People's Pilot, Volume 3, Number 15, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 September 1893 — PICTURESQUE PLACES. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

PICTURESQUE PLACES.

Bpots In the White City Where Lovers Like to Linger. The Refreshing Atmosphere of the Greenhouses—The Historic Attractions of Washington House and Walton Cottage.. (Special Chicago Correspondence! The falling of leaves from the trees and the chill of the air at morning and evening strongly suggest the approach of winter and remind us that the end of the world’s fair is at hand. In another month the fire on the hearth will begin to feel good and the heater and the furnace will have been put in readiness for the winter season. With all this in view the departing verdure of the trees and plants becomes still more attractive to us, and we are loth to part with the sweetness and beauty of the fading flowers, and we regret the time lost among other attractions of the great fair.

As the summer season has faded into autumn the delicate blossoms of the tropical plants have disappeared, the more hardy beauties of colder climes have come to gladden the eyes of the lovers of nature, and the busy gardeners and attendants of the horticultural department have had their hands full in changing the plants as their respective seasons opened and closed. True, the average visitor takes little heed of these things. He casts an admiring glance at the bright blossoms

and with a hurried sniff at their sweet odor and the commonplace remark: “Yes, very pretty,” bolts away to visions of more practical and prosaic things. But there are those who love to linger among the fragrant flowers and who note with sorrow the fading glories of the beautiful flower beds about the Horticultural building and on the wooded island.. Mere all summer long have bloomed some of the choicest and rarest exotics ever seen in this country. With the changing months the reigning beauties of the garden and hot-house have held sway each in turn

giving place to the other as its appropriate period came and went, and now thal; the chilling hand of winter is stretched forth to seize them in its icy grasp they are being uprooted and conveyed to the preserving warmth of the (Conservatories. It has been said by exacting individuals that in the reipect of flowers and plants the exposition has been sadly lacking, and it has been remarked by thoughtless persons that it wasn’t worth while to erect so handsome and extensive a structure as is the Horticultural building for so meager a display as contained therein. Such comments' could emanate but from callous and inexperienced persons who have no knowledge of the infinite labor that has been expended in this department to bring it to the very high state of perfection to which it has attained. To properly provide for such a vaht number and variety of plants as have been exhibited in the department of floriculture it has necessitated the erection of numerons and extensive greenhouses. Immediately on the west of Horticultural hall stand these buildings, forming in themselves a miniature city of glass-covered houses. In

these at the present time are to be found treasured for transportation to fields afresh countless bulbs and plants which have served to beautify the wonderful city of white. Here at all times we may find strolling to and fro arm in arm and hand in hand couples whose sentimental air suggests the romantic story of love’s young dream. Love and flowers always go together. There are other pleasant places where sighing swains delight to roam with the dear creatures in whom all their hopes of future happiness lie. Away up north among the state buildings are several green and cozy spots just calculated for the sacred avowal—quiet verandas overlooking green lawns and retired nooks where busy sightseers are not likely to intrude. Ah! many are the heart stories that have been murmured soft and low within the gates of that magic city by the lake, and many are the fates that have been sealed beside the still waters of the limpid lagoon. An attractive spot for the searcher after historic lore is the Washington house, in the northeast portion of the state building section. Tucked away in the funny little rooms are the old household treasures of the first president of this glorious republic—pianos, paintings and bric-a-brac in the last stages of decrepitude which in their day were considered the finest in the land; chairs, tables, etc., which are held as too 6acred to be handled by careless hands. The house, the grounds and all are reproduced as nearly like the original homestead as human skill could make them.

Situated on the north lagoon close by is another historic feature. It is the Walton lodge, a quaint little cottage erected to commemorate the great deeds of the immortal Isaak, the patron saint of fishermen. Few visitors at the fair in passing the quaint little cottage seem to recognize the import of its mission or the historic interest connected with its name. When the members of this Chicago fishing club determined to have an exhibit which should illustrate and enhance the usefulness of their art they wisely chose for their building a model of the fishing cottage which Isaak Walton and his adopted son, Charles Cotton, erected on the banks of the River Dove in 1674; and which, after all this lapse of time, still stands as an interesting reminder of the great apostle of piscatorial pleasures. Here within the last few days the disciples of the great fisherman have held contests of skill in the art of casting the fly. and beautiful and valuable

prizes have been awarded to the victorious contestants. It is exceedingly doubtful if the father of fishermen ever beheld in his day such feats of skill with the rod and line as were performed on these occasions.

WASHINGTON BACK YARD.

GREENHOUSES.

IZAAC WALTON COTTAGE.