The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-09-26
THE GEORGIA STATE EXHIBIT.
A DESCRIPTION or THE RESOURCES
OF THE EMPIRE STATE OF
THE SOUTH.

sources-A Brief Outline Of the
state BuiIding-Other Matters of
speciaI'Interest.
Atlanta. Ca, Sept. 25.-By the end Of
this week the Georgia state building viii
be thrown open TO the world. II is now
in an almost completed state, but the
commission in charge has deemed il best
70 wait until all the exhibits are in shape
before inviting the public TO take a look
at the natural wealth Of the Empire
state Of the south. The Georgia manu-
facturers' building viii show the indus
trial side OF the wonderful picture
No programme has been arranged for the
formal opening Of the Georgia building,
but it is quite likely that some day will
be set aside upon which 10 do special
honor to the states part in the great
show. Other states will have their days.
when their governors and other dignir--
ries will be here TO celebrate the occa-
sion. II will be some time yet, however,
before these events begin 10 come on,
as all the state buildings are more or less
behind time.
The Georgia building will be the first
TO be thrown open with exhibits all COM
plete. this. too, in the face Of many
difficulties and drawbacks. In this state
many crops are not yet matured and
the agricultural displays have had TO be
collected with a view to overcoming this
handicap. Besides this, the state had
nothing to build its display upon. Geor-
Eia has never had a state museum Of az
ricuIture, minerals, forestry or other evil
dences of her wealth and progress, and
the present display, which is a remarkably
complete and attractive one, had 10 be
built from the whole cloth
The Georgia exhibit is divided into three
departments, agriculture, minerals anu
forestry and education. The AGRICULTURAL
display occupies the whole of the second
or main floor, while the minerals and Tor
estry and part of the educational EXHIBIT
is on the hrst floor, opening out upon me
beautiful plaza. In the spacious bdlcohy
that stretches around the high walls or
the main floor there Is another section OF
the educational exhibit together with eN-
hibits that are monumental TO Georgia
women as housewives and home makers;
In fixing the scope of the exhibit ana
marking out the lines upon which IL shoulu
be made the commission never losl slehl
of the prime purpose which the legisia-
ture had in view when the appropriation
was made. That was to convince the
world that Georgia is the best place In
the world TO live. Inus the
rich and varied collection or
ores, minerals building ,vos stones;
once appeal to the mind of the capitalist
and investor in search of new and richer
fields of operation, while the bounteous
display from the fields, orchards and gar
uens will affect the husbandman, weary
OF the incessent toll and blasting climate
OF the north and west, and the imposing
array of educational institutions tor tram
ing both the head and the hand prove the
INCONSISTENCIES and enlightenment or our
people and guarantee the onward marcn
of the commonwei h. Altogether, IL IS
a most ingenious and effective picture. IL
cannot fail to produce inspirlting results,
and in the light of public judgment must
receive unqualified approval.
All the close of the exposition the state
exhibit is to be removed 10 the capitol
building and there constituted per-
manent state museum. This is one OF the
requirements of the act, and while it
has Handicapped the commission some
what in their desire to make the most
SNOWY display for the funds at their
command, il was a wise provision, for
permanent exhibit Of the states re-
Sources has long been a recognized ne
When the plans Of the exhibit were laid
the commissioners adopted the novel
method of enlisting various counties,
representatives Of every congressional
the finest displays of their prod
ucts. 1t being understood that these
premiums should be accepted as purchase
money for the collections and they would
belong to the state at the eXpOsltions
close. By this means the commissioners
saw that they could secure not only for
RR1N
the permanent state museum as well, a
much more valuable collection than by
any other means. Their idea has proven
an excellent one, for II would nave been
next to impossible to have collected such
an exhibit as has been secured by any
other plan, at so small cost;
While this plan was an excellent one for
the agriculture feature, il could not
be offered 10 the mineral and forestry d.
vision, and this work was done directly
under the supervision Of the commission
erS through Prof. w S Lester. the state
geologist. Some of the best men in the
country were secured and sent out into
the field on this work, among them Prof.
John X. Small, of New York university,
who collected the forestry display, which
embraces specimens of every wood known
IN Georgia, many of which were not
known until the exposition work was I'M
dartaken. These woods. are shown in
all stages of treatment from the rough
surface to the highly polished finish
that goes on the finest cabinet works.
The minerals. among which is private
collection of gold ore gathered in White
county, worth 1900, represent every nook
and corner of the state from phosphates
and corundrum to silver and gold, while
q collection of precious stones has also
been made for the display. This feature
will be a revelation to many people of the
state, as well as outsiders, who have
never imagined the variety of mineral
wealth buried in Georgia soil In build
ing stones the exhibit shows that there
is no state in the union that surpasses
Georgia. Quarries in every quarter were
the array complete. The whole purpose
of the commission has been to do nothing
half way that was undertaken at all,
and especial pains were taken to gather
together a show of mineral wealth that
would make a lasting impression. As an
agricultural state Georgia has had an es-
tablished reputation for years, while her
Quarries and mines have been until re-
Gently like a closed book.
AS an indication of the value of the
mineral display, Polk county, which
makes a speciality of its minerals, had not
got all her goods unpacked yet, when,
just from seeing the pig iron exhibited an
order was placed with one of the Cedar
town furnaces for three thousand tons by
a big Pennsylvania foundry that had
never bought in the Georgia market be-
fore. This occurred to-day. 1t is an OBJ
ject lesson to the state in the matter
of advertising her resources.
The state also makes a duplicate exhib-
ii of minerals and forestry in the regular
minerals and forestry building. When the
exposition is over all this material will be
placed in the capitol, properly labelled,
so that one can tell at a glance where
In the agricultural display there are
thirteen counties regularly represented
as counties, while a half dozen more are
represented by individuals The counties
comprising the grand collection are FLOYD.
Sumter, Barlow, Cobb. Talbot Polk.
Green, Gwinnett. Glynn, Worth, Clarke.
Bullock and HarralsOn. They all make
IA ~ "a