Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1901-11-06

NDR lRM0CIQI.
WEDNESDAY, NOV. 6, 1901.
The ,Pan-American Exposition, and
Wayside Sights and Impressions.
(Editiorisl Correspondence by E. M.
Carry
Ohio, like Iowa, Illinois and Indiana,
is classed among the prairie states; but
the eastern half of it, or at least that
portion of the eastern half traversed by
the Erie railroad, cannot properly be
called prairie country. The surface
is billy and its general appearance indi
Gates that before the advent of the
white man it was entirely covered by
growth of timber. The western por-
tions of Pennsylvania and New York
look very much the same as the eastern
half of Ohio. AS rule the farms for
400 miles to the eastward from Mans.
field, Ohio, are divided into small fields
by rsvines or patches OF timber. Nearly
every farm has its timber lot, its or.
chard, Its implanted barn, and it's poorly
painted dwelling house. Hay must
be scarce in that section of the country,
for the farmers cut and shock all of
their corn. AS you journey eastward
the unmistakable evidences of thedeca-
dence of agriculture increase. But the
towns and cities are busy hives Of in
dustry. The farmers sons seem to have
left tho farm for the dust and sweat
and frey breath of the factory. In
Pennsylvania and portions of New
York there was change in the color Of
the landscape, caused by the presence
of pine trees generously scattered
through the ordinary timber. The
chromatic colors of the October forest
when flecked with green make picture
more than usually pleasing to the eye,
The writer was born on farm
about forty miles south Of Buffalo, near
the town of Franklinville in Csttarau-
gus county, New York, and when the
train drew near to the land first trod by
him, and where he first felt the duties
and dangers of life, the desire to see the
big exposition was exceeded by great
or desire to fit back to the old home
stead and look, and long, and dream
and hurry away. In obedience to that
desire 1 got off the train, went out to the
little cemetery where paternal grand
mother, an uncle and other relatives are
buried, then on past the school grounds
where first attended school, and then
on to the old homestead. There
was the old stony hill farm, which
we left forty-fve years ago with
little pain, and never wished its
hsrdships back again, and yet there was
something undescribably endesring
in Its appearance and surroundings.
The barn, the apple trees, the spring,
the running brook, the meadow and the
beach trees were all there, and all about
the same as when left them boy but
six years Of age. Everything seemed
familiar, except the faces of the people.
OF our numerous relatives, q cousin
and bis family alone remained to assist
In verifying my recollections. The fields
and orchards and buildings looked 30
natural, that at times 1t seemed difficult
to understand why there had been such q
change of occupants. confess ] would
like--to have met even the spirits Of
those who made up the circle of that
earlier time. But, after all, it is prob,
ably best that the generations move on
out of each others way, and without
indulgingin many day dreams the writer
hurried on to Buffalo, to witness that
great collection of human achieve
ments, which has already passed into
history.
1t is quite impracticable to describe
in q newspaper article, even in the most
csusual manner, the buildings, the ex-
hibits, the fountains, the Nominations
and the different races of people which
constituted the Pan American EXPOSE
ton. No one can deny but that taken
as whole 1t was worthy testimonial
to the progress and grand achievements
of mankind.s There were exhibited the
, best products of the. worlds scholars
and investigators, those who have labor
ed to increase the comfort and safety of
life, and to enlighten the mind and en-
large the spirit of man. A few mem
tions, however, of things that interested
the writer may be of interest to others.
A large star in the floor, surrounded
by small railing, marks the spot in the
Temple Of Music where President Nc
Kinley was shot. tits near the center
of the Auditorium and almost directly
under the spsx of the dome.
Aladdin, the Arabian Knight char
acter, who possessed q lamp as lumin-
GUS and bewildering as the mind of
man could imagine, never in his widest
wanderings pictured anything compar-
able with the towers and palaces OF
light, generated by Niagara's mighty
power, and exhibited nightly at that
great exposition. 1t is quite safe to
say that never before was such sight
beheld anywhere on the earth
And there was a Midway, much the
same as the one at Chicago, with its
streets of Cairo, its Moorish Palace
and its Oriental music, which is sort of
mixture between melody an ! squeal,
in which the squeal largely predomi.
mates.
The works of art were numerous, and
one in particular made lasting i'm
preston upon the writer. Near the walk
leading to the main entrance of the Art
Gallery stood remarkable group of
heroic sculpture in staff or plaster. If
my memory serves me right, the in
scription on the pedestal told the pass
ora-hv that tho f30urac raprauptod Ap,a.