Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-04-30
MANY I|H EXHIBITS
Government Departments at
the St. Iouis Fair.
As
THOUGHT@A ND CARE
NEW FEATURES THAT HAVE
NEVER BEFORE BEEN SHOWN.
Gathered From ALI Parts Of the Coun-
try-Moving Pictures-Instruct-
I've and Interesting.
TH0UGHT=AND CARE
pecial Correspondents Of The Evening Star.


ST. LOUIS, April n, 1904.
The citizens Of the District of Columbia.
or 1.-The United States territory" as it has
como to be known, will doubtless be proud
Oh thear exhibit at the worlds fair-othsr-
wise designated as the government ex.
hibit.
Despite somewhat unfortunate and
long standing notion that the federal ex-
INDUS are merely lot Of old revarnished
cases ana Resulted lay figures, long ago
OBSERVING TO be pensioned, at this exposi-
'ioii the government buildings contain al
.nosl ehtireiy new displays. And there has
oeen every opportunity for this, since the
poaru IN charge Of the exhibits has had both
ainpae time and generous appropriations at
us uisOosai. These circumstances have
neSer perore been favorable, nearly
TWO years time for preparation and about
million and half dollars having been
ailoWed by Congress. With this money
there nave been erected a main building
q tto nsn aI, pavilion and life-saving sta
ION an Wen hlled with valuable exhibits,
ana besides there has been erected an ayiary
o! mammoth size, and half dozen outdoor
displays have been provided
among the members of the government
poaru there has been considerable good
hatured INVITING regarding the exhibits
prepared by the respective members The
exhibit Of the State Department, because
II IS the smallest, 1t has been suggested
might have been packed In the trunk Of
the Department. representative and the ex-
tordonate terminal freight charges avoided
me POST Office Department has been plead
ed with to send to the pound the Alaskan
mail service dog team which has travelled
ABOUT TO many expositions. The geologi-
cal survey has been feelingIy appealed to
10 abandon it's collection of sacred rocks,
now moss grown, and to obtain another
Inc hot ,icrI,} IL
from the change. The fish commission
mas suffered innocent abuse because of
some stuffed seals, which. 1t is asserted
have been kept out of water for exhibit
ton purposes so long that their skins have
cracked And. in turn, the Smithsonian
Institutions mastodon skeleton has been
affectionately termed the prehistoric
puppy"
Thought and Care.
But most Of these things have been dis
carded or left In Washington In retirement
Now comes new criticism. The effort of
the board has been to make the exhibits
live" and as one method to this end NOV
ing picture exhibits have been provided. So
the remark is being heard that 1.-The Mid
way Is in the government building" How
ever, on serious consideration of the pres
ent displays, 1t IS acknowledged that there
has never before been so much thought and
care given to the preparation Of the gov
ernment's show.
The impression has long been prevalent
among District people that what the de-
partments exhibit are only the objects that
may be seen at any time In the buildings
In Washington. This Is only to q very
limited extent true. 1t was formerly the
fact that Congress in authorizing govern
mental participation in exposftions merely
provided funds for transporting objects al
ready in the possession of the departments,
but of recent years "the purchase" of arti-
cies has been inserted in the acts, and this
has brought about the opportunity Of max
ing practically a new display at each ex-
position. Therefore, the departments new
send from Washington only such materials
as happen to be available at the "home Of
f1ce." and gather from governmental
branches from all over the country ana
purchase on the outside articles for exhibit
ton never otherwise coming into the pos
session of the government.
From Many Places.
1t Is an interesting fact that while the
War Department. for instance. has per7
haps over a hundred carloads of exhibits at
St Louis, barely one carload was shipped
from Washington. This may be said also
of MANY other of the departments. An
other point generally lost sight Of is that
but few OF the departments exhibit any
thing in their buildings in Washington.
The Department of Agriculture has sew
eral Of it's laboratories In practical opera
tion I'm the government buildng-the typi-
cal function of this department being thus
represented These laboratories are not
open to the public in Washington. but at
the exposition actual investigation will be
pursued before the visitors and all the pro-
cesses explained to them. These will In
clude the recently much-talked-of pure food
experiments, the study of plant diseases,
seed inspection, meat inspection. etc.
Interesting Exhibits.
The scientific researches and explorations
of the coast and geodetfc survey are demon
strated by the many intricate instruments
used by the survey, which are not to be
seen in Washington. The new bureau Of
standards is represented for the first time
at any exposition, as Is also the Library Of
Congress- The conspicuous feature of the
librarys exhibit is large sectional model
of the grand building on Capitol Hill. Origi-
nal documents of great historic Importance
are exhibited by the State Department,
Washington, where they are always under
lock and key. Among these is the famous
Louisiana purchase treaty. A full-size
model of the forward portion of q United
the capital city. and the same may be said
of the elaborate working models of dry
docks which the Navy Department pre-
sents.
The big sea coast guns of the army. the
submarine mines. the river and harbor i'm
provement models. the wonderful signaling
apparatus. the brigade field hospital the
complete process Qn operation) of the manu-
facture OF bali cartridges. and other fea-
lures of the War Departments exhibit
| can scarcely fail to interest the average
| citizens Of Washington. The heroic Hfe-say-
| ing drills. the complete process On opera
| tion) of the coinage of United States money
and other sections OF the Treasury Depart-
| ment's exhibit; the Interesting lighthouse
| display OF the Department Of Commerce.
and Labor. and many other portions of the
| governments collection at this exposition
| are by no means familiar to District people.
and there Is no small number of objects OF
| especial interest to Washingtonians, such
as the models of the new filtration plant.
| the new government printing office and of
| Cabin John bridge, ~
Moving Pictures.
The moving picture exhibitions already
mentioned. are indeed a source of much en-
| lightenment and entertainment Two de-
| partments. the Navy and Interior. have
erected on their spaces Enclosures wherein
| these pictures are thrown on largo screens
before the seated visitors. the other de-
partments utilizing the mutoscope cabinets
| The Views shown are all timely. The Post
| Office Department illustrates the transfer
/ M mail from, ocean Steamshtna tba AZ.