it
should be guarded by detachment Of
United States soldiers. That contract
is fulfilled to the letter. No one is al.
lowed to touch the glasses of the cases
even. There are some wonderful
| 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 Fer
dinand 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 shell
YES. 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 book
cases, give the room the air of a com
Portable library. A specially is made
Of the works Of the great American
authors, such as Holmes, Longfellow,
Emerson, Hawthorne, Whittier, and
Lowd. Busts of these celebrated
authors together with that Of Harriet
Beecher Stowe, are arranged around
the tops of the spans which contain
sample copies of their works in uni
form cloth binding. This is a 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-
hiblts are to be seen there. But Swe-
den 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 Norwegians on the other, neither
of whom were ready to open, it has
been difficult to get at it. There are
plenty Of Swedish landscapes on the
walls. They appear very strange to
US, ignorant of the climate and con-
ditions under which they were painted.
For instance, one picture was called
the Return Of the Wild Geese. The
first impression is of very dark win
ter afternoon but no, it is night in
that far Of country in the north, and
you try to realize, if you are an un-
travelled person, what the long nights
in which painters can see to paint,
may be like. All the pictures seem
very odd in their coloring.
The electric fountains, three bands
of music, five search lights, hundreds
of arc lights and thousands of fincande-
sent lights united in one dazzling il
Elimination on Saturday night. On
either side of McMinnies' fountain
the electric fountains lifted their IL
quid prisms and flashed their kaleidos-
copic jewels For the first time the
waters Of the grand canal were illumi,
mated by all the incandecsent and arc
lights. Over all three grand search
lights shed their rays. Administration
building, sought for words to express
their admiration. 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 splashlng of the water from
the fountains mingled with the strains
of harmony from the bands stationed
in front of the administration build
ing. One of the grandest sights was
| whap the iuhte were n II turne1 off for