The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1876-06-07
THE CENTENNIAL CENTERs

Publ &c POINTS OF INTEREST.
A sKIRMIsH ABOUT THE GROUNDs-THE
NARROW GAUGE RAILwAY-REsTAU-
RANTs-THE LESSER BUILDINGs-wHERE
CROWDS Go-soME ASTONISHING FIGURES
Especial Correspondence of the Sentinel
PHILADELPHIA, May 27-One of the
institutions of the Centennial is the nsr-
row gauge railway. A double track ex-
tends around the entire grounds and three
or four trains OF cars with open sides are
running all the while. The stations are
very frequent and named from the points
of interest near them, as "Government
and State Buildings" Japanese Building,
Glass Works and GEORGES Hill Restau-
rant, ""Public Comfort and Main Build
ing" For the modest consideration OF
five cents the traveller may make the en-
tire circuit of the grounds, a journey occu-
plying, including the stops at way stations,
about 20 minutes. English visitors will
notice that one of the engines is the Little
Emms, a party with whom they have
slrt ady some acquaintance through their
courts of law, and which might be ex-
tended with profit sll around. The rail-
way appears TO be a great success, and
runs with loaded trains. Indeed, it is diff
ficult to see how people would get as far
away from the main building as Agricul-
tural Hall without it. Another Institution
which obtains considerable favor is the
Vienna bakery, which appears to exist for
the purpose of advertising certain article
of compressed yeast. You are permitted
to witness the process OF baking
through a window on one side of the
building, and then to go around to the
cafe on the other side aud psrtske of
very elegant refection-for a very elegant
reeompense. The Trois Freres Proven
caux restaurant has q fine location, and
started off with flying coIors, but got be-
hind cloud by its exoroitsnt charges,
where 1t is likely to remain. Somebody
told me that the Jewish restaurant on
Georges Hill was the most reasonable IN
its rates of any on the grounds. The
Turkish coffee house promises to take well
when 1t is completed and gets under way.
Crowds go to the New England kitchen
and are served with
BOSTON BAKED BEANS
at the rate of dollar per plate
ut as the concern is run by women, the
visitors submit like little men. As every
body has heard, there are nearly 200 build
ings on the grJuucs After counting the
five buildings proper, tneir snuexes or
additiOi.s. toe state buildings, the govern
ment edifice, the women's pavilion, the
houses of the different foreign commits
sioners, the restaurants, the judges offices,
&c the que ion arises as to the purpose
OF the rest. Well, it is difficult to think OF
an industry or interest which has not
building of it's own. The brewers,
the bankers, the stained glass
psople, the coffin makers, Rowell
the newspaper fiend, the photographers
the Empire Transportation Company,
Frank Leslie, the New York Tribune, the
popcorn interest, the American fusee in
terest, the Bible society, Cook the traveIe
er's contractor, aud most of others nav
structures of greater or smaller preten-
sions. Why, even the Catholic Total
Abstinence Society has its fountain, which
as yet refuses TO squirt, and the Temple OF
Honor, or some other temperance enthusi-
ssts boast drinking fountain, which gives
forth such wretched article of
water that it's patrons are sad
ly but surely dropping back to
beer. The grounds are so large that 10000
people do not make much impression upon
them, except in spots, and certain points are
at all times the foci for crowds. The i'm
mense Agricultural Hall has but few visit
ors. end the same is true OF Horticultural
Hall. In parts of Machinery Hall and the
main building one finds himself almost
alone, but Memorial Hall and its princi-
pal annex are
THRoNGED AT ALL HOURS.
So too are the places where jswelry and
siverware are displayed. The japanese
and Chinese sections, the Danish exhibition
place and the vicinity of the specimens of
the Royal School of Art Needlework, and
OF the Swedish illustrations in wax of
life in the far north in the main building,
and in Machinery Hall the neighborhood
OF the er5at engine and OF the Walter press
of the New York Times when In motion.
Perhaps the best visited exhibit of all is
the painting by Firth of the msrrisge OF
the prince OF Wales, which Is lent by the
queen. IL Is great picture. but there era
several which one would rather own in
the collection, the Macbeth of Msclise or
the Gree of Riviere for in stance, to say moth
ing OF Wagner'sH orse Race in the Circus
Msximus." Speakirg OF the silverware and
jewelry. an E9glish firm shows a magnifi-
cent vase of silver and steel, made almost
entirely by the hammering process, aud
valued at $4,000. A French firm goes
$4,000 better with a sort OF crown or head
dress of diamonds garnished with very
large and very brilliant rubies, the biggest
being set at $40 900 alone. No wonder the
ladies collect about those cases with their
hearts in stheir mouths. But perhaps
the climax Is reached with some
lace displayed in the Belgian
department for which the modest sum of
$4,000 year 10 asked. acknowledge
that it is very beautiful, but, ye gads,
$l2,OO0i Why, a newspaper could exist
for some time on. half dozsn threads of
that lace, The Hoosiers do not begin to