The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891, October 25, 1890, Page 166, Image 6

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    10(i
WEST SHORE.
WE SPOKANE EXPOSITION.
The first representative exhibition of the products and induttrlea of the
great Inland empire of the northwest, 1b now in progress in Spokane Falls.
The coaat country from San Diego to Victoria hae bad its fain and exposi
tion! wherein were displayed more or leu complete representation! of the
character and extent of the country'! resource!, but the great inland country
west of the Rockies has not before attempted an industrial exposition at all
commensurate with the vaetnesi of its natural and developed wealth. The
scheme of holding an exposition in Spokane was suggested late last spring,
and the Northwestern Industrial Exposition comiany was organized on the
tenth of June, and capitalized at $0,000. A lite valued at $00,000 was given
for the building, plans were adopted and contract! let, and the active work
of organizing an exposition that would be properly representative of the
country was begun at once. The directors Insured success from the start by
engaging the services of Mr. Charles W. Robinson, an experienced and
coniUmt manager of enterprises of tbii nature in the east. Mr. Robinson
was fresh from Europe where he had been studying special and general
feature! of the exposition business, in the Interest of New York in the wot id's
fair contest. When be left Paris he bad in bil possession what the manag
ers of the Paris exposition declared to be the most comprehensive and ac
curate statistical Information on this subject that had ever been collected in
Europe. He took bold of the Spokane exposition with perfect knowledge
of every requisite for success, and under bii direction the matter assumed
definite form from the beginning and grew to the proportions that so many
thousands have studied and won
dered at from the first of October.
The exposition building is locat
ed In the eastern part of the city,
and when construction was begun
the site wai in the midst of huge
pilei of basaltic rock. A great
transformation has been wrought
in that locality since that time.
Street leading to the exposition
grounds that were then totally im
passable are now among the most
perfect in the city. The pile of
rock have been razed and all the
surrounding! made comfortable
and pleasing, The building Itself
occupies a ground area 200x300 feet,
and lias three floors devoted to ex-lilblU-ttlO.OOO
aquar feet. On
the first, or basement floor, are the
displays of wagons and carriage!,
fann and mill machinery, bini of
permanent grain exhibit!, the aqua
rium, the engines for driving exhi
bition machinery, and tliedynainot
that light the entire building and
run an elect rlo railway nearly five
miles long. The engine! furnish
450 horse-power. This electric rail
way lands passengers directly at
the south entrance to the ex
position building, while the Rosa Park road, another electric line about four
nillrs long, passes near the north entrance. On the lower floor of the build
ing Is also a considerable space where a palace of delusion! mystifies people.
The second floor Is mainly devOed to exhibits representing the different
section! of Washington, Idaho and Oregon. Of Washington, Yakima county
pretend " the result! of Irrigation," while Whitman bu an equally impos
ing display, " raised without Irrigation." The best grain displays are from
the l'alous country and the Dig Itend. Whitman county baa the moat
complete grain exhibit In the exposition, among the selected samples being
one (torn a field that produced 101 bushels per acre of wheat this year. Her
fruits and vegetable! are also in the front rank. Yakima has mineral water
and an Interesting display of vegetable and fruits, and specimens of tobacco
that are pronounced by experts superior to the best Cuban production ; her
sorghum and watermelons are notable. Yakima county present! quite a
variety of minerals, among which are fine specimens if the only anthracite
coal found in the northwest Kittitas, however, has the most Imposing coal
exhibit In the exposition, It being a solid block of bituminous coal 2l,x4xl2
feet, from the Roalyn mines. There are a large number of rich specimens
of gold, silver, copper and Iron ores from Kittitas, as well ss a varied line of
fruita and vegetables, collected and placed on exhibition by the energy of
Klleiisburgh business men. Lincoln county produi Hons Include a very cred
itable exhibit of grains, truiU and vegetable, two very amusing black bears
and several massive heads of mountain sheep. Adams county displays
among it cereals and vegetables an Immense cougar at one of Its produc-
BULOCI BLOCK, SrOKANl FALLS, WASH.
tioni. Nil Perce county, Idaho, has a very luscious Iruit display for its
main feature; It has a squash weighing 149 pounds. Freewater, Oregon,
tbowa among other things, mammoth broom corn and sugar cane, and some
very fine fruit. Medical Lake, the popular summer resort near Spokane,
has a imall lake in the exposition with appropriate surroundings and many
specimens of the products of that curious sheet of water that is so strongly
medicated in nature's alembic. A miniature of the state asylum stands on
the bank of this lake.
The Puget sound country ii well represented at Spokane Falle. Seattle
people have taken special pains to arrange a very creditable display, and
one that is unique in many ways. Its shipping interests are represented by
a model of the steamer CUy ofPutbla, complete in every detail so far as ap
pearance goes. A sect ion of fir tree shown is eleven feet in diameter. Lumber,
coal and iron resources are shown to advantage, as well as her manufactur
ing interests. The press of Seattle has an excellent display. Tacomaisnot
behind in its timber exhibit, and it shows a fine box of hops, specimen! of
asbestos, sandstone and coke, and a number of manufactured articles.
Olympia and Thurston county show attractive samples of building stone,
tin ore, wooden water pipes, miniature cranberry marsh, etc. Port
Townsend has a papier macht miniature of itself and surroundings In relief,
and so on through an array of the best of every kind from every section, that
is bewildering in its magnitude.
The ores on the third floor form one of the most Interesting features of
the expoiition. They are of all kinds, from the Coeur d'Alenes, the Col
ville district, the Kootenai, the Metaline, the Okanogan, the Clarke's Fork,
Manager Robinson, who takes
special delight in art, aayi the shipment of pictures for titles exposition was
the first one he ever opened without disappointment. On hundred paint
ings were brought here from New York, and are the works of such artiste as
Poors, Wiggins, Moran, Kluth, Darget, Fox, Rouzee, Hasbrouck and Rem
ington. Probably the pictures by Frederic Remington, being striking
features of western life and handled with consummate skill, are the moat
popular in Die gallery, though the art critic would prefer others. The col
lection embraces a pleasing variety of subjects, and many different schools
are represented. There is nothing in the gallery that causes either the
people or the press to discuss the propriety of the display. There are 158
pictures by lecal artists, and these constitute a collection that would be
worthy of attention In any exposition gallery. They comprise oil, water
colon, pastels and crayons. I-overs of art find a treat In the Spokane
gallery, the like of which they seldom have an opportunity to enjoy. Be
sides tli paintings there are a large number of specimen! of art needlework,
Inlaid work In wood and miscellaneous article of more than ordinary merit
in the art gallery.
While there is no museum proper or zoological display there is a large
numtier of interesting ipecimens of the taxidermist'! art and some amusing
animals. Th black bean from Lincoln county attract much attention, as
do two pretty, spotted fawns. A big, green crane runs at large bearing such
printed announcements as " I buy my candy at Sweet A Sour' " or " I read
the Jform'ng Echo," and varying the monotony of Its existence by biting
too familiar persons.
the Salmon river, and many other
mines. The crystal sand found in
the country tributary to Spokane
is displayed In considerable quan
tities, and seme of Its nses are
Illustrated. In the mineral depart
ment one may get a good idea of
the manner of obtaining and treat
ing various ores. The Colville
smelter exhibits a considerable
number of pigs of lead-silver as
turned out from that institution.
There are several valuable mineral
cabinets in this department. The
whole exhibit is very Interesting
and It speaks with much force of
one of tbe important factors in Spo
kane's growth.
A great deal of space is occupied
with displays by Spokane business
men in the various mercantile and
manufacturing branches, and there
is not an unattractive one among
them. The displays of dry goods,
furnishing goods, carpets, furni
ture, musical instruments, edge
tools and glassware, contain many
unique and pleasing features.
The art gallery is certainly the
best ever seen west of Minneapolis.