Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1907-07-12
NATIONAL CORN FAIR
Decorations For Festival In Chi
cago to Cost $500
BEAUTIFUL SCENIC EFFECTS.

Field Of Growing Grain to Be Installed.
Ancient Sacrifices to the Goddess OF
the Harvest Will Be Reproduced Dur
ina the OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES Of Corn.
A corn paradise is 10 be made OF the
Coliseum In Chicago during the Ma
tional Corn exposition Oct. o to 10. ac-
cording TO plans which have been
drawn for the decorations by A. l..
Daniel. scenic artist, whose decoration
scheme has met with the approval OF
the committee in charge, says the Chi
cago Post
A bewilderment Of gay lights and
colors will serve Tor a setting for the
biggest aud the most significant of
corn shows. Money has not been
spared to make the effect a delight To
the eye. and careful study has been
made of the subject, even history being
delved into, to add instructive features
of display. Thirty thousand dollars
will be spent on this purpose alone.
The scheme has been worked out
upon broad lines. The ceiling OF the
big hall will present an expanse of blue
set with stars fifteen feet in diameter.
The two ends Of the hall have been
given to the working out of special
ideas. The south end will present the
spectacle of a field of growing corn.
There will be windmpl-typical OF
farm in the great corn belt-a farm
house. a corn crib and all the features
that characterize the farm. Back OF
the cornfield will be vista of hills
and woods and gold leaf sun twenty
feet in diameter surrounding the hori'
Zon.
The opposite end Of the hall is to de-
pict the ancient ceremony of the corn
sacrifice, when maidens offered up
portion of the seasons yield to the
goddess of the harvest. Encyclopedias
and histories were searched for au-
thentic data upen this point, and 1t
was found that similar custom exist
ed alike in ancient Greece and in Peru
and Mexico. The Grecians made their
sacrifice to Ceres, the Mexicans to
Cinteotl.
The stories Of the sacrifice to the
two NEUROLOGICAL deities have been
woven together for the corn exposition,
and it is the plan to have the ceremony
performed twice each day beneath a
triumphal arch and with scenic set
ting of Greeian architecture by twenty
girls dressed In corresponding costume.
Garands and festoons of corn are to
adorn the ceiling and walls. Overhead
there will be twelve clusters of eight
lights each, wreath Of corn surround
ing each cluster, and cables of corn
linking them together. A feature plan
ned in this connection is to have sus-
pended papier mache ears of corn, six
feet in length and made on the prin-
ciple of a japanese lantern, illuminat-
ed from within by electric lights.
In the center of the hall, upon plat
form elevated ten feet above the floor,
a. is to be a statuary group made all or
corn, representing farmer driving a
three horse team and sulky plow.
The figures are to be larger than life
size. There is also to be a locomotive
and a passenger car made of corn, and
the high degree reached in the decora-
tors art is to be shown in life size
portraits of President Roosevelt and
Vice President Fairbanks in corn.
Corn and paper mache are the two
materials that will predominant in the
decorations. Three thousand dollars is
to be expended for corn specially
grown, and $4,000 will go for the pur
chase of PAPER mache. This will take
the place of much of the plaster OF
paris work that has figured largely in
previous shows. 1t Is declared that Q
ton of it will do more than twenty OF
plaster and produce better effects.
Corn of all sizes and colors has beer
contracted for to supply the decorative
needs. All the Tom Thumb corn thai
can be produced will be purchased, ant
perfect ears, little over an inch long
will be given away to visitors at thu
exposition for souvenirs.
People who are only familiar will
the varieties Of corn that presen
SudutS VI SICcu anu yClioW Will w
surprised by the information that corr
in three or four shades of red is avail
able for the decorators uses, the bright
est being a clear ruby, and that Il!
many shades Of blue can be obtained
An abundance of browns and deel
black also can be grown. No dyes o.
pigments will be necessary in making
the portraits of the president and vic'
president. The natural colors Of corr
will be used.
Apart from the decorations and fea
lures being provided for by the expOsi
ton management private exhibitor
will provide attractive shows of thei
own. The nature Of many Of thes,
will not appear until late, as there Il
rivalry for the prizes offered for fame!
exhibits, but it is promised that man!
of them will cost the makers mucl
more than the prizes they can Obtain
for them.
Many thousand dollars, it is expect
ed, will be spent by the exhibitors, ant
the grand total OF decorative features
1t is promised, will make the Nationa
Corn exposition a magnificent specta
Gle, quite apart from the educationa
aims of the undertaking.
Old Muster Rolls.