Year: 1876




THE EXHIBITION.


When it was first announced that the Cen
tennial Exhibition buildings at Philadelphia
would surpass IN the area inclosed those of
every previous Worlds Fair, the plan was de-
nounced az eXtrayagant and 1t was freely
prophesied that there would not be goods
enough to Gll the space provided for them.
But it is apparent that our industrial palace
or rather our collection of palaces-will be
none too large. For twen'y years the tendency
of all international exhibitions has been
to expand. The Paris Exhibition OF
1867 was about one-quarter larger than
the first Worlds Fair of London in
1851; Vienna erected buildings about five
sixths larger than those of Paris and we have
added third to the dimensions OF tie struc-
lures at Vienna. The fear that foreign nations
would not contribute extensively to an exhibi-
ton thousands of miles away has proved uD-
founded. The applications from abroad for
space have been greatly III excess Of the gene
raj anticipation. and none of the most i'm
p0rtant countries have succeeded in obtaining
as much room as they wish for. There Is
complaint on the part of individual foreign
exhibitors that our hospitality is much too re-
strictcd, and the Commissioners have been
urged to enlarge the buildings. That of course
is out of the question; but great many com
modous annexcs are to bc erected i'll which for
eigners will have fair proportion of room.


We trust that the quality of the articles ex-
hibitcd may be as satisfactory as their num-
ber. With regard to other nations there can
he little doubt The presumption always is
that no manufacturer will be at the expense oi
shipping any of his work across the Atlantic
unless he is pretty certain that II is better
than things of the same kind produced over
here Besides, as the space applied for ex-
ceeded the allotment, the foreign commits
sions often composed of men OF extensive
knowledge and long experience, had ev-
cry opportunity to weed out the cOntri-
buttons from their respective nations, and for
ward only those that would do them the
most credit All accounts agree that the rep
rcSentation of foreign countries will thus be
rich and valuahle,-defective perhaps in the
specimens Of some few important industries.
but on the whole much finer than we had any
reason 10 expect. But how is il with regard
to the American display1 We have kept for
ourselves two-thirds of al the space in all the
buildings, and there are departments in which
our share will be considerably more than two
thirds. 1t il morally certain that in this
huge mass of goods we shall display
a great deal of rubbish The patent
medicine vendcrs are fortunately excluded
by the rules Of the Exhibition but we may
well feel some uneasiness when we rcmem-
Der the piles of soap, s0ye-pollsh, yeast
powder, patent rat-trapS, trophies OF adyertis-
ing impudenrc and monuments of misappliod
ingenuity which have incumbered other fairs.
Local Commissioners in some States have made
extraordinary eXcTtiOns TO secure the fullest
possible representation of the industries of
their respective communities, without stopping
to inquire how much of the omnium gatherum
was worth exhibiting, and whether the result
of such indscliminate zeal would not he more
likely to provoke Iidculc than admiration. 1t
will he great misfortune If We bury our
really good work under mountain of trash.


1t is to be presumed that the proper authori-
ing space, but il was impossible for them TO
he well informed rs to the character of many
of the goods submitted to them. The chief
duty of selection must fall upon the exhibitors
themselves. We beg our enthusiastic country
men to exercise a little sclf-restraint; and if
the State Commissions and local committees
can toss few words of goOd advice where
they are most needed. they may promote the
practice of sef-cxamination and the virtue of
modcsty among those who are little given To
either.