The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1876-06-01
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Centennial Letter.

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SPLENDID WEATHER AND sPLEFDID
sIGHTS-TTTHE INCREAs-
ISG:--MoRE ARoUT UNCLE SANS GEN
ERAL, DIspLAY--PoSTAL FACILITIES
ON THE GRoUNEsFsoME INTEREST
ING SUBJECTS FOR FUTURELETTERs
AZ FEW OTHER THINGS BRIEFLY
MENTIONED.
[From our Regular Correspondent
Philadelphia, May 31st,. 1876.
The attendance at the Exposition
increases somewhat and has been gen.
orally better than last week. For some
days past the weather has been most
delightful, and aside from the slight
drawback ofa few unfinished buildings
etc., this is really the pleasantest time
to visit the Exhibition. The trees,
flowers, grounds and all surroundings
look as fresh and beautiful as a May
Queen, and Fairmouht Park is just
now the most attractive place to be
found anywhere. There, IS mp dust
and oppressive heat to be encountered,
and travel both on the road and about
the city is not accompanied with many
discomforts which will be inseparabl,
from it in midsummer. Yet most like
ly the great rush Of Visitors will come
then, for Americans as rule, select
the season of the year for pleasure
trips, when travel is burden rather
than plcasure-when it is too hot to
stay at home. There are still people
who do not realize the disconforts of
two in bed, in a seven by nine room,
in the middle Of July, ard that is why
the crowd is expected to- be the largest
about and after the glorious Fourth.
/ Last week L gave a pretty full out
line of the government agricultural
display, but only 'fooled round the
edges" of the United States building
proper, which 1 think will, after all
attract as much notice from the aver
age visitor as any part Of the exhibi-
ton. Uncle Sans Centennial Branch
Post Office" which occupies. q space
forty by sixty feet in the southwest
wing of the building, is as complete
and well-ordered as any city in the
country possesses. 1t is inclosed by a
walnut partition with glass front, and
has five hundred convenient lock
boxes. There are ten carriers employed
and 80 boxes for disposing mail station.
ed at various points on the, grounds.
The clerks speak all languages and
the deposit boxes are lettered in Eng
lisb, French, German, Spanish, italian
and Japanese. Hourly trips are made
to the main, city post office by the Cen
tennial mail wagons, which are hand
some vehicles with drivers in uniform
One of the carriers is a. John Chipaman
whose quque hangs down his back as
natural as the curl of a pigs tail.
The space occupied by the PostOffice
Department, proper, is 40x 40 feet,
and displays many interesting exhib
its. The. little Envelope Machine and
nickle, plated Baxter, Engine, men
toned before, which is now turning
out 2,0oo. envelopes per day, with the
new Centennial Stamp, attracts a con-
stant CROWD around the, bronze railing
by which it is inclosed. A model mai
catcher upon car inside the building
built on on scale of one inch to the
foot, and near the envelope. machine
calls, forth the admiration of the
younger VISITORS This car runs on I
track twenty feet in length. and catch
es miniature mail bag as it passesse
along lat full speed, illustrating thu
practice of fast mail trains. There are
cases containing specimens al mail
bags, pouches, etc,, used by. the de
partment, Specimens of all the locks
and scales used, and samples Of making
and canceling stamps, together will
six highly, ornamental frames con
tanning specimens Of, AL stamped EN-
.yelopes, official enyeloPes, postalT card
and postage stamps ever, used in .thi
country. These are furnished by tn
Columbia Bank. Note Company, th
present contractors, and are valuabl
directory to the stamp gatherers
The Interior Department makes
good display. The Patent Offic
shows 5000 models arranged in CLASSES
60, 900 patents bound in series; a centrs