West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1900-06-28
OUR PARIS LETTER.
ihe GRANDEUR and Magnilcence OF the
3rcat French Exposition ON the
Banks Of the Seine.
The Awful Ignorance Of Foreigners
in Regard to the United States.
The Fakes and Shams OF the Midway.
Mere or them aud Bigger Humbugs
Than Ever.
Erom om spcelal corrospondont.

n--by street car, omnibus, 10y boat ON the
Seine OF 10y cab. We will take the last, for
cabs are everywhere In Paris aud the fare
will be only go cents with tip of and one.
hall cents 10 the coachman. So we mount
cab and say to the driver in American
French "a Ia exposition porte dc Trocadero -
II is well to tell him what porte or gate YOU
wish TO enter for there are thirty.siN diff.
teren, ones, aud 10y going to the one nceres,
the points you wish 10 visit you may avoid
long walk. Entering the grounds by the
Trooadero gate, two thirds of the exposition
Is spread at our feet in the Champc dc Mars
and from q ,r cminence, but a single object,
the Incompatible Eiiel Tower appears to
over'op us 1t is a bewildering enhancing
spectacle; of most harmonious colorinp,
brand new, up to date, nothing historic or
legendary about il. Aud all these dreams,
delights and fantasies of architecture, of all
climes and lands must be swept away in
few months when this most stupendous OF
eNpostions rings down the curtain. but no
time for morolsing, let's get into IL
are sde-show midway paisance fakes.
They are notworth our time or the franc
we will have to pay To see each one of them,
but the crowd attracted by the tum tum Of
dem.barbaric music was born to hc hum
bugged. French and Parsian crowds are no
exception to this law of our race. We
enter. In small dark room flor those
Identical fakes have not half the space
they had at Chicago as ground rent is
higher sits your harem, anybody's harem.
The room is just dark enough to conceal the
uniidiuess and tawdmess of the drapery
and jcwclfy of the six or seven odalisques
alleged TO come from Constantnople or
Cairo, but who never saw the Orient There
are thirty or forty more shows of this type.
They should not be permitted to cucumber
an exposition, but it is by licensing these to
gull the gullible that cxposilions pay their
way.
We will now see quickly the outside Of
the exposition aud measure It's great extent
by getting on the elevated moving platform.
This moves continuously in one direction,
making the entire inside circuit Of the cx.
position at the speed of a rapid walk, but by
walking rapidly upon il we can double our
speed, and we can stop on an incloscd side
platform ai any point and examine more
carefully any desired exterior of the ex-
position buildings. But If we desire to 90
inside any building we must leave the roll.
ing platform and cannot resume our place
upon IL without paying an additional fare.
This exposition does dot cover as many acres
as did our late Chicago exposition but il is
much more compact and ncamparably
finer and richer than anything that has ever
been accomplished, and as heard an expert
in eSPositons say, elmer than anything that
will ever again be accomplished" Ills
prediction is daring but not improbable for
this huge enterprise promises to be a Gnan-
cial failure, and as such, warning to all
future cxpoiters in worlds fairs France,
or rather Paris, has in this enterprise at
tempted too much. There has never before
been in so small space an aggregation Of
so much value. Never before such a mi
crocosm Of human achievement
Where do we stand in this great com
petitiye show We excel in few things,
we are excelled in many but our appear
ancc ON this French field is no measure of
our real strength. II it were, some very
small countries like Sweden, Denmark and
Switzerland, to say nothing Of Austria,
Spain and Italy, would be adjudged our
superiors. And doubtless this is the opinion
that many rural and some urban Frcnchmcn
will form, as will many visitors from other
counties. Th.re is a great lack of in.
formation in the world, and fhc average
foreigner knows as little about the United
States we do about New leland. The
stars and stripes are seen here and there in
the different buildings Indicating an Amer
can exhibit. think we excel in agricultural
machinery, and notwithstanding Paris is the
primitive field Of the automobile, our ychi-
clcs on exhibition here appear 10 have
finer finish and better shape than others.
There is no doubt that the French automo-
bile, if somewhat clumsy in appearance, is
a very seryiceable vehicle, bat there are not
nearly SO many in use in Parisas ] had been
led to expect. IN buggics and carriages our
makes arc better than those Of other coun.
tries; ours are much lighter without any
sacrifices Of strength But is difficult 10
convince thc foreigner on these points. rs
they stop AZ the admirable exhibit Of the
Columbus Buggy Company they point 20
ihe slender spukes and woodwork with the
remark, 'Fap fragile Lacking the tough
elastic hickory and other woods of which
our vehicles are made. they make thcir
riding vehicles with heavy spokcs. thills and
feilics until they appcar 90 be almost as
heavy and clumsy AS mule carts. fn This
exhibit IS shown United States Express
Wagon for thc conveyance Of money pack
ages, etc. u has thc strong wire cage with
which every American dwcllcr in cities is
familiar. 20 curious 90 hear the con.
mcuts Of The passer by. The most popular
opinion is thar &c IS for the purpose Of con.
vcying prisoners o. the guulotine. Others
say 30 is 10 hold The wild animals which n.
fcs, thc United States outside q New yo.k
Ali ihe midway pla sancs clap-tap and
humbug have been brought here bog and
baggage and personnel but they compldn
they are losing money, which should rejoice
NIaaaa q