The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-09-04
THE WASHINGTON BUILDING.
A Great Political Economist Points Out
the Lessons IL Canfains.

Edward Atkinson in the New York World
Leaving this exterior aspect Of the ex-
position We may now deal with its real
motive and seek to define the great forces
from which II has in fact been developed,
although perhaps not on the lines on
which the next international exposition
will be established. These underlying
material forces, OF which Chicago itself
Is but an expression. are food, fuel, timber
and metal. The immaterial force, with
out which all these elements of life would
go for naught, is the common school. TO
the student of social order the exposition
OF these underlying forces, the Columbian
exposition, leaves nothing 10 be desired.
Wherever one goes these factors in human
welfare are present.
After one who desires to comprehend the
inner secret OF this exhibition has taken
the first impression of oil the buildings
from various points, it is better to begin
closer investigation in some of the state
buildings. None can be selected more
suitable than the building erected by the
state of Washin gton. one of the youngest
in our group of states.
On approaching il the flagstaff of a sim
gle stick of fir over 800 feet high will call
attention to the foundations. which con-
sist OF the timber of Puget sound-the
source from which nearly the whole sup
ply of useful timber for all countries that
border upon and of all the islands or conti-
nents within the Pacific ocean must derive
their supply-the timber of the tropics and
Southern hemisphere being as a rule either
too hard to work for ordinary purposes or
too soft for common use.
Passing MP the steps of the annex one
enters rooms in which an exhibit is made
of the public schools of this young state.
from the kindergarten to the high school
inclusive. marking development of free
education among the people which cannot
yet be equalled in Great Britain. Passing
from that to the central room Of the build
ing, one witnesses a wealth of products.
especially grain IN all varieties that cam
not be excelled even under the most sci
entific system of high farming in any
other country the first conspicuous ex-
hibit being apyramid of bags of wheat con-
tanning in all l0i bushels with fraction
over, certified to have been the product of
a single acre of land.
Passing by the artistic model of Wash
ington farm IN the center of the room,
showing all its appliances and all the ele-
ments of mechanism that are made use of,
one finds IN the next annex display of
ore and coal which will prepare him in
some measure for what will be examined
later in the Mining building.
Bearing in mind the growing scarcity and
increasing cost OF coal in European coun-
tries, the student will not fail to remark
the single lump of coal wrought out i'm one
piece from Washington mine, weighing
over so 600 pounds. 1t may seem extravas
CANT 10 say that the resources Of this coun-
try in fuel as compared 10 all Others bear
the ratio which that lump of coal bears to
the ordinary fragment quarried from the
mine, and vet that would not be q very
extravagant statement of the fact This
great display of coal and coke is fianked
on every side by equally abundant and
excellent samples of ores of iron and of
timber in its secondary forms that cannot
be excelled.
The pictures upon the walls. not perhaps
great in artistic merit, yet bear witness to
the wonderful variety in the views OF the
forests. the glaciers and the mountains of
the state