Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1904-08-12
VIRGINIA RANKS FIRST,
State is Represented i'm Every
Departm ent at the Worlds
Fair.

|
ST. LOUIS, AUGUST lsr, 1904.
In the character and presentation
OF her exhibits at the I,ouisian,
Purchase Exposition Virginia ha
gone to the front with suddennes
that is all the more impressive wher
compared with her efforts at previous
Exposltlons. At the Columbian ex
position, with the exception of 8
small mineral exhibit, her industrial
display was farcial; whereas at St
Louis no state with the same appro.
prlation equals her showing in the
department In which she enters and
IN the artistic arrangement of her
products.
There is no state at the exposition,
regardless of appropriation, that
excels her and it is common with
visitors, npou viewing Virginia ex.
hiblts, To exclainl, "This is the pref
test thing have seen in the build
ing"
The Agriculture exhibit, following
Moorish style of architecture, pre-.
sents large central pavilion sur
rounded by eight subsidiary domes.
Using blue ground the artist has
wrought an effective harmony of
decorations with peanuts, corn, to.
bacco, cotton and various grains and
grasses, carrying the scheme onto
the dividing partition separating
Virginia and Kentucky and sur.
mounting this latter with an inn
mense state seal worked out entirely
in field products.
The central pavilion is given over
to peanut display. This exhibit
presents not only the different brands
OF nuts, but also shows the various
uses to which they are put, and togeth.
er with the nuts used for decoration
curtains and other effects shows
several tons of this product.
The lesser pavilIons show special
exhibits, one being an exhibit of
fifty or more varieties of cow peas.
being the most complete pea exhibit
made 10y any firm at the fair. In an
adjoining pavilion their various
brands of champagne and wines
made from the scuppernong grape,
are shown, while particularly UNIQUE
is pickle exhibit in which is shown
pictures of famous characters and
events and great variety of flowers,
all worked out in vegetable pickles;
altogether making the pickle feature
of the Exposition.
The remaining five pavilions ex.
hlbit grain from nearly every section
of the state, while on the counters
before them is shown part of the
thousand -bushel corn display that
Virginia brought to show her western
sisters her abilities in this line.
Large cotton bales from Sou thamp-
ton and Brunswick counties are shown,
telling the story of over one hundred
growing mills and the production of
cotton said by the leading thread
makers to be the peer of any grown
for their purposes.
A display of forage plants and
sheaf grain, together with series of
beautiful transparencies illustrating
the agricultural industries of the
state fairly describe the leading
features of this space.
just across the aisle is Virginia's
special tobacco exhibit, the central
feature of which is a twenty.f foot
statue. representing an Indian girl
clothed in tobacco with right arm
extended, holding in her hand a
bundle of tobacco leaves. Grouped
around the base of this figure are
cases containing exhibits of leaf and |
manufactured tobaccos from the
different markets of the state.
In the horticultural building
Virginia has very attractive in
stallation occupying blocks 80 and
80. IN the one instance the treat
ment consisting of an immense
cornucopia from which apples are
presented by illusion as continually
pouring on to the pyramidal pile
below and in the other by light
pavilions Joined by grill work, and
testooned with grape vines, below
which are hung transparencies illus
trating orchard scenes, and On the
tables Of which aye displayed six
hundred plates of apples and other
fruits for the replenishing of which
between 500 and 900 barrels of Vir-
ginia fruit were placed in the st.
Louis cold storages.
In the Forestry, Fish and Game
building. Virginia has ope OF the
best exhibits shown, starting with
an attractive installation in brown
color scheme worked out with fine
cones, gum bales, and sea shells
framing an immense picture of
Hampton Roads with the Chamber
lain hotel in the foreground. The
site of the coming jamestown Expo
sition, Newport News and Norfolk in
the back ground are effective setting
provided for showing very complete
exhibit of mounted game, birds,
waterfowl and animals, while the
exhibit of shell fish consisting of
models in natural shells
showing types of oysters and CLANS
from all the leading coves of the
Chesapeake is said by experts to be
the finest exhibit of this character
yet made.
Virginia's mineral display is not
only one of the best Of her series but
is also one of the most striking of
the Palace Of Mines and Metallurgy.
Following designs drawn by w. L.
Sheppard, the Richmond artist, this
exhibit presents a massive lowered
archway constructed of copper ores
from Buckingham and Halifax,
gypsum and coal from Wise and
counties. AS a center
piece for the vista of this archway ,
is tableau representing King Coal
and his two guards. Extending on