The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-11-21
A GREAT EXPOSITION.
TT WILL BE OPENED WITH RE-
 LIGIoUs EXERCISES DEC. l.
Buildings, Grounds, and Amuse- ments Are to be on a Grand
 Scale-Palaces and Twenty ' Acres of Midway.

Charleston Special to N. Y. Times.
 The final arrangements are now being made for the South Carolina Interstate [ and West Indian Exposition to be held in this city opening isoI tb. res idents there Is little else being talked about. The people of the State as well as of Charleston have thrown themselves into this exposition scheme with an en, thusiasm such as has not been aroused in this Commonwealth since the war, and the Exposition IS looked upon as the awakening of Charleston from hel hong sleep during which she lost the place which she once held as the most inn portant commercial city in the country.
 In the charter of the Exposition Com pany it is provided that the Exposition shall be opened on December l. It hap pens that the 1st of December falls on Sunday. This fact was not noted und several months after the charter had been granted. The official opening of the Exposition will not take place until De- cember 7, but the Board of Directors have determined upon preliminary re- ligious service to be held on Sunday af- ternoon preceding the official opening.
 These religious services, unique among the EXpositions held In this country so far, will be on an ambitious scale. The services will consist of an elaborate program of sacred music under the di- rection of Mime. Barbot of Charleston. who has organized a special chorus oi 200 voices for the occasion. They will be accompanied by the grand organ, re- inforced by the First Artillery Band Of the United States Army. Bishou Ellison Capers of the Episcopal Church will pre- side at the service and deliver the open ing prayer. Bishop Duncan of the Meth odist Episcopal Church will make an address suitable to the occasion; ana a,1 Mgr. Quigley of the Catholic Church will represent Bishop Northrup of that de- nomination and deliver the benediction.
 The exposition is designed to do, and IS expected to do. two things of great i'm portance: First, 1t will show the re- sources of the South and of the West Indies. marking their present condition. Secondly, 1t will point the way 10 ce- velop these resources and 10 promote a valuable commerce. There Is much 10 done.
 The Exposition grounds are on neck of land near Charleston, known as Charleston Neck, lying between the Ash southward toward the sea. The grounds 5 are somewhat in the shape of butterfly with outspread wings. The one entrance is through the body of the butterhy-by gateways in the wings of the Administra- tion Building.
 King Cotton's Palace.
 The visitor Is forced in by this way, because the structure gives the keynote or theme to which all the rest Of the divisions are harmonious variations. Let us pass through ana make a ClFculI, tdh- ing first the left or southeast wing. This wing extends, over some fifty acres. IL rejoices in the ambitious title, Ihe Court of Palaces" because at the eX- tremity of the wing stands the Cotton Palace, on either side of the Palace of Commerce and the Palace of Agriculture. Cotton is King. It is appropriate that he should have his palace. Fifty acres of plant and srub and flower adorn his court;
 This court is also known as the art section, It exemplifies both what art can do that is useful and what art can do that is beautiful
 Tho face of the landscape has been com pleeely changed. In the centre stand: the Sunken Garden, the result entirely of excavation. Thus the conformation of | the landscape as we'll as its garb Of shrut | and verdue represent throughout prod. ucts of art. A refined taste is manifest i in the plants and flowers (many rare ex- Ntics) already fiourishing, and gives prom | iSe of fifty acres of rare beauty. diver sified, yet harmonious.
 1 The Cotton Palace stands on the high' | est eminence in the grounds. It Is big building, within twenty feet as high as | Niagara Falls, and covers 50,OOO square feet. It is majestic and massive, ye very graceful One of the most popular exhibits will be a very spirited plaster group, several Tagals Bolomen and Fill pinos. huddled together before an Ameri can soldier, with bayonet in one hant and shirt in the other Over the group in large letters. appears the motto: Buy shirts or get shot,"
 The Palace of Commerce contains B.oO square feet; Palace of Agriculture th' same. The two are connected with tho 1 Corton Palace by colonnade arcs.
 The Court of Palaces will be gracet with fountains and illumined with { thousand vari-colored lights, with music | in tlle air
 This finishes one wing, which. in thu words of the local enthusiasts, lis not 6 patch on the other. For one thing, tht women's department Is in the other wing | As the Cotton Palace stands at the ape1 of the east wing, the Woman's Buildins stands at the apex of the west. This | wing is known as the Natural Section It borders on the edge of Ashley River ending in one of those oak groves so in timately known and so well beloved bJ every Carolinian.
 Where the Women Reign.
 The womans Building is an old Colo nial mansion standing in one of thes' oak groves It is highly probable that tt II any the Woman's Department vii prove the most interesting in the show Those who saw the exhibit of the Soutl Carolina women at the Atlanta Exposi ton some years ago can imagine tht showing that they will make here wher the reputation of the State is at stake | What Is characteristic and peculiar tC the home of the Exposition will doubt less be shown here most effectively. | Adjoining is the Fine Arts Building, il which pictures and statues will be ex hibited. Sirting the grove of oaks an6 1 formed by an estuary of Ashley River i! | Lake Juanita whereon boats will pl! for all those who want them, and people can play Venice if they want to. Sur rounding Lake Juanita and scattered | throughout this western wing are variou State buildings, a Machinery Building, ; Transportation Building, and Fishcriel | Building. ..s.
 Outside of these there is to be thor oughly up-to-date cattle and dairy ex hibit, an important and in this sectiol hitherto almost totally neglected indus try. There will be also about twenty | two acres of Midway. At present thi consists of a bare stretch of land but i will soon be filled with chutes, loop tn loops, dancing dervishes, dark-eyet houris. and a host of other very naugh | ty but very nice, amuSementS.
 l .L. and i. will be