Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 36, Number 67, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 April 1904 — SIGHTS AT THE FAIR. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

SIGHTS AT THE FAIR.

WONDERS OF THE GREAT BT. LOUIS EXPOSITION. There Arc a Sufficient Number of Interesting Features to Occupy One’s Entire Time, No Matter How bong His Stay May Be. St. Loafs correspondence: No matter how carefully one may have read of the wonders of the World's Fair, the ..visitor cannot conceive of its great magnitude, impressive beauty and intensely interesting character until he visits it. The 100-1 World’s Fair is the only grenf exposition lo be complete and ready for the opening of the gates on-the time appointed. In a newspaper's limited space it is absolutely impossible to describe, or even catalogue, all of the features that will appeal to the visitor. The Inside Inn solves one great problem —hotel neeonunodntions. A month before the opening this great hostelry, with aceommodations for (>,OOO guests, was ready for the reception of guests. It is the largest hotel an the world, and Is entirely within the exposition grounds. Features of its equipment arc 2,500 sleeping rooms. The kitchen is 200 feet long 'and 72 feet wide. There are 84 - rftngej- thirty-steam-roasters,-veg-etable cookers and soup stock kettles; four dish washing machines with n capacity of 40,000 pieces of china an hour; n battery of 15 mammoth coffee urns. There is a sub-kitehen, a laundry, a bakery and a store room, all in the basement. A force of 1,800 trained employes oro required to operate the hotel. The ra_tes prevailing at the Inside Inn ore controlled by the Exposition management, and they do not exceed those charged at any first-class hotel in St. Louis in ordinary times. On the European plan the World’s Fair visitor may he comfortably located for $1.50 per day, including admission to the exposition. Prices for a luxurious room with bath range up to $5 per day. Thirty-eight of the States of the Union have erected magnificent club houses in the wooded section of Forest Park, and have created what is called the Plateau of States. Every type of approved architecture is represented. The World's Fair visitor, no matter from what section, will find the hospitable portals of these mansions always open to him. Despite the immensity of the World’s Fair grounds, covering, ns they do, 1,240 acres —two square miles—every section is of easy access. Thirty-five miles of splendid roadway intersect the grounds. The Intra-Mural Railroad, with 14 miles of tracks, whisks the visitors to any section in rapid time on the payment'of one fare. The miniature steam railways have 12 miles of track and complete the most .elaborate transportation scheme ever designed for any exposition. The Cascade feature of the World's Fair, the center of the “main- picture/’ for beauty and grandeur totally eclipses all the courts of honor of former great expositions. Crystal waters, springing front three monumental fountains, plunge down as many cascades a distance of 300 feet, with a fall of 80 feet, and enter the grand basin. Here the waters divide and fill two miles of marble-revetted lagoons two miles in length. Beautiful and picturesque small craft ply these waters and afford the World’s Fair visitor an unrivalled view of the majestic architecture of the splendid structure of the main exhibit pnluees. Eleven million dollars will scarcely cover the United State# government's participation in this greatest of all World's Fairs. The government building is the largest, handsomest and most expensive ever built for exposition purposes by any government. In it are unrivalled displays by the Smithsonian Institute, the Navy, War, Postofflce, Treasury, Agriculture and other departments. The display of big guns is made outside of the building, and the largest and most powerful guns ever made are mounted and manned by Uncle Sam’s most expert artillery men. The Government Fisheries, in one of the most graceful of the many handsome structures, possesses exhibits of the keenest interest. A group of sen lions, a school of sturgeons and other animals and fish of the sea sport in an immense pool in the center or the structure. The denizens of the sea, lakes and streams are shown in great glass tanks of clear water. Inter-

eating exhibit;* are made of fish products, fish culture and models of government fishing boats are shown. For the first time at any exposition n real mint rnn.v be seen in operntlou at the World’s Fair, in the government building. At the close of the exposition the machinery will he installed In the mint at Denver and will continue to make real coin of the realm. A great whale was taken off the coast of Newfoundland last year. Exact measurements were made and this monster of the deep was reproduced In papier inache

in the most minute detail. It is suspended by cables from the ceiling in the big government building and may be seen from any point in the great structure. The Pike is the great amusement street of the Exposition, and it is more than -a mile long. On both sides of the wide, vitrified brick boulevard are assembled the shows of all nations. To attempt to enumerate the great list of interesting

attractions would be to portray all the quaint customs of all the queer peoples of the world, together with the amusements of the people of all lands. The games of ancient Rome, the divertisements of the Orient, the latest and greatest creations of the most famous illusionists, the most comprehensive collection of wild and trained animals, and all other forms of entertainment to amuse ami instruct find a place in this unparalleled resort. China, that most ancient of all nations, whose development has heretofore been shrouded in mystery, lifts the veil at the 1-901 World’s Fair and displays her progress and attainments. In the foreign section the National Chinese pavilion is among the most striking. It is a reproduction of the residence of Prince Pu Lun, of the royal blood, and that potentate is at the head of the Chinese Commission to the World’s Fair and

presides in person. China’s exhibit is largely confined to the Palace of Liberal Arts, one of the magnificent exhibit buildings, The pavilions are all of celestial design and make and the Chinese section is a veritable forest of typical and ideal pagodas. They contain exhibits of Chinese manufacture never before seen outside of the Flowery Kingdom. England, France and Germany have all reproduced historic buildings ns their .national pavilions at the World's Fair. The Orangery, the Grand Trianon and the Castle at Clnirlottenburg represent three of the most famous and beautiful types of European architecture, and the gardens surrounding them are marvelously beautiful. These three great nations have very large exhibits in all of the exhibit palaces. Rivalry between them is keen and each government has expended more than a million dollars that their resources and national achievements maybe exploited.

Italy has erected a charming villa on a prominent,site south of the Administration building, ami lias surrounded it with typical Italian gHrdons. Italy makes n strong showing in art. The 409 paintings displayed in the Italian section were selected from 4,090 paintings offend by the Italian artists. The Pnlaee of Agriculture la the largest exposition building ever built to contain a single department. It covers 23 acres and every foot of floor space is crowded with exhibits from every State In the Union ami 51 foreign nations. Ev-

erything that is edible has a place la this great structure. Two acres immediately west of the Palace of Agriculture hare been converted into a natural garden. There may be seen all the wild flowers and shrubs indigenous to the Mississippi and Missouri valleys. The Palace" of Transportation is crowded with a collection of exhibits

of unrivaled interest. Here may be seen the first steam locomotive ever built and in the same building is a modern locomotive mounted on a monster turntable. The engine runs at the speed of 80 miles per hour, but the motion is taken up by a series of wheels and the snorting moiirter remains stationary. There are lour miles of standard gauge railroad tracks in this great building. The largest organ in the world has been installed in the Festival Hall, the> great structure that marks the center of the Colonnade of States. Some of the I>ipes qf this organ are so large that a pony may be driven through them. The Philippine exhibit- is made at a cost of more than a million dollars. Forty acres of ground in the western section is given to this new and unique exhibit. Here have been erected villages of the various tribes, and they nro inhabited by more than a thousand natives. Many historic Filipino buildings have been reproduced. A section of the walled city of ancient Mnnila is a feature. World's Fair visitors may enter the Philippine exhibit without extra cost. The North American Indians form tho basis for a most interesting exhibit provided by the United States government. Indian villages as they were two hundred years ago are reproduced and they are inhabited by real Indians in the pic- _ turesque garb of their forest homes. Among the faiqpus chiefs at the Exposition are Chief Joseph and Geronimo. A modern Indian school, with a full corps of instructors, explains how the United States government has educated and civilized the Indian. No exposition has ever possessed the wealth of beautiful sculpture that is seen at the present World’s Fair. In the Cascade region alone is displayed statuary tliat'eost more than half a million dollars. The work of the greatest living artists is shown. - The electric display at the World’a Fair is beyond compare. More than 500,000 incandescent electric lights adorn the buildings, and the beauty of architecture is enhanced after nightfall. The power generated by the Exposition engines is that of 50,000 horses. The greatest power ever generated at any previous exposition was at Chicago, when the power was equal to that of 12,000 horses. The Jubilee Presents of Queen Victoria are displayed in Hall of Congresses, immediately west of the Administration building. The presents of Pope Leo are also shown in the same building. Wonderful gardens surround the World's Fair Palaces of Agriculture and Horticulture. On the east side of Agriculture Hall is a ten-acre rose garden. South of it is the aquatic section, where the lily of the Amazon and the lotus of the Nile are star features. Adjoining are the gardens of the deserts, where the plants of the arid region attain per-

section on barren rocks and sand dunes. West of .Agriculture building is a twoncre wild garden, where all plants indigenous to North America grow as they do iu Nature. The visitor could go on ndmiring other places and sights than those enumerated here, und find new and mayhap more interesting and beautiful sights. Even were lie to pass every one of the 184 days of Ihe life of (he Exposition in exploring its beauties and wonders, there would still be things that lie had not had time to see and admire to the full.

PALACE OF EDUCATION.

BESTAUBANT TAVILION.

UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT BUILDING.