The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1900-11-03
SUCCESSES OF
. THE PARIS FAIR.
Our Correspondent Reviews the EI-
position and Names the Fea-
lures That Will Live in History.
By Annette Rierdon Reed.

was, as in the case OF the chicago talr,
the same hue and cry about the I'M
finished state of the Exposition. WISH
tors rebelled at being asked 10 pay adj
mission to so incomplete a show: ana
on every land there were walls from
exhibitors and sight-seers because
packing boxes were not opened n no
wares displayed. But order came out
of chaos and from disorder came forth
beauty.
Looking back upon the Exposition
the feature are divided into two
sharply distinct portions, those that
were interesting and those that were
not. The latter soon died a natural
death and were removed: or, if too
large for that, they remained as giSan-
tic examples of failures. The success
full ones speedily turned into money
making machines and have. by this
time, made their inventors n their
owners rich. II is a singular thing
that Expositions should SO make or
mar. We know to-day of so many
things that owe their life to the Paris
Exposition; and could back
many a one that sprang into notice at
the Chicago Fair.
The dreams of an opium smoker
who had beer reading the Arabian
Nights" would doubtless be of mar
vellous palaces and mysterious edifices,
built of translucid gems, floating in
mid-air and glittering in a blaze of
light. This 'basei.ss fabric of a Wis
ion" has been realized by NJ. Ponsin in
the precincts of the Paris Exhibition,
not many PAGES from the Eiffel Tower;
and his Luminous Fairy Palace is no
model of toy: it is 100 feet in height
and go feet in circumference.
NJ. Ponsin is an artist who has car
ried the study of glass to heights I'M
dreamed of by the most imaginative of
mcrtals; in his hands glass becomes
possessed of brilliancy n hardness; is
more transparent than air, and more
Opaque han metal; il can be impreg-
mated with every tint, n made to as
sumo coiors which have at once soft
ness, mutability, so:idity n depth; it
car be carved. woven and spun: it Is
silky, flexible. opaiine. irridescent, or of
the appearance of metal; it is mould
ed. asst and blown. VI. Ponsin is. in
fact, the Glass King. and has created a
perfectly unique odjfce, formed entire
ly of glass of every conceivable form
n aspect.
This luminous palace is built upon a
group of granite rocks. from which a
magnificent cascade flows into a lake,
situated on the left Of the Eiffel Tower
and facing the Military School. Mag
nificent crystal stairways, gracefully
carved, lead to a vast hall, s~urmounted
by a cupola. and having large bay
windows draped with heavy portieres.
A circular divan, covered IN a gor-
geous tapestry OF spun glass, the centre
of which is Surnlounted by a statue,
occupies the middle of this hall: whilst
a Smyrna carpet in Oriental colorins
covers the floor. Five pictures, repre-
senting the five parts of the world,
hang round the hail. The dome. which
rises in the centre. is supported on six
teen ruby columns with gildad capt.
tails. The roof * surmounted by an
open turret, carrying a statue of Elec-
tryona, the daughter of the Sun. rest
ing upon a globe apparently turning ir
space, and, thanks to an ingenious
piece of mechanism, without any Wis
ible means Of support. A gallery shell
tered by a gracefully curving roof. up
held by twisted columns. runs round
the exterior Of the place.
All the statues. columns. pictures,
carpets. portieres. divan, galleries, and,
in fact he entire palace are in glass OF
every possible shade and color, mod
elled and blown into every imaginable
form: and. most astonishing of all
put together without any visible fit
tings.
1t is Easy to understand why NJ. Pom
sin determined to erect his palace on
the borders of a lake; the water acts
like a mirror. doubling the effect of the
illumination.
We must not dwell longer on all the
wonderful inventions exhibited by
the glass king but mention must be
made of the epalized glass birds and
flowers which at night time are IL
Illuminated in the trees surrounding the
palace; they are fitted internally with
incandescent lamps. attached to the
electric current by an invisible wire.
AROUND THE WORLD.
NJ. Dumoulin's huge, ornamental edi-
flee, containing the panorama Of a Tour
Round the World. is another marvel of
the Exhibition. We enter and find our
selves at Chang Hal; we hasten
through that dirty Chinese city, coming
" d oSilShtlul NlSld, dS picturesque NJ
it is singular; the wonderful Garden
81 Stones" the ground of which is |
strewn with stones and rocks heap-o
up in all directions, from amongst |
which spring real trees. The entire
length OF the boundary wall is sur
mounted by the undulating tail Of an
enormous dragon.
Dur presence has already been OBJ |
served. and now little Chinese ladies
dancing in, treating US to a
beautiful and quite novel spectacle; |
their rich dresses. graceful appearance,
and coy, smiling little faces evoke as. |
Punishment and delight.
Scarcely have We become accus- |
toned to this unexpected picture, when |
see a garden; one Of those pretty. tiny
gardens, in which the marvels of a lilll-
putian world are accumulated. includ- |
ing trees which. though centuries old, |
are not higher than a few inches.
Amongst the foliage 90 larger trees are
to be seen the red lac9uered doors of a
light and elegant habitation; his is a
tea-house. where snrightly japanese
aides prepare the fragrant beverage
out from time to time to
some of their national dancsS
entertainment.
BY a RAPID transition. we find
selves IN the shores of Europe, ana
performed before us the bolero g.,
'sndanSn dances, full Of fire and ~volu2-
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