El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1898-10-28
Omaha's Magnificent EXPOSE
ton, the Wonderful
Achievement Of
the Great
West,
WINS HIGHEST HONORS
Omah has Ideals.-A Modern Miracle. -
PrOfitiUg BY Experience. - Har-
mOny and Dignified SOlidity.
Special correspondence of the HERALD.

OMAHA, Oct. 22-Can any good
THU x come out OF Omaha? Come and
see. Scornful Bostouian, cynical New
Yorker, doubling Chic sgoan, use the
and come to look upon the evanescent
si-sippi aud international Exposition -
Do not Judge it by its name
which is clumsy enough to spoil any
ordinary show. The wiss man will
not prate of stockyards art and prairie
Philistinism, either, without q journey
to see for himself. Grant that Omaha
| has not 10 the past figured largely in
she annals OF culture, that 1t has not
been known as an art center or an
abode of the beautiful. Do not there
fore imagine that Omahs's ideal of
| sculpture il u COW modelled In butter or
a hog In lard. Do not suppose that she
measures paintings by the square foot,
| or music by the number OF from bones
in the band.
II is now some years since the effete
east began gradually to abandon the
| time honored belief that cities where
cattle copgregate on the hoof must
necessarily bow in comp etc abaseme Mt
before cities where the cattle appe ,r
IS beefsteak and hides. Chicago has
won reluctant we come to the holy al
| lance of metropolitan culture. Now
|
on the brown bluffs overlooking the
muddy Missouri, in a spot far more un-
attractive by nature than ChicagO's
jackson Park, citizens of Omaha and
OF Nebraska at large have wrought an
other modern miracle.
THE WHITE CITY RESTORED.
When the great palaces by Lake
Michigan met their end in XII oily cruel
1 f,,l 10
| and the golden goddess fell in common
ruin, men saiu that the century's
dream was past. o her years might
| witness greater achievements, more
enduring structures, more marvellous
tran, for nations, but this sight could
never be repeated. In the msiu they
were right Those who vi>i ed Nash
vile a year ago and saw the Tennessee
Centennial exposition were pleased
wi b several of the buildings, admired
the Parthe non, commended the general
effect-but, to speak frankly, the imi-
tation OF the architecture of '93 WAS
disappo nting. 1t threatened to belit-
tie treasured memory. On SO small
| u scale, these white staff structur 9
muddy lagOons, and the rank, coarse
grass looked cheap aod petty in the
dazzling soul hern sunshine.
| But in Omaha, though here as we'll
comparisons are dangerous, there Is no
such DISAPPOINTMENT Profting by the
experience of Nashville, the builders
OF this latest summer city lavished all
| their resources On one grand group of
glistening walls and towering pima
cles, surrounding "erand canal' or
court of honor not far from half q
mile in length. They have attem pie d
no side canals, no subordinate groups,
no 'wooded island" There ia m uch to
zee outside ofsthis grand court it Is
true; commercial structures erected by
corporations, Out-do rexhibits of many
kinds, an extensive "Midwsy," and
many other features, .the whole COW
ering q large tract OF ground.
THE HEART OF THE EXPOSITION.
But the heart of the great exhibition,
the center Of its attractions, the part
that will endure 10 history rs dis
tinct aud worthy architectural &C.
cbievemeut, Is this noble water ave-
nue. lined from end to end with lofty
and spotless buildings. It certainly
recalls though course it does not
equal. the Court OF Honor ct Chicago,
that unforgotten vision of delight. At
the western end Is the government
building, which is both the most i'm
pressTe single building on the or; unds
and the best expositiOI building 80 far
erected by the national govern mel Mt.
1t 10 q r ,naissauce structure, with q
gilded dome of graceful proportions.
At the opposite end OF the canal rise
twostowers of the type seen in Chicago
on the Mining and Electricity buildings
OF 1893.
Between these commanding heights
the skyline on either side Is broken by
cornices and pediments similar 10 gen. |
eral effect to those of five years ago. |
There are the same broad promenades |
between the buildings and the edge of
the lagoon; the same arched bridges: |
the same effect OF harmony and digni- |
fed solidity. At the western end, in |
front of the Government building, the |!
canal widens into atrefoil-shsped basin |
300 feet across, at one side of which is
fouDtaiu-the latter more beautiful
by night than by day. The presence
of tall mast with yard, used for ex-
hibitions by the life-savinR crew, mars
this end OF the canal; but it's general
appearance, looking from the plaza
eastward, is decidedly imposing.
A most pleasing minor feature Of the !
eastern end of the grand court Is the |
winding covered passsge-way leading |
from building to building. with double !
rows'of columns, on which vines have !
been permitted TO climb. The curves !
OF this porch or gallery enclose bright
hued beds OF flowers aud shrubs, re- /
minding one Of the Italian gardens with !
heir summer houses, found on some |
line private estates in his country.
JOHN r. SLATER. !