Year: 1875

One of the most important and interest
ing features of the Centennial Exhibition


will be the aboriginal representations.


General Eaton has been most fortunate in
planning the construction of the Govern
ment building to be used by the several
Departments, its appointments being ap-
parently complete in every particular.


The structure is already under roof and
will soon be in readiness for the prelim-
mary preparations which must necessarily
be made before it will be ready for the
reception of the untold wealth of curiosi-
ties, of invention, of mineral and vegetable


production and of art, which the Govern


ment is sparing no means that will aid
to secure. In our Department column this


morning will be found an interesting letter
from Commissioner Smith to the Secretary
of the Interior, relating to the efforts of
the Indian Bureau to secure the necessary
material to representIthat Department in
manner which the peculiar circumstances
of the case demand. No distinctive fea-


ture in the Exposition will command the
universal attention Of foreigners so much


as the customs, habits and curiosities of the


nomadic race, of which there is not ma


tionality on the face of the globe but what
has heard, and scarcely one that knows
anything about them in reality. To most
of these nations the American aborigines
seem as d race which exists alone in myth
ical sto-y and legendary lore, q strange,


weird, fantastic people, whose possible ex-
istence fastens itself upon the mind of the
European for a moment, and then passes
away TO dream and shadow, leaving moth
ing save "a vague impression behind, an


impression which must naturally deceive
and never satisfy. By the proposed exhibi-
ton OF the Indian Department at Fairmouni
all this inadequate and uncertain knowledge
which at present generally prevails abroad
will be completely and happily dispelled,
and light thrown upon American ethnology
which viii not only crafty our visitors,


but be wonderful source of profit and


study TO those who are fond of deiying In
the interesting details connected with the
history Of this fast disappearing people.
From the frozen shores Of Alaska will
COluc luOubauO IhIc anu D6duIllul bpcCl-
mems of Indian art; from the western slope Of
the Rockies we shall have rich and valuable
collections of pottery, war implements, pic
ture writing. and many other things of
great value and absorbing interest to the
jealous student of antiquities; from our
Eastern tribes we shall have abundance Of
the decorative art and some elegant speci-
mems of Indian inventive genius under the
benign influence of civilization, much OF
which win be marvel to those who know
the red man simply as denizen of the for
est decorated with the grotesque dress for


which he is famous, filed with wild desire
for the trail, the hunt and the monotonous


music Of his melancholy dances. The


turbaned Turk, coming from the soft and
delicious climate Of the South; the italian


from the land of song and art; the French


man from the shady banks Of the Rhone;
the hardy Swede from the shores of the
| Baltic, and the merry men from all the
world viii dwell upon the scenes presented
to them at the Indian department with
more interest and lasting satisfaction than