soon probably sinking into that most unfortunate
condition for a young man, of accepting a low
standard of performance, is found among the
brightest, most apprehensive, most enthusiastic,
and most successful students of a scientific and
technical school.
THE PENNSYLVANIA MINES AND
MINING EXHIBIT AT THE
WORLD'S FAIR.
Because of her central position in the thin strip
of land facing the Atlantic and constituting the
original thirteen States, Pennsylvania, long be
fore her vast mineral wealth was even suspected,
and long before the industrial application of such
products as petroleum and anthracite, was denom
inated the '..Keystone State." Prophetic simile !
To day the output of her mines and quarries is so
much greater than that of any equal area upon the
globe as to be of almost fabulous extent.. Indeed,
Aladdin never beheld such wealth. The aggre
gate value of Pennsylvania's mineral product in a
score of years would be sufficient to buy all the.
diamonds and build all the palaces of the Arabian
Nights. 'Her yearly production of coal, iron, and
petroleum alone is worth nearly 5i00,000,000, or
more than one half the total value of the mine
products of the United States, including gold and
silver.
To show within small space something of her
mine and quarry products which would do justice
to the resources of Pennsylvania was the task
placed before Prof. Reber, and Pr f. Hitchccck.
Two .courses were open.
It was a Pennsylvanian, it was Ba)ard Taylor;
who said,—"From the same foundation you may
build either a Chines , : pagoda, or a Grecian tern•
ple.". So here, there was the opportunity for a
mere throwing together of exhibit after exhibit in
a sort of barbaric splendor accompanied by baring
figures,. or, to harmonize the various parts, and by
showing facts in their relation to one another,
build a lasting temple in honor of the material sut
THE FREE LANCE.
premacy of our commonwealth. Fortunately for
the State the latter, in able hands, has been the
course pursued, and visitors at Chicago will have
an opportunity such as has been never afforded
before to study the wealth of Pennsylvania in nat
ural resources, and their applications. •
. The aim has been to make the display show
completely the crude material found in the State,
and then as far as practicable to follow it from the
mine or the quarry through all the stages of man
ufacture to the finished product. The main class
es into which the exhibit is divided may only be
enumerated here :
Collections of minerals (systematic) ; Ores and
and assorted Minerals, Aluminium, Copper,
Chromium, Iron, Manganese, Nickel, Zinc ; Coal
and Pressed Coal; Asphalt, Petroleum, and Illum
inating and Lubricating oils; Building Stones and
Slate, Clays, Kaolin, Silica, and articles for the
manufacture of glass ; Fire Brick, Tiles, Terra
Cotta etc., etc. ; Glass and Porcelain ; Refractory
Sand and Stone (for furnace construction) ; Graph •
ite, crude and prepared Lime, Cement, Hydraul
ic Cement, and Concrete ; Pigments ; Metallurgy
of Iron and Steel, ore mixtures, fluxes, fuels, fur
nace charges, slag, pig-iron, etc:, etc. ; Metallur
gy and uses of Aluminium, of Nickel, of Zinc;
Special accompanying exhibit by the State Geolo
gical Survey, including statistics, charts and relief
maps, aid giving a full description of the State
and its minerals geologically considered.
• Of the 'more striking exhibits and features an
obelisk of anthracite coal stands easily first. It
has not been placed within the Pennsylvania -en•
closui hiut by the special request of the Director
'General of the Exposition occupies the center of
the 'Mire; and Mining Building. Fifty-four 'feet
high, it shows the exact depth and • geological
structure of the so-called "mammoth" vein as
worked in the middle anthracite field on the Giraid
estate, and is a fitting center piece fur the mining
display of the United States.
The mining and preparation of anthracite is'il
lustrated by a miniature mine, and the working