Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1901-04-11

Superintendent Of Liberal Arts, Pan-American
Expositionl
woman, gentle or simple, each visitor
should gain and should be conscious of
gaining an enlarged appreciation, sub
tectively of himself as a living and
sentient being and effectively Of the
world as his sphere of living and know
ing, a realm fuller of sweetness and
light His respirations should be quick
er, his Inspirations deeper and his as
pirations loftier and nobler.
To this end the Exposition speaks to
its visitors with three voices-through
its architecture, its exhibits, its amuse-
ments The Pan-AmeriCan Exposition
will address its expected throngs in
all these voices.
In its architecture must be included
the whole external equipment - its
buildings in their artistic and symmet-
rical arrangement and grouping, the
beauty of their style, the eXuberance of
their decorations. breathing afreSh the
genius of the Spaniard and the Moor in
kIdCt1 VI lbl Ills anu SOl StOuS NOlOl luBS ,
the landscape effects. blending the har-
monies OF forest and lake, of fountain
and tower. of cascade and castle and
eliminating spire-of all that is lovely
In nature with all that is refined and
ennobling in art. Here, as at Chicago
the architect holds high carnival II 1T
the Columbian exposition we found the
chaste purity of the lily in presenta,
ton 'unequaled since the days of Phid-
las and Praxiteles," the fairies who
Join hands in the Pan-American clothe
themselves with the chaste hues Of
Titan and of MurillO, unequaled since
the days Of Venice and of the Alham-
bra Another dream of beauty will
hang in the eastern sky, paralleling the
visions Of delight that linger on the
western horizon.
Who can doubt the educative effect
of these architectural lessons within
the hearts of the American people?
1t is, however. not enough to have
evoked, like a mirage floating over the
plains, these phantasmagoria delights
which fill our lives with joy and our
memories with dreams. The president
of the French republic in the decree
which laid the foundation of the expo
sition of 1900 declared the purpose of
that great enterprise to be "a presenta-
tion of the works of art and of indus
trial and agricultural products"-an as
semblage OF exhibits. That is without
doubt the central. the formative, idea
OF the Pan-American Exposition.
Without exhibits there can be no ex-
position.
Each new and well arranged expOsi-
tion is a new edition of worlds en-
cyclopedia constructed by a scientific
terial things. 1t is also landmark, a
milestone in the history Of the world S
progress and the development of man
kind. No one may expect, no one
should desire, TO read through from
first to hast the marvels presented III
universal exposition. AS well expect
70 memorize the Library of Congress
or of the British Museum. But, were
the exposition or the library truly uni
versal, every man should find therein
the latest utterance which the world
can give upon any subject within the
scope OF human inquiry. Unless this
be the fact the exposition IS in some
degree deficient in the fulfilling of its
whole duty. It's duty may be express
ed, less exhaustively, perhaps, but
with more practical truth, thus: 1t is 9
place not in which anybody will learn
all 1t can offer, but in which anybody
may enlarge the scope of his informa
tiou. How far the Pan-American Ex
position can realize this criterion OF
completeness and Of excellence vii
depend upon the area o. space at it:
disposal and the sn.L Of its officers II
the management of that space. /
looks now as if it will become not al
encyclopedia OF all knowledge, but q!
edition de luxe OF the most excellen
selections,
In this phase of the Exposition will
be found its most instructive value
Whether it will also be the most edu
cative will depend upon the individual
who is the recipient.
The Exposition has a third phase
rendering another element Of education
through It's power of amusement. Ami'
the whirl of sounds and scenes in tn
exhibit departments mind and body &c
Iuire intense fatigue which Graves res'
The toll Of simple observation become
wa.Etf f.
solace. The maEiciau's wand lend
new lie to tired limbs. There wa
iume frctb iu The Chicago Midway
But regarding the Midway after tn
apse Of seven years one is convince
hat out Of It came more enduring an
practical information and educatia
han there was o. mere ephemera
oam. Years Of travel heading to som
4 the rcmotest quarters of the cart
would lave been required to give eve
he casual observer 50 much insigl
nto the manners, customs and conduC
t peoples differing from US in rac'
olor, religion and habits Of life an
hought as might have been gathere
single journey up and down til
urlieus Of the Midway. An eXcelleT
ondtion Of the Midway was its col
entratiOn. While it was of the eXpt
ition, it was wholly by itse1t, Son
hings shown Illustrated the prOcessC
SimpOiCaut business methods, like Ii
iakiug of glass or Of lace. the cultul
ostrichps. the work Of the diver
le depths OF the sea. Some shove
ledigval structures, HE sue Castle {
,larney, the Streets of Old Vienna an
Constantinople. Some were who'll
yen to hilarity, like the Streets
afro, filed with innocent fun. The.