Omaha daily bee., 1898-07-31
ASvIEWEDBY OCTAvE THANET
Ever Gratifying Beauties of the transmits
sissippi Exposition.
SIDE LIGHTS ON THE GOVERNMENT EXHIBIT
Interesting Descriptive sketch Drawn
by n Most Talented Western
Authoress Who Recently
Visited NAH
Copyright, 1898. by the Author)

arate tracts, known as Tine Main court
THE Bluff Tract and The North Tract"
The Main court is built about the central
it is the Main Court which recalls
the lovely delight of the Worlds fair sky
line. All the architecture is classic and, as
l have said, the stucco is always white.
The North Tract, however, has a character I
of its own; the architecture is mainly mod
ern Swiss except in the Midway buildings,
which are as gaudy and various as they
were at the Worlds fair. A blending OF
gay color here relieves the classic delicacy
of the larger buildings. The Main Court
contains the principal exposition buildings,
the Government (the United States exhibit),
the Fine Arts, Arch of States, Liberal Arts,
Mines and Mining, Auditorium-these in the
order named on the south side of the court;
on the north, Agriculture, Administration
Arch, Manufactures, Machinery and Elec-
trlcity. Girls and Boys building.
The North Tract has not only a section
Of the Midway (the West Midway, but a
most interesting exhibit Of practical agri-
culture, dairy and apiary products and
transportation facilities. Here are the Ag-
ricultural Implement building, Dairy and
Apiary and divers Individual exhibitors
buildings. To an eastern observer the ir-
~rigation exhibit is as interesting as any.
. VI W. q ilNNtC ultNht5 ouOW lnt
triumph Of the Nebraska farmer over the
cruelest blow of nature, and they hold the
prophecy Of far greater triumph in the flu
ture. They are already stripping the sage
brush plains Of their terrors. A little water
is all that Is needed to make the Nebraska
roads as fine as there are in the world. AS
l drove from Council Bluffs to Omaha, or
was blown over on the electric road, I
longed for that highly civilized day when
dust should be abolished.
The Bluff Tract is the distinctive feature
of the Omaha exposition landscape. Its
green heights in
All the pomp that fills
The circuit of the summer hills,
its lovely outlines of hill and dale. its
sumptuous foliage and its rich blending of
the field tints will linger on the mind of the
visitor just as that wondrous sweep of the
lake beyond the gate fingers on the mind
of the visitor to the Worlds fair.
The different states have their buildings
In the Bluff Tract. Some of them are very
beautiful. Some of them are picturesque
and some of the minor buildings are-start-
ling. For instance, the enormous yellow
wigwam.
The Government d
But to return to the main court on the
lagoon. The first building is the magnid-
cent Government building which contains
the United States exhibit. The building
fronts the lagoon. having a frontage of 2OS
feet and a height to top Of balustrade over
corntce of ffty-eight feet. It is of Ionic
order, and color has been used lavishly in
decorating the entrance, which Is reached
by a broad flight Of stairs and through
a colonnade. Just before it the slender shaft
or the fountain rises out Of the lagoon, and
Neptune f1ourishes his trident above the
clustering lines of water lilies in which at
night glow white electric lights. The COL
ossal dome in the center bears a heroic
figure Of Liberty Enlightening the World
with an electric torch. The figure is mag
nifcently simple and far more impressive
than the Golden Goddess that blazed at us
from the Court of Honor. Nothing could
be more harmonious than the proportions
Of the buildings Of the main court, and the
Government building is perhaps the most
dignifed and stately OF them all.
The interior Is decorated with innumer-
able flags. In this feature OF decoration
the exposition is unique and consistent. The
flag alone is used, but the flag is every
where, grouped about the column supports,
draped along the walls, futtering from
every point, in beautiful and inspiring har-
mony.
The exhibits Of the different departments
are more or less interesting according to
the taste of the visitor. There is a coin
press which has been making money al
Philadelphia for fifty years. 1t is now
in operation, but it was taking a much
needed rest when 1 saw it. The children
always pour into the fisheries exhibit which
tastefully entertains one with a winding
tunnel of caves, cool with green moss ant
stalactites. On either side, safe behind theil
glass wall, the innumerable fish Of America
disport themselves in their huge tanks
There are all the common varieties which
look like fish, and besides these are thu
bizarre suggestions of human or suariar
> shapes, the sea horses and the mermaid
and the sea robbins and cells.
3 Well said a tall farmer, who wa
strolling ahead of me, with his heavy blacl
coat on his arm, well, amt them critters
worse'n delirium tremensi"
Don't know answered his neighboi
CURLY; never had delirium tremens my
self"
81 didn't neither; but I've heard tell oil
'em; and these things all mouth and leg
make me think of 'em. Golly, look at tina
fellow squirm. / guess he's going to ca
the other fellow now"
But no tragedy occurred, rather, l think
to the crowds disappointment.
Outside there is an interesting exhibit o
fish culture and fisheries. including al
kinds of apparatus and tackle and model
Of boats and fishing troughs. Fish hatch
ing goes on all the time this month as |
has gone on during June with the egg
Of Colorado trout. During September an
October salmon and Lake superior trou
will be Matched.
The smithsonian Exhibit.
OF course the Smithsonian has an exhibit
Most visitors will find their attention al
tracted by the figures Qife size) represent
ing the progress of the primitive arts; ant
connected with these, are the object storle
Of the evolution of light and fire and tool
and weapons. No one can examine tn
cases containing the tools and utensils, al
ranged as they are in series, beginnin
with the simplest and ending with the higf
est known form, without a clearer perceI
ton OF what civilization means. 1t Is In
possible to go into details, but ] would rec
ommend this department to every visito
will confess, however, that / left 1t my
self and sneaked way to stare at the uu
forms and terra Gotta soldiers talking owe
the Mexican war. The War department hs
its W little show. All the gay clothC
that have strutted on the harmless held
militia warfare, or marched up to real car
non, have their proxies here. There Is
MI nj