West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1893-11-09
LIGHTS AND SHADOWS
Of the Great Columbian Exposition
at Chicago.


being packed up and shipped away,
the most Of it is there yet to see.
and the White City is still thronged
with visitors and will be AS long as
the weather is good.
We left of at the West Virginia
Building last week without describ.
ing it. While it is not as large and
SNOWY as many OF the other State
buildings, it is very cosy and
home like place and well arranged
for the comfort and convenience of
visitors. No particular effort was
made to have any exhibit in tho
building, but the exhibits OF the
State in the general buildings were
something for every West virglnian
to be proud Of.
Our coal exhibit in the Mines
Building and our hard wood dis
play in the Fo, estry Building were
about as good as any there and
ahead in many respects.
Our State Building was OF course
headquarters for West virgin,ans
and 1t was crowded all the time.
We would run around the grounds
all day and mix with 300, 600 people
and perhaps not see soul we knew
and then come up to our State
home and sit down to rest on its
wide verandas and not be there a
half an hour till we would see
twenty people we knew.
The building is IN the Colonial
style, two stories high, with
pitched roof, aud tho outer walls
weather boarded and painted. The
roof is shingled and the interior is
finished in hard woods, the walls
being plastcred and the ceilings
ornamental iron work from Wheel
ing. Nearly all OF the materinl OF
the building is from this State.
The main entrance is on the west,
above which is the coat OF arms of
the State in bas relief. On the
right hand side as you enter is the
Office Of the President OF the Board
OF Commissioners and the Secre-
iary's Office on the left. The large
reception room on the first floor is
flankcd by the ladies' parlor OH the
right and one for the men on the
left. These rooms are elegantly
and comfortably furnished and have
toilet and retiring rooms back of
them.
On the second floor aro two COM
mittee rooms, and the balance con.
stitutes au assembly room 81 by 76
feet in sizc. There are four large
fircplaces, two down stairs and two
up stairs, with very handsome
c rived wood mantcIs. The building
has ground area Of So By 1913 feet
and cost sl8,500. The contract
price was for $40. 600, but Col. W.
N. Chancellor, President Of the
Board, told us that they only
allowed $1S, 800. The contractor
was Thomas j. Miller, Of Parkers.
burg, and tho architect WAS J. s.
SiIsbee, Of Chicago. There IS much
discussion in the State Press abouf
what ought to be done with the
building. Some want it moved to
Charleston and used for pcrma.
nent State exhibit. Gov. MacCor-
kle 10 trying hard to arrange for
this, and we think it n good plan
and the proper thing to do with it.
Another plan Is to move it to
Wheeling and erect it on the State
Fair Grounds. This is also a good
suggestion and our next choice of
location.
The Illinois building is the larg-
est and finest Of the State buildings
and it is proper that It should be
so, sInce the Fair is held in this
State. It's dimensions are 1G0 by
$50 feet, with floor area Of over
three acree, and cost $3.50, 900.
The height Of the dome is 23G feet.
and IL IS generally mistaken for one
Of the national buildings.
California has the next largest
Of the State buildings, it. being I44I
by 435. The style Of architecture
is that Of the old California Mls.
sion buildings. Il contained the
finest display Of fruit ever exhibited
in this country. Another fine
feature was a beautiful flower gar.