The Columbus commercial. (Columbus, Miss.) 1893-1922, 1904-08-09
FACTS ABOUT
THE B|GFAIR.
Trainmaster C.. M. Reeve s
Gives interesting Discrip-
ton Of His Recent
Trip.

! 1fainmaSL0F L. Nj. Reeves Oi
the Southern railway, who with
his family has been taking in the
great st. Louis Fair, has return
ed to the city, and when asked by
a Commercial reporter what he
thought of the exhibition replied !;
''Its simply great, its the biggest
thing ever conceived by man,
and no one can afford to miss it. >
OF course every one is interest
ed in the Mississippi exhibit and
as there has been some dissatis
faction expressed at the character
of the display Mr.. Reeves was
asked what he thought o { i t.
"Mississippi," Said he, "has a
fine exhibit in the Forestry build
ing, the statue of King Cotton
comparing favorably with any
thing to be seen on the grounds.
The State building, however, did
not come up to my expectations.
Upon entering the building you
see straight ahead of you a negro
girl who says n thing and does
nothing. This completes the re-
ception. In the room to your left
you find a picture of Gen. Robert
f. Lee and centre table, on
which there is a register, and next
to be seen is the bed on which
Jefferson Davis, the lamented
president of the Southern Con-
federcy, breathed h is Ia t.
Another room represents the
chamber at Beauvoir in which
Mr.. Davis slept for many years
prior to his death, while at h
rear end of the hall there is an
old clock, and this, like every
.thing else in the s~uildine IS ad-
vertised for sale. In this hall there
is also Il cooler filled with ice
water, and the visitor should not
hesitate TO help himself, for there
is no one to invite him to take a
drink. This building is supposed
to have cost S15, 900, poor Miss
issippi."
Mr.. Reeves was very favorably
impressed with The Vulcan, the
mammoth iron statue sent from
the mining district of Alabama,
but says that its location is un-
fortunate, as it stands immedia-
tely in the rear of a mammoth
fort constructed of coal from In
diana mines, and can hardly be
seen.
Concerning the Boer War Mr., |
Reeves said; Every one should |
see this startling exhibition of /
genuine warfare, participated in
by real soldiers, including Gen.
Kronje himself, but it is not neces-
sary to pay the usher ten cents
extra for grass mat to sit up
on" With the Philippine reserva-
ton, however, he was not so
favorably impressed. eve were
all anxious to see the Filippino's
village" said he, land started
on a pilgrimage through its con-
fines soon after our arrival at the
Exposition but had gone less than
a hundred yards when | told my
daughter that We would turn back
and would visit the PHILIPPINE
some day when they had on more
clothes, as they did not seem to
be dressed for callers on the oc-
casion of our visit"
When asked abont the expense
of the trip Mr.. Reeves said "The
idea of some people that visit to
the Exposition costs small for
tune is entirely erroneous. 1t does
not cost more to live in st. Louis
now than it does in any other
large city under normal condi-
tions. | stopped at 1923 Washing
ton Ave-, and had an elegant
room, which cost me 70 cents per
day. There were several of US in
our party and we found that by
the display of some discretion
in ordering we could get elegant
meals at an average cost of about
75 cents each. This was at the
best restaurants to be found in
the city, and right here | wish to
advise all who intend going to
st. Louis TO steer clear of the
cheap cafes and hash houses
where meals are served at 25