The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1876-07-05
. CENTENNIAL CORRESPONDENCE.
Agricultural Hall-ForeiEn Exhibit-lown
Tho eAauarium-Rollink Chairs, etc.

CENTENNIAL CORRESPONDENCE.
Agricultural Hall-ForeiGn Exhibir-Iowi
Tho eAauarium-RollinK Chairs, etc.
Agricultural Hall begins to assume
form and comeliness, though man.
boxes are still unopened, and many sec
tions are yet incomplete. Here ere tel
acres devoted to a display of the pro
ducts of the soil and the implements
used in its cultivation, and In preparing
all that is of earth for human use. Here
are the various forms of food in its natu
raj or. prepared shape, vegetable and
animal giving one a vivid idea OF how
mankind doth live.
The foreign exhibit, in this hall, oc.
cupies much space, and much of it is OF
superior character, each country gen.
orally showing its characteristic and best
productions. Several countries are not
yet ready to exhibit their goods. Russia
has q large space filed with unopened
boxes. Spain and Portugal are each in
o chaotic state. -..
Brazil has a large and creditable e1-
hibit!of her staples, of which she ex-
ports, of coffee, 1854, 4,0OO,000 sugar and
cotton each over, $15, ,000, 900; hides,
So, 900; India rubber, $500, 900,
and of tobacco nearly A,000,000. She
also exhibits 300 varieties of wood,
many of them very valuable for cabinet
and ornamental work. -..- ''.' '..
Portugal has a large pyramid Of cork
and cork wood near the center of the
main aisle. Also q good showing of
seeds, grain, beans, in which she takes
the lead, nuts, fruits, wines, Silks, etc
Sweden exhibits wheat, rye, oats,
barley and the grasses in stalk and in
jars, superior leather, and samples, pre-
served in glass jars, of all the kinds of
fish abounding in her waters, making
the best exhibit of fish in the hall.
Her plows have taken many medals at
national fairs.
Bermuda shows large sized potatoes,
,onions and tomatoes, grown in the open
air; bananas, plantains, yams, lines, CO.
coanuts, cocos and sweet potatoes.
Jamaica exhibits oranges, shaddocks of
the shape and color of oranges, but very
much larger, .pineapplesand mangoes.
Canada, on our north border, has q
good collection. of grains, seeds, fruits,
salt, flax, conserved meats, tongues,
roast fowls and all kinds of roast meat,
fish, etc. A large collection of butter
flies and stuffed birds. Also full and
creditable assortment of agricultural
implements-reapers, thrashers, cultiva-
tors, etc., etc. including potato diggers,
and plows of enormous length of beam
and handles. ..-
Great Britain and Ireland have large
space assigned them in this department,
but their agricultural exhibit is small
and is not yet in shape. The prominent
articles displayed are bottled fruits, table
jelIies, canned meats, wool and it's sub
stitutes, from Liverpool, wire cloth and
mining wire, sheep shears, edge tools,
china ware, plain and gilt, tiles, scour-
ing bricks, mill stones and road locomo-
tive and wagon. -s. -.
Italy's chief exhibit, at present, in
this hail, is wines. She makes amends
for defects here by decorated porcelain
vases and rare jewels in the Main build
ing, and by O magnificent display OF
paintings and sculpture In Memorial
hall, and especially in the annex to Me-
mortal hall, which is the gem Of the
whole Exposition. It's extent and beauty
surprise and delight all who see it. 6Un-
pretentious in exterior, it dwarfs, by its
excellence, it's most imposing neighbor.
The United States surpass all other
countries in agricultural machinery.
Iowa, which has three hundred varieties
of apples, seventy five varieties of corn
-sixty-four in the ear Of so large size
that nineteen ears fill bushel busket-
eighty varieties of wheat, rye, oats and
barley; sixty varieties of grasses, thirty
of grass seed, two hundred of vegeta-
bles, and one hundred and sixty varieties
of wood, besides minerals, sand and
ochers in the annex to the Main build
ing. She has thirty five samples of soil,
six feet deep, in large glass cylinders,
from as many counties, in the four Sec
tions of the State, which show, at a
glance, its amazing fertility and produc-
tiveness. Just south of this is the
Aquarium, consisting of long series OF
tanks in which large fish and small fish,
eels, crabs, terrapins and horseshoes
disport themselves, to the great amuse-
ment of gaping crowds.
A great convenience pronounced by
some o great nuisance-is the rolling
chairs, without which large numbers
could not see, or but partially see, this
Exposition. Even persons in ordinary
health get tired out long before they
have made the rounds Of the principal
buildings. It is within bounds to say
that the aisles within and walks without
exceed fifty miles, and though it is not
necessary to traverse them all to see the
principal sights, and get good general
idea Of the Exhibition, yet those who
have but little time to spend here, find
it an agreeable change, when their limbs
fail them, to drop into q chair and be
wheeled wherever they List.
There are eating and drinking places
in abundance, on the grounds, where
one can get refreshments at reasonable
price, but to show the indisposition of
the Centennials to shave the visitors,
there is but one barber shop in the
whole grounds, and as I had some trou-
BILE in finding it, will state that it is in
the Telegraph building, north OF the
west end of the Main building.
s. M. B.