Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-10-13
AMERICAAT BRUSSELS
Striking Features Of Our Exhibit at
the Exposition.
MARVEL At YANKEE INGENUITY
The Evening Star Receives a Dr.
ploma for Pre-eminent Excellence.
on r NJ ACHINERY WIN S
OF Jurisprudence of The Evening Star.

BRUSSELS. September %, 1897.
AS soon as one arrives in Brussels it be-
comes apparent that something unusual is
going on. If the visitor sees the city for
| the first time at night he will be surprised
by the multiplicity and variety of the lights
along nearly every street; or if he comes by
day his surprise will be none the less for
| flags and bunting take the place of illu-
! mination, while the colored globes that add
SO much to the light effects perform an
| ornamental function by day. The word
Exposition" and its Flemish equivalent,
'Tentoonstelling," conspicuously displayed
soon suggest the cause of the extraordinary
decoration. But still one would have cause
to wonder why so many streets that are in
no way thoroughfareS to the exposition
should be SO highly favored. To under
stand this 1t is necessary to know some
thing about Belgian character, to know
that no people exceed them in their fond
ness for competitions-from flying pigeons
to the sale of city bonds bearing a chance
resembling lottery ticket. The exposition
officials played upon this trait of character
and assigned to each quarter of the city
certain sum of money for purposes of deco
| ration and then offered prizes for the most
elaborate scheme of characterization, the
most artistic and the most striking. With
the allotment to form the nucleus, the prize
incentive increased the funds available and
the results were marvellous.
The outcome was truly wonderful, and
even the wide bouevards presented no
special obstacle, at least when the results
are considered. Surely this general plan
ought to be brought before the next inau-
gursl committee on street decoration. AT
no recent Inauguration, when the decora-
lions are expected to last more than a
week, have the results even approXimated
those achieved at Brussels where the effect
must be kept up for at least i've months.
OF course this much could not have been
done unless the entire city was loyal to the
exposition.
About five years ago King Leopold wished
to have an exposition. Two cities claimed
the right to have it-Antwerp and Brus-
sells. TEe king decided upon the guaran-
tee necessary and proclaimed that which
ever city should raise the money first could
have the exposition. Antwerp had the en-
tire sum in hand in less than one day, and
its exposition of 1894 was the result The
disappointment of the king that his capital
city failed in its contest with Antwerp was
so plain that before the Antwerp EXPOSE
ton was fairly opened a company was
formed to bring into existence EXPOSE
ton at Brussels for 1897. This company
early in 1895 began upon the details.
Fortunately, there were no architectural
problems to solve-the stone front of a
previous exposition could now serve again
in a similar capacity, and the park was
practically just what was wanted. The
only thing to be done was to build series
Of galleries of inexpensive construction in
the rear of the rather imposing front al
ready referred to. This feature made the
cost of building exceedingly light.
After the cost of construction was known
and the receipts from floor rent and con-
cessions. it was an easy matter to deter
mine how much would be required from
gate receipts to balance the account. More
than that was rot demanded. The men
who had subscribed to the guarantee did
not wish to make a penny. They were
will IN lnCo no Of fhnir md
to give their time to promote an enterprise
SO dear to their sovereign. The company
then offered gate receipts for the entire
period for the amount needed to square
is now daily rejoicing in his good bargain,
as the amount paid has already been real
lied.
Success Assured.
The executive committee have had all the
details in hand, and being relieved of the
anxiety as to whether the receipts will
bear comfortable ratio to the expendi-
lures, they are ever ready to contribute
to the ease with which the foreign commits
sioners discharge their duties This be-
comes task when the number of foreign
sections is twenty-seven, but the task is
not undertaken Us though 1t were a burden.
The results of the labors of this commit
tee and the foreign commissioners are such
as to satisfy all who are interested, unless
it be the fakirs, who fmportune every
pasesr-by to purchase some trifle for an
exorbitant price. All bona fide exhibits
have been gazed upon by an unexpected
multitude, and many large orders have
been placed for goods exhibited in sam
PIES The French section is especially
fine. The articles chosen for exhibition are
those in whose making the French excel,
and the- arrangement of these articles and
the general decorative effcts make this
section pre-eminently attractive. 1t looks
as though they were here setting the pace
for the coming Paris exposition and sug-
costing to other nations what is expected
of them on this occasion.
The French people are fully appre,iative
OF the value of their trade with Bel;,ium
and gladly expended S35o,O00 in further
emphasizing the value of their goods to
Belgian consumers. Many other nations
are bidding for this trade, and rightly
judging that the cheapest and most effec-
tive way to make such q bid is by partlc-
1patfng In Belgian exposition. 1t is
wrong to say that the smallness of Bel
GUM does not warrant any great expendi-
ure of time and money for the capture of
its trade. But it must be remembered that
this country, because Of Its central posi-
ton, the magnificent narbor facilities at
Antwerp, the favorable tariff regulations
and the complete system of railroads lead
ing from the piers to all parts of the land
and to every important distributing point
in the adjacent countries. long ago be-
came the entrepot of central Europe and
its wholesale merchants are still supplying
and even creating the demands of millions
OF consumers Of other lands. This fact is
so completely recognized in Europe that
merchants come here, individually and in
delegations. from the Balkan districts.
Rus STA. Hungary, Austria and even Persia.
One of the most striking features ex-
hibited Is complete paper-making plant,
making paper from wood pulp The visitor
can see the piles of barked sticks of con-
venient lengths, then watch the workmen
remove. by machinery, the outer soft por-
tions of each piece, and throw them, one
by one, in huge hopper, where a revolv-
ing plane, with several bits, soon reduces
the wood to shavings. These shavings are
carried by elevators to the macerating
watts, and afteIpRssing through several
processes, are finany seen as thin liquid
running uniformly out upon a porous band.
After passing under two or three rollers
the greater part of the water Is pressed
out. and the now recognizable paper is
carried on broad bands of felt over heated
rollers until'it becomes quite dry. when 1t
Is pressed into great rolls ready for the
printing press. OF to be cut into forms for
other purposes.
From the stump.
While this process Is In progress. In the
same compartment two American mono
lness are busy setting types artista are