Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1893-03-10
ANOTHER CHICAGO LETTER.
About the Worlds Fair Mainly.


pondents---the Beauties and Wonders
OF Horticultural IIall---the JRps and
Turks ot WOrk---Advice to Fair Vis-
tors---The VaIfs' Missions --- Kate
Douglas Virgins.
CHICAGO, ILL, March 3, 1898.
''The best laid plans of mice and me II
gang aft agley," and thus it has proved in
regard to the letters l had hoped to send,
giving glimpses of the preparations for the
great event of '93. Sickness has interven-
ed since the last letter, bringing with it
such added care and labor as to render an
interest in outside matters impossible.
Appeals to "write again and polish off E.
r. p" have necessarily passed unheeded,
and now, in view of the recent action of
the senatorial committee, it seems too late
to take up the Sunday-closing question
again, especially as Z. r. p. offered no ar
guments on his side, but only ill-natured
filings at the w. c. T. U. and the "ortho-
dox" churches. Mr.. Wheelers letter mer-
tied reply, but 1 will only say here that
If his workmen are the kind of people who
would attend the Fair for educational pur-
| poses, they would miss their end by long
way if obliged to study in company with
the hilarious pleasure seekers which con-
stitute the Sunday excursionists, and who
would crowd Jackson park were they given
the opportunity.
Next beyond the womans building is the
horticultural hall, where the landscape gar
dener is hard at work preparing for his
brilliant outdoor and indoor display. 1t
hardly seems possible that the exhibit un-
der this roof can ever be more beautiful
than now, and it attracts multitude of
visitors daily. Primroses had their day
fortnight ago, and now is the time of Per
sian violets. From pure white through all
the gradatons of blue and crimson their
gamut of color runs, presenting a perfect
| wilderness of bloom. Another mass of
color is presented by the cineraria, now in
fullest blossom and filling the air with per-
fume. Later visitors to the Exposition
miss these charming displays, but will be
recompensed by strange and familiar plants
of all lands and climates, whose buds are
yet unopened. Australia sends marvel
Gus collection of tropical plants, including
trees, elk-horn and birds nest ferns The
tallest fern is nearly 32 feet in height,
while the bird s-nest and elk-horn varieties
are great curiosities. A rare specimen is
the 'traveler's tree from Madagascar,
which gets its name from the fact that the
thirsty traveller can draw his water supply
from it. The ''screw pine is another Gu
riosity, about the height of an ordinary
apple tree, and so spiral in form that it
hardly needs its conspicuous label. 1t
looks much like a large aloe which had
met with a cyclone on all sides of it. The
most ungainly exhibit is probably centu-
ry plant, which, possessing the true Chica-
go spirit-genius for getting on-is a great
favorite despite its ugliness. 1t is shoot
ing up at the rate of two and a quartz
inches day. and bids fair to bloom and
die long before the first of May. Under
the central dome of the hall is a scaffold
, ing over 100 feet high, and on this is built
up a miniature mountain of palms, ferns
trees and decorative plants. An artificia
cascade ripples down the mountain-sid'
and birds twitter among the leaves, appar
emily all unconscious that their world il
but narrow one. Whatever you see a
the Fair, wherever you 60, do not mis-
e horticultural hall, for it will give you
better idea than you ever had before o
what lovely things there are in the world
All through the grounds, also, there vii
> be beautiful floral exhibits, including i'm
: mense beds of pansies and foliage plants
On the Wooded island 10000 hardy rose
J have been planted and as many more G
y tender varieties are promised next summer
: 1t is rather a dingy white which tn
e "White City" presents to the eye just now
/ but already the process of renovation is &C
ing on, and it is a novel sight to watch tn
II painting of the great buildings by machiI
IS cry. The task of covering building lik
D the manufactures with an ordinary pair
W brush would be something appalling, an
the machine in use does the work of man
painters. 1t is worked with compress Sc
air, which is driven into the machine to
pressure of from Is to 1S pounds to IL
- square inch, mixed with the paint, al
,e then discharged through a hose, somewh
after the fashion of a flower sprinkler, evel
III ly covering large surfaces. Several
" these machines have been in use in Il
OF manufactures building, and much of Il
l. interior work in other buildings has bee
a done in the same way. Through snow al
a sleet and cold and wind, the barehead'
ne Japs have worked increasingly on the
e. three pagodas on Wooded island, tying Il
y, beams together with thongs, and in 9th
~ similar ways invoking the scorn of the 10
century mechanic of the new worl
Looking at the queer little wOrkmen, o.
has a feeling that the figures on her Jap
m nese fan have suddenly sprung into life
ny fore her. In one corner of the grounds
so the Eskimo camp, and on the Midw
Plaisance baggy-trousered Turks are briI
ing into existence an Oriental city, who
- domes and minarets are just visible oy
the top of the surrounding fence.
1t is said the grounds are to be closed
II II