THE WORLD S FAIR AT ST. LOUIS. 30/ 



THE WORLD'S FAIR AT ST. LOUIS. 



A. K. BUSH, DOVER. 



(Mr. Bush was with the Minn. Fruit Exhibit, World's Fair, 

 from June 15-30.) 



Soon after I reached the grounds two old gentlemen were 

 seen at a distance gesticulating with great earnestness, and, to 

 all appearance, were relating to each other some of the interest- 

 ing episodes that had occurred in their experience and came un- 

 der their observation since leaving home, also describing in 

 glowing terms the wonderful exhibit that has been gathered from 

 the four corners of the globe and so artistically displayed on the 

 World's Fair grounds. It so happened that I overheard a young 

 man tell one of his friends that those old fellows had only trav- 

 eled eight miles by rail during their lives until the exciting jour- 

 ney to St. Louis began. Those old mountaineers were living as 

 fast as boys at a circus and without doubt will entertain their 

 friends at home for weeks or months with recitals that will sug- 

 gest "pipe dreams" rather than solid facts which they really saw 

 with reliable eyes. At another time I heard a lady in the Art 

 Gallery, who evidently was an artist and had traveled extensive- 

 ly at home and abroad, say to a friend, "one might easily imagine 

 themselves amongst one of the choicest collections of paintings 

 in the old world ; I did not expect to see such choice and rare 

 gems of art as I find in these buildings." 



In my opinion no one who can afford the expense can af- 

 ford to miss seeing the World's Fair, because the opportunity 

 of seeing so many choice samples of the world's products 

 bunched almost at our back doors may not, and probably will 

 not, occur again during a lifetime. I shall not attempt to de- 

 scribe an exhibit that is so large and varied that I could hardly 

 see over it in two weeks, but will confine myself to the Minne- 

 sota fruit and flower display in the Palace of Horticulture, 

 where I made headquarters and myself useful during the third 

 and fourth weeks in June. Sec. A. W. Latham, superintendent 

 of the Minnesota display, and his worthy assistant, Thos. Red- 

 path, deserve much credit for collecting and installing an exhibi- 

 tion so creditable to the "Bread and Butter State." It so hap- 

 pened that the writer was at the Minnesota booth during the 

 strawberry season, when we showed more and better fruit of that 

 kind than any other, or, in fact, all other states combined^ We 

 maintained in good show condition 100 to 150 quart plates — not 

 samples — of fine, large strawberries during that time. This was 



