Rensselaer Republican, Volume 25, Number 51, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 August 1893 — THE WORLD’S FAIR. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

THE WORLD’S FAIR.

Greatest Agricultural Exhibit of All Time—South Dakota FreakLargest Turned Vase. AGRICULTURE. The Columbian agricultural exhibit surpasses ten times over any agri-, cultural exhibit ever before made k> the history of the world. In fact, there is so much to see on the main floor that few persons visit the galleries, which contain some remarkably fine pavilions. Signs have been put up calling attention to the gallery exhibits, but this does not serve the purpose of attracting the erowcls. The Pennsylvania pavilion is in complete order, and it makes a very creditable display of- thb agricultural resources of the State. The pavilion is situated at the junction of the two main aisles in the center of the main building. The walls of the pavilion, both inside and out, are covered with grasses, corn, etc., wrought in beautiful designs. Conspicuous among these is the coat of arms of the State. Agricultural implements are also used to carry out these designs. There is a bust of Wiliam Penn and surmounting the pavilion in the center is an imitation of the Liberty bell, wrought in grain and hung in a cupola made of straw and grasses. In one corner of the pavilion on the inside is an old-fashioned fire-place made of corn and a handsome easy chair made of .cornstalks. Bottles made to imitate keystones and filled with various grains of the State are also used liberally to ornament the walls. There are over 500 different kinds of grain in these bottles. On the walls arc 166 different kinds of grasses. The tobacco industry is also well brought out and on the table in the center of the room are a number of bottles containing maple syrup. The Women’s Silk Culture Association of Philadelphia has a case full of silk exhibits, including American flags made in Philadelphia from silk produced from the cocoons grown by this association. There is a map giving the statis-

tics by counties of the corn, wheat and oats, etc., grown in the State in a single year. There are other statistics relating to the agricultural industry of the State and a fine collection of photographs of farm buildings. Although Pennsylvania is chiefly known as a manufacturing and mining State, no person can look over the agricultural exhibit without being convinced that the commonwealth takes the front rank also in that respect. On the opposite corner from Pennsylvania is the “lowa corn palace.” The columns are made of corn, and the pavilion has an open, airy look, which makes it very pretty. On another corner of-this main aisl e is the German exhibit. This takes up a good deal of space and includes a pavilion made of chocolate and a large statue of Germania made of the same material. Illinois adjoins Pennsylvania on the east. The Hoosier State has a handsome pavilion constructed of broken ears of corn. Ohio comes next with an imitation of a Grecian temple, the columns being made of glass filled with grain. The Canadian exhibit with a 22,000 pound cheese is not far away, and it is a very creditable, exhibit. Kentucky uses tobacco, flax and hemp largely in its pavilion. Indiana runs to corn again, while New York has plain jars and wooden boxes filled with grain and other agricultural products. New Jersey has a very good display of a varied character. One of the most noted products of the state is shown in the shape of a huge mosquito made of corn. Any person interested in agriculture cannot fail to find enough in this building to occupy his attention for davs.

ANCIENT GOLDEN RELICS. When Pizarro marched to the conquest of Pern, not quite 400 years ago, he told of meeting somewhere south of the Isthmus of Panama Indian warriors who were equipped with gold helmets and gold belts. The world has believed for a very > long time that Pizarro lied. Recent events tend to vindicate that declaration of an otherwise very wicked man. The helmets and belts have been found. In the Columbia building are four heavy glass cases filled with pure gold ornaments and utensils What the intrinsic value is nobody knows, but the amount is away up in the thousands of dollars. The collection is varied as well as valuable. It includes a statuette twelve inches in height, smaller images, bells, bracelets, rings and the helmets and warriors' belts. When the Faib is over this most interesting collection will be sent to Spain

It is to be a gift from Columbia to the Spanish government. FREAK FROM SOUTH DAKOTA. South Dakota is nothing if not progressive and prolific. She boasts of her prairies and her forests, and shows the products of both in many attractive pavilions on the expositiongrounds. None of them show better than the one in the Agricultural building, but it is developing into a freak which attracts consider-i able attention. The growing propensities of everything native to the State have blossomed out in the tree trunks which form the four corners of the pavilion. The trees for this little structure were cut before the as a conseqdence “shoots” have appeared which give promise of de-

veloping into good sized bushes. They are bright green in color r owing to the absence of sun, and are carefully protected from vandalism. —-a THE MAIDEN WAS TIRED. The Columbian Exposition is not a place for constraint and reserved manners. People are expected to become a part of the masses. Visitors from the East follow the fashion. So do those from Posey county, Indiana. But one admires most the freedom and unconcern of the Westerners. There was an excellent illustration of this graceful accommodation to circumstances on the piazza of the Indiana Building a day or two ago. A young woman from the Hoosier State entered. She was handsome and she wore a gown of the prevailing mode. But she was very tired. There was a wicker sofa on the piazza. It had a back about a foot high, and this was continued also at the ends, leaving nothing open but one side. The young woman ? laced a shawl on one of the ends. hen she lay down on the sofa, rested her head on the shawl, elevated her pretty feet on the other end of the wickerwork, and in two minutes was fast asleep, while her mother, who had come soon afterward, and a hundred other persons, sat approvingly by in rocking chairs.

THE LARGEST TURNED VASE. Red cedar has always been an important and favorite wood in the great Northwest. To this day it is largely used by the farmers of the Puget sound country, but more recently it is attracting much wider attention in the markets of the markets of the Eastern States in the form of shingles. No one can compute the wealth that will flow into the State of Washington for this one product of red cedar shingles. The statistics of the State for 1892 show that there are 264 shinglemills n»w in Washington with a yearly capacity of 3,723,000,000. Last year the output of shingles was 1,682,868,750 bringing in a revenue of $3,542,429.

Thus it is seen that red cedar is fast creeping up on the famous Puget sound fir as an important wood of commerce. There are many other uses for which cedar is becoming more appreciated. As an interior decorative wood its fine, soft grains and color are bringing it to the front. In the Washington State World.s Fair building is one sample of turning that demonstrates this fact beyond all question. It is said to be the largest piece of wood turning from a single block in the world. Mr. J. L. Nygren, while at work for

the Tacoma Lumber and Manufacturing Company, spent about three months of nis time making a special lathe and turning from a single log of cedar a huge vase of uedar six feet high and four feet across thf top. The vase is highly polished and shows to splendid advantagt the coloring and graining of the red cedar. The wonderful durability of this cedar is shown by another exhibit in the same building. There is seen an old cedar log thal had fallen to the ground, anc on its remains had grown a spruci tree. By counting the annual rings of the spruce it is found to be ovei two-hundied years old, and th< cedar trunk that lay dead under thii growing tree all these years is atil firiz and solid in its texture.

ILLUMINATION ON WOODEN ISLAND.

LIVE PILLARS IN SOUTH DAKOTA EXHIBIT.

LARGEST TURNED VASE IN THE WORLD.