The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-10-22

If the truth must be said, Pennsyl-
vania Day at the Omaha exposition
though entirely successful, as far
as IL went. was not all that
II should have been. The people
of the Trans Mississippi region had not
been able to understand why the great
state of Pennsylvania. in which many,
of them had been born. and which they
regarded as the mother of liberty and
of expositions, had taken so little in
terest in this vast undertaking of their
own that 1t not only had placed no
state or private exhibits on view but
was the last state in the list to respond
to Nebraska's invitation to be repre-
sented at the big show by = commits
sion. These big-hearted and progress
sive western people, used to doing
things on giant scale. found some diff
ficulty in understanding the question
able economy or the Indifference, which
ever It was, that kept the second COM
monwealth In the union from expend-
ing a penny as an earnest of interest
in the prosperity of her children in the
new empire of the middle west: and
therefore, while their welcome to the
Pennsylvania commissioners was cor
dial enough from the individual stand
point to satisfy the most exacting, it
was easy to perceive that collectively
things might have been different
A LIBERAL EDUCATION.
To at least one of the commissioners
the visit to Omaha was liberal edu-
cation in the extent, the resources and
the go-ahead spirit of the territory di-
rectly represented there. Enough per-
haps has been written and read in way
of formal description of the Transmits
sissippi exposition. Its twin special
ties which distinguished it above all
previous undertakings of its class, the
Chicago Worlds fair not excepted
that is to say. its impressive architec-
ture and its fairy-like electrical illum-
ination-have been exploited over acres
of paper and in barrels of printers ink.
No reader of the illustrated press needs
to be told what it's court of honor re-
sembles. or informed as to the pic
turesqueness of it's central lagoon
around which the stately white build
ings, nine in number, are arranged in
quadrangular fashion with arched VIA
ducts and arbored passage ways giving
the impression of an ellipse. Nor do
we need to dwell in detailed descrip-
tion on that takers paradise, the Mid
way, one-third longer and it seemed
fully three-thirds nosier than at Chi
cago, nor of the ten state buildings or
the big international building at the
beginning of the Midway in which the
land other" exhibits are grouped under
one roof. Any Cne who reads has long
ere this also read better narratives
than the present writer can give of the
Indian congress, where over 500 repre-
sentativcs of the original American
race, including Sioux, Omahas Winnie
bagos, Sacs and Foxes, Chippewas,
Kickapoos, Mandans. Crows, Black
feet, Cheyennes, Flatheads, Sheepeat-
ers. Bannocks, Ne2 Perces. Yaklmas,
Utes. Arraphoes, Shoshoncs, Piutes,
Zunis, Moquois, Navaios. Apaches.
Diggers, Mojaves, Tmatilas, Creeks,
Chickasaws, Choctaws, Seminoles,
Cherokees, Osages, Otoes. TOnkawas,
Kiowas, Comanches, Poncas, Iowas,
Quapaws. Delawares, Kaws and heaven
knows what other subdivisions of the
noble red man, are collected in an eth
biological exhibit larger. more varied
and more interesting than any hereto
fore attempted or than any likely to be
possible hereafter.
WESTERN ENTERPRISE.
But the present narrator feels that
he must, even at risk of following in
beaten footsteps, offer his tribute to
the superb creative energy and daunt-
less enterprise which in a territory Just
recovering from long siege of uneX-
ampled business depression that closed
banks, emptied store aisles and covered
the old homestead with blanket mort
cages, conceived this monumental un-
dertaking, the greatest save one ever
completed in the United States, and
carried it through in spite of a dis
tracing war to a flattering educational
and financial success We in Pennsyl-
vania evidently did not realize what
was going on out there at the gate
way to the Pacific" else we should not
have turned to it an unintentional cold
shoulder and thereby inflicted upon
these sons and daughters of the east
who thought to earn the appreciation
of the older section a sensation OF
slight and neglect.
But if Pennsylvania was derelct IN
offering material encouragement to this
marvellous exhibition of Western plucl
and progress she did much TO atone fol
her error when she presented as he
spokesman on the occasion of Pennsyl
vania Day. that master of oratory will
Smith. The postmaster general, will
Mrs. Smith, accompanied the commits
sion from Philadelphia to Omaha ant
spoke for it upon invitation when /
became known that Governor Hasting
was too busy looking after the inter
ests of Pennsylvania sick soldiers L
make the journey as he had at one tim,
intended. Doubtless every reader o
this read on the morning following it
deliverance the magnificent address T.
which Mr.. Smith treated the occu
pants of the exposition auditorium. Il
type the address is polished, fascinat
ing and ennobling; but the persona
inspiration which Mr.. Smith threw int
it's delivery, the consciousness that h
was conveying practically the admin
istration's first direct message to tn
people concerning it's sense of the pol
Icy and duty growing out of the terri
torial consequences of the war, lifte
II high above the ordinary level q
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