Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1893-05-26
THE WORLDS FAIR.
SOME OF THE GRAND SIGHTS IN
JACKSON PARK.
La lsabida Convent and Colum.
bian Relics-Books for Literary
PeoPte-Swedish Art Exhibit
Dazzling Electric DisPIay-A Com
promise on Sunday Opening.

CHICAGO, May IA, 1893.
The first touch OF summer has come
at the exposition, and rolling chairs
launches and gondelas are in great
demand. Marvclsas as the rapidity
oi the work has been from the start
on the grounds. 1t was never better
exempliiied than by the strides made
by the landscape department in beauti-
flying the grounds. Now that the
work OF installation has in so great a
measure been completed, the land
scape man is getting his work done.
Great patches of ground, which yes
terday were hard banks OF clay trodden
down by hundreds OF hurrying feet,
are to-day covered with soft green
turf, inclosed by iron ratings, with a
stern.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 Rabida Convent yesterday. One
ieels the sacredness OF those relics
OF Columbus home. On the outside
tents are pitched 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 Vatican
and the defendants OF Columbus. All
the royal letters patent from the SOW.
ereigns 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 collection of pictures loaned from
Vatican by Pope Leo. 4 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
allowed 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 fine portrait Of
him there, as also picture Of Ferdin.
and 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 library with copies of all firms,
publications neatly arranged on
shelves. An open fire place, with al.
tique cushioned settees around it, a
table, with comfortable chairs and
several busts OF emineut men, artisti-
cally arranged around the tops of the
bookcases. give the room the dir Of a
comfortable library. A speciality is
made Of the works OF the great Amer.
lean authors, such as Holmes, Long.
fellow, Emerson, Hawthorne, Whittier
and Lowd. Bust of these celebrated
authors together with that of Harriet
Beecher Stowe, are arranged around
the tops OF the cases which contain
sample copies of their works in uni.
form cloth binding. This as a free
reading room, and when the visitor is
weary of sightseeing no better place
to spend a quiet hour then this can
be found on the grounds.
The Spanish exhibit was opened for
the first time to-day. Many fine ex-
hibits are to be seen there. But
Sweden 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 strong to us,
ignorant Of the climate and conditions
under which they were painted. For
instance, one picture was called " Re-
turn Of the Wild Geese" The first
impression is Of a very dark winter
afternoon: but no. it is night in that
far off country in the north, and you
try TO realize, if you are an untraveled
person, what the long nights in which
painters can see to paint, may be like.
All the pictures seem very odd in their
colOring.
Two electric fountains, three bands
Of music, five search lights, hundreds
OF arc lights and thousands OF incan-
descent lights united in one dazzling
illumination on Saturday night. On
either side of the principal fountain,
the electric fountains lifted their liquid
prisms and flashed their kaleidoscope
jewels. For the first time the waters
of the grand canal were illuminated
by all the incandescent and arc lights.
Over all, three grand search lights shed
their rays. These who saw the electric
crown poised over the golden dome OF
the 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 lightning and the splashine
of the water from the fountains
mingled with the stains of harmony
from the bands stationed in front o.
the Administration building. One o.
the grandest sights was when the
lights were all turned off for a moment
and then the three search lights sho
out in the midnight darkness. Tn,
effect Of the five fingers of light point
ing out over the grounds held the
spectators spell bound. 1t seemed a,