Wilmington daily commercial., 1872-12-07

afa PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 8.
The United States Centennial Commission has
been in session here since Wednesday. There is
a toerably full proportion of the Commissioners
from all the States ipattendance, and the'meet+
ings have been eArnest and thoughtful 1t is
observed however that they are not particularly
enthusiastic. That great bugbear, ths money
trouble lies flat in the path, and until it is made
clear, either by popular subscription or other
wise that the Exposition will be financial
success, none of the details of the celebration
will be entered into with much spirit. 1t is now
declared by prominent members Of the Commits
sion, and intelligent ctizens-those who have
ears for something beyond the popular hurrah-
entirely unite with that view,-that the centen-
nial cannot be made such a success without
the aid of Congressional subsidies, or at least
Of guarantees OF the government to make
good a portion of the loss. MIR. Cleveland
proved by the book before the Commits
sioners to-day that all the worlds Fairs or
Expositions had been unsuccessful that had
not been helped by their governments. II it
we're certain that the $lO, ,000,O sought to be
raised by popular subscription could be thus OBJ
tanned the project would be secure. but such a
result is not anticipated. have given you
candid statement OF the prospect OF tile subsorip-
tion in this neighborhood. and from revelations
made before the Commissioners, 1t would seem
that much the came state of affairs prevails gem
orally. One gentleman has stated to the Board
that not more than $4,000 900 can be 30 raised
in all probability, and good judges doubt II even
that figure will pc reached GoUeinnleht dld IS an
essential and without II the whole grand scheme
will inevitably and ingloriously fall through. But
it scarcely seems possible that government Will
deny that aid.
Another fine improvement on Broad street
will soon add to the claims OF that thoroughtale
I III in
| States. The corner stone Of the new Academy
of Fine Arts will be laid tomorrow afternoon
and the building is expected to be finished with
| in year. Your readers may remember when the
| Academy directors sold their old property on
Chestnut street below 10th thatit was announced
| that the new Art Gallery would be erected on
Chestnut west Of Broad. the Society owning
| lot in that locality. Lately however II was CON
cluded that the Chestnut street site was insufti-
cient for the purpose contemplated and GROUND
was secured at Broad aud Cherry. The aeade-
| my has been greatly missed by cultivated peo-
| pie and the prospect Of a new and elegant gal
/ lery is most pleasing. Slnce the breakup OF
i the old establishment the art treasures nave
been stored away in different places, but mum
ber of the principal pictures aud statues nave
been on free exhibition at the Philadelphia Saw
/ ings Bank 7th aud Walnut streets. Many people
may not be aware that by visiting the Saving
| Fund any day they may view an extended col
lection Of some of the finest works OF art In the
i country.
There is great deal of trouble about DR.,
| Rushs will or about that part OF II that relates
to the Philadelphia Library. That eccentric old
| gentleman left the Library Company large be-
| quest, but it IL hampered with such extrAordl'
nary conditions that it becomes question al
l most whether it is worth while TO take 1t
Among other thiugs it il held according TO oui
construction of the will, that new Library
building must be erected at Broad and Christian
streets, an unheard of locality for such pur-
pose. The whole matter is being tercely ar
gued. One party in the case hold that it is op'
tional with the Library whether to build at
Christian street or not, but Mr.. Williams, the
Doctors executor and personal friend in life
declares that the said lot was purchased by hin
for Doctor Rush, and according to his express
directions and that he had repeated instructions
from the Doctor personally, as to the disF osi
tion of the same. Mr.. Williams is very clear OF
the matter and very firm, and says tina
as long as he lives the Library shall NO
be built at any other place. So therI
| seems to be nothing for the company to do bu
be content with their old quarters until this YER
conscientious executor gives up his authority
As for moving to Broad aud Christian street.
| that is out Of the question. Dr. Rush belaboreC
the newspapers as teachers OF dlslointed think
ing" but he gave startling evidence In his owl
person OF being one OF the most dls]ointe'
thinkers it is possible to conceive OF. lie wa
altogether one Of the most eccentric men VIII
ever lived In this community. For years b
| never left his house-the old Rush mansion Of
Chestnut street above 10Th. And not only neye
left the house but never came down stairs. III
had suite Of rooms at the top OF the bnildin
and one or two old servants who had attende
| him all his life, and there he lived year in an
: wear out He had his different apartments
chamber, dining room and library, and one iarg
room with open windows where he would wal
, | for exercise affirming it was the same thing q
/ being out Of doors and much more desirable
And part OF this time the noted Mrs. Rush,
leader of Philadelphia fashion, was holding unde
the same roof her balls and receptions whic
, were the envy of the gay world. IL is strang
social story.
For a wonder one of the things that hay
been perristently predicted has come at lengt
, | to pass .-parIiaily at least, and far enough
I make the prediction good. Everybody has a
: ways predicted that sometime or other the Grar
. | Avenue Bridge would catch hre, and that whe
it did it would be seen to go like tinder In
l | worthless structure was on fire this week an
did indeed burn like 70 much old ag. Nothln
but the patent fire extinguisher which was store
close by saved it. The popular feeling is Oh
&. of chagrin that the extinguisher was anywhef
: in the neighborhood, and that the man,trap wa
/ not entirely destroyed which it would have
a an hour or 30. Some of the timbers knocke
away in the process Of extingulshing the h4me
have been examined and found to be 30 rotte
az to be easily crumbled in the fingers. Thel
is an extent OF enormity in all this that It is nj
easy to contemplate with calmness.
~ The death OF MIR, Greeley made profound in
= | preston IN tDs Guy. IL mas 5ochou W oaAio'
the whole week Many of our citizens wen
over to the funeral, very few expecting to ol
tain admission to the church but to ] ln the pre-
cession and show their respect and atfectlc
for the great man by their presence. Greele
L. was greatly loved in this section. The Irtbu
!. crcnlates more largely here than anywhere OF
u | of New York State and IL is q singular fact th
J. whoever had been in the habit OF reading thI
paper grew to consider its Editor son
what in the light Of personal frien
Few men have that good 10 tune in ii
Journalistic PROFESSIONAL least to such an O
sr tent. Most of those friends voted against M
"A Greeley but they did not really love him IL
~ less as the universal sorrow sufficiently attest
to And the end-was it not pitiful. With all
le faults whence comes another such ," The
is much Indignation felt here against Mast, Il
"a caricaturist. People say that he did more
N break The old mans heart than all the rest
me. much Of Nast's work did indeed seem We
2, brutal, but it s 30 easy to find fault, when
b. thing goes wrong That little, but potent, ii
:, ia such meddler. II MIR. Greeley had ralliC
n from his disappointment, or il he had bee
n el. cted Nasts sarcasm would have been TO
given, but az it s he must expect to go under
rt cloud II ia a risk the satrist must always tax
But impartially and apart from every person
e. feeling, it must be admitted that some OF
Is pictures were vulgarly coarse and vindictive
y cruel.
G. That old theatrical veteran, Mrs. E. N. Thaye
had a testimonial benefit rendered her this wee
e. She has not acted for a year or more and W
a' never act again. Many of your people vi
are given, much Or little, to attendil
Philadelphia amusements must have seen I'll
Ia | standby of our local stage and many others WI
= never saw her, have often heard her mentione
y, ~ Benefits," as general thing are unqualifi