Daily Kennebec journal., 1893-09-26
WORD OF WARNING.
Beware Of the Misleading Cata.
logues at the Fair.
Titles and Numbers Often Complete.
ly Deceive the Visitor.
The Fine exhibit si . largs jsvsiy and
Silvsrwafs Hesss. "a.


Every part Of this affair is success 30 IA,
as know save one, and that's an internal
deception. This is pretty strong language
/ know; bat, as they say Of the Dahomey
| village, it takes strong words to describe
| strong" things. OF course refer to the
| catalogues. official though they be, some OF
| which strike me as the worst combinations
| of ignorance, awkwardness and misleading
that ever saw in print, and that's saying
a good deal. The Art palace catalogue
1 was based on one series of numbers, then
revised and another series added. with a
supplementary page here and there, so all
| the visitor has TO do is TO find two numbers
and decide which is the right one, and it Is
comparatively good catalogue
Delusion and a Snare.
| Visitors not up in art frequently get the
| wrong title, but that cuts no figure if the
| picture is good: and in the Holland sec
| tion especially the difference between We
nus and the Virgin, Diana and Daphne is
| not worth worrying about. They are all
Dutch girls anyhow Besides, think that
ignorance Of the title is really help to be-
ginners-it leaves so much more room for
the Imagination and the bystander is treat
ed to so many unconsciously humorous re-
marks. At any rate, it is better to admire
and study out the picture before reading
about it, and so the art catalogue is just
about bad enough to be almost good.
Instead of separate catalogues separately
labeled, the title page indicates a catalogue
for two or three buildings, but when one
opens it he finds 1t divided into parts ~
and that he has the wrong part" Thus I
bought a catalogue labeled Agriculture
and Forestry" wanting only the latter, and
found it contained only part Of the former.
But the beauty of the lot is the book bear
ing the label, Official Catalogue-Liberal
Arts-Manufactures and Liberal Arts
Building" Japan, which has here the
wonders Of all her eras, is disposed Of in
two pages, containing o. numbers. OF
these Is detail articles for medicine and
surgery, % education and all the rest
buildings. pictures. music and government
matters. Concerning all that magnificent
display OF vases damascening, carving and
other fine work, there is not a line. Pre-
sumably il is in some other catalogue, but
If so why sell this one as complete;
In the Mexico pages. however, are 81.
numbers, and here are specimens Of what
they indicate: 2. Photograph of the Puebla
hospital. 6. Study of the wheats grown in
the federal district. 10 Synopsis Of cholera
morbus. 10. Peruvian bark. %. Sarsapa-
rilla root. %. Antirheumatic tinctuie
$50. Collection Of memoirs on chirurgical
clinics. l64 Cultivation of sugar cane
332 Plans of the Vera Cruz penitentiary
'Carambar' as they say in that country,
did they think cholera morbus and cane
culture were among the liberal arts' In
the New South Wales pages the principal
space is given TO machines for ventilating
sewers, and in the pages for Great Britain
one is coolly informed that the things there
enumerated may be found in the Anthro-
biological building. When the buyer takes
this book back to the red capped official
boy and complains that he has been swim
died, as many Indignantly do. the boy
points out the notice, department l., in
small letters on the title back. It's only
one small section that is catalogued, but he
never mentions this to the intending buyer
Smart boy-that is, If it is smart to deceive
the innocent
Foreign Reverence.
The defects and misleading titles Of the
official catalogues only increase ones ad-
miration OF the clear and beautiful descrip-
tive lists Of many private exhibitors, and of
Tiffany establishments, whose pavilious are
crowded from morning to night with eager
gazers. Ordinarily the reporter would not
be justified in celebrating on what is but o
private business construction, hut the Tiff
fanys long ago passed the stage where such
a notice could be of consequence to them
One could no more advertise them than the
Rothschilds, for they have the Endorsement
Il
sonages and rank among the worlds great
artists and enterprisers. The Tiffany Glass
and Decorating company has here furnish
ed and ornamented room which is simply
beyond the power Of language to describe
and chapel which ranks high among the
wonders Of the fair and of the world.
In this chapel observe a little difference
between our folks and foreigners which is
at least worth noting, be the moral what it
may Every Italian, Frenchman or Span
ish American and almost every European
Of more northern nations reverently re-
moves his hat and maintains profound 81
lence, while Americans tramp through and
chatter without sign that the place is any
more to them than Machinery hall 1t is
the same in other places where religion is
illustrated 1t would be interesting to
know what those foreigners think of us.
A Wonderful Collection.
Foreign travellers say the chapel has few
il any equals in the world. The entire de-
sign is new and yet departs in no impor-
tant particulars from the best standards
The altar consists of a slab Of Carrara
marble resting on a frontal of white glass
mosaic containing l50, 600 pieces. with apoc-
alyptic emblems, the four evaneelists, a
monogram of the Holy Name embedded In
back ground Of rosary beads and inlays Of
gold and precious stones bordered with
mother Of pearl Back Of it are two tables
glorious in marble and gold mosaics. The
marble tabernacle is enriched by gems
The six canonical candlesticks are of gold
flagree work. in which are set precious
stones. The altar cross has just enough
metal to support the front incrustation of
topaz which scintillates the light In all
directions There are also the ciborinm,
containing 10000 squares of transparent
glass in colors, and the reredos and pedel-
la, equally beautiful, the windows and
several other wonders, and over all the fin
est sanctuary lamp $50 the experts say ever
constructed, supporting six angels brilliant
with gold, silver and precious stones. But
I cannot describe it. No wonder devout
foreigners remove their hats and sometimes
bow and utter prayer.
The exhibit of the Tiffany firm of jewel
ers is more easily understood and described,
but it is impossible to get a close view Of
the greatest wonders unless one goes very
early in the morning, so great is the crowd.
The great diamond, 23Sz carafs heav Ter than
the noted kohinoor, is set in tnrret and
by clock work moves around SO as to pre-
sent every flash Of its colors to the people
on different sides in turn The famous
tiara of eco precious stones il also cou-
spicuous; so also is the great magnolia vase
and the cioeks-but the clock of this expo
sition demand an article to themselves.
fuoc,... oi Vim Sa75is7 ~ s= ser.oual e.c !,
with Choice OF Three Dinerent Route
| Supplementary parties en- eoRress With the 10
foing In Chicago, wita'Tst visiting The Exi-ositi
will leave Be ston October as
Our Annual wirter Trips to Ca lifor nj
with special rrsin- OF Pullman Palace Festihn
Shaping and dining cars one TO three times
month, oegir November ls.
81 Excursions To Mexico and the Sandwi
II Islands viii occnr in January. February a
. March.
The Worlds Coiambisn Exposisfa
Special faiim n FesffbR3sd Trans with Uni
Gar. leave Boron for Chicago daily. 4 week
sttf atEH y " 4A.aEtnf1 IsHA1 EttcsT VtPps
the Fair Grouads, is ineis.ei in the 1eket--
Send for descriptive cfren.ar nc ntioning wAetl
book relating TO Autumn California. winter {
- fornls. Mexico or wostd's Fair tosrs IL desired
. RAYMOND 4 WHITCOM0.
908 Washingtes Street goPpsstfe Sehs
y street. Boston. septzad5s
= GOLDSMITH, SILVER & co!
- - u