The sun., 1907-08-13
EXTERNALS AT JAMESTOWN.

~ concerned tnere IN more OF CuriOhLty ADOuJ
the jamestown exposition than there Ia Of
real interest in H. In its present condition,
and In what Is quite likely TO be its condi-
tion during its existence, the show may be
hkened to a lovely woman In q soiled and
ragged gown. The opinion is reached In
stinctively that she would be a lot more
attractive II properly dressed.
The general architectural scheme Of tho
exposition is Colonial, and the main build
ings are to be commanded. The general
color scheme In red brick with gray stone
trimmings or gray stone with red brick
trimmings. This is always an excellent
and pleasantly effective combination II
IL has a proper setting Put a building OF
that type, or a group OF buildings, In q set
ting Of rich greensward with beds OF bios
soming plants and towering shrubs, half
hide the structures with the foliage OF trees,
and the effect Is always delightful. Place
the same buildings on q sand bank or in
the middle Of ploughed field, scatter about
them few patches OF sickly grass, q few
struggling shrubs, few despondent look
ing trees and some beds OF sunhowers and
petunias, and the effect Ia almost pitiful.
Altogether too much is left to the imagi-
nation. The latter Of these cases IL only
slightly exaggerated description Of the ex-
position grounds. The landscape garden
ing, upon which the ensemble of the affair
depends absolutely, Is thus far a deplorable
failure. Some improvement will doubtlers
he made as the days go by. but grass and
flowers and trees do not grow In a night
on sandy soil.
The exhibits are practically completed.
Here and there IL an empty space or a pile
OF packing cases. but there are 30 few Of
either that they are barely noticed. One
or two buildings are not yet opened becau use
see. and most % IL in In good and attractive
order. The exhibits themselves are emf
nently Of the commonplace sort. Here are
the wares and the merchandise, the ma
chimes. machinery and specimens that are
seen at all such places. There is much that
could be seen by a journey through any OF
the big department stores Of any consider
able city. There is more that could be seen
by visiting individual stores and shops
Here and there is some special feature OF
important interest. like the Pennsylvania
Railroads. exhibit OF full sized cross sec
tion Of the North River tunnel for single
track. IL shows the steel casing with it's
concrete lining, track bed. ties and rails
Such special displays, however. are not very
numerous. Afull list OF all exhibitors would
show great many names with which the
travelling public is familiar through seeing
them stuck up in street cars and elsew here.
and with which the reading public is ac-
quainted through the medium of the volu-
minous advertising pages OF the magazines
Two notable exceptions should be men
toned. They are the exhibits Of the United
States Government and the display made
by individual States in building provided
for that purpose. Either ia extremely in
teresting in itself, and taken in combination
they are a liberal education.
Now, we are in our own peculiar way a
somewhat practical people. We are prone
to wonder and 10 ask what all this expen-
diture Of time and money and energy
amounts to. We want to know what Is
gained by this display and by others OF its
kind, and who are the gamers The value
of such Affairs is open TO consideration from
three distinct points Of view, the economic,
the educational and what might be called
the frivolous or the vaudeville side a. rep-
resented by %midways," pixies" and war
paths" II is difficult IL not quite irnpos-
sible 10 estimate the economic value of the
jamestown exposition, perhaps more dim
cult than was the case of any of its prede-
cessors. All affairs Of the kind are largely
IL not mainly only form Of advertising.
From the fact that many advertise and dis
play their wares at all Of them, and covet
the medals and other symbols OF recosni-
ton OF special merit, II IL 10 be Inferred that
this form OF advertising pays. The student
and the observer are somewhat at sea,
nevertheless. A certain amount Of bu.i-
ness, even a considerable amount, IL made
for special groups Of transportation COM
panies. the groups varying with the loca-
ton OF the show. A business is made for
the hotels and the purveyors Of the local.
ity, and some trade Ia secured, either pres
ent or future, by the exhibitors.
But only part and perhaps only an al
most insignificant part OF this business Is
either original or in any way constructive.
The great bulk OF il is no more than a trans
fer of accounts There is no new or in
creased demand for food that will benefit
the producers Of food. What il eaten in
the neighborhood OF the exposition whilei Il
ia going on would be eaten somewhere else
eif it were not eaten there good deal OF
the money spent by travellers for transpor-
tation to the exposition would be spent any.
way for transportation during the vacation
season. IL may be doubted IL the money
actually expended for food. accommoda-
tions and transportation greatly exceeds, il
it exceeds at all, the sum which would be
spent for similar purposes il there were no
exposition. IL is all mainly no more than
atransfer Of accounts and not a creation or
a special increase of business.
Very much the same thing may be said
regarding the business secured by ex-
hibitors. No one eats more pickles because
of seeing huge display Of that particular
esculent at an exposition. The visitor
may find a particular brand Of pickles.
previously unknown, preferable to those
formerly used. Here again is a mere
transfer OF accounts. The ambitious
picker merely gets a trade which would
otherwise have gone TO a rival. On the
other hand the rival who loses in that par-
ticular instance wins customer in the next
one and the score is evened up. The house,
keeper who has been feeding her family
on Near Food experiments with Almost
Food and decides to change that article
on her menu. The next lady in line re-