The Wichita daily eagle., 1894-04-24
THE CALIFORNIA FAIR.
From Present Ind;cet:cns It VIII
Be Great Success
Immense Crowds Visit the ExpoAition
Daily = Magnificent Displays Of
Fruit and Many Novel
Exhibits.

Inc latest reports from the Call.
fornia Midwinter fair state that near
~ two hundred thousand people passed
the turnstiles during the first two
weeks of its existence. This fact es-
tablishes the sure success of the expo
sition from the standpoint of atten-
dance, and the verdict Of the thousands
who make up this grand total has been
unanimous in favor of the success Of
the exposition from every point Of
view.
Since the opening day, January "a,
no special effort has been made to
draw the crowds. It has been the aim
of the exposition management to let
speak for themselves, and EXPLANATIONS
of surprise and satisfaction have been
heard on every hand. The exhibits are
now practically all in position. There
sre no holes in the floor, 50 to speak,
and it is noticeable by those who visit
ed the greSt Columbian exposition that
even the exhibits which were seen
there appear to have taken on new
form in San Francisco, and the
exhibitors have undoubtedly profted
by the experience gained on the shore
of Lake Michigan. The largest spaces
in the center of the great floor of the
manufactures and liberal arts build
ing are occupied by France, Germany.
Russia and Italy. Each of these coun-
tries is represented by display of ar
tistic and useful manufactures which
has never before been seen outside of
the great Columbian exposition. and in
most instances the displays brought
from there have been augmented by
new supplies brought across the At
lautic and across the continent espe-
cially for this display
But in the midst of all this that is
not new to everybody, there is SO much
in the Midwinter exposition that is uni
versally unique and novel that there is
nothing of the ''old story" about it.
The American section is particularly
prolific in novelty, and it occupies the
largest space assigned to any one coun-
try, SO that the international character
of the exposition by no means shuts
out the glorifcation of home industries
in the beautiful industrial fair.
The Palace of Fine Arts has already
proved to be a revelation. Such dis
play of pictures has never before been
seen in this part of the world. This de-
partment did not depend on Chicago for
its pictures, though it got a great many
of the best that were shown there. On
the walls of this building are hung
later pictures by well-known American,
French and German artists, and promi-
nent among them are something like
hundred of the works of the best artists
of the Pacific coast. Connoisseurs say
that the Midwinter Art Palace is tho
best arranged picture gallery that the
world has ever seen, and it certainly is
well adapted for the purpose to which
it is put.
In the eyes Of eastern visitors the
citrus display naturally attracts the
most attention. 1t seems to be good
for eastern eyes to encounter pear as
big as a baby's head and peaches al
most as large, TO say nothing of SO
many oranges in heaps and piles and
buildings that there is great CLEAN
of yellow before them all the while.
The rivalry between the northern and
the southern citrus fairs. both of which
are held in the exposition grounds, has
been happily productive of the best
displays in this line that have ever
been made, even in California The
devoted to this class of dis
plays are proving quite as popular as
some of the main exposition buildings,
and California citrus fruits are getting
the best advertisement they have ever
had