CHAPTER VI.

THE NOTED BLUE GRASS STATE.

A Glance at Its Pretty Women— Fleet Horses and Fine Grasses of Kentucky— Kentuckians are Boastful,
but They Never " Talk Through Their Hats "—Arkansas and Its Building— A Fountain of Hot
Springs Crystals Illuminated by Incandescents — The Forty-five Thousand Dollar Building of
Missouri — A Territorial Trio.

NOTED Virginian once stated that the greatest boasters in
the world were Virginians, always excepting Kentuckians
Well, Kentucky has a good deal to boast of — great men.
pretty women, fine grass, and some other thing that an;
thought to be the best of their kind. It is generally admitted
that Kentuckians are boastful, but they never "talk through
their hats." There are hens that make a great deal of noise,
but they never cackle until after they have led their eggs.
The Kentucky State building is typical of the southern Colonial
style, as distinguished from the New England, and suggests the
better class of old Kentucky homesteads. The size of the building, ex-
clusive of porches, is 75x90 feet and cost $20,000, and in the center of
the principal facade, under the covered porch, is the main entrance. To
the left-hand side of the entrance, communicating with the lobby, is the parcel and
check room and postoffice, while directly opposite is the office of the secretary, in
connection with which is a smaller room used as an information bereau. The lobby
opens on the great hall 35x40 feet in size, at the end of which is a wide stairway
leading up to the second-story gallery. Under the wide platform in the center of
the hall in the entrance to the dining-room. This platform is located midway be-
tween the two stories, and the greater part of this hall extends to the roof, with
galleries around the second-story overlooking the first. On the left-hand side of
the hall in a recess is placed the great hall fireplace. The mantel is 14 feet wide
and the fireplace opening itself 8 feet, where great yule logs may be burnt. The
ladies' parlors are on the left hand side of the building opening into the reception
hall. The principal parlor is 20x36 feet, and communicates with the check-room
and postoffice. On the right-hand side of the hall opposite the ladies' quarters are
the gentlemen's parlors, the same size as the ladies' parlors, with a smoking-room
attached. Adjoining the main hall and smoking-room is a side entrance hall, upon
which the men's toilet room opens. The dining hall is 20x40 feet, abundantly
lighted and with a deeply recessed alcove for the fireplace, immediately opposite
the entrance to the hall. This dining-room communicates with the necessary serv
n

484

HISTORY OF THE WORLD'S FAIR.

ing-rooms, store-room, kitchen and servants' bed-rooms. The second floor si a
gallery 8 feet wide, around three sides of the open light-well, which extends from
the first floor to the top of the building, where it is roofed over with an obscured
glass ceiling or sky-light. Extending across the entire front of the building, and

opening on the wide gallery, are
arranged three exhibition rooms, two
of which are 20x27 feet, and the third
20x23 feet. On the right hand side,
on this floor, is the commissioners"
room communicating with the main
gallery, and also a private hall and
stairway leading to the first floor.
With this hall are connected two
sleepingrooms and bath-rooms forthe
use of the commissioners. On the
opposite side of the building is the
lady commissioners' committee room,
and also a store-room, where pack-
KENTUCKY BUILDING. ing cases, chairs, etc., can be stored.

The three exhibition rooms are ar-
ranged so that they can be thrown together and form an assembly room. The
interior is furnished in white or old ivory.

The State of Arkansas makes a very good showing; its building was designed
by a woman, Mrs. Jean Douglas of
Little Rock, and cost $15,0x30. It
follows classic models, being in the
French "rococo" style o.f architec-
ture, as Arkansas was first settled
by the French. The exterior is in
plaster and ornamental staff work,
tinted in light color. It covers a
ground area 66x92 feet and has
an elliptical entrance from a large
circular veranda on the first floor.
Besides the entrance lobby 16x29
feet, the first floor contains a ro-
tunda 30x30 lighted by a central
dome, eight rooms 15x15 on each
side of the rotunda, five of which
are used as exhibit rooms, and the

registry room on the right of the entrance lobby. Opening from the rotunda by
triple arches is the hallway, 11x55, wlt^ stairs at each end. The interior is tinted
and the ornamental work is brought out in gold. There is an Assembly Hall 25x66
feet, with ten-foot mantel of Arkansas white onyz. On the second floor are the

MISSOURI BUILDING.

HISTORY OF THE WORLD'S FAIR.

485

ARKANSAS BUILDING.

parlors, library and clubrooms. The chief attraction is the fountain of Hot

Springs crystals illuminated by electricity.

The ground plan of the Missouri building is square, with a quarter circle

taken out of the southeast corner, to correspond with the form of the juncture of the

two avenues on which it faces. To
the south is the Art building, and
to the east, across the avenue, is
Pennsylvania's building. The
building is 86x86 feet, two stories
high, and cost $45,000. In the
front, and over the main entrance,
is an elliptical dome, 70 feet high,
flanked by smaller octagonal
domes, 48 feet high. The main
entrance, which is in the southeast
corner of the building, facing both
avenues, is of cut brown stone from
the quarries of Warrensburg, Mo.
The balance of the structure is
frame, covered with staff, and the

columns and pilasters are of the same material. Within the same entrance is a

rotunda, with a mosaic tile floor. On either side of the main entrance are minor

entrances, the one on the left leading to the headquarters of Western Missouri

and Kansas City, and the one on the right leading to the headquarters of Eastern

Missouri and St. Louis. Within the

rotunda are the telegraph office and

the postoffice, occupying the space

under the octagonal dome. On either

side of the rotunda is a fountain.

On the left of the rotunda are two

exhibit rooms 30x20 feet and 28x17

feet. On the right is a journalists'

room, a reading-room, a library, and

a bureau of information. Entrance

is had to the. rotunda from all of these

rooms by tilted halls. Two flights of

stairs, very handsome, in red and

white oak, lead to the second floor.

A promenade balcony with a marble

floor overhangs the main entrance. A

large auditorium room, irregular in shape, occupies the center and large portion

of the second floor. The southeast bay is occupied by a parlor and reading room

for women, the southwest bay by a similar room for men. There are toilet rooms,

and a committee room, and a special room for the Governor of Missouri. On the

JOINT TERRITORIAL BUILDING.

486 HISTORY OF THE WORLD'S FAIR.

balcony floor are six bed-rooms, three in each bay, and a kitchen. The building
contains thirty-two rooms. It is very handsome, and richly ornamented. The glass
is all plate and was donated by Missouri manuafcturers.

The joint buildings of the territories of Arizona, New Mexico and Oklahoma
occupies an advantageous location among the other States and Territorial build-
ings in the north end of the grounds. It is two stories in height, 28 feet over all,
and has a frontage of 90 feet. It is ornamental in design and of a composite
character, the lower story being supported by Doric columns. The main building is
divided into three departments, one floor for each territory, each department hav-
ing a grand reception room in the center, flanked on each side by parlors. The
offices of the commissioners are grouped around the main reception rooms, dividing
them from the parlors on each side. It is a frame building, finished in acme cement
plaster, and is used for various exhibits as well as for the general headquarters.
There is no more interesting place to spend half an hour than in this building, which
may be considered the home of the Territories (Utah excepted) , as neither Alaska
or the Indian Territory has a building, and we haven't annexed Hawaii yet.

HISTORY OF THE WORLD'S FAIR.

487