The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1876-08-10
CENTENNIAL LETTER.
tFrom our Special correspondent.)
PHILADELPHIA, August 6, 1876.

PHILADELPHIA August 6, 1876.
EDITOR OF ADvoCATE.-Dear Sir.
Centennial letters being the rage in
all country papers, perhaps you might
also accept one direct from the Cen
tennial oven. 1 left the verdant hills
of Elk last Thursday morning, and at
one o'clock p. NJ of the same day
found us in the city of tents in the
beautiful Fairmount Park, where are
gathered the various commands of the
| n. G. p, now six thousand strong in
the camp. Each division has its camp
in some pleasant valley or on some
| airy hill of the park, according to the
taste of the party selecting theground.
The 7th division, Maj. Gen. Huide-
| lloper commanding, and to which the
Ridgway Rifles belong is encamped on
the highest point of Georges Hill,
about one third of mile from the
Centennial grounds, in beautiful and
airy place with grove of oak trees
ON the right and rear, and the open
| lawns of the park on the left and front.
There has been change in the 18th
(your Regt. }, tits being formed into two
batalions, one gray, the other blue.
The gray, commanded by Liet Coin.
Magcc, is composed of the McLane
Guards, Sheridan Guards, Oil City
Grays, Franklin Grays and Titusville
Citizens Corps. The blue is comman-
ded by Coin. Lytle, and consists of the
Union City Guards, Erie Guards,
Cory Guards, Northeast Guards,
Cooperstown Guards, and two other
companies whose names | cannot now
recollect. General indignation is felt,
and freely expressed, about Gen.
Latta's actions in regard to your Ridg-
way company, and the officers of the
division were pleased to see Capt.
SchOening and Lieuts' Bailey and
Rhines appear in camp and demand
their rights. All of the last named
officers have been assigned to positions
on Gen. Huidekopers staff. Beauti,
ful and peaceful old Fairmount pre-
sents quite warlike aspect with its
fair face dotted with tents for five
miles, and the wild birds seem to OBJ
iect to the intrusions and clatter OF
the camp.
THE EXPOSITION
is simply immense, and, until [ have
seen more of it, 1 will not attempt to
describe. All that l can now say is
that the buildings of the exposition
are immense, grand and beautiful, and
form a city of shows, such as the
world never before beheld, and such
as we of the present generation will
never behold again. Everything that
the brains of civilized and heather
man can invent, and their hands exc
cute is here, and if you wish to see the
whole world in one city, come to
Philadelphia and see the great exposi-
ton, of which I will give you details
hereafter.
THE WEATHER.
has been cool and damp for the past
three days, but old Sol is out with all
his forces to-day, and the poor soldiers
dred the morrow, for well they know
that at the sound of the assembly they
have do battle with--the heat, and
many will doubtless surrender, or dis.
cretely retreat to the shady groves OF
the park. The city seems dull and
quiet in spite of the crowd of strangers
The large hotels like the Atlas, Globe
and the great Exposition, near the
Centennial grounds accommodate the
greater portions of the visitors, and
still they cannot but fail to realize
enough to make their ventures u sue.
cess. Philadelphia overrearchedits itself
and is sadly disappointed. Money
does not flow in in such a mighty
stream as the people expected, and
they are sad.
AS / intend to remain here until the
end of the show I will give you de.
scriptions of the display, from time tC
time in detail. 1t is hot; my ink boils
and l roast: / rise to cool.