Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 5, 1900)
0 The Chinese Exhibit THE- ILLUSTRATED BEE. At the Paris Show (Copyright, WW, by V. Clrlbuyedorr.) I'AUIS, July 28. When a French orator wants to apply tho biggest words In his vocabulary to tho unlvorsal exposition ho styles It a "festival of peace, uniting all tho nations In the brotherhood of labor." To the cusunl visitor, or to tho poroon who reads about the big show from afar, this limy seen n fanciful and exaggerated phraoo, but now and then, as ono wandors through tho grounds, ho boos a spectnclo that realizes tho preclso sort of Interna tional fraternity to which tho Frenchman refers. A striking Instance of this Is vlslblo at the foot of tho stairway leading from thu Trocadero Into the exhibition grounds. Im mediately on the left is an enormous lur retcd castle, tho Imposing facade of which runs about 200 feot along tho thoroughare, and whoso Irrcgulnr sides stretch twlco as far back and end In n forest of detached bulldlngH of most plcturesiiuo effect. There Is no need to try and figure out tho na tionality of tho cdlflco from tho big In scription over tho main portal, printed in letters of n strange alphabet, Tho general architecture of thu big strucluro tolls plainly as words that It lu Ilusslan, yut In the wido vestlbulo you sco a sight that makes you doubt tho lnforonco. Seated thero aro half a dozen Chlneso In their flowing robes of silk. No IIomIIIII)' Here. Tho newspapers aro full of startling talcs these days from Pckln, and tho pivotal point of most cablegrams Is tho Intonso hostility that exists between tho Chlneso and the llusshins, English uuwspapors persistently hint that Tartar machina tions have brought about thu Iloxor troubles, so that Russia might have a pre text for rushing In anil grabbing territory, and tho samo Journals gtvo tho Impression that tho Flowery Kingdom Is less Inimical with dragons, Insects, Hashing, mnny-hued birds and effigies of tho funny-faced llttlo men and women familiar to our oyes since childhood, carved In stnlned woods, project ing from every Bide. In doorways and window sills, on balconies and in tho gnrdens, thero aro flowers everywhere ; nnd tho pagodas nnd painted roofs overhead blend with tho thick-leaved branches of tho trees, lending Irresistibly to tho thought: "This Is tho land of tho picturesque, the verltablo Flowery Kingdom." l.'liliiiiiii-ii al Home In I'iii'Im, Sitting on tho porches before their houses or shops, or strolling nonchalantly through tho gardens, aro almond-eyed Celestials precisely us they may bo seen In tholr native land. This Is Chlnn, Idealized, If you will, but surely having llttlo in common with tho squalid, dirty sights that affront tho visitor to tho Chlnntown of many an Ameri can city. In nil tho vista roundabout there Is nut a single laundry, and no John China man, with his queue tucked up under his dilapidated "Mollcnn" cap nnd lu his slovenly blouse, squirting wntor at a wriggling shirt. Hero tho whole picture Is different. Tho yellow men at tho exposi tion aro nt tholr best; they comport them selves with dignity, making It understood thnt they como from classes In tho vast empire which hold themselves far above the sordid specimens of Celestial humanity that havu given Christian nations their Impres sion of tho ancient raco. Viewed as an enscmblo or In detail, the Chinese exhibit at Paris manifests extreme cleverness on tho part of Us designers In presenting an effect thnt Is true to life at tho samo tlmo that It Is most artistically picturesque It was a difficult undertak ing to construct a Chlneso vlllngo that would prove ono of tho most thoroughly In teresting features of tho great show nnd vlo In attractiveness with tho countless novelties exhibited by the whltn races. OHAND ENTRANCE TO CHINESE SUCTION AT I'AUIS EXPOSITION. to Christians la general than to voracious Hush In lu particular. Tho man from any where who conies down those Trocadero steps nnd tumbles upon six Chlnnmon sil ting placidly happy In tho Uusslan vestl bulo Is likely to think ho Is dreaming. Standing thereabouts ho sees men In Uusslnn uniforms, botween whom nnd tho subjects of tho son of heaven tho best of good feeling obviously exists. Then tho visitor renllzcH that tho French orator must bo right and that tho exhibition ronlly is a festlvnl of peace and brothor hood. Following tho oxnmplo of nnturo, which made thorn a sort of geographical neigh bors, tho exposition authorities, with tho cordlnt concurrence of both nations, havo allotted tho Russians and tho Chlneso ad joining strips of torrltory that Isnlato them from tho rest of mankind nnd onnblo thorn to llvo In a harmony thnt Is mot picturesquely effective. Movlnur I'liiioriiimi. Tho visitor has scarcely renched tho foot of tho Trocadero stnlrwny before ho Is con fronted by a corner tower of tho Russo Asiatic palaco, over tho door of which Is the notice: TRANS-SIRERIAN RAILROAD. Voj'iibo from Moskow to IVltln. There Is a train lusldo thnt carries travel ers ovir that long route in an hour, tho trip being nccolerated by Imagination In flamed by a moving panorama. When tho train runs Into tho sacred city, or tho do luded traveler fancies It has, ho descouds from tho luxurious Pullman, passes through tho railway station and then out Into tho streets of whnt suroly looks like tho loveliest corner of a Chlneso metropolis. Tho most 'stolid European or American Is bound to bo enchanted when ho looks around and to forget that ho Is really In Paris. On all sides one boholds captivating specimens of Mongolian architecture housos that look llko pictures cut from a Chlneso screen, brilliant In color, odd nnd fanciful In shnpo, fascinating or weird In their decorations, AllRUHt 5, 1000. Humor in the Jungle "Ocneral," said Lieutenant Muchnfrnldo, ns tho descent of tho shades of night made It posslblo for him and his august com mander to poke their bends out of tho cave for a breath of fresh air, "why are you llko Niagara falls?" "Glvo It up," said Agulnaldo, after a hard think, "unless U'h becauso no one has over succeeded In shooting me." "Nope," said tho subaltern, edging ott behind n pile of rocks, "It's becauso you'ro running nil the time." Thus will merry staff ofllcers drive dull euro away, even from a fallen lender. REPRESENTATION OF A CHINESE FUNERAL. Other countries were nblu to send to Paris products of tholr latest manufactures In every conceivable lino of Industry nnd In vention, but lu those respects China was handicapped, for tho China of today has nothing now to show, nothing thnt It could not havo exhibited Just as well one, two or even ten conturlcs ago. Whllo other nutlons, Japan among them, forwardod to tho unlvorsal exhibition sam ples of tholr most recent dovolopmonts in tho way of army and naval equipments and conntructlon, armament, otc, tho govern ment of tho dowager omprrfui had nothing of thnt kind to show, or at least nothing that It cared to let tho world kuow about. Moasured strictly from an up-to-duto stand point, thcroforo, tho Chinese exhibit was overwolghed from tho start. This fact, howover, only emphasizes tho Intelligent enro and ability manifested by Its designers In limiting It what it unquestionably lu one of tho moat Interesting and attractive features of tho groat fair. At tho head of tho Chlneso ncction Ib M. Charles Vopercnu, a Frenchman, who has spent thirty years of bis llfo In the Celestial omplre. Few foreigner know that great country so well as ho and when appointed rommlstdcncr general of China ho not about hl work with energy, zeal and knowledge. Mo solected thu best models of architecture for tho various buildings ho proposed to construct, conscientiously doturmlned to make thorn represent China to tho lite. Tho section assigned to China suited the purpeso admirably, for It embraced a bit of rolling ground that wna deemed fairly characteristic of u Chlneso landscape, nt the samo tlmo containing many flowering trees nnd shrubs that fitted to perfection tho nrchltocturo of tho buildings nnd tbo ar rangement of tho gardens. Tho various structures nro grouped about In a fashion that In nowise sug gests tho idea of boing ovorcrowdod for spaco. Four of these buildings aro ex clusively dovnted to tho exhibits of tho Chlnoso government. Six others aro used to illustrate various phases of tho com mercial, Industrial and social llfo of tho emplro. In tho official buildings nro shown superb collections of Chlneso nrt works, embrac ing objects du virtu In metal, wood and precious stuffs. Exqulslto paintings repre senting Chlneso landscapes, some of which were tho handiwork of tho greatest artists whom China has over produced, aro shown, it would requlru volumes to glvo oven nn Imperfect description of many of tho su perb pieces, but ono may Imagine their character and priceless vuluo from tho lesser collections ono sees In tho great museums throughout tho world. llliiNlriilo Sitelnl I. Uc. An Intorcstlnp feature of tho olllclal ex hibit Is tho wax figures, standlug, In tho most llfultko positions, hero nnd thero about tho building. In general appearance, In fnclal traits, In the shapes of mous taches and beards, In tho vnrlous fashions of wenrlng tho quoue, nnd, particularly. In thu costumes, these intoresting mnnnlklns Illustrate the ninny social grades in China nnd tho Inflnlto provincial races of which the vast emplro Is composed. To tho averago visitor It Is by no means nn enoy thing to distinguish a living Chinese from ono of theso Imitation men. In complexion nnd in the passivity of his expression tho living Chinaman whom you may sco stnndlng about often looks more llko n wax flguro than tho wax figures themselves. About tho only way to tell them npnrt Is tho label that Is hung from tho front of tho Inanlmnto men. It reads, In French: "Please do not touch." If you seo n silk-robed Chjnnman with out this sign you may nssutuo ho Is alive. All visitors, howover, do not know this rule, nnd consequently tho living nttend nnts who stand guard In the buildings In eloso Juxtnposltlou with their wnx country men nro dally subjected to funny mlstnkos. A row of Chlneso shops, attended by morchnnts from Pekln, Tien Tsln nnd Shanghai, ndd another attractive fcaturo to tho section, and further heighten tho Illusion thnt tho stranger has really boon cnrrlod Into tho heart of tho land of flowers. Far and away tho most conspicuous olomont In the Chlneso oxposltlon Is a huge, pngoda-Blmped building modeled after ono of the country palaces of tho emperor. On tho ground floor Is a general mart, where all sorts of native curiosities nro exposed. An oxterlor stnlrvvay, with tho bannisters brilliant with (lowers, lends to the second floor, where u big hall, beautifully decorated in the Chlneso fashion with wall paintings, curtnlns, mnttings, chairs, etc., Is devoted to tho purposes of a theater. Here picsttdlgltntcurs and miracle workers give four exhibitions each day. Overhead Is the restaurant, not only the gem place of the section, but one of thu most popular nnd fnshlnnnblo spots lu all tho exhibition grounds. Tho Interior decora tion Is sumptuous In thu extreme, nnd tho silver dragon, employed profusely In nil tho decorations, shows that tho building Is n literal reproduction of nn Imperial abode. A wide, pagoda-peaked balcony is spread with tables, nnd from that spot one realizes an additional reason for the exceptional popularity of tho Chinese restaurant. Stretching away off in the distance Is nn exquisite vlstn. You bco tho inflnlto variety of the foreign representative buildings, the Seine flowing by; beyond It the graceful lines of the Eiffel tower, forming n frame to tho gardens of the Champ do Mars, nnd tho wholo picture, walled, far away, by the beautiful Chateau d'Eau, from which falls a mighty enscado of water, flashing In tho sunlight, or still more bowUchlng nt night when dazzling lights nro flashed upon tho Nlngnrn-llko waterfalls. When you stand thero you understand why It Is neccssnry to secure a table a wholo week ahead If you want to dlno nt tho Chlneso restaurant. And when you dlno thero you may bo told that tho cooks nre Chlneso, but you nre sure they havo been well taught how to cook a la Francnlse. And nnothcr thing Is certain, though you mny forget many things nt tho Paris exposition, you nre likely to remember for many years the Chlneso section. Wouldn't Worry Him Chlcngo Post: "Of course, If you want to go Into politics, that's your own lookout," said tho wise citizen, "but I think It's fool ish for n man who Is ordinarily successful In any other line. You know they eay politics makes strango bedfollows." "Oh, that won't worry mo In tho leant," ro turned tho r.mbltloue man promptly. "Why, I woe a commercial traveler with n routo that took In smnll towns In tho west for seven years." (Date 3 Q Nereis vl on request P 1 Idlebaart's Swans Down I Prepared i cate FBomeJ Cpring wheat flour will ans wer for bread, but Is not adapted for flno enkes. "Every homo should keep a packngo of Igleheart's Swans Down Pre pared Cake Flour." Not a self-rlBlng flour. Good nil tho year. Unequnled for finest cakes, puddings, pastry, etc. If not sold by your grocer send ns his numo and we will make yon a special olVor. Costs 2c a Cake. Address Department C, Igleheart Bros., Evansvifle, Ind. Special for This Week . . . (00 Hand Loaded Shells Three drams smokeless powder VA ounces shot nltro shells-2.00 PER HUNDRED. Omaha Sporting1 Goods Co., i-i i:t dol'ci.as st. HHHllllllllllMr I mil ARNICA TOOTH SOAP IlcnutlflPH, clPnnxi'H.pre ncrven mid uhltt-ns tin toptli, Ktronutliena tin- trans nun HneetenB uiv irenth. The World's Standard Dentifrice for 10 years. lined in a million uouiPH. Put mi In iiftit ran i 11 111 minor Imixch tin ;3f''.l ideal KiickiiKH fi H', tin. traveler. Nn i? rj'l ' (hint, nn Dimilpr. nn ,"i ' ll'iuid to HiiHte, nr In St' j. ' Btaln or noil KiinucntH. 2 li.V- nt ull llriiKKlxtn. C. f. STIIIIll((l..l'ro., (klciu, lll.ll'.S.i. DVORAK DRAMATIC SCHOOL KIMBALL HALL, 243 WABASH-AV., CHICAGO. Instruction In Acting, Elocutbn. Physical cul ture, Oratory, l'automln, Fencing. Modern Laniunces. Fall Term Opens Sept. 10. Cataloguo freo. KUWAHD DVORAK, Director. . . Old Lace Made New . . L5 HEfl Don't throw a way your old laces, especially when they can be cleaned and repaired through a process which makes them good as new. The following testimonials will show that Miss Katha rine Stilwell is an expert in cleaning lace and also that her pro cess cannot be excelled. Miss Stilwell is an artist as well, and has a number of beautiful specimens of her work in oil, pastel, water colors and china, some of which can be seen in the window at Browning, King & Co.'s store. A sample of cleaned lace can bo seen at Mrs. Benson's. KATHARINE STILWELL. The clennlng nnd repairing of Incos Miss Stilwell did for mo was perfectly satis. factory. MRS. ARTHUR OUIOU. In cleaning nnd repairing luces wo hellevo Miss Stilwell ennnot ho oxrulled. KELLEY. STIQER & CO. .Iftln,,oa8e,, to Bnv t,lnt 1 consider Miss Stilwell nn expert In cleaning nnd repair ing fine laces of nil kinds. MRS. J. RENSON. cJ.S I", a, plensuro to seo tho work Mlsi Stilwell does In laces. Tho curtains look llko now nnd remain clenn longer. MRS. CHAS. OPFUTT. I tnko pleasure In stilting thnt I have found Miss Stllwell's work thoroughly snt Isfnctory. MRS. E. A. CUDAHY. Miss Stllwell's work on curtains Is re mnrknblo. Thoy look llko new when thoy pass throuch her hands. MRS. CLEMENT CHASE, am tnk. Pasure In recommending Miss Stilwell as an "artist" In her lino of work, MRS. J. H. EVANS. Tho cleaning of laces Miss Stilwell did for mo was perfectly satisfactory. MRS. J. E. I3AUM. a.ii.V&P P,en,8Uro , ? rccommondlng Miss Stllwell's work and think she Is unexcelled In her lino. MRS. HERMAN KOUNTZE. Litnlf!2 Plensuro In recommending Mis Stllwclrs work nnd whon I say It Is nor. fectly satisfactory I feol I am only Just. . . MRS. C W. LYMAN J?, n.n u' tlst" could do tlu work Miss Stilwell does In lnces, MRS. JOHN L. WEBSTER. cJiilnV. P'wisuro. In recommending Miss Stilwell rb nn nrtlst unoxcollcd In her lino. My Inces look llko now. MRS. F. A. PACKARD. Kenrnoy, Neb. I consider Miss Stll well's work thorough ly satisfactory. MRS. 7.. T. LINDSEY. 'I ho work by Miss Stllwoll In clennlng nnd repairing lace Is tho best we havo over seen. OMAHA CARPET CO. Wo bellnyo Miss Stilwell does ns tine work In clennlng nnd repairing of lam and curtains ns nnyono In tho Pnlto.I States, aivo her your work. THOMPSON, HELDEN & CO. I find Miss Stllwell's work very satis factory. MRS. E. DICKINSON. I clean nnd repnlr nil Imported Laces- ORDERS MAY BE LEFT AT AIRS. J. BENSON'S. KATHARINE STILWELL 3134 Nrth ,5lh s- THI.EPIIO.M2 1