Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1876-06-21
Our Cen tennial Letter.

continues today a secret session In re.
gard to the legal opinions given as te
the power Of the commissioners. Wher
| first wrote you before the opening,
stated there was breach between the
board of commissioners and the finance
board, the latter assuming power which
the former claimed belongs to them.
This has developed into an open qua r.
rel, aud is [ think caused by the AFRO.
gapce and assumption Of the finance
board. Like many other small men
put in o1ce, the membe of this board
to use common expression became
too Zig for their breeches" and claim
ed TO direct where their business was
to obey, forget they were servants and
want Go be masters. It is well under
stood that the commissioners will be
held responsible for the success or
failure of the Centennial Exposition,
and they should therefore control the
management, but this the finance board
prevents them from doing, and as they
have usurped control, most of the cor
respondents and tie Associated Press,
being indebted to them for favors, up-
holds them in their usurpatiou. AS
have no favors to ask or receive, pay
Ing my way when [ enter, | can afford
to tell the truth [ am very much IN
hopes that the Commissioners will as
sert and maintainstheir rights, and
succeed in exposing the robbery and
favoritism by which the finance board
has enabled some of its friends to make
fortunes.
One of the handsomest buildings on
the grounds, is that of the shoe aud
leather dealers, directly alongside Of
Machine Hall. Over five hundred
firms dealing in these articles are ex-
hibitors In this building. 1t is really
wonderful to note the varieties of that
prosalcs article, leather" and to see
into what forms it can be wrought. by
the hands Of the skillful artisan. There
is poetry in shoes, We all know when
they encase the we'll formed foot of a
beautiful woman, but they have actual
ly been made poetical here when off
foot. One man has four pairs which
represent spring, summer, autumn and
winter and the design is very good
The electro-silver plated fruit and
flower stand, exhibited by a new New
York firm, is splended work of art.
The epergue is four feet high and is pro-
vided with six arms for holding dishes
for fruits and flowers. The figures at
the base represent archery and fishing
music and hawking and the festoons
the spoils of the chase. It is exceed
ingly beautiful and artistic. o
The site for the monument to the
memory of Bishop Allen was dedicat-
ed on Monday, many prominent color
ed men being present. The woman s
international Temperance Convention
is assembled in Philadelphia, and it is
expected that it will speak strongly
against the''action of the commissioners
IN closing sthe centennial grounds on
Sunday and permitting the sale of ardent
spirits, not only on that day, but every
other. have visited the grounds on
Sunday and found no trouble in buying
any kind of liquors, SO speak by the
card. The strawberry exhibit in agri-
cultural hall has been open for several
days, and one cannot help being aston
ished at the size and perfection to
which this berry is brought by cult
yation. | was reminded as I looked at
them Of what Dean Swift said of this
berry: doubtless God could have
made better berry than the straw
berry, but doubtless he never did y
The California Wine Company have
their display in this hall, and they in
slst upon every one taking sample of
champagne. .and.golden wines. I saw one
gentleman return with three different
parties and be sampled each kind
every time, until | thought, as he left
the last time his eye was brighter and
his gate more unsteady thar on his
first visit. At one point in the main