The sea coast echo. [volume] (Bay Saint Louis, Miss.) 1892-current, 1900-07-07
Official Journal of the City of Bay st. Louis

metal cage for transporting mo-
| ney. bullion and other precious
articles, he thinks is for the con-
veyance of wild animals. After
all what infantalage, to use a
French word, was it to send these
things here. Even if fully un-
derstood. they teach nothing, and,
as misunderstood, but confirm
the popular European impression
of our only NATURALIZATION.
1t is not pleasant to have to
write so much in criticism of our
country's appearance in this intel
national competition, but it is inn
| portant that the truth shall be
told. | might easily gloss the
facts and plaise or advertise this.
this or that American exhibit,
which as an isolated exhibit Is not
without merit, but competi-
lively is distanced by the eXhl-
bits in the same class of some
very small countries. For some
reason we are not "doing our
selves proud" here, This morn
ing | asked an American exhibitor
in the Hall of Varied Industries
how he thought our country would
compare with surrounding coun-
tries. II regret to say we make a
very poor show. Look, here we
are between Germany and En-
gland. See what fine exhibit
Germany has. She had no more
ground space than we have, but
she has utilized it to build sec
ond story while we have but one.
Then look at the taste and rich
ness and value of he" exhibits.
. They are worth at least three times
as much as ours. Moreover,
they have been set up to produce
their most impressive effect. The
/ English section, which bounds us
on the other is also very fine one.
Now look at ours. There on one
| of the best corners is a display of
about ten bushels of corn cob
smoking pipes. See here on the
main aisle, opposite me, playing
/ ing cards and stationery There
another firm has paper bags. In
my opinion, Tiffany's gold and
silver ware, Rockwood's, of Gin
cinnati, pottery and my display
are about the only creditable ones
/ in the American section. I'd like
to make the Eagle scream but I'm
keeping very quite. "lt had not
/ occurred to me TO class his exhibit
among the redecming things of
| the American section. But most
Americans who will talk express
the same opinion about the infc~
riority Of what America has to
show here in Paris. Our appro-
! priati0n was abundant, more than
any other country, with the cX-
ception of Germany, | think, but
it was a little slow coming and for
that reason we were not able TO
get choice of location, for our ma
chinery in the Champs de Mars.
/ When we got the appropriation,
there was no untaken space avail
able except at Vincennes. People
have been saying: "Oh, go to
Vincennes if you wish to see the
American machinery" So, today
| went to Nincennes, and I'll
never go there any more. 1t is
one hour and thirty minutes from
the main exposition, which in
terms of distance ought to be
thirty or forty miles. 1t is most
uncomfortable getting there; con
! scquentl y, no one goes unless at
tractcd by fetc, an automobile
race, or athletic sports. After
alighting from the nearest station,
a walk of half mile is necessary
to find the American machinery
building, building, which is ncith-
er large nor very interesting as to
its contents. Those who are par
ticularlarly interested in the
special classes Of American ma
chinerv exhibited there, viii
| doubtless 90 out to Nincennes,
but | do not believe there were
half a dozen visitors there besides
myself, and the place is practical
! " inaccessible to hundreds of
skilled French workmen who
while they might not buy Ameri-
can machinery, would like to see
and study it. There is at Ninccn-
mes large transportation exhibit
consisting of sections Of trains Of
cars within dining and sleeping
cars. None from America. Eu-
/ rope has made great progress in
| the last twenty years and while
the style and arrangement are TO-
| tai Y different from ours, they arc
mot inferior.in elegance and com
| fort. | was especially impressed
| with the Russian exhibit in this
section. The third class car had
| every convenience Of the first
class car, but was less Iuxuriously
/ furnished,and the third-class com
partment was convertible into
sleeping space for seven while the
first-class compartment of the
same size was limited to four
sleeping bcrths. In the third
class. the travellers, always Rus
sian peasants, are expected to fur
nish their bedding or blankets.
( Russian. like other European rail
road systems, are first of all mill
tarv, and these convenience for
, sleeping IN every car will greatly
conduce to the comfort and health
! of the soldier and to his fitness as
fighting machine. 1t would not
be difficult to speedily convert our