The San Francisco call., 1896-09-27
Black and White Pen Pictures Of
the Marvels to Be Seen at
Mechanics Fair

A iostling mass of humanity IN city of
booths; troops of children in holiday dress
besieging prettily decorated windows.
where pretty girls are tossing out tiny
samples of tempting wares; regal pavil-
ions of paper and glass; electrical displays
that recalls stories of the wonders of AIad-
din's palace; aisles along which vast, COM
plicated machines are whizzing and whir-
ring and speeding in The manufacture of
fabrics of one kind or another; milling
and mining plants running In full career;
towers of fancy bottles rich with their con-
tents OF fine native wines; great orches-
ira blowing out wealth of harmony in
seeming competition with the general din
and noise around on every side; long gal
leries hung with the rarest works of the
Occidental princes of brush and palette;
miniature warships and steam boats rep
resenting the triumph of Western brain
and muscle; grottoes wherein sparkle
the mineral waters fresh from our
mountain springs; rows of glass sided
tanks, where fish from our rivers risk
about safe from the lure OF hidden
dangers in juicy worms; exhibits great,
and exhibits small, all of which you can.
not begin to see, so as to appreciate, in q
single day-all this and more gives only a
faint idea of the Mechanics Fair.
If you would see the exposition when
excitement there is at its height, a Saturday
afternoon, when the school children, ac-
companied by elders as interested as them
selves, swoop in and take possession for
a couple of hours, is about the time you
should select for visit
By the way, let us pause to remark the
difficulty of the task of enumerating the
multitude of benefits that must necessa-
rily result from such an exposition. 1t is q
lucid informant of the industrial progress
of the City and of the State; a liberal
education on California's advancement in
science and art; museum of mechanical
devices repIete with useful and valuable
suggestions to the active mind. Wise and
most praise worthy was the move of the
directors in giving up special days to the
free attendance of the school children of
the City. Here, where they receive so
many first impressions, the BOYS and girls
manifest the liveliest concern on every
hand and the evidence they uncon-
sciously furnish of their enjoyment, and
the certainty that from ne books of in
struction in months of time could they
q
greatness of their own State, compared to
what knowledge thereof they VIII absorb
at the Larkin-street institution, are in
themselves the strongest concentrations
of the excellent good sense of the manag-
ers of the big .nir.
But to return to the children. They are
an army CT question marks. They want
to know what the machinery is for and
tanned. The cordage booth is particularly
attractive, with its blonde hempen wigs
hiding the bald heads of its corner-posts
and with its variety of products, ranging
from the most delicate cord to the strong
est hawser. Curiosity is awakened, and
then comes the inquisition. The children
learn that California factories make these
ropes and that not a little of the hemp
that goes into these ropes is grown in
California fields.
The truth is brought home to them that
the Golden State can discount any OF her
sisters in natural wealth. The cotton
weaving and ruhber-manufacturing de-
partments are side by side. From the
pair of them together we get, among other
things, California rubber-lined cotton
fire hose.
Sometimes the children throw in an
opinion by way of no harm, and some
times bit OF street-phrase is pressed into
service. Yesterday afternoon, for in
stance, dy-faced, sharp-eyed youth
stood for a moment gazing at the minia-
ture of Smiths flying machine. 1t looks
like torpedo with wings.
"Will you please tell me what that busi-
ness is2" he queried of the man IN charge.
ga fying-machine, my boy"
"Can that thing fly 2" the lad asked, in
credulously.
mo. but large one made after the
same design can be made to fly, L believe"
"Did you ever fly in one2"
"No, but hope to-"
"Got wings like bird, hasn't itP"