The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1901-05-16

Surprising Expectation.
INTERESTING EXHIBITS AT THE PAN
AMERICAN EXPOSITION.

INTERESTING EXHIBITS AT THE PAN
AMERICAN EXPOSITION.
F1orida's Fine Fruits - Missouri's s
Good Showing-Rare Orchids and
Cacti-LOs Angeles and Southern
CaIifornia-The Government Build
ing and Post Office Department
Exhibit of the Fish Commission
Filipino Exhibit Full of Interest.
Especial Correspondence Of the Gold Leaf. }
Buffalo, N. Y, May IA, 'O1.
Since the informal opening of the
gates of the Pan-American Exposition
May 1st the attendance has been
unusually good. A visit to the Horti-
culture building and surrounding con-
servatories is worth the price of ad-
mission. Here Florida has q most in
teresting exhibit. Among the rare
things which particularly please the
Northern people are eighteen pine
apple trees bearing fruit, eight cocoa
nut palms that reach almost to the
ceiling, great many green and ripe
cocoanuts in clusters, q quantity of
palmetto fibre and two magnificent
yucca gloriosa trees. In about three
weeks there will be added to this ex-
hibit fine display of oranges, grape
arrived yesterday, others are on the
way. The commissioners from Florida
are L. M. Wier, of Tampa; C. C.
Challar, of Arcadia; Frederick Pfeifer,
Of Jacksonville. The most energetic
member of the commission, it is but
just to say, is Mr.. Pfeifer. He is
taking great deal of interest in the
exhibit and spending his money to
make it a success. He is here now
working on it, but returns to Florida
in few days to get other material.
Just over the entrance to the space
continuing the exhibit in rustic let
ters is the sentence ''Florida Fruits. ="
The roof of the enclosure is painted
SO as to represent the fruits of the
State. The posts which support the
dome are treated SO as to resemble cab
bage palmettos. On the apex of the
dome is a golden pineapple.
Missouri makes a handsome show
ing in the Horticulture Building.
There is a magnificent collection of
palms, ferns and palmettos from the
Botonical Gardens of St. Louis. On
the columns around which this ex-
hibit is grouped are two handsomely
painted shields emblazoned with the
coat of arms of the State of Missouri.
A
sion arrived in Buffalo today and with
an energy that has characterized
their movements since their appoint
| ment, they went to work and besides
attending to the details of their ex-
hibit found quarters for the coming
summer at No. 96 Inwood Place. The
commission is composed of +. S.
Carver, president; John +. Peal, vice.
president: Robert NJ. Yost, secretary
and superintendent; G. c. Bell, treas
urer, and F. 2. Graves. Missouri ap-
propriated $4,000 for the Exposition
four weeks ago. In spite of the brief
time given the commission to prepare
an exhibit they have gathered to-
gether very fine display and placed
it on the grounds in advance of the
States which have been here for a
year. They outdistanced New York
in this particular. The State will be
represented in every department.
The booths are all prepared and will
arrive from the mills tomorrow.
Most of the exhibits are also here and
in three or four days everything will
be installed. The State Building will
be erected from money furnished by
the ST. Louis Exposition. Director
General Buchanan is selecting site
with the aid of the St. Louis commits
sioners while this is being written.
There is superb collection OF
cacti, orchids and rare tropical plants
from Texas and Mexico. Among the
cacti is one specimen for which the
owner refused $4,000, being the only
one of the kind in the world. 1t
belongs to a species that was sup
posed to have been lost and this one
was recently found.
! The Chamber of Commerce OF Los
Angeles, California, has an exhibit in
the Horticulture Building in an en-
closure which resembles the old
Spanish missions yet to be found in
California. This is outlined in
oranges. At distance it looks like a
border Of yellow gold. The central
archwav is surmounted by life sized
elephant made of English walnuts.
Inside there are oranges, wines, fruits
of every description, cotton and al
most everything that grows. This
exhibit is in charge Mr.. and Mrs.
Watkins, of Los Angeles, who have a
cordial greeting and generally an
orange or two for their visitors.
They were at Nashville and Atlanta
and say they left many friends in
| both cities.
The Government Building is not
yet in shape though the exhibits of
the Postotfice Department and the
Fisheries commission are all COM
plete and have made the most artistic
installations that they have ever had.
This is due first to the fact that MIR.
STANLEY l. Slack, of the Postoffice
Museum, was sent to Paris to max. a
special study Of installation. He las
succeeded beyond the most sangulne
expectation of his friends. Under a
canopy of what looks like the frozen
zone an old mail sleigh drawn by
Esquimaux dogs is being piloted
through region of ice and snow.
Nearby under canopy which sug-
gests tropic zones and vegetation i,
the Porto Rican method of carrying
the mail. The mail carrying steam
ships are represented with the aid OF
mirrors so that you can see the whole
fleet at a glance. This is, of course,
a mere suggestion as to the manner
in which the exhibit is installed. Mr..
Slack evidently made good use OF his
time in Paris, and it is very much to
be regretted that each department
cannot have an expert, both 10 select