Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1876-05-31
The Centennial Exposition.

A Philadelphia correspondent writes from the
Centennial Exposition as follows. The facilities
for reaching the grounds are the simplest and best
imaginable lou can ride from the most eastern
part Of the city, distance Of four miles, without
change of car, for seven cents. The grounds en-
closed for the Exhibition cover two hundred and
thirty acres, on which have been erected about
one hundred aud fifty buildings. They are beau
tifuny laid out with lakes and fountains, rare
trees and shrubs, statuary, vases etc which,
with the natural beauties Of the place make il
alone worth the price Of admission. Ysiton must
provide themselves with the magical half-dollar
which alone will gain them admttance, for dol
lar bill will not pay the entrance fee for two per
sons neither will two quarters he powerful enough
to take you inside the gate. The tables OF the
money-changers are numerous however, and you
can provide yourself with the necessary article
without delay. You then pass in through a turn
stile, which by an ingenious contryance registers
the number OF every person. We first entered the
main building, which covers twenty acres, and
contains the choicest productions Of all the nations
Of the world.
eve found ourselves face to face with the de-
partment for the exhibition of japanese goods
carvings are fine and exquisite, and for nicely
Of finish nothing in our own country can begin to
compare. There are large screens made Of silk,
covered with the most elaborate embroidery the
plumage Of birds so rich in color and so smooth in
finish that it seemed a. though human fingers
could not have wrought them. But the articles
Of their workmanship are indescribable one Of
the sights which every one will wish to see is the
display OF English china and pottery. Plates with
exquisite paintings on them, the cost Of simply
painting edch one being fifty dollars. The dain-
test Of cups and saucers, vases, filings, etc.
From France there were large historical scenes
in tapestry, said To be hand-wrought that looked
like oil paintings, and would have done credit to
an artists brush Among the elegant things
from Brazil, was case Of flowers so perfect in
form and color, that we had to look twice to CON
vince ourselves they were not natural but made Of
feathers
" From Austria was a large and elegant display
of meerschaum pipes, elaborate and grotesque
enough to set the admirers of the article perfectly
nying. Iaces from the same country, from
which it was hard for the ladies to tear them
selves, they were so lovely.
"On either side of the entrance to the depart
ment Of Egypt Is the following sentiment: Egypt,
tho oldest people in the world sends its morning
greeting to the youngest nation in the world
She tries TO rival Japan in the elaborateness Of
her carvings, with this difference: while the lat
ter the soberest nation ON the face OF the earth,
fills her carvings with grotesque and ludicrous
figures of men, women, monkeys, frogs, etc. the
Egyptians, from the nature of their religion, avoid
anything of the kind, 1t being considered sin TO
make any likeness of anything in heaven above
or on the earth beneath We will mention one
wardrobe of ebony, carved all over and richly in
laid with pearl, the price Of which, exclusive Of
the duty was four thousand dollars.
90 But from such world of beauty it Is useless
to particularize; and il we, as Americans, grow
more humble and look at our own attachments
with less pride in view Of the wealth and magnif-
icence that have come to us from abroad. much
good will have been accomplished"