By Water to the Columbian ExpositionWisthaler, Johanna Sara
History
By Water to the Columbian Exposition
Wisthaler, Johanna Sara
Great Lakes (North America) -- Description and travel; New York (State); World's Columbian Exposition (1893 : Chicago, Ill.)
During our entire journey from Schenectady, N.Y., to the White City, we
had not experienced anything like it. Everything of a movable character
had to be secured; and it was an intense relief to all, when after an
extraordinary upheaval--the last effort of the uncontrolled waves upon our
stanch craft--she passed into the peaceful waters behind the breakwater;
completely sheltered from the raging elements, which broke with ceaseless
roar upon the concrete mass.
The following morning as the rest of the party decided to remain in
Chicago for the purpose of viewing the renowned play "America" in the
Auditorium, I visited Jackson Park alone, spending many hours in the
Liberal Arts Building, which inclosed (besides multitudinous magnificent
displays illustrating the department of Liberal Arts) the object of my
special interest, viz. the educational exhibits. They comprised not only
contributions from every State in the Union but also from Germany, Great
Britain, France, Mexico, Canada, Russia, New South Wales, Spain, Belgium,
and Japan.
The general character of them was represented by models and appliances for
teaching, text-books, diagrams, examples, specimens of the school work on
the various scientific subjects, and illustrations of the methods employed
in instruction by the teachers of the different States and Nations.
By means of the ingenious arrangement of these displays, manifesting the
great achievements made in the development of pedagogy, I augmented my
professional learning during the hours of that day to such an extent as
would otherwise require months of careful study. The means of obtaining
these results of so great interest and profit to me as a teacher, were
much facilitated by my knowledge of several of the languages spoken by the
nations represented there. For, I readily understood the reports,
statistics, and text-books sent from the educational institutions of the
leading countries. Furthermore, the commissioners of the respective
sections, whom I addressed in their native tongue, complaisantly gave me
all the additional information I desired.
As I inspected, among the manifold exhibits contributed by the State of
New York, the specimen work from the best pupils of the Art Students'
League, some sketches from life and drawings from the antique attracted my
special attention. They bore the signature of a young gentleman from
Schenectady--Walter M. Clute--a name which, I am certain, will be widely
known in future years as that of a prominent artist of this country.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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