The Harrison times. (Harrison, Boone Co., Ark) 1876-1938, 1900-09-22

les elaborate, presenting much the
SAFE features that characterized the
sane class of work at our EXPOSE
tlan in 1898. The space occupied by
thzse homes of the several nations is
a lang, narrow strip of ground.
crowded between the river and a
busy business street. The buildings
are Immediately on the river front.
and west of them is a fine shaded
avenue, upon the edge of which is
the moving sidewalk, an institution
very largely patronized. This side
walk is SO arranged that it circles
all that part of the Exposition that
lifs west of the river. The fee is
s.E.all. and sight-secrs Who are worn
to exhaustion can reach distant
parts of the grounds by using it.
One drawback lies in the fact that
there are no seats on this moving
sidewalk, but this does not discon-
cert the indefatigable woman visitor.
especially if she be an American. for
she calmly arranges her skirts to
meet the emergency, sits, square
down upon the floor, hoists her UNI
brella, hauls out her notebook and
begins to transact business. Leav-
ing the United States building on
the moving sidewalk you reach with
in distance OF three-quarters of
mile, another part of the Exposition
grounds, that part where are loca-
ted the Eiffel Tower, copy Of the
Ferris wheel, the Trocadero, the
anchored balloon, the illuminated
fountain, and many other attrae-
tions with fee attached. Here also
is located the Liberal Arts building,
the Canada, Madagascar, and other
colonial buildings, every one of them
with its cafe attachment. If there
had been space enough, as there was
at Chicago, to arrange all the build
ings in something like order, and to
have relegated the catchpenny insti-
tutions to a back corner, out of the
general view, one could form an in
telligent opinion of the extent, the
architectural excellence, the artistic
merit of the Exposition. As it is |
have a confused picture of it in my
mind that is tar from satisfactory.
| know this much, however. that
there is not as much floor space Civ
en- to legitimate exhibits as was con-
tanned in the Liberal Arts building,
alone, at Chicago. While this is
true, | think it probable that all to-
gether, good buildings and bad,
there is as much floor space at Paris
as there was at Chicago. Except
for the art buildings, too, which are
quite handsome, the architectural
effects are not pleasing, at least to
me. There is wealth of ornament
alton, light, and airy, and fantastic,
in the facades and roofs of some OF
the buildings, notably in the Ceram-
les and Arts of Peace structures, but
nowhere, with the exceptions noted,
is there anything presenting the no.
BILE proportions. the simple grand
eur, Of the Chicago conception. Nor
are there any triumphs of landscape
gardening effects, nor sylvan water
prospects, nor broad and winding
avenues. 1t may not be quite just
thus to institute comparison, but
unconsciously and in spite of you,
you will do so. The test Of merit
after all should be the quality of the
exhibits, and | am sure that meas
ured by this standard the Parisians
show signs OF decadence. If you
make careful examination of the
grounds without entering building
you get the impression that the
world is taking a holiday and is en-
gagged solely with the business Of
eating, drinking and making merry,
for everywhere are cafes, everywhere
are musicians, everywhere are white
aproned walters, everywhere are
hungry and thirsty men and women.
And this is the case day and night.
Ut course It is quite necessary to re-
quite hunger and thirst, and am
not inveighing against this feature
Of the Exposition. The simple fact
is, make full hand at that sort OF
thing myself lam simply telling Of
what have seen; that is all, Ihave
not made careful examination Of
the exhibits and am not prepared to
say it is not great exposition. !
do say, however, that in my deliber-
crate judgment Paris has inaugura-
ted the Exposition Of 1900 not SO
much to exhibit evidences Of her own
greatness aud to invite comparison
and competition, as to give her peo'
pie an opportunity to reap harvest