The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1876-06-08
THE CENTENNIAL EXHIBITION.
A Birds Eye View of the Buildings
and the Exposition-Our Correspon.
dent goes among the Curiosities.
PHILADELPHIA. June 1, 1875

lug dlT udS l6lTly GuEuCN bNc tluC VI Cual-
grafton towards the Centennial grounds,
which would be worth journey of O
thousand miles to see if every building
within the enclosure were raised from
turret to foundation stone. AS you enter
the gate, shake the dust from your shoes,
and give the srent hall on the right the
90 by, don't look at the towering peaks
Of the machinery department, which
stands upon the left, but give me your
hand and walk right straight ahead over
the railroad through the department OF
public comfort, down by this beautiful
little japanese cottage on the left and
that unique little building on the right,
and here let US pause moment and take
look. See these Japs how they work
time is of no consequence to them-slow
but sure is the motto-but you can bet
your bottom dollar when the job is done
it sticks; yes, those tiles 30 clumsy and
so quantity plastered with white mortar
will last till the crack of doom. That
house will out wear a dozen of your
gimcrack Yankee houses, that, like the
The Yorkshireman's razors, are only made
to sell. Step over here into the Swedish
school house; what do you think of that
You had an idea that there were no
schools worth mentioning outside of Bos-
ton or Chicago. 1 individualize these
two cities because 1 always like to go
from the hub to the periphery, and we
all know there is nothing beyond Chi
cago. "See it and die," like the fellow
once said Of Naples. But if you'll take
my advice you'll die before you 60 to
Chicago, or they'll skin you alive when
you get there.
But here we are in the Swedish school
house-what order, what convenience,
what positive beauty in everything that
surrounds you. That dry old chap you
see over in the corner was a school
master in Sweden; he looks little dull
and rusty now, but he is chuck full of
knowledge from the crown of the head
to the sole of his foot. How he used to
tan the leather breeches of the gamins of
Stockholm, and what substantial addi-
tions he has made to their knowledge of
the sciences and arts by the aid of a
wooden shoe, or cat and nine tails
implements of husbandry happily not
forgotten in that well-ordered commune
ty where the fifth commandment is still
not an entirely obsolete document-maps,
books, stuffed alligators, bottles with little
snakes preserved in whiskey, and monster
toads in the same delightful fluid are ar
ranged upon the shelves. have seen
the time when it would have been mighty
unsafe to leave those bottles laying around
loose if there was a snake in them. But,
all nonsense aside, it is beautiful school
house, where every modern appliance is
to be found that can conduce to the COM
fort and happiness of the scholars. 1t is
not large, but so cozy that I found myself
insensibly humming, 81 would / were
boy again." till I caught sight of the
black strap in the corner, when sud-
denly felt for the skirts of my coat, and
rejoicing in my manhood, walked out to
take the air and give the subject further
Here we are on the path again. That
beautiful little building right in front of
us, across the lake, is the house of the
Brazilian commission. And surely
nothing more delightful can be imagined
than this sweet little cottage, surrounded
with shrubbery and embowered in trees.
That's the place where Dom Pedro some
times discusses coffee and mullins. Cast
your eye to the right as we cross the dell;
take a look at that gypsy campfire in the
distance, and tell me if you ever saw
more romantic or beautiful than
that. What's that place up there that
looks like a Utah boarding house on
stilts7 Well, that's lager beer saloon
lager five cents a glass-no, I thank you,
never drink, excuse me, I'd rather
not; come right along, want to show
you this one view here, and then We'll
take stroll in the Main Hall. There,
this is the spot; stand here; talk of your
pictures and scenery; look at that-hill,
dale, valley, lake, fountain, flowers,
everything that can glorify landscape is
here-the magnificent foliage of the
trees, the rare beauty of the flowers, the
rich fragrance loads the air with deli
cious perfume, and stretching far away
on every side is landscape of loveliness
unequalled.
That beautiful building in front of US
is Horticultural Hall, and one of the
handsomest edifces on the ground. The
large building on the left, with the green
roof, that looks like an ancient abby, is
Hall, and to my thinking,
one of the most interesting portions of
the exhibition. Shall we walk back to
the Main Hall? Oh! you want to look
in here! Very well, walk right in. This,
my dear madam, is the celebrated Log
Cabin, which, if you had gone away
without seeing, you would have missed
one of the great sights of the exhibition.
Step in and look around; no charge. 1t
is not the log cabin of to-day, but the
log cabin of hundred years ago; and
how snug and comfortable it looks; that
clock in the corner is hundred and fifty
years old, and has seen the day it was
lust as as good asit ever was. And that
spinning wheel by the fireplace has spun
yarn for stockings for old gentlemen and
ladies who crossed the styx while our
great-great-grand-fa fathers and great-great,
we're still loyal subjects of
good King George. Yes, ma'am; no
6umbug about that; bring me an alma
mac, and I'll swear it. How do know?
Well, I'll tell you how 1 know; I was
told it by Mrs. Southwick. Who is she?
That's her over there in the high cap and
single breasted dress. Look at her as
she stands there; amt she a picture?
Six yards and quarter in that dress,
and then she had a piece left to make
new sleeves with. No, ma'am, she does
not wear hustle, and you couldn't get a
hoop under that dress big enough for a
nail keg. She amt old; take good look
at her sweet and kindly face; her back
looks like hundred, but her face would
let her of. at thirty. This is Jerusha
Penrose, and Abigail Short, and Patience
Doolittle, and Comfort Holbrook, dressed
in the style of a hundred years ago. The
chairs, the tables, the delf that sets upon
the worm-eaten dressers, all are old and
worn, but still mighty pleasant to look
at.
II IL