In the center of the grounds, surrounded by lawns with flower beds and wide gravel walks, stood the Brazilian Building in the French renaissance style of architecture. The main cornice, 80 feet high, was supported by eight groups of three columns each at the corners and sides of the two entrances of the building, and by six single columns at each loggia. These thirty-six columns were of the corinthian style of architecture, without the fluting ordinarily used with this particular column, and were ornamented only at the lower third of the shaft with the Brazilian coat of arms between floral festoons. Projecting above the roof of the building were three domes, two of which, on either loggia, were spherical in form, being 44 feet in diameter, while the apex of the central dome attained a height of 135 feet. The dome was octagonal in shape, having at each corner an exterior buttress, adorned with a large statue at its top. Encircling the same was a gallery from which could be viewed the greater part of the exposition grounds and the surrounding country. Above the cornice of the building was a balustrade decorated with shields, showing the coats of arms of the twenty-one States of Brazil.
The main floor was reached by means of a flight of nineteen granitoid steps on either the north or south side of the building, which led through two spacious porticoes. The second floor formed one large room only, the ceiling of which was divided into rectangular panels, supported by thirty-two Doric columns. The second floor was reached also by a majestic double staircase, where a spacious reception room, two apartments for ladies, and the offices of the commission were situated. In the center of the reception room was a marble statue representing "the Feast," mounted on a large pedestal and encircled by an upholstered settee. Above this statue the large central dome opened, supported by eight columns, which formed an interior gallery.
In simplicity, stateliness, and beauty of outline the Brazilian Pavilion was equal to any of the foreign buildings on the grounds. Its dome rose 90 feet above the main structure, which covered 191 by 132 feet, and it soon became known as a landmark in the foreign government section of the fair.
The interior decorations of the building were entirely in keeping with the magnificent exterior. The apartments were sumptuously furnished and decorated with rare statues. The colored glass which ornamented the central dome gave a soft tint to the furnishings beneath. On the walls were hung interesting photographs and charts illustrating the chief industry of the country-coffee culture. This industry was further demonstrated by machinery of the most improved pattern, showing the process of preparing coffee for the market. In sacks, in glass jars, and cases, coffee beans ranging in size from furled grains as small as peas to flat beans as large as cocoa beans were displayed. To illustrate the abundance of the product Brazil had built here a fountain which poured forth coffee beans instead of water. At night rows of electric lights, outlining the same, took the place of the Brazilian and American flags, which ornamented it by day. There were fifteen hundred of these lights distributed throughout the building, some clustered in rich chandeliers from the center of the reception halls and loggias, others placed in rows to outline galleries and dome.
In addition to the appropriation of $600,000 made by the Federal Government, many of the States contributed all the expenses toward propaganda, collection and transportation of exhibits from their own individual territories. The installations and booths (ten in all) in the exposition building were made at the expense of the Brazilian Government at a cost of $70,000. The cost of the main building, complete with its furnishings and improvement of grounds, was $135,000. The cost of transportation of exhibits from Brazil to St. Louis was $30,000. In all, Brazil had 2,400 exhibitors in 14 departments out of 16.
CANADA.
The government of the Dominion of Canada was represented at the World's Fair by the exhibition branch of the department of agriculture of Canada. This branch was organized some years ago for the purpose of collecting, installing, and maintaining exhibits at expositions where the government of Canada was officially represented. The personnel of the exhibition branch is as follows: Hon. Sidney A. Fisher, minister of agriculture; William Hutchinson, exhibition commissioner; W.A. Burns, secretary and assistant to the commissioner; W.H. Hay, decorator; S. Anderson, superintendent of installation.
The government and products of Canada were represented at the fair in several exhibits, viz, an official building or pavilion; a collection of minerals and mining products in the Palace of Mines and Metallurgy; a display of the grains, grasses, and the agricultural products in the Palace of Agriculture; an exhibit of all the various fruits grown in the Dominion in the Palace of Horticulture; a special exhibit of the forest products of Canada showing the great variety of timber, bark, pulp wood, etc., in a building erected especially for the purpose; also a varied collection of the larger and smaller game, fish, etc., together with specimens of all the numerous varieties of wood produced in the forests and inland waters of the Dominion, exhibited in the Forestry, Fish, and Game Building, and in a special exhibit of live beaver in the same building.
As an appropriation for the installation of these exhibits the government of Canada made a preliminary grant of $150,000, which was supplemented by further appropriations for maintenance aggregating $175,000, making a total of $325,000.
The official pavilion was a structure built after the fashion of a clubhouse, located near the north entrance to the Palace of Agriculture, costing, with forestry building in rear, about $35,000. This building was furnished throughout with the products of Canadian factories and decorated with the work of Canadian artists, all suggestive of the natural wealth, progress, and enterprise of the country.