The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-10-01

- ~ 49, -
right on the spot for the construction
OF a dozen more such buildings.
A Tennesseean who was with me on
some Of these saunterings, said: You
North Carolinians are the most liberal
people on earth, for you CAV the gov
eminent the best part OF your state out
Of which to make Tennessee" This
statement was told TO another man
whose father had in 1847 moved from
Edenton to near Memphis and he said
that everything in Tennessee wasn't
worth half the Blue Ridge and Great
Smoky mountains and h sounds. Then
he added: Years ago I visited EdentOn
and when I returned I said to my
father, I really don't mean to be rude,
but want to ask whether you were
drunk or crazy when you left that part
of North Carolina to come here And
he never answered me-"
Nc n should visit Chattanooga
without seeing the Chickamauga mill
know very much about it, for their
work lay almost entirely to the
northward. But 1t is a finer place than
Gettysburg can ever be made. The
government has expended 81, 800, 900
there. It impartially marks with mon
uments, tablets, cannon or piles Of
shell, ETC., the positions Of leading Of
ficers, regiments, batteries, ETC., in
both the federal and the confederate
armies.
But enough about Chattanooga. The
exposition is the chief point of inter-
est in the south in 1897. It is at Nash
vile, the "Hilly City," ISL miles away
The exposition grounds, like those at
Atlanta in 1895, are the property of a
racing club. Their arrangement is
more pleasing than that at Atlanta,
n is somewhat a reminder of the
Worlds fair. The walks are broad and
graceful and there is plenty of blue
grass and foliage plants and flowers,
preserved from the blight Of the pitiless
heat by ceaseless watering day and
night.
The MODEST of all the buildings is the
Parthenon, which is the art gallery. In
design, in frieze and entablature it is
a perfect reproduction Of the splendid
original. It is the one instance in the
history Of exposition buildings in this
country where color has been used.
The band of bright blue is the most
pleasing feature. The figures in the
frieze and entablature are noble indeed
in sunshine or under the glow of the
electric light.
Two inventions make limitless the
possibilities Of expositions-electric
lights and staff. The latter is the
building material, white and say bura-
BILE for a couple Of years., cheap and
easily moulded. It's inventor, a Ger
man, in the employ Of the United States
government, is at Nashville.
To describe an exposition would be
tedious alike to writer and reader. In
some respects all are alike. OF course
h government building is the CHIEF
attraction, the most pleasing and in.
structive as to contents Of them all
The zeal with which the government
enters into these ~expOsitions is mos,
cOmmendable. It has done great dea
to broaden thought in the whole coun.
try. 1t was truly a pleasant sight tt
see h pride with which the armed
uniformed confederate veterans, VIII
are a part Of the Tennessee stat,
troops, regarded the models Of tn
ships of the navy and the great ses
and land guns. By the way, a Nortl
Carolinian, Mr.. Willie T. Gray, for
merly of Winston, was found in charg,
of this particular exhibit.
A reminder of the Worlds fair il
lake Watauga, with it's grotto and it
venetian gondolas and gondoliers.
The enormous passenger locOmotiv
of the Southern railway is a specia
attraction. It is one of the three larg
est in the world. An English railwa,
superintendent say it can pull sixt,
of the English railway cars at a spee'
Of fifty miles an hour.
The agricultural building is far supe
rior to hat at Atlanta. In point of in
terror decoration, especially of tn
dome and rOtundas it exceeds wen tn
agricultural building at the World
fair. It is a study to observe the pic
t0ra,lltuses Of such commonplace thing
as Grains Of corn and cotton bolls an
ears of wheat. Pictures almost a
delicate as mosaics are thus created tn
shading being wonderful indeed.
The ladies building is always file
and is a great attraction. The positio
of woman at expOsitions is assured
She is a power in committee and i
plan n in active work. One new an
pleasing idea a. developed-a publ
library, the brightest and best book
in the Nashville public library an
scores Of others lent or given, wit
easy chairs and divans and electri
a n for the comfort of the reader.
No person who wants to see wha
Tennessee and Georgia and Alabam
are doing or offer in the way Of wood
and building stones should miss see
ing the mineral n forestry building
In a corner of the Worlds fair wa
the negroes building. 1t was in the ma
lure Of an experiment. At Atlanta
was more prominent, while at Nashvill
it is in the circle of the most impor
tant structures. The exhibits in it ar
largely those of industrial school!
which follow the bent Of the negr
mind. There r excellent exhibits {
leather n wood working, very prac
tical indeed. In one place a negr
named Devane was seated carving wit
knives marvelously vigorous design
Of hunting scenes IN hunting horn
1t is high class work, spirited and n
alistic. Devane is a good name in til
New Hanover section and with a smil
Of delight when questioned as I
whether his "Old MASTER was not til
late Major Devane of Wilmington, tt
man said yes. Now he lives in ia
away Maine and he gets as high as 5:
for the carved horns.
In the machinery building the ma
chine which gins and presses the roun
ho1nc Of anffnn is IN z.>L -.