St. Landry democrat., 1893-11-18
AT THE FAIR,
EXHIBITS MADE BY THE NATION
AL GOVERNMENT.
Remarkable Displays Made by the
various Departments Big Trees of
CalilOrnia-CoIonia Relics.

Caluornia-COlOnial7 Relics.
Certainly the Government has done
what it could to make the Worlds Colum
binn Exposition q success. The appro
priation OF the souvenir coins was ar
item Of consideration made to those who
manale the Fair. But the exhibit made
by each department of the Genera
Government IS for the people. 1t is q
magnificent display. Money was no OBJ
jcct i'll its preparation. A very largo
buli'iInI and 1t war ship model built in
Lake Michigan on the same measure
mentS as the war ship Illinois, a smaller
structure erected to display the hospital
service Of the army, a system of electric
buoys just oil shore, the presence of one
OF tho coast Iiie-SaVlng crews, giving
daily exhibitions Of their work constitute
the general compass of the wonderful
exhibit. AS soon as a person enters the
Government building he is at once at
tracted to the Central Court. This court
Is octagonal in shape. Its covering is a
magnificent dome 100 #. high. The dec
oratous of th S court are beautiful. The
double columns at each side of each of
the four entrances TO the court are in im-
tatiOn Of rare marble. The capitals arc
C"rinthi:in and are giIdcd. Euch of
tn, sc eight sides of the court is Orna-
mcnted by a very large frcsco symbolical
Of some Of the arts that have made
special progress among our people. In
the centre Of tins court or rotunda
stands u unique object. 1t proves of
interest to everyone. 1t comes from
tn: Scqnoia Natural Park and is part
OF Que Of the Dig trees Of California.
These mHstodous of the vegetable
kingdom are among some Of natures
marvals, not yet mcncntoes Of an un-
known period. The rude hand of man
was last destroying them until the Gov
ernment took them under its protection,
pretorrjng to leave them TO the fate
kindly nature should decree. They are
found only in small groves on the noun
tain. Th@ir foliage closely resembles the
cedar and the wood when green is very
heavy. Indeed the parts of it nearest
the ground will, when Trst cut, sink in
water. Bat once seasoned it is quite
light and dry and IS susDeCtible of a very
fine polish. The tree from which was
cut the Tart stunG.ng in the Government
building was about Is feet in diameter
81 or s! feet in circumference and fully
800 feet high. This was not selected
because it WIS a very large one, but
rather because Of its regularity. Others
near it were higlor and wider. The
section exhibited consists of Az separate
pieces. 1t had to b; thus cut before it
could be transported 1t took eleven
cars to bring it to Chicago 1t was
hauled from ITS mountain home on spe-
cialiy built trucks by teams Of Il mules
each. 1t had to be thus drawn some GO
miles before shipping. followed, Il
winding stair mounts to the top OF the
section MP which visitors are allowed to
pass.
Within the rotunda a display is made
that would admit Of many letter In
cases set at each of the eight sides of the
court the Boa of Lady Managers make
an exhibition Of Colonial relics that
is positively fascinating to anyone
with the least bit of knowledge of cur
couEtry's history. One case is devoted
to collection of Washington relies.
Such articles as his sword, his commits
sion from Congress signed by John Han
cock, various diaries, etc, etc, may be
seen. One Of the last named artic cs is
opened where the hand of Washington
traced the last words his pen ever wrote
The second last item is dated Dee. 18th.
It tells of "a circle around She moon"
and notes that it ''started to snow at ten
O'clock" Dec 18th Then tells of the
continuance of the snow-its stopping
during the morning-the visit of q
friend. Then comes those last words
Mercury % degrees at night" Verify,
it was growing colder. The next day
George Washington passed from earth.
In another case happened upon lock
Of his hair which had been given by Mrs. |
Washington to Mrs. Asheton Bayard in
December, 1790-probably cut from the
head of the dead man on the 14th day of
that cventful Dcccnber. The scarf
with which the Marquis de Ia Fayette
had bound up his wound at the battle of
Brandywi. e; white silk vest from
whose pockets flowers and grass seemed
TO grow and over whose front bees and |
June bugs were daintily scattered by the
needle of the Inflated Queen, poor Marie
Antoincjtc, assisted ly Madame Genet,
Lady Of the Bedchamber; drum that
had been beaten at Bunker Hill; gun,
the property of negro named John
Salem, W carried it at Lexington. Con
cord and Bunker I'm, and with which
he shot Major Pitcairn; scarf that came
Dyer in the Maytlower--thesew were few
among hundreds Of other objects equally
Interesting. | hal to hasten. Then
were a thousand other things to be seee
and went to the Treasury Department
Its history may be read in the display
1t makes of the various issues. of coins
and paper 1ioney. The collection of
coins however is by far the most u ique
part Of all it shows. Some of these are
from the dim long ago. One dainty bit
not quite as largo as n grain of corn is e
counterpart of the little piece of money
that has become famous because Our
Lord commended the genuine charity of
her who gave il.
The Widows Mite is prominently
placed and the sights cannot
miss it. Some coin; shown are from
the days of SeIcucus ]. He was
Syria's first king and lived from 354 to
G9t b. G. Indeed, these coins are a
rhront logical history that reaches from
such an early period to the latest bright
bits the minis are turning out to-day.
A splendid and very interesting dis
play is made by the Postal Dep artment.
1t began with an Old mail coach. This
particular coach has history. 1t once
carried Tic mail in Montana, from Helena
to Bo~cman This was in 1862 Then it
made the trip but once week. Now,