The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1867-06-08

sha1I send Copy OF TINS letter to the press
that my apology may De as public as my un-
premeditated error has been.
Yours, very respectfully,
.-r. A. M. w. BALL.
European C0rrerpo. . dcace.
PARIS, May q, 1867.
To the Editor ofths Press:
The first of June will find the Exposition
still unfinished, but so nearly completed that
many days may be profitably spent there in
observation. As / wrote some time ago, Paris
landlords and landladies put the prices for rooms
and apartments very high, in expectation of
an overwhelming rush. The consequence
was that they Counted their chickens" &c.
The people have not crowded in so great rum
bers as was calculated. News went abroad of
the high prices and the unfinished state of the
Exposition, therefore people postponed their
visit until later period. OF course there was
no alarming influx of strangers and prices
have been gradually falling.
On the first OLA pril there were plenty ofrooms,
but few renters, on account of the enormous
charges. Many landlord has killed his hen
that laid the golden egg. Waiting for a tenant
who would be obliged to pay his extortonate
price, he bas lost many who would have paid
what was fair. Now he finds his rooms yet
vacant and is glad to take reasonable rent
Apartments have never been scarce and q few
| weeks of vacant rooms was all that was neces-
essary to demonstrate to landlords their great
stupidity. Two months ago wrote that it
| would be better not to come to Paris until
| the first of June. expecting that then the Ex-
| position would be ready and prices moderate
as at any time. My expectations are fully
realized now i write "come without delay"
The general appearance and arrangement
| of the Exposition Palace have previously
| given. Now l can write concerning what there
| is on exhibition. A garden is enclosed by the
| palace, similar in shape to the building and
! about five hundred feet long by nearly two
-dred broad. In the center Is a circular
...,s. ''h dome, wherein are the coins.
W. las of the different nations.
80. ~ Gu .ne"su- ~ will be exhibited
the crown jewels of France. Four u.
as many fountains surrounded by flower
beds. The graveled walks, too, are lined with
the most beautiful flowers Statues are scat
tered in abunance around the covered PRONE
made, making line next the wall of the Pal
ace and next the gardens, while not a few are
situated at frequent intervals in the paths
These statues not the indifferent figures
which might be expected in garden, hewn
from granite or cast in bronze; they are the
masterpieces of celebrated artists, cut from
the purest marble. To say that all are admir-
able is quite unnecessary.
Entering the Palace, first comes the gallery
of Archaeology, sometimes called the museum
of the History of Labor. 1t is not yet complete,
but is sufficiently so to warrant me in saying
that it contains relics of former ages, weapons,
jewelry, armaments, and literature of by gone
days. r.a l4,.... a.. .. .. .r,-
Next is the gallery of Fine Arts,-Sculpture.
Painting, Engraving. Who could fail to ad-
mire it? 1t is. no common exhibition. The
statues and pictures are from the chisels and
brushes of living and dead masters.
The gallery OF Material of the Liberal Arts
is not so snowy, but is perhaps the most agree
able of the whole collection in which to while
away a few hours. Here is to be found station
eryiof all kinds and varieties, books of all ma
tions, scientific apparatus and best of all the
musical instruments. The most entertaining
groups are those Of the musical instruments
The finest instruments, of course, are there,
and capable musicians perform on them. From
ten O'Clock in the morning until five o'clock at
night one may hear music constantly, and oi
such a character, that if he be lover of sweet
sounds he will be 10th to leave the vicinity.
Beyond is the gallery of Mobilier, House
Furnishing Goods. Beds, sofas, chairs, tables
desks, bookcases, crockery, chandeliers, glass
ware, silver and gold plate, and ornaments are
here, and of what beauty and workmanship
one may imagine-or rather cannot imagine
This is the most gorgeous gallery of all.
The gallery of Vestments follows. Clothing
ready made and ready to be made; cotton, lin
en-, wooen silk cloths of all degrees of fineness
and every hue; jewelry; hats; shoes; artificial
flowers; and strangely enough fire arms arc
contained in this gallery.
! The gallery of Raw Material is doubtless en-
| joyed by tha manufacturer and the political
economist, but is almost entirely devoid Of in
| terest for the general observer. What pleas
] ure would most people find in looking at raw
| cotton, hemp, leather, rubber, iron lead and
! copper ores, sperm, paraffine, tallow, oil and
kindred articles? al Hsf
| Last, largest and noisiest is the gallery of
Machinery. 1t is something noticeable that
| by far the larger part of the machines are NOV
ed by steam True, an occasional machine
may be found like q sewing machine or loom
worked by hand, aud Belgium exhibits ono
horse power, but these are exceptions, and 80
comparatively few as scarcely to be remarked
Steam is the great propelling power, and Is
used to polish diamonds or crush ore, to en-
| grave amedallion cut nails from cold hon'
| to weave a CARPET or make ribbon Nearly
| all of the machinery is put in motion every
| day. Whole factories are there and at work.
The outside of the Palace is occupied as
| o;rcle of restaurants Each nation has its din
! inc room where may be purchased national
dishes and drinks, and the customer is waited
| upon by girl or man dressed in the costume
| of their country
| Immense as is the Palace, covering as it does
| an area of near half a million square feet, it
was found necessary to build numerous build
| ings in the park to contain those articles for
| which there was not room in the Palace. For
this reason the original plan in regard to tho
laying out OF the grounds was considerably in-
| terfered with. These outside builings are yet
incomplete, except few, such as the Ameri-
| can and English Annex, the Prussian and
Swiss Galleries of Art and few others
| There is in course of erection on the United
| States portion of territory Boston cracker
bakery and the Chicago school house. II the
one which Mr.. Usher proposed Drlng,nIS hs'tar
| not have been more representative anu s;. oe.set
| lookino than this one am glad for the credit
of New England education that the way was
bea"ed mn and that il was not brought,
Besides the Pass and produets h
Seiu ud ,nncbinery. But it is not yet complete.
| anu ALPHEUs.
RocHEsTER UNIvERsITY-Dr. Anderson
| seems to have debated the question of accept
ing the proffered presidency of Brown Uni
| yersity very seriously, but was overpowered by
the solicitations of his Rochester friends. The
citizens of Rochester are coming forward with
their subscriptions for preside ntial mansion,