The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1876-06-07

Notes from the Centennial
PETf-AuELrHEA. !
May 18th. 1876. {,

lCezssaE@4 t-oz Yss:esslAy-
A pleasing incident occurred on the
opening day near where your CORES
pondent was standing. Al enthusiastic
German who had but recently come 70
Yankee land and whose broken English
rendered his conversation all the more
interesting while looking over the i'm
usensa .hrong. said 10 an American
tanding near. What = crowd Of we'll
dres sed paople-how respectable aud
quiet" We have been mistaken about
vou Americans. But where are your
common people. yoar PEASANTS. l see
none here today bat the rich. the well
dressed Why have you excluded
the lower classes" When assured that
no Que had been excluded, that in the
great c0ncourss before ham were
mingled all classes; that in America the
common people ware good clothes; that
there were no peasants IN America, he
looked over the crowd again with
greater amazemen, than ever, exclaim-
ing. "Mien Got in Himmel. what 3
country. what a country, two hun
dred thousand people in crowd and
not peasant among them.
The exhibition grounds are enclosed
with high board aud coarse picket
fence over thfee miles in length and
contains two hundred aud thirty SIX
acres Of tue most beautiful portion of
Fsirmount Park, with an average ele-
ystion Of ore hundred feet above the
Schuylkill River. The buildings Of
the Exposition are five Iii number, and
are known "a the main building, art
gallery. machinery hail. horticultural
ball, and agricultural hall. In addi-
ton 10 these there are about one hun
dred and fifty buildings designed for
every variety Of use. The main build
ing covers u acres of ground, and tue
others, though smaller, cover many
acres each, altogether The principal
buildings and annexes cover % acres
In addition 10 this. twenty-five acres or
ground has been secured outside within
q distance Of five hundred yards from
the principal entrances TO the main
building for the reception and exhibit
of live stock. This exhibition will
take place in September and October.
Other lands, distant only thirty min
u,es by rail on the line of the road to
New York, have been secured, where
the trials of harvesting and moving
machines will take place, III June and
July. and tilling machines during Sep
tember aud October These various
provisions are complete and will be
ample for all parties desiring to enter
into competition.
In connection with the horticultural
hall. and surrounding it on all sides,
about forty acres of ground Is being
devoted TO horticultural arts-flowers,
trees and shrubbery, together with
Beautifully ~..l..s ~~~ls.s, '-.-9~ s-~an
grass plots, and decorated with station
ary aud fountains, make this. (situated
as it is, near the center of the grounds,
probably the most attractive portion Of
the grounds.
There is vast amount OF labor yet
to be done To complete the various sec
tions in some of the departments. Tho
Japanese building is progressing slowly
under the labor of tho native workmen
who take their own time and pay no
attention whatever to the thousands
who gather around to watch their curl
Gus ways and quaint style of architec-
ture. They look with open mouthed
astonishment on the haste with which
Yankee workmen dispatch their labors
aud the fabulous speed with which
buildings grow under our hands The
various State buildings are hardly any
of them complete. 1t will be two or
three weeks yet before they will be
open for visitors.
The Catholic fountain, donation by
that order. will not be complete for
some time. but will he magnificent
monument of their liberality, and one
of the principal sights on the grounds
when completed. Another striking
feature now complete and in running
order. is the narrow gauge railway
with its open seated cars, double track
of three miles in length and running TO
all the principal portions of the
grounds. The fare for the round trip
is five cents. The engines are complete
and every thing works TO charm.
r. r.