The Van Buren press., 1904-04-02
ARKANSAS IN AGRICULTURE.
Unique Pavilion Of Cotton, Corn and To.
baccO Built In the Palace of Agri-
culture, Shows the Farm Pro-
duets Of the State.

Cotton, corn and tobacco-the
great agricultural triumvirate of
Arkansas serve two distinct pur.
poses at the Worlds Fair. They
show the chief farm products Of
the enterprising commonwealth,
and they furnish building material
for the architects Of the Arkansas
pavilion in the great Palace of
Agriculture.
The Arkansas pavilion, now
nearly completed, is one Of the
unique attractions in the largest
exposition palace on the grounds.
AS to exterior and intetiOr it is
built entirely of corn, cotton and
tobacco. The framework is of
wood, but all the visible material
is either corn, cotton or tobacco,
with the exception Of a ground.
work of red or blue burlap which
peeps ont here and there. This
pavilion, located west of the main
aisle near the center of the build.
ing, is 100 feet long by 40 feet
wide. Its front facade is the
chief decorative feature. This
facade is fantastic conception,
but very pretty, nevertheless, re.
sembling in its general outlines
the front of a bazaar booth in u
Hindoo market place. The central
feature is big dome, rising to a
/ height Of about thirty.fve feet
above the floor. The dome sur.
mounts the central part of the ia.
cade, and is covered entirely with
split corn ears and the soft white
cotton, Underneath the dome is
the entrance to the pavilion. The
door opens into a room about ten
feet square, which is finished in
corn, cotton and tobacco. Every
| part OF the interior IL thus decor.
rated, Both inside and outside
walls Of the facade are entirely
covered with split and sliced ears
of corn, arranged IN artistic de-
signs, and with white cotton and
the brown cottonseed hulls IN lay.
ers or stripes, giving a varity Of
color effects. In the wall, at each
side Of the entrance, are several
windows or archways, through
which the visitor may see from the
outside the various agricultural
exhibits Of Arkansas arranged on
tables and stands inside, On the
panels between the arches the
decorations are Of sheaves Of
wheat, oats, rye and other cereals
from the Arkansas fields.
The work Of covering the ex.
posed parts Of the pavilion with
the field products of the stale Ia \
tedious operation, requiring con-
siderable skill and artistic ability,
Special machines are used for cut.
ting or sOicng the ears of corn 30
that they may be tackled to the
surface. Red, white and yellow
corn il uscd, the colors alternat.
ing to give variety. The whole
effect, as viewed from distance,
is that Of u sklllfully painted sur.
face, Six distinct burs 20 10 make
up the coloring, These are the
three shades of corn, the white
cotton, the brown cottonsecd aud
the dark yellow of the tobacco
leaf In addition, there are \
number of sheavcs Of wheat aud
other cereals capping the front
wall ut regular spaces, which add
greately 10 the beauty Of the
structure,
Inside the pavilion Ia being ur.
ranged n display of the farm pro.
duets Of Arkansas which contains
some surprises, For instance, there
are stalks OF corn twenty feet tall,
These were shipped to ST. Louis
! IN long cNses, arousing much
curiosity on the way,
The thing n eat can't understand