Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1876-05-26
0nR cErrEKN1AL LEgFER.


/ T4ba socccess Of the Gentenni4 ShoF
oonld be fairly measured by the at ldanee
su-;0z The s;Sirst week after the cpeningft
would be a good time now to take back
some of the glowing and extravagant things
that have heretofore been said It has really
been an exceedingly dull week. with con-
siderably less than 10000 average daily at
tendance. But this state Of facts is simp-
ly in the natural order Of things and not in
the least discOuraging. The cold, wet and
disagreeable weather has Of itself been
enough to keep everybody at home; and
then the impression has got abroad-and
/ il Is true, too-that the exhibition lacks 8
good deal Of being ready. The unfinished
condition Of the walks aud numerous
buildings together with the mud and rab-
ish and the work Of unpacking one has
stig to encounter about the grounds. are by
no means features calculated to attract.
When it is known that tons Of exhibits
are arriving daily, people naturally feel
that there IS nc hurry. But this is no in
dication that they won't come by snd by
The success Of the exhibition is assured
both By its immensity and the interest and
enthusiasm manifested everywhere, espec-
ially on the opening day. Il islststed that
considerable disappointment is felt by the
Centennial direction and in business circles
generally at the limited number, and what
fhey are pleased to term the severe econo-
nav Of visitors. So far as the exhibition Is
concerned there is no need of misgiving.
hen the pressure of spring business shah
he over and the exhibition eomplete for in
spections the people win come from every
section, not oparade the streets and gaze
in the shop-windows, but to cluster about
the great fairy land in the Park and study
it day after day, until they are content,
and then most Of them win go away to re-
turn for farewell visit in the autumn to
what this generation can never see again,
It may be that the estimates early made Of
the millions Of visitors. viii prove LITTLE
Jules verney, but the people are certainly
coming.
But for the thousands Of speculative
schemes organized solely to pluck the unsus-
pecting people who are to come here no
body win have sympathy. They vent mp
on the the theory that fool and his
money are soon parted, and that
the city would be overrun with people anx-
ious to spend their wealth; or that they
would be naked and hungry and that they
would take them in; that there was to be
famine Of provision and harvest Of
greenbacks- But they counted their chick
ems before the eggs were laid, and with no
roosterin sight. The cafes and refreshment
places inside of the grounds, which
charge treble or quadruple prices. for or
binary meals and drinks, viii fail disas-
trOusly, as they most Justly deserve to fail.
I have seen bills rendered for ordinary din
ners amounting to from three to four doll
lars, which at any Of the best restaurants
in Philadelphia would not have cost mere
than dollar, and Il any one is 50 stOhe1
blind that they cannot see By this time
thai fifteen cents for a glass Of soda-water
and fifty cents for a sandwich viii make
visitors absolutely withhold their patron
age, they will learn it finally to their sorrow.
The boarding-bouses and extefnporized no
tells promise to be not the least Of these
sufferers, and am glad Of it. There are
many hundreds of them all demanding 50
to So per day for the most ordinary ac-
eommodati0ns, such as can be obtained in
any other city, Chicago, New York or even
Washington, for from 81 to $1O per week,
and thsE insis t always upon putting two in
room at th at. saw statement in one
correspondents letter that good board could
be had here for IS per week, and know
several persons who have been Industrious
y hunting the snthor of that fiction for the
past week. But these things win be for
got one hundred years hence.
To Jne the United States building is one
of the most, interesting within the inclos-
ure. The war and navy department dis
play, with all the munitions and engines Of
war arrayed in view, is quite intimidating.
But the neatest and most perfect and curl
Gus of all is the little engine and envelope
machine turning out Centennial Envel-
ope all complete and stamped at each evO-
luton. The agricultural display is made
mainly in large glass showcases, and COM
prises in all five divisions, namely, chemical,
chronological botanical mioroscopical and
the general museum. Hanging on the
wall near where the showcases stand are
four large maps of the United States, all
being divided into spaces of different sizes
and eolors, upon which are numbers cor
responding with areference schedule in one !
corner. These maps show respectively the
comparative value of farm land in this
country, the respective rates Of wages paid |
for farm labor, the proportion ofiwoodland
to farm area, and the distribution Of the
production Of textile ibres. By means of |
charts the average production pea; acre of
the eountry's staples is shown for each |
State. Specimens Of soils are arranged in
the order Of their geological formation,
comprising marls, ealcareous ear1hs, green
sand and phosph&tic marlsg Then come
phosphate rocks, animal and vegetable fer
tilizers and a combination of the three in a
manufactured state. The next feature, the |
utilization of vegetable products. is Illus
trateted BY means Of specimens beginning /
with the product in its natural state, and |
proceeding through the various stages of
manufacture to the finished article It /
comprises the manufacture of tfonr, meal
and starch from cereals, of sugar fromcane
beet-roOt, maple and sorghum, and exhib-
its models Of machinery used, in 'the. manu-
faeture ofthese. The fermentation is shown
Of starehy substances from which beer, ale
and porter are made, and also the distilIa-
tiOn Of whisky. Amodel stiH and plans Of
notable Americas distlleries are exhibited.
Then ars seen the fermentation and dis
Of sugar, molasses and fruits, re-
suiting in aoomplete set of American wines,
these, in turn, being distilled and converted /
into brandy. The display Of the wood
growth of the country is inexhaustive. At +
the foot Of the cases stand many hundred |
sections Of logs, overhead in the case being
specimens Of the foliage Of their resrect;vs