Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1871-05-11
THE TENNESSEE EXPOSITION.
Letter from Our Special Corre'
spondent.

| spOuuents
NASHVILLE. May Q, 1871. o
To the Editor of the Ledger:
The grand Tennessee Industrial Expo
sition commenced yesterday under very
auspicious circumstances. To-day, how
ever, we are having very gloomy anc
peculiar weather indeed for the balmy
and floral month of May-the season O
picnics, festivals of all sorts, and uni
versal enjoyment by all classes and con
ditions of men.
The building in which the Exposition
is held is quite magnificent and well
finished structure, of sufficient capacity
for the accommodation of five thousand
people. Here are displayed for the in
spection of the world the manufactures,
products and arts of the skilled and in
ventive genius of the sons of Tennessee
in profusive abundance and bewildering
variety. If the magical lamp of Aladdin
had been called into requisition for the
occasion a more heterogeneous mass OF
articles could not have been improyised
representing every product, pursuit and
avocation of life-the mechanic, the
builder, the artisan, artist, manufacturer,
etc, renewing With brighter illustration
the dazzling glories Of the Orient.
The city is rapidly filling up, and the
hotel registers show a material increase
in the number of new corners. The
Maxwell House is full to Overlooking,
and we suppose in day or two the other
hotels will be in a similar state OF re-
pletion. In addition to the Exposition,
the horticultural show, the spring races
(which began to-day with very diseour-
aging atmospherical prospect), the an
nual meeting Of the Bishops Of the Me
thodist Episcopal Church South, the
grand Sunday School Convention rep
resenting all the States. and the Pres
bytery Of the Cumberland Presbyterian
Church, contribute largely to the grand
influx of strangers, and in a few days
Nashville will present scene OF life and
activity not hitherto witnessed in many
day.
The classification Of every article en-
tered is arranged with excellent system
and thoroughness, and il is quite an easy
matter to take an aggregated view OF the
whole, from any particular stand. Tex
tile fabrics, agricultural implements,
upholstery, minerals and marble, ma
chinery and motive power, fancy work,
fine arts, drugs, glassware, iron, etc, and
the innumerable specimens of the pro-
life production of our State, are all ar
ranged in perfect order, and displayed
with great taste. The Exposition GER
tainly marks an era in the State, and
Judging from the general interest mani
tested in the industrial Inauguration, we
predict it will be the most attractive and
extraordinary event which has occurred
in the State, and perhaps, in the South.
We are sorry that Memphis ia not
more largely represented and deeply in
terested in the progress and development
of her industrial and manufacturing in
terests. A fan, to be attached to a
chair, for exhilaration during the sol
stitial heats, and patented by a Mem
phian, is the only specimen Of Memphis
handiwork and inventive genius on ex-
hibition.
The following named knights Tenn
pIars arrived to-day, and are having a
grand banquet tonight, with toasts and
eloquent speeches, after having marched
this afternoon through the principal
streets in very disagreeable rain:
Messrs. Geo. MelleTsh, j. NJ. Pettigrew,
J. S. Carpenter, C. p. Oakley, A, Hum,
Ed. Worsham, b. r. Price, r. NJ. Mason
and j. w. Ward. More anon.
r. NJ.