The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-08-19

lust at the waters edge, the architect de-
signed a lower story which should be on
level with the terrace bordering the river.
The plan afforded convenient and effec-
Il tive method of presenting the general ex-
hbit, further facilitated by the erection
h Of an extensive gallery running completely
n around the wide and long building.
The interior aspect as observed through
the capacious doorway tempts the passer-
b. to enter; and when he enters his eye
falls upon such an interminable range of
interesting things most interestingly dis
played, that he is not likely to leave the
huge palace until he has made a thorough
tour of IL.
Looking out, as If waiting the chance
TO dash off into the open air of freedom,
one sees, here, a big herd of deer, and
there, peeping from behind trees in
dense wood wild bear, foxes, wolves, and
The countless denizens of the forest. The
branches of the trees overhead are
weighed down with winged creatures of
every size and race, some eye-dazzling
with their plumage. This is a sort of
vestibule suggestion of the many things
within
The main area, running all the
width of the building and stretching back
TO a depth of about 125 feet, is occupied
by the French exhibit. Naturally it is
far and away the largest, but it is not
BY any means the most varied or COM
prehensive. This is easily understood
indeed. IL is a matter of surprise, that
France not much bigger than one of our
states, and occupied by a population Of
&c, 100000, should have any forest stretches
at all, or that there should be any wild
animals still left in a country so over
run with the human species. The French
exhibit, however, is rich in samples of
timber, and contains a varied and multi
tudinous representation of the sea, river
and stream fish of the country, that
atones for the paucity of big and lit
lie game.
French Art in Nature.
Nothing If not artistic; the French have
presented their exhibits in the forestry.
hunting ard fishing sections in a man
ner that captivates all visitors. At ev-
cry turn, one falls upon some enhancing
stage setting, representing densely
wooded corner of the forest of Fontaine-
beau; a Normandy fishing beach; a
wild bear hunt In Picardy;
group of sponge-gatherers cutting
the product from the semi-sub-
merged rock, in a French colony; and
Arcachon oystermen rowing home after
busy day. All these tableaux represent
their subjects to the life, the surroundings
10 the mise-en-scene enhancing the effect
intellectually.
Then there are the latest things in the
way of fishing tackle Cfor. be 1t under
stood, three out of every five Frenchmen
of the city and country are ardent disci-
pies of Isaak Walton) and as fine a dis
play of game and varied implement of the
chase as the most enthusiastic sportsman
could even conjure in his sweetest dream
The timber exhibit of France is display
ed in several fashions. Photographs are
shown Of the tallest, the stoutest and the
densest trees as seen in life. Huge blocks
of wood are also scattered artistically
about to manifest the dimensions of some
trench trees. And to indicate the sur
face polish and beauty of French woods,
" collection of several hundred species
cut IN the form and size of books. are
SHOWN back to back in a bookcase, pre-
c'sely as If they were component parts Of
a library.
The French exhibit probably occupies
one-eighth of the entire building. and. UNI
Ike the display Of any other width and
length on the two main floors, and in the
galleries overhead. Frances well-beloved
Russia Is, of course, her next-door neigh
Dor in the Forest building The Tartar
empire Is appropriately represented. al
though one looks in vain for specimens of
the strange animal races that people that
huge land. The ravenous wolf, of course
Is shown trailing his lonely way across a
trackless waste of snow; and Russian
bears, white foxes, etc, add an unusual
character to the exhibit Then there arc
Iurs, infinite in variety and exquisite in
beauty The collection OF Russian woods
lent by the Imperial Ministry Of Agricul-
ture ana Domains. seems limitless in vari-
ely. fine exhibit Is also made of the
Russian cork industry. a conspicuous fea-
ture being a Moscow church made entire
~ OF cork. A thoroughly interesting ex-
hlbit is also made OF the great Russian
nsheries, embracing odd processes of ar
uilcal propagation Of the sturgeon. be-
SIDES models Of enormous establishments
Tor preserving fish.
After the Fronsh and Russian exhibits
Infinitely the best national displays are
those OF the United States Japan Swe-
den. Holland. Hungary and Canada. The
exhibits OF England. Germany. Spain.
Austria. Belgium, Denmark and Rou-
mania are far below tho level OF the otber
countries, this being partIclsrly true OF