Daily Kennebec journal., 1896-01-15
On the Atlanta Exhibition by
Mrs. Anna Sargent Hunt.
The Plant System Bui'ding--An Ex-
hibit of Great Interest.
Among the State Buildings Confederate
Relics OF Civil War.


We regret the pressure Of work in the
regular lines of writing, which has caused
such long and Irregular spaces between
our letters regarding the Exposition We
are however, not unwilling in these DAYS
Of extreme frlgidity TO turn our eyes and
thoughts TO the south Land
Not that 1t seemed at all like land of
perpetual summer, for in the early days
OF November, we did not once go upon
the street without the fur cape-equaly
indispensable in Maine and Georgia
Wearing winter lannels and heavy
clothing generally, we experienced no i'll
effects from the piercing air so common
in Atlanta, and made the exception to
the rule laid down by the advance mem
bcr of our party who, on our arrival, be
! tween very vigorous flourlshes of her
pocket and with & look
about her eyes that gave weight to her
appeal, impored Us to look out for our
selves, for every one has Il cold here"
We We're glad one raw, grey morning
| TO accept the invitation extended our
party to visit the "Plant System" build
ings The main one, pyramidal in form,
with its roof covering Of phosphate rock
veneer Florida rock on two sides pebble
| on the third, and South Carolina phos-
plate rock on the fourth is an exceedingly
| attractive structure The interior is one
large room nearly 100 feet square aud 90
feet in height, lighted by Il belt Of ground
| glass near the ceiling.
This room with its contents seems like
Il bit of fairy land under the evening
| electric lights. Our guide gives Us key
to the exhibits. when he tells us at the
entrance that we shall here see cabinets of
| the various woods and minerals found in
the territory adj jscent 10 the lines Of road
of the PLANT system in the states of
South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama and
| Florida, with samples of the products OF
| farms, gardens and vineyards and the
treasures Of sea and lake and river.
There seems a double meaning in the
words the " Plant system. as we think of
its representing the grand steamship ard
railway lines and also the vegetable life
| found in several southern states.
| Here is beautiful orange tree, hardly
conscious that it has been transplanted by
the tunnellipg and boxing process. its
| golden fruit ripening perhaps faster than
on its native heath. Asking about the
! condition Of the orange groves after last
winters freeze we are told that those
owrcrs who cut their trees to the ground
did better than those who cut off the
tops, since the cid trunks showed rot, and
the new sprouts will soon he vigorous
! Asserting their claim to our attention
are pine apples with their blossoms and
| fruit, banana, cccoanut and fig trees
| The sugar cane was also a novel sight rs
we did not journey in the country where
it is raised. We taste the pcrsimmons
and think how the little darbies must
have liked them IN the ante bellum days
when they and the cotton fields, the sim
mons and the cane were all mixed up
together in those rollicking songs that
| still have a matchless jingle.
Here are many of the productions Of the
cabbage palm and palmetto tree, hats,
| tapestry, brushes made from the fibre,
| etc.
We content ourselves with this display
| instead of taking time to visit the
palmetto hut few steps away, connected
with his exhibit, where women are busily
engaged in constructing hats.
| There was much TO interest one in the
cases containing samples of Florida 1913
kinds of woods the prettiest being the
curly cypress, which is not affected by
| temperature. We have no hesitation
about the right Of Florida to be called the
| land Of flowers when we see her lovely
wild flowers and her exquisite sea ferns
and orchids.
The Sea Island cotton is Of wonderful
whitenoss, and the Spanish or grey moss
an article of commercial value, being used
for mattress filling The fibre displays
are novel and varied.
| The Ralnic (wc will not vouch for the
| spelling, taken from common weed is
seen in various stages dCgummed and
combed. 1t is in he bulk, long and silky,
and then we find it in fine lace and dress
goods. plush and upholsteries. Ihe cloth
made from the pine apple fibre is as fine
| and soft as crepon. What may not man
do in utilizing he products of the earth
| As we are told how the 1000 shell
| porticre had to be shielded from the
greedy touch of relic hunters, we thought
of the female visitor at Mount Vernon of
whom the superintendent of that place
told us, who, seized with a sudden i'm
| pulse to laugh, betrayed her purloining
propensities by showing. between her
teeth, Il ball of the fringe from Wash
! ington's bed spread. And the joke of it al
was, the spread itself was only fac
siinile OF the original that had been loaned
| during the Yorktown centennial and had
been returned to its owners. Here is
representation of a mine whence is taken
the rock phosphate so extensively used for
the manufacture of fertilizers and various
other articles. AS our guide chips away
piece after piece We come upon imprints
like those OF star fish which arouse many
mental questionings about periods and
processes Of formation.
! Or account Of the existing proclivity
in the masculine part of our family to
boast over astonishing sights and hair
breadth escapes from catching two or
three pound Cobbossse bass, we take a
good, long look at a stuffed tarpon or
silver King. / Z feet long and listen ex-
ultingly to the story of the largest one
ever taken in Florida, seven feet long and
weighing 2lo pounds and that caught by
a woman We are not versed in fish
stories" but think this must be one At
any ratio we would like to practice a bit
with this happy sort of frolicker that
jumps and runs several hundred feet and
is finally taken with small line and
reel.
Before leaving this building we ex-
anime the ralief map of Florida. mounted
in black walnut. BY the gilt lines we