The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-08-31
CURIOSOF FLORIDA
TO Be Seen at the Columbian
Exposition.
LIVE CHAnsELEoNs As BREAsTPNS

they Are Perfectly Harmless but Look
Rather Uncanny-Tiie Florida Building
Model of Old Fort Marion-The Credit
able Exhibit Made By Oklahoma Terri
tory-Interessiag Statistics.
WORLDS FAIR, Aug. %. = Especial =
Florida is arranging 20 hare her day On or
near Oct. 9, but her governor viii NOT ce
here, certainly not officially CT by invita-
ton OF the managers at any rate. though
there is no law to forbid his coming as s.
private citizen. He has been = consistent
and unyielding opponent OF any action by
the state, and the legislature did not ap-
propriate q dollar. Some ente-prising
citizens raised a few thousand dollars
and built here q model OF o.c
Fort Marion. which is said to be
the only specimen Of purely mediaeval
architecture in the United States. 1t is OF
one story, stands nearly ii the centre OF
the group of state buildings, not far north
of the art Palace, and has as many visi-
tors from other states as any state build
ing on the grounds.
It is literally packed with curiosities OF
every bankruptcies from the live cham
eleon to the stuffed alligator; antiquities
from the first landing of the Spaniards to
the last shot of the civil war; ferns. fruits,
flowers and grasses, and a surprising ar
ray of objects Of art and small manufac-
lures. Many OF the exhibits are of very
perishable nature, and the expense of re-
storing them is considerable, and as Flor
ida fruit comes in late there can be no
complete display even in October. Oranges
will then be brought III the green state
and will take on their yellow hue here.
The story went about that small live
alligators were sold in the building, with
collar on and chain and pin attached and
that some of the giddy wore them as
breastpins; but the superintendent en-
phatically denies the allegation and sneers
at the alligator. ''The alligator is scarce
animal in Florida, sir, and we make no
show of them" said he to me.
But live chameleons are for sale in plen-
t., and very curious little creatures they
are. With g tiny gold ring around the
body and fairy-like gold chain attached
the delicate little thing is fastened to the
coat collar, vest or necktie and makes
lively but rather uncanny breastpin. They
change color when frightened or excited
and sometimes just for luck. On the dark
purple velvet on which they are exposed
for sale tAuy generally e-cintain a dark,
dull color, but even then one will coca
siOnally turn q deep grass green and stay
80 for hCurs, for what reason nobody
knows. They are perfectly harmless, of
course, having neither teeth, claws nor
stings, but still that instructive dread Of
all reptile-Ike creatures which we are sup
posed to inherit from the primordial mon
keys makes most men hesitate to touch
them, and the ladies often give little
feminine scream when one is handed to
them.
The building is handsomely and appro-
priately finished in Florida woods, and in
the only place where room can be found
for social matters there is piano The
open central court is beautifed by
palm, palmetto and pampa grass,
and all around it every room is
a museum. There are sponges,
corals and sea fans of so delicate texture
that it seems light wind might watt
them away. There are shells of dozens of
kinds and carved or Uttered in style that
is fine art There are sea beans, star fish
and alligator teeth in every conceivable
form of jewelry, and fish scales wrought
into hundreds of delicate and beautiful
FORMS Leather OF alligator skin can be
bought here in any desired quantity. All
the grains and grasses, roots and fruits of
Florida are shown IN some form, with cot
ton and the cotton plant, the sugar cane
and the Spanish moss artstically Graped