St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1900-07-18
PARIS LETTER.
Paris, July 2, 1900.

what the Par1S Exposition mos
needs is condensation by elimination
| shall continue to call it the Pari:
Exposition and not as it calls itself
L'Exposition Universal ct Inter.
rationale. The nations have been
, "taken in" squeezed and absorbed
but considering the blCated bigness
of France in this great advertising
!, scheme and thecomparative pettiness
of all others there is no reason why
we should help the deception by call
ing it universal or international.
France needed money, Paris needed
money, and they said: Lo! let us
invite all the peoples of the earth to
board with and buy from us for a
season. And they built great struc.
lures and towers and wheels and
assembled their merchandise and
made a great fair and established
within it, and around it, booths for
dancing girls, and dives and Joints
and fakes, and long and loud was
the roar and great was the villainy
and bumbug thereof. Unless these
abominabe fakes and side shows
can be abated, and unless an Elk
position of what is genuine and mer-
itorious can be condensed and put
in reasonable space, they ought to
be discontinued. Here in midsum-
mer it is yet impossible to see what
is worth seeing, either because it is
not ready or because you have to
walk around acres of the baIdest of
fakes and humbugs, ravenous to
take you in" or to sell you some
thing. Lime and dust fill the air
and make sight seeing uncomfortable
if not unsanitary. There are many
guide books and they are no doubt
in a way helpful, but in buildings
covering many acres and filled with
miles OF show cases and machinery
of great height, compass is of con-
venience and many have them.
| find the United States exhibitors
situated here and there, apparently
without system in the main Champ
de Mars building. Their location is
always indicated by the stars and
stripes, and these are seen over the
United States pavilion; in many
places in Champ de Mars; in a num-
Der of annexes; and at Vincennes,
which place is about two hours out
of Paris, most inaccessible locality
but here most of the United States
machinery is to be found. 1t was
way out on this frontier that found
an American pioneer. He told me
that his exhibit, the Reliable Incuba-
tor and Brooder Co. of Quincy,
Illinois, was the first exhibit that |
had been set up at the great exhibit
ton. He has handsome independ-
ent pavilion and is turning out
machine chickens right along. AS
an additional advertisement, the
little chicks are of all the colors of
easter eggs with some tints of the
rainbow thrown in. Medals from
many fairs in the United States and
two European countries are shown,
and he appeared to be without COM
petition or hors concours, as the
French say.
Seeing the flag in an unexpected
place yesterday, l found that it
marked very interesting exhibit of
greater New York. 1t consists of a
map 81 by 33 feet. Undoubtedly is
it the finest and most expensive map
in Paris or anywhere. Nothing be-
fore has been accomplished on such a
scale. Twelve men worked con-
family on this map for one year
before it was completed. 1t lies on
the floor surrounded by brass bal
ustrade. Every hill, house, elevation
and depression of the city and sur
rounding country and water in
mlnutest detail, is shown. In order
that 1t may be seen at greatest ad-
vantage, platform has been built,
giving about four feet elevation, and
this platform is supplied with opera
glasses. The platform is, as it were,
off Sandy Hook, and the visitor who
will study the map for i've minutes
from this vantage, will get broader
and minuter impression of the future
greatest city of the world than in
any other way. The gentlemen in
charge at this exhibit begged me to
state that the map was the work of
the municipality of New York City,
and that the state had nothing to