The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1894-09-14
The Interstate Fair.

Tacoma. While several of the featur-
es are not in place, and d number of
novel exhibits are yet to come, still
there is enough of interest within the
gates to spend two days with pleasure.
The exhibits in the main building are
somewhat similar to those OF the ex-
position two years ago, with the ex-
ception of features which were at
Chicago and San Frauciscos. Among
the latter are many fine foreign ex-
hibits of manufactured goods, and a
host of money-rustling Turks in their
bazaars. The agricultural exhibits
are located in a building just compile
ted, but are not yet fully arranged.
There are displayed some of the pre-
served fruits shown at the World's
Fair, and other large samples Of what
the state produces. Yakima and
other counties have secured space and
are arranging splendid exhibits of
their products. One display Of tall
broom corn was of considerable inter
est. and all are worthy of attention,
even of citizens of the State. TO
visitors the show of products from
different sections of the state will
prove of great interest. An excellent
band furnishes the musical entertain
ment.
The big tree shown by Geo. Dyer, an
old resident of Tacoma; promises to
become one of the chief attractions at
the fair. He claims it is the. largest
tree ever exhibited, California red
wood trees excepted: The tree is a
cedar, q feet in diameter and 20 feet
i'll circumference. It was cut in Che
halls county, one and u half miles
from Ocosta, was 4O7 feet high and if
entirely cut up would have produced
159,875 feet of lumber. One limb was
seven feet in diameter and extended
upward $50 feet from the trunk. A
computation based on the year rings
shows the tree to have been 300 to
1000 years old. Mr.. Dyer claims for it
the former age, but some seem to
think it was older. 1t took eight men
"a days to get it out, and cost consid-
cradle money to place it in the exposi-
ton. This tree, as is unusual to see,
was perfectly sound, and was burned
and hewed out and moved in sections.
1t is much easier to pay ten cents to
inspect this monster cedar stump.
than to travel many miles to fud
anything so large i'll its native w Gods
The fisheries building with its tanks
was just completed and the exhibits
of the live fish which inhabit our
waters were being installed. The
Turkish village and theatre with the
girls who do the muscle dance, and
some more bazaars are there. The
scenic gravity railroad gives brief
and exciting ride, more interesting to
grown folks than the ''steam go
round" near by. Edwards Bros. have
a side show of live native animals
tent, both interesting. The mystic
bridge is another feature, furnishing
4 novel sensation, which illusion must
be tried to be explained and appreciat-
ed. There are also three other mirror
| illusions at the Fair, which can be
seen if one intends to take it all in
L.
! and other illustrations, but they are
all effects produced by cleverly ar
ranged mirrors, with nothing irstruc
tive about them.
The most expensive and entertain
ing feature of the Exposition is the
| Cyclorama of the Battles of Mission
airy Ridge and Lookout Mountain,
near Chattanooga, Tenn. Everybody
visits the Cyclorama, and every old
veteran fingers longest over the life
like painting and its ingenious fore
ground arrangement. 1t is one of the
best cycloramas ever made of the
noted conflicts of the late war, and
many of those who took part in either
side of that battle meet here every
day, trace again their course during
the three daysit waged, and recall its
tragic incidents and bloody encount-
ers. 1t is an accurate painting, &C
cording to those who were on the
ground, and to them Lookout Noun
tain, the vantage point of the battle,
is fully as natural as Sin life" The
painting is 5Ox4O0 feet in size, weighs
oyer seven tons and cost 100000, for
the painting alone, by noted German
artists, who spent months, viewing
and sketching the battle ground.
Taken i'll ali the fair is a splendid
showing for the enterprise and rustic
of Tacoma and Washington, and Is
we'll worth the expense of visiting it.
In a week or ten days nearly every
thing will be in place and our people
should be ready to make stay of one
or two days at the Fair. We regret
that Mason County is not better re
presented there.
Correspondence and County Notes.
HARTSTEIN, Sept 8, 1924
Miss Alta Corey, of Shelton, will
teach the coming term of school II