The Great Fair

A second visit to tlio great Fair will strengthen and confino the flrst impression of t lie artietic arrangement of the grounds, tlie beauty and grandeur of the buildings, the almost infinite variety and number and wealth of the exhibits. In view of the purpose t' the Exhibition as declarad in tour of the leading languagea of the gle apon the base ol the obelisk in the court of honor " That four hundred yeara the discovery of iliis continent ly Columbas the nations of the world imite on thia spot to compare in friendly emulatioo their acbievementsin art, science, manufactures and agrieulture," the modle battle-sliip in the harbor, the enormoua engines of war and destruction in the Krupp building, and the military display in the eminent exhibit, seem incongruous and out of place and keepiñg. They seem tomar theotherw ise almost perfect spirit and tone of the Exhibition. It ia Bad to think that on thia tirst friendly gathering of all the races and nations of the globe there could nol have been entirely omitted these displays of modern ïnilitarism and war, and thus thia Exposi tion been made to teach what ('hristianity lias struggled unsuccessfully to io tor nearly nineteen centuries. That Jod has created of one blood all the nations of the earth - that tliev are niembers of a common faniily with common iuterest.s, with a common welfare md a common destiny, and so teach them that in all their dealings they lid consult tlie welfare and happiness of each other. A aecond visit confirma also the ürst impression that tlie . buildings ani grounds ai-e the most striking ant beautiful features of the Fair. There are no points from which the buildings and grounda can 1' Been as a whole except from the Ferris Wheel and the top of the Liberal Arts Building. But trom these positions you look down apon the roofs of the buildings and you loose the sense of proportion, the harniony of parte, and all thebeautiful architectural details. A glimpse of inost of the buildings can be gained by a ride apon the intramural railuay, and a glorious view of the Peristyle and the buildings upou the shore with the innumerable domes and towers bevond, can be gained by approaching the grounds by water on steainers from the city. A beautifuf prospect is obtained from the gallery of the colonade which conuects the Agricultural Building with Machinery Hall, looking north. Immédiately in front and not far away is the graceful obelisk surrounded by its four huge, crouehiug, open niouthed lions. Bevond, bridge after bridge, with beautiful curve, spans the lagqon, which is enlivened by the awift tnoving electric launch and graceful góndola. On the iinmediate righi is the tsouth facade of the impressive Agricultural Building, with its majestic Corinthian columns sixty feet in hight, its noble entablature surmouuted by colosal figures of oxen and liorses, the domes of the pavillions upon the corners of the building supporting tour gigantic atatuea standing back to back, holding the globe of the earth iu their tiplifted hands. Bevond tliis globe, and at a distance from it, is poised the great circle of the heavens witli all the signs of the zodiac carved upon it in figures so large tbat they can be plainly discernel from the earth below. Bevond, and on the opposite side of the Court of Honor, Btretchea the long and diminishing line of archea of the soutli side of the Liberal Arts Building, with its imposing south portal in the center - an entrance to the immense building as beautiful and perfect as anything in ancient architecture. On the iminediate left is the cast Eront of Machinery Hall - a beautiful building with its tuin towers, its huge semi-circular upper windows like st. Marks, wliile above its roof beyond towers the immense dome of the Administration Building glistening in the sun-light like huniishi'd gold. Beyond this the Eléctrica] Building with the colossal statue of Franklin standing in an alcove aixty feet iu height, througb whica you gain the south entrance of the building, fcnd beyond these buildings adorned with stately umi ;colossal groupa oí emblematic figures - adorned too with all the rich omamentation which ancient or modern architecture has conceived, and gliatening white and soit in the sunlight as Carrara marble - bevond crouching lions and graceful obelisk and curved bridgea and placid lagoons, and seeming to rise from tlie dark green foliage of the wooded sland, towera the lofty yellow domo of the Illinois Building closing the vista and boonding upou the nortk the incomparable scène. Seated al' me in this colonade one uiorning before the crowds of people had began to arrive and the white city waa silent and still, while only a solitary workman appeared in the area belowor crossedthe distant bridgea ; suddenly a chime of bells in one of the towers of Machinery Hall began to play a solenin tune. It sonnded like the funeral knell of the great Exposition. One could not but feel overwhelnied by a sensation of sadness as the solemn tune went on, to think that in a few weeks these beautii'ul buildings, all these uionuments o taste and art and genius, must disap pear from the earth like a miriage am become a thing of memory and tho un reooverable past. With all that has been writteu abou the Fair little or no reference has been made to the inscriptions apon the buildings and monurnents. President Elliot, of Harvard, and otber distinguished scholara of the country were coneulted in the selection and preparatiou of tliese inscriptions, and it is needless to say that they are all in excellent laste, couehed in simple and diguified language and expreasing of inspiring thoughta. As one ■approaches tlie rrounds frona tin1 lake they will see carved in Roman capitals upon the highesl linea of the ooble entablature which crowna the triumpha] arch, whiuh spang the canal which cuta the center of lie Peristyle, thewords: "the wilperNES8 AND THE 80LITARY PLACE SHALL BE ,1, VU FOB TIIEM." ( )n either side between tlie columns of he arch are recorded the ñames uí some of the early discovers of the country - Champlain, PoncedeLeon, De Soto, La Salie, and Cortes, whilc above them is the iiiscription : " To the bold oen - their names remembered or forotten - who first explored through toils manifold, the shores, lakes, rivers, niuuntains, valleys and plains of the new world." On the east side of this triumpha] arch, facing the Court of Honor and the golden dome of the Administration Building, t'n full view of the vast thronga which crowd that beautiful area are inscriptions impressive and inspiring and which by ambitioua and ingenuous youth will never be forgotten. On the top of the triumphal arch and corresponding to the ftret Lnscription mentioned above, are tlie words: "YE SHALL KXiiiv Tin: TRUTH AND THE TRDTH SHALL MAKK Yol" PREK." And below this the iiiscription : "To the Pioneers of civil and religious liberty, bul bolderthey whoflret offcasl their mooringa froin the habitable paai and ventured chartless upon the sea o storm engendering Liberty." Below this and between tlie columns on the left are the mottoes : "Freedom in religión the best fruit of the last finir hundred years," and this : "Civil liberty the means of building up personal and uational character." Between the columns on the right tliis extract froin Lincoln's famous Gettysburg speech : "We here highly resol ve that government of the people, by the people and for the people shall not )erih l'roin the earth." And below this : " I, Freedom, dweil with knowledge, I abide with man by culture trainee! aud Conscience iny Sceptre is, And Law niy Sword." Wc believe that many au Intelligeni oreigner - especially among the young, vho reads these mottoes and sees in lus country, aud especially in this exlosition the niarvelous results of one mndred years of free government- of overnment "by the people and for the )eople" will return with the seeds of reniblicanbm un democracy in lus heart, vhidi sooner or later will spring up and bear fruit in the Old World. This exlosition is destined to be a Teacher of ,he world in many ways, but in no way more povverfully than in teaching maneind the merits and advantagea of free nstitutions. Everybody B&ould attend this wonlerful show, the farmers especially, nou it they have to get together and sell out their own agricultural society jroperty todo so. From this time l'ortli, at least during the life of this geuera;iou, the county fair with its "fat wonan" side show and its "merry gcround" will seem a liko childisb Eraud. In the agricultura] building at Chicago, if they will visit the State of Washton booth they will find au ezhibitof OUT farm in that stilte, OWned by W, O. Bush, who is in charge of it, more extensive, more {instructivo and more valuable than the entire agricultural and horticultural exhibit of the State of Michigan. This "lionest farmer" was the first farmer i f the state, having farmed there 49 years. On lus single farm of Tiid aerea he produces a vanety oí íruits, vegel ables, grains and othei producís, all oí which aie exhibited here, which i.s simplv amazing, and which makes an exhibit worthy of an entire state. Mr. Bush is modest and unassuming, but by his exhibit at thi. fair - all producta classified and ally arranged by turneen, he has nonored lid dignifled the farmera1 professiin everjrwbere and raisea the drudgery of the iield into the realm of poetry and art. The little rcpublic of Uruguay, far away in the southern hemisphere of South America, makea a ery Btriking exhihit in the agricultura! building. There are specimens of writing and drawing here by pupila from 9 to 13 yeara di ae from the schools of Montevideo, which eciuil or surpass the work of children of an older age in our own schools. Mr. Alberto Gomef Etuans, who luis charge of the exhibit, tells me that Horace Manu, whosejpicture waa in the exhibit, was the patrón saintof the Uruguay schools. Even tho school Beata invented and manufactured in Montevideo are the cheapest, the mostjcomfortable and the most convenient I ever saw. Tlicv were entirely of wood and highly ftnished, so constructed that the seat "and part. of the desk could be raised up.leaving ampie room for the pupil to riseand recite in hit place without stepping iuto the aisle. The schools of Uruguay are thoroughly graded and onder the absolute control and management of the state, which Mr. Ruana de clared was the secret of their excellence But the World's Columliian Kxposi tion must be seen to be appreciated an wouldrequire months and years of stud to tn' Qnderstood. It is the greates show the world has ever seen - vast grand, incomparable. The men or wo men who fail to see it, make the mis take of their Uves, a mistake, alas which cannot be repaired iu this life o the life to come.