Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-10-11
KANGAROO LAND
An Exhibit That Shows the Re
sources of Australia
IA FAR OFF CONTINENT,
Of Which Comparatively Little is
Known in This County.
THE GREAT WOOL INDUSTRY.

CHICAGO, october 3. 1875.
One Of the greatest benefits to be de-
rived from the worlds fair comes from the
opportunity 1t affords to study those coun-
tries that We hear least about. There are
bungalows from Johore. a line booth illus
trative of Liberals resources and life.
small but complete exhibit from Korea, enc
from Guiana, and 50 on. But all Of these
are little countries. and the visitor may be
pardoned II. in his ignorance. he hardly
knows where they are to be found on the
map. Everybody. however, knows where
Australia Is, but how man, know very
much about II? 1t Is to the average man a
vast. indefinite idea Fragments OF infor-
nation are lodged In most minds about
bushmen. kangaroos. Botany bay and wool.
Beyond that the average iran does not
know, and yet he may have an idea, that
such a large place must eventually become
a power In the world There is no excuse
for a visitor at the fair to go away In ig-
norance of this island. FOR II has une Of the
most complete educational exhibits Of oil.
1t embraces, however. all Australia only
incidentally. for the only government of
the island that made an appropriation for
US start with the people that live there.
The Australian Aborfglnes.
In the chronological building In the ex-
IRENE southern portion Of the fair grounds
are a number of large photographs of the
aborigines Of Australia. They are a black
race, with bushy boards and shocks of hair
Some OF them wear a nose ornament in the
shape of an ANIMALS tusk. which is thrust
crosswtse through the lower end Of the
nose The result Ii a particularly ferocious
appearance. This form uf savage ornamen-
tation Is characteristic of The inhabitants
OF New Guinea chiefly, aud Ii not now met
with in New South Wales. Even without
the nose piece 1t Is hard to conceive of an
uglier fellow than the Australian aborigine
and yet he is represented as being conpara-
lively harmless. He is jolly, too, and when
seated about the fire in the evening he de-
lights to laugh and tell jokes. There are
pictures of the women as well as of the
men. The former are simply hideous An
Australian native belle would not be apt to
attract a white man, and she does not COM
pare favorably with our Indian souaws. As
they grow older they become more repui-
sive. for they lead a life hardly better than
a dogs Indeed. the Australian dogs fire.
quently fare better than the women, for the
oushmen always have dogs with them and
are often fond of them. II is a mooted
question among students OF the aDoriRines
or Australia whether they ere Il very low
form Of humanity. There is. according to
some, less difference between a bushman
and fine horse than there is between a
bushman and a European. Others, how
ever say the bushmen Is not so black as
he has been painted. There Is a photo
curiously built stone fish catches of the ma
tives which demonstrates that they have
considerable ingenuity, There are in all
not more than 1000 aboriyincs In Australia,
50 they do not constitute serious problem
to the white settlers. They are gradually
suffering the Inevitable lot that befalls the
savage when civilization overtakes him
He must go to the wall and make way for
his superiors, and he .ioeS II with the as
ststance of the vices that civilization teach
es HIM
OF whites there are 100000 in Australia.
Ihe island Is a little larger than the United
states. and fits population IL about as large
as ours was when We fought for independ-
ence in l76. New South Wales alone has a
population of 100000 What they can do
Is SHOWN In al the principal buildings at
the fair. In the British section Of the wo-
mans building Is an alcove devoted exclu-
sively to the work Of the women Of New
south Wales. There is a case Of Australia
butterflies collected by woman. there
are silk stockings. hand-knitted; a rug of
opossum tails. made by a woman-incident-
ally II may be remarked that the Austria
Ian opossum differs from his American
cousin In that he has furry taii-paintings
books and newspapers, all the work of the
women of Australia. They do not vote vet
but they have all the advantages from an
Industrial and educational point Of view
that are enjoyed by American women 1t
Is In this section that several photographs
are shown. among which il the one of the
famous national Australian convention
drafted a constitution for the confederation
OF all Australia under one government This
assemblage had all the greatest talent of
Australasia in it. The venerable Sir Henry
Farkes was president. The various parlia-
ments now have the proposed constitution
to act upon. Should they agree to it. there
would spring into being the greatest power
Of the Pacific. The question naturally
magnificent future of advancement before
1t. be long content to remain a dependencyy
The Australian colonies now have complete
political autonomy. They have an upper
the members of the upper house are nomi-
mated by the premier and hold office for life
The lower house holds ONCE by popular
election. The governor and commander-in-
chief or the colony selects the premier from
the party in power, Just as the queen does
in England When United Australasia is a
fact. 1t Will need little beyond the substftu-
ton OF an elected president for an ap-
pointed governor general to be an indie
pendent nation. With the addition of
clause or two the proposed constitution
would do as well for an Independent nation
as colony.
The Great Wool Industry.
One of the most important Of the Austria
building. 1t shows the varieties OF wool
grown. There IS no part Of the island
where this industry cannot be successfully
carried on. 1t has increased by leaps and
bounds. In New South Wales, where sheep
raising has reached the highest degree Of
development. there were in 1Sn 100000
sheep and in 1881 there were sc. 100000. Now
there are more than $1,000. 900. The wool is
worth upwards of $55,OOOO00 a year. 1t il
more for the benefit of foreign countries
than the United States that the Australian
wool Is shown. for our importations are not
extensive. Yet 1t is our market that Aus
tralians want. and business men will prob
ably call to mind that as long ago as 1873
the chambers OF commerce of Australia
and New Zealand addressed a memorial TO
the chambers of commerce and mercantile
men of the United States asking for freer
commercial relations than then existed.
Since then New South Wales herself has
adopted a protective tariff.
In the mining building there Is a large
space devoted to the mineral products of
New South Wales. and here the United
States has shown herself to he GOOD