Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1875-12-01

Public attention is being rapidly enlisted
in the approaching national birthday party
at Philadelphia, and it is safe to presume
that the interest will become moro general
and absorbing as the great event approaches
Already there is good assurance Of a greater
worlds fair than any hitherto held The
commissioners have shut down. absolutely,
on all applications for space. They would
be glad to receive more. but they realize
that, even in Centennial, there must be in
completeness, and they have already more
than they can care for in machinery, three
times as much
The exhibition is to be held on the west
side Of the city, in Fairmount Park This
park, laid out in 1870, is the largest in the
country, and probably the most beautiful
and attractive. 1t contains over three thou
sand acres, lying upon both sides Of schuyl-
kill river. The area of the grounds is two
hundred and thirty-siN acres the main
building covers twenty acres, the machinery
hall fourteen, the agricultural hall ten, the
art gallery an acre aud half, horticultural
hall one and quarter acres the national
government building one and q half acres,
and the offices thrcc-fourths of an acre The
average distance between the buildings is
five hundred aud fifty feet there are three
and half miles of railway in Che grounds
for transportation Of good, seven miles of
avenues and walks aud will be four aud "a
half miles of horse railway. Besides the
above mentioned buildings, now nearly com
pletcd, numerous smaller ones are to be
erected The " womens department" is to
have building of its own, costing 10000;
various arts and trades, like the shoe and
leather association, the photographers union,
etc. besides the United States government
and the British commission, are now en-
gagged in erecting handsome structures.
The japanese government will have a sepa-
rate building, having appropriated 100000
in gold for that purpose. A company of
four hundred Egyptians intend to erect q
row of buildings ia imitation Of street in
Cairo-and it is probable that all of the
large nations will have buildings and model
houses of their own peculiar style, and for
their own special use Many of our state.
have plans for houses which shall be the
headquarters for the commissioners, exhibit
tors and other representatives. Kansas is
spending $4,000 ON a house of her native
woods Ohio is constructing one of her own
/ beautiful freestone: and Massachusetts, will
/ have a building costing 5000 or $4,000.
The entire number of the buildings cannot
cover much less than one hundred acres Of
ground. The acreage Of buildings ut the
worlds fair at Vienna, iu 1873, was les,
than fifty acres while the Paris exposition
Of 1867 had thirty-one acres, all included I'M
one building, and the Crystal Palace of Lon.
don, in 1852, less than twenty-five acres.
1t is impossible, of course, TO estimate.
with any accuracy, theumberof people Chat
will visit Philadelphia next year. but It 3. a
fact that almost every important railroad of
the country is having extra passenger cars
built and making arrangement, DO provide
cheap excursions. so that every American
citizen who can by any means accomplish
it, will visit the centennial exhibition