The Leavenworth weekly times., 1876-07-13
PHILADELPHIA.
The Big Centennial Show, as Seen by .
Esusan-

Eslsan-
EprrcE TIMEs: Ii is said :hat Mr..
Rsecher once commenced sermon with
the text, "Ifs d-d hot" Yesterday was
day suited 10 a repetition Of the same, and
If Mr.. Reecher " re in this city he might
aieel to say" the same every day. Ear oe
it from nv unregenerat- heart to say or
think such words, but i think it has been
very hot all the time since LETT kansas.
Last Tuesday was the worst day for travel
ing / have ever experienced. The trains
are crowded all the way, and sleeping anu
narIor accommodations are hard TO get un-
less engaged far ahead. The little party,
a part of which | was," arrived safely
Wednesday evening, and scattered to their
transient homes They were seen the ioi-
lowing day, doing the Centennial, aston
ished beyond all possible conception by the
magnitude Of the show. You may prepare
rourself for what you will, yet you can't
help being astonished.
took q ramble through the enclosure on
Thursday, and "got the hang oil Inc
ground, ready for a systematic study of the
whole thing, thinking il could be done up
in easy manner, but after two days meth
oaicai beginning, / am quite discouraged.
| went directly TO the Kansas building
the first visit-snd was delighted with the
"pleasing prospect" there. Whatever 9TH
ers NAV say, those who visit the exhibit OF
Kansas in her State building, cannot bat
feel proud Of the energy, sill and good
taste which has in some unaccountabie
way been displayed in the arrangements OF
Kansas products. The building, itself, Is
"horrid homely," bu; adapted TO the use
,eouired. and the interior decorations are
the salvation OF the architecture. 1 have
visited every State building, and can saieiv
say that none is 20 attractive as that oil
Kansas. 1t Is always thronged with peo-
ple. and is the wonder oil all classes, from
an lands. But few OF the States make sep
arate exhibits, and those that do, don't
hold a candle TO Kansas. Arkansas Is The
next. and then West Virginia. III you
could look on the immense collections OF
cereals, which have come here from All
parts OF our ST tie, you would never dream
that Kansas ever saw grasshOpper. There
are bundles and bundles Of wheat stalks
from to 6l feet high, with heads that
shame the golden fields l saw on every
hand while passing through Pennsylva-
MIA. Corn stalks l. feet high, grace the
pilla-s at the corners Of the building, and
the ears long and yellow, hung out OF our
reach at III feet. Oats &, and rye Z ieet
tall. stand in little shocks in the cases,
and, o'ertopping all, the clumps OF broom
corn rise 10 a height OF Is feet. Blue
grass 3 feet tall, and wild grasses OF sever
al sorts in stupendous magnitude. Oh course
these thing. are nothing new 10 US Kan
sans. but when Won remember that they
are here made to show their best IN com
pany with potatoes, pumpkins, watermei-
ons. and almost every thing else, OF most
incredible sizes, all disposed about the
room with skill that the most cultured
decorator might envy, and then that they
are contrasied with the meagre, pitiiul
products of these bloated, Eis;ern c2m-
nonwealths, Won can understand as You
never did before that Kansas il the great
agricultural State of the Union.
Everything is labeled, and shows its gen.
uineness on It's face, as everything from
Kansas does
The A. +. 4 s. +. Railway, il doing an
immense service to the Stale and TO Itself, 10y
the work and the money 1t has bound to-
yether here As q show Of the fertility OF the
lands it owns Nothing can be finer, nor
more convincing TO one who seeks farm
in the West.
The birds Of ka sas make splendid ap-
pearance on their perches, and the woods
and stones ,methodically arranged, proclaim
that Kansas has the material for house,, as
well a. fertile soil to grow the food. Coal
specimens suggest comfort la the winter
lime, cement, salt, and numerous other
natural products here and there, tell the
stranger that Kansas can give him all he
needs and much beside. Ii any people come
To the centennial 10 determine what State Is
best for home. Kansas will gob5le them
all. The effect upon all corners Is IrresIstI-
bic, and the enthusiasm with which strang-
ers linger over and around the Kansas pro-
ducts, amply remunerates the State tor all
its trials and misfortunes. Surely, no other
State ever made 80 good showing against
such world Of disadvantages.
Michigan is putting up the finest State
building on the grounds, bnt 1t may not be
finished before the time comes TO tear II
down. The Massachusetts, building ls the
most luxuriantly furnished. The Govern
or's reception room is magnificent, and the
gate marked "private," which lets the pie
bean peer over into the beautiful room, but
keeps his body outside, and Is good sam
pie of the Massachusetts, democracy. Nary'
land has the neatest building at the small
est cost. and the magnitude of her exhibit
is swelled to a couple of models Of fishing
and oyster smacks and some hand and
windIass oyster grapples- There is mode!
of fish Matching house worth looking at
and around the main room are cases filled
with square glass jars, of which there are
several hundred, but what they are for, or
why they are there, the gazer Is left TO con-
lecture. The Wisconsin building makes an
especial show OF paper wall tapestries, tell
ing how easy il is TO build handsome in
terror without lath or plaster. The Missis-
sippi building is put up to show natural
woods, and has 4 log exterior with South
ern moses trailing negligently from the
cornice and gables California and Nevada
have hall, the pillars of which show ele-
CANT yeneers of l6 kinds oi California wood
susceptible of the highest polish. Arkan-
sas makes a fine show of cereals. cotton,
minerals, woods and wines. West Virginia
has a beautiful shield OF many kinds Of
wood, and displays minerals, oils, wool, to-
bacco, salt, ard 4 tasteful cone Of differ
ent woods, cut and labelled in the
form Of books. The ground Of this
building is bounded by pillars of coal,
square, tall and massive. New jersey has
the most comfortable building Of all. Ii is
close by the Kansas building, and is very
popular as resting place. Alter looking
at the Kansas exhibit all need rest. The
New jersey building is strange piece of
architecture, with wide and cool verandas,
always prevaded by breeze, and looks as if
it belonged to foreign land. 1t is the
nearest approach 10 the japanese structure
Of any in the enclosure. i cannot see what
any OF the State buildings which are not
used for exhibits, are built for; the mere
meeting OF few citizens OF the State under
the roof, cannot justify the expense which
so many States have wasted in structures.
They are not even an advantage TO the few
who visit them. Kansas, Arkansas and
West Virginia are the only States out OF
twenty which have buildings that can make
a pretenee Of reason for the expenditures.
After finishing up the State buildings,
took my way through the woman's pavil-
lion. 1t is large and excellent structure,
but contains nothing of interest, which is
not to he found of superior quality in the
larger exhibition buildings. The enthusi-
astic independence of 'he women only led
them to squander some 100000 uselessly.
by itself, without contrast, the display of
needle work, dried ferns and moses, pat
ent under garments for women, crayon and
water-color sketches, and few oil paint
ing, with all sorts of women's iiDeries, would
be attractive to one for few hours: hut as