The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1900-06-14
PARIS EXPOSITION LETTER.


the splendor of her universal exposi-
tion. Every nation of the world has
contributed of its choicest and best.
1t is a dazzling, bewildering assem-
blage. Something like it has been
seen before at Philadelphia in 1876,
at Paris in 1878 and in 1889, and at
Chicago in 1898, but this exposition
outshines all others. not in every de-
gree and detail, but as an ensemble.
1t could not be otherwise; the world
has moved even since so recent an
event as the Chicago exposition, and
the world now moves not by the
century but by the day. Cloyed and
blase though we are with progress
and its triumphs, we cannot walk in
the presence of these wonderful as
semblages of mechanical skill and
power, these chefs d'oeuvres of art
and architecture; these melodies and
symphonies of wealth and taste and
grace and garniture without a feel
lllS vi dbb1ll anu NOlANNl'
Carlyle calls Walter Scott's depictions
of natural scenery 'Flirtations with
Dame Nature" and disapproves such
writing. Word painting is doubtless
a poor make-shift and the artist who
would attempt to paint this fair
should have "a ten league canvas
and brushes of comets hair" But
lacking time to catch a comet l will
sling ink with a fountain pen, and
since Carlyle did not prohibit fiirta-
tion with damsels, art, architecture
and machinery, let's to it!
On both sides of the River Seine
from the Pont de la Concorde (where
the king and queen and numerous
others were guillotined a hundred
years ago. to the Pont d'Jena
stretches the new city of the exposi-
tion. 1t has not the space of our cen
tennial or Chicago expositions, but it
is all the better for that, for there
was too much foot work at both of
these. Architecturally, the exposi-
tion consists of huge but graceful
buildings of iron and stone, maze of
palaces. towers domes and pavilions
interspersed with fountains, grot-
toes, lakelets, and all set in the vivid
green of French park.
From the grand palace of the
Champs Elysees a wide avenue ex-
tends to the Esplanade des Invalides.
On either side are white buildings
with beautiful facades. Then comes
the new memorial bridge to the Rus
sian Emperor Alexander III, of
prancing Pegasi; and the bridge
passed, the broad avenue lined with
palaces continues to the majestic
that is mortal of Frances greatest
warrior.
The Palace of Champs Elysees con-
tains collection of paintings, sculp-
ture and minor objects of decorative
art Chat will claim for it the greatest
attention from many visitors. Be
yond the bridge of Alexander the
Third are the pavilions of all nations,
the exhibits of their industries and
handicrafts. The first in order is
that of Italy, a beautiful structure
slightly suggestive of st. Marks of
Venice; then a mosque that will at
once be known as the home of Tur-
key; and third the national building
of the United States which is not un-
like General Grants tomb at River
side Park. 1t has an immense dome
on which a colossal bronze eagle is
perched. The front, looking towards
the river, is in the form of a trump
al arch surmounted by a Goddess of
Liberty and containing an equestrian
statue of Washington. In curious
juxtaposition to the United States
building is that of Spain. Farther
along the Seine we come to the grand
palace of the Trocadero, the memo
rial building of the Exposition of
1878. The park fronting the Tro-
cadero is where the colonies display
their characteristics and amuse-
ments. Here are pagodas of the
Chinese, bazaars and tea houses, the
Japaness art palace and the exhibits
of Russia and Siberia, where model
of the Kremlin is to be seen. Here
also are amusement houses from the
far East; Boer farm in miniature; a
temple of India and sections that ap-
pear to be transplanted bodily from
Tunis and Algiers.
On the bank of the Seine there is
also temple which will be used for a
unique and interesting feature of the
exposition-The Social Economy
Congress and the Congress of Re-
ligions. A long program of meetings
covering more than one hundred sit
tings has been arranged, and any
one may hear the savants of the
world discussing the great social and
religious problems of the day, among
them. rco-operatiVe associations, in