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THE AMERICAN EXHIBITION.

The American Exhibition of the arts, inventions, manufactures, products, and resources of the United States - such being its official and advertised description - opens today at Earl's Court, and it will remain one of the great sights. if not the sensation of the London season, until October 31. If with regard to our exhibitions at home, in London or elsewhere, difficulties are always found in getting exhibits ready to time, it could hardly be expeted that an exhibition composed entirely of American productions, which have to be collected from different parts of a very big country and conveyed across the Atlantic, would be an exception to the rule. As a matter of fact, the practical portion of this American Exhibition is not complete as yet, and some days must pass before the block of building 1,200 feet long by 120 feet wide, planned in sections with intervening streets duly numbered, will be ready for critical notice. Nothing has, however, been more striking that the rapidity with which the Exhibition as a whole has been brought to its present state. A few weeks ago we had to wade through mire and slush upon what seemed a most hopeless waste, and pick our way over a very chaos of building materials. Now the grounds are prattily laid out, and the great house of iron and glass is built. In the outer buildings about the grounds there yet remains much to be done, but no one who has watched the smartness of the operations in the past has any right to doubt that the balance of the work left for the future will speedily be mastered. The Wild West Show, however, of which the town is already talking, is waiting for public admiration. As our readers have been informed, Colonel Cody, his Indians, the buffaloes, horses, and deer have not only arrived in this country, but have for three weeks been established upon their own territory at Earl's Court. The Exhibition grounds are in two sections, a total of some twenty-three acres, offered to the proprietors by the Metropolitan Railway Companies o whom the property belongs and divided by the West London Railway. The setions are united by a substantial bridge from Fourth-sreet f the Exhibition's township, to the centre of the Grand Stand, stretching in a horseshoe shape round a part of the track round which the Red Indians, cowboys, and scouts career on horseback. The admission moen is a shilling on ordinary days, and half-a-crown on Wednesdays, and this pary ment includes the whole of the Exhibition, Today is in some senses ceremonial in character, and the admissions are restricted to the two guines season tickets, payment of one guines at the doors, or special guests to whom invitations have been sent. The grand stand accommodation 20,000 people is, of course the largest erection fof te kind we have every had, and the management has very wisely fixed low prices for the seats, amphitheater one shilling, grand circle two shillings, and reserved stalls five shillings. Only one exhibitions of "Wild West" will be given today. The Prince of Wales, Mr. Gladstone, and a large number of notable people already visited the Indian encampments, Mexican village, corrals, and stables, and a private rehearsal of the performance was given before the Royal visitors last week. Without preliminary advertising beyond the striking piotorial posters on the boardings a vast amount of interest has been aroused in Buffalo Bill and his remarkable compnay of the two hundred persons who this afternoon, and henceforward daily, will represent episodes in the adventerous life of the Wild West. There are a score of items in the programme - all being characterised by picturesque groups and colours, dramatic and rapid action, wonderful feats on horseback, and with the rifle, suggestions of prairie warfare, camp life, wigwam customs, buffalo hunts, and the log cabin of the white man. The painted and half-naked Indian warriors do not actually destroy their victims, but they carry the action with marvellous effect up to the very scalping point. The feats of the Mexicans and cowboys with the Broncho horses and mules, and steers, are as amusing as they are exciting. In short, we very much mistake the tastes of the British public if they do not become enamoured from the outlet with the grand novelty. Before engaging in this enterprise the promoters entered into calculations showing that ten millions of people reside within an hour's, and half that 'number within thirty minutes' railway journey of the site. The Exhibition may be reached by alighting at West Brompton station for the Lillie-road entrances, or West Kensington station for the entrance at the northern corner of the ornamental grounds, but the principal station used will be Earl's Court, at which elaborate additions and alterations have been made for the Exhibition season. Mr. J. R. Whitley, chairman of the Executive Council of London, and Mr. H. S. Russel, chairman of the American Board, are general managers; Mr. J. Gilmer Speed, secretary; and Mr. Florence O'Driscoll, engineer of the Exhibition

THE NEWCASTLE EXHIBITION

One of the special compliments to her Majesty's Jubilee was to a certain extent opened on Saturday afternoon. A private view was given to the representatives of teh Press. Some of the exhibits are of rare excellence, coming as they do from all parts of the United Kingdom. It is difficult to point to the stands to this and that particular firm; they all seem good, and no doubt when the Exhibition is opened every department will be looked at with interest. One of the chief features - the best of all, perhaps - is the North Court, where all the heavy machinery is placed. The firm of Sir W. G. Armstrong, Mitchell, and Co. have a wooden model of thier 110-ton gun that has been - or will be - placed upon the Victoria, the largest ironclad ever built. Many of the chief Clyde firms have splendid specimens of their workmanship in the various courts of the Exhibition and outside. Perhaps the most interesting of al the specialties is teh model of the old Tyne Bridge. Another is a facsimile of the old Carliol Tower, one of the defenses of Newcastle in feudal times. The mighty guns and big locomotives in teh north court have a speaking contrast in the old. No. 1 engine built by George Stephenson. The Duke of Cambridge formally opens the place on Wednesday. A district like Newcastle gives special opportunities for the study of coal and lead mining, and both these important industries are well set forth in the Exhibition. They will be very interesting to visitors. A portion of Alnwick Castle, one of our Northumbrian strongholds, is also well worth looking at.