The Republican journal., 1876-05-11
NUMBER As.
Tho Centennial Seem Thro' Maine
Spectacles.

Editorial Correspondence of the Journal
PHILADELPHIA, May ID.
| was never actually captured by pirates, ant
don't therefore know the feelings of IA man il
the power Of those who take first the victim,
money and then his life-but I have trusted
myself to the mercy of d New York hacknan
which is the very next thing to it. But by thai
means 1 left the city,-so the evil was not ar
| unmtigated one.
| The quickest and most direct route to Phila
| delphia is by the Pennsylvania railroad, which
makes the 80 miles by express trains In two
hours and half. 1t is Il railroad gallop over
| splendid road, without let up or stop except al
| the most important points-and over country
which is full of suggestions of the trying times
| Of the revolution. The calling out of ''Prince-
| ton" and "Trenton" were reminders of the DAYS
when there were 'terrible times in the Jerseys
where now the peaceful meadows feed sleek
cattle, and the farmer is putting in his crops.
a sudden and chill north wind gave 10 the air .
! temperature unlike sprng-but the green sr,.ss
and the fruit trees white with blossoms pro-
claimed that spring was there in earnest.
| The sun was close to the hoIzun-antl his
| level beams rejected from the immense
glass and metal surfaces Of the buildings, as we
approached the grounds OF the Great Exposition,
and gotta first glimpse of their vastuess. It was
not the hour for further Investigations. so at
tention was paid 10 seeurii Z loIgment in 4 ho-
lel, rs base Of operations. The Maine head
quarters, until the 10TH are at the Grand En-
! position Hotel, on the European plan, a few
minutes walk from the main entrance to the
grounds. 1t may be taken as q specimen of q
large number of houses that have sprung up in
| the vicinity, to meet the wants Of the occasion.
| Two long rows of new brick cottages facing
outward from two sides of q square, have been
connected across third side by Il higher struc-
ture Of wood, 10 contain the offices and parIors
the space originally designed for the back
yards being filled by the dining room, kitchen,
etc. The cottages are three stories on the street
and TWO at the rear, containing five rooms each.
The white walls of the room and the new tlrui
ture are agreeable assurances Of cleanliness, and
these apartments are certainly very convenient
and quiet Occupying 4 lower room, | am on II
level with the street and find the windows barred
outside by upright rods OF iron. This is plobt-
bly, to prevent intrusion Of tityya--Li.t .nu III
til'st an unpleasant suggestion OF prisons and Ia.
matte asyiunls, or Of Il fear that the guest might
| e!ope with hi, baggage and leave an unpaid bil
but as the room opens to q street door, per-
hups the latter idea Is not admissible, This
house is put down for Z capacity of 5OO0 guests.
ii is certainly an immense affair. The manager
and assistants use every eNert!on to please and
satisfy customers, and will soon have the house
III excellent running Or Ter. They charge for
best rooms -; per day, whether occupied by
one OF two persons. Meals are taken when
and where the occupants fancy, in the house or
out of il, at the Usual restaurant prices. The
whole region about here runs to hotels rcstnu-
rants, beer gardens concert halls, and all that
ministers 10 The creature wants Of humanity.
Oar temperance friend, Joshua Nye, of The
Maine Commission. who has been long an
earnest and sincere laborer for that cAu,e, is
shocked at the great preparations for guzzng
at the Centennial AMI especially that not only
should the sale Of beer, Wine and strong liquors
be allowed on the grounds. but that modern
brewery is to be shown as Il thing TO be proud
OF. The matter has been several times before
the Commissioners, without ~ yet any result
favorable to prohibition. Various persons have
bought the privileges Of selling liquor, OH the
grounds, and mean TO hold them. Still there is
an act of the Legislature providing that no IN
toXicatng drinks shall be sold on Fairmount
Park. on which The exhibition i, located. But,
Is licenses have been sold. and the managers
expect to MAKE 4 hundred thousand dollars out
of thr restaurant branch, it j. doubtful it any
/ cHanga viii he madr. The friends of total 40
-jinenre will probably have tp be content with
the squeghn@ Of the bibuIUuo proposal of a
mad wng, who wanted to make a grand nation
al punch in the little lake on the grounds. Penn
syIyania, he thought should furnish the punch
bowl and the water, Maine the ice, Florida,
The lemons. Louisiana the sugar. Kentucky the
Whi>key, and Connecticut nutmcg~. Then on
the Fourth of July, there We're to gather around
this huge and flowing bowl all the people of the
land, and drink to the memory of the patriots
of 10. 1t is likely, however, that the ordinary
method of imbibing Mill suffice and probably
give a sufficient amount of The crooking Of the
elbow 10 get good many people oil their legs.
But ho~ big are the buillings:' | think |
hear some one asking. Well. reader, the d.
mensons are such that You will not be likely
to look them all over in one day, especially il
YOU have tight boots or corns. l took to-day
Il turn up and down the principal buildings
and was glad to come home and take rest.
Of the three thousand acres of Farmont Park
two hundred and thirtySX acres have been en-
closed for the use Of this Exhibition. The en-
closing fence is over three miles in length, and
q of,
hibitorS and those entitled to free admi ssion.
The principal buildings are five - the Main
Building. Art Gallery, Machinery Hall, Agri-
cultural Hail. and Horticultural Hall. The
Main Exhibition Building is an immense struc-
turc Of iron and GLASS, and is outwardly and in
wurdy triumph or architectural beauty. 1t
is SO vast that the mind cannot, at first, grasp
half acres-as large is 4 small farm. The Bel
fast reader can imagine a building that would
reach in one direction from Hayford Block to
the house of james Z. White, and in the other
from Hayford Block 10 the store of Woods,
Mathews & Baker. Thi, immense structure
was put up in about one years time, by an
army of Worllmen, at cost of one million six
hundred thousand dollars. To 20 through the
walks and avenues Of this building and glance
ut the contents, viii require stroll of eleven
and Il half miles. Under the roofs of the five
principal buildings there will be forty nine
acres of ground. Besides these, it has been
found necessary to build various anneXes TO
the main buildings, and these additional struc-
lures cover twenty-sX and half acres, max
ing under roofs total Of seyenty-five acres.
To so through them all, the pedestrian must
walk s0meWL here between thirty and forty
miles. Does any one wonder that l came, and
saw, and--sat down to rest and write this
letter: To relieve the apprehensions of the
timid in the matter of pedestranism, will say
that q narrow guage railroad, of double track
encircles the grounds, on which visitors may
ride for five cents per trip-and that within the
buildings will be men with rolling chairs for
those who wish to hire. So it will be seen
that, in accordance with the ancient saying,
I" the lame and the lazy are provided for"
Rooms for retiring, washing, and all toilet con-
:.I,.l ~.