The evening times., 1901-06-29
SEEN AT THE EXPOSITION.
Nothing Unusual in the CONNER
cial Exhibits at Buffalo.
A Voting Machine Attracts Interest
Among Political Nisitors-NoveI
Features in the Government Build
ing-The Census Office Display.


BUFFALO y. Y, June 29.-LittIe is TO
be said of the exhibits at the Buffalo EX-
position. which are mainly commercial
and such as are familiar to most residents
OF large cities. As the exposition is Pan
American-that is to say, embraces the
products and manufactures of all Amer
lea. North. South, and CentraI--it COM
prises nothing of European origin. Amer
lean exhibitors naturally sent only such
things as would be likely TO enter into
export trade with our American neigh
bors, and the foreign exhibitors. although
present, have very small displays. The
trusts are strongly in evidence and inter
1ere with individual displays. The Leath-
er Trust is represented in an annex to the
Liberal Arts Building. and the Electricity
Building is almost entirely given over to
the Westinghouse Company. the General
Electric Company. the Edison Manufac
turing Company the Bell Telephone Com
pahy, and the Electric Storage Battery
Company. The most interesting feature
of the display to electricians is that of the
transformers that are used to convert
about 10000 horsepower from mia CARA
Falls into a current suitable for the illu-
mination of the buildings and grounds
| This installation has been made by the
General Electric Company, which has, be-
sides an exhibit of historical apparatus.
Commercialism is the pervading spirit
of the exhibition and yet the managers
have made one innovation that deserves
applause. They have provided bazaar
building, where things are sold, and have
cut down to a great extent, but not Alto
gether, the bazaar feature of the exhibi-
tion buildings proper.
The Centennial Exhibition of 1876 was
almost altogether educational: the ba-
zaar feature was as far as possible eIimi-
mated, and two-thirds of the exhibits
could not be bought at any price, The
Chicago Worlds Fair on the other hand
was nothing but big bazaar. The Buff
falo Exposition is an effort TO combine
both features, which is not entirely sue
| cessful, but marks step in the right di-
rection. The ideal exhibition, 1t is said,
/ is one of resources and products not Of
fered for sale, combined with bazaar
( for the sale of some of them. Buffalo has
! set the example, but has not entirely
shut the money changers out of the ex-
hibition buildings
The only strictly educational exhibit is
that made by the United States Govern
ment, and II is unquestfonably the best
! that has been seen in this country. Profit
/ ing by the experience obtained in Chi
I cagO. each department Of the Govern
/ ment has tried to make an adequate ex-
hibit and as result the Government
buildings present more features OF inter-
est to the earnest student than all the
rest of the exhibition combined.
The United States Government has the
finest exhibit on the grounds. Half
million dollars was expended on the
buildings and exhibits, and the money
having been f1SestIy expended there is
worthy display. As result of years Of
experience the National Government is
well prepared TO make an exhibit of its
resources. All the departments are rep
resented and nearly all the bureaus
There is very little that is new TO those
who are familiar with expositinns or
have visited the museums at Washington
/ but that does not detract from tbs value
! OF the display, for two-thirds at least OF
the visitors 10 The Buffalo Exposition
know nothing of the work Of the Nation
al Government, and to them the exhibit
/ is a revelation =fs--
Some inventions in the Patent once dis
play and the exhibit of the Medical De
partment of the Army, which IS well rep
/ resented by a corps Of enlisted men Of an
exceptionally fine type, are Of special in
terest. The result of a little war with
hospital resources. The tent has been
/ greatly improved II is now thoroughly
/ ventilated matter of imsprtance in
I tropicaI climates and all sorts of devices
! have been introduced 20 compact hospital
equipments and to provide luxur1es in the
( neld. so that at present the field hospital
| Is as well equipped as the liked hospital
There is nothing of more importance 10 an
army in the field than the hospital serv-
! i,a. and one rejoices 10 find that Ameri-
can ingenuity had been employed TO give
the soldiers wounded in action relief OF
kind not obtainable even in general hos
pital during the civil war a compliment
is due to the enlisted men of this service
They are highly intelligent, cultivated in
manners, and visitors TO the exposition
cannot find anywhere more willing guides
TO everything that is of interest than in
the Medical Corps Of the United States
Army.
In the Patent once Department there
are several electrical devices Of special
interest, among then. the machines for
sending to distant stations autograph let
ters or portraits These machines are not
as yet commercially successful but they
exhibit a great deal Of ingenuity.
An exhibit that interests is the oting
machine, which has been in practical use
in Buffalo ana SSNeral OtHST CITIES oi ~"
York for at least two years. As arranged
IL makes the voting Of a straight ticket
easier than the voting of a split ticket,
but that is the only fault. and that can
easily be removed as sOoT. as the poll
ticians are ready to abandon the adyan-
tage they possess in the circle at the head
Of the ticket.
The machine cannot make election Off
GERS honest, but it will give a fair count
Of votes if there is one honest man in the
UoIliug place Moreover, it will give the
count accurately the moment the last bal
lot has been poned, and that is matter
Of no small Importance. IN the Presiden-
tfaI election of 1900 the result in Buffalo
was accurately known within forty-five
minutes after the closing of the polls II
was known at once IN each polling place;
the forty-five minutes being consumed in
adding up the returns from the districts.
The machines cost $500 each. but they
pay for themselves in a few years by re-
ducing the cost of printing tickets and by
reducing the required number ofSpolling
places with their attendant expenses The
method Of voting is so simple that even
the ilIiterate voter can be taught how to
vote a straight or split ticket, and
schools for the instruction OF such voters
are established wherever the machines
are used.
The voter enters a booth. His first duty
is to draw about him a curtain. which
conceals from view his further operations
The curtain is attached TO a lever. and