Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1876-11-21

h"'ShSu ldI III wagon. Every iron
was so perfectly polished that we could
scarcely eXpel the belief that it was
plated with nickel. Even the tires of
the heavy GtrOng wheels were polished
TO absolute brightness 1t il the best
finished aud best constructed farm
wagon / have ever seen, ana | pre-
sumo il is the best ever made by man.
Closely packed about the walls were
gigantic samples Of corn. wheat, grass
SEES, and other farm grOwths packed in
artistic style and of such splendid
quality as to startle every hehOlder
from the Atlantic slope. I'm one pOr-
tion of the room is a large heap OF
hugo moss-COvered stones, with dead
timbers fallen across them and live
timbers among them. Standing in
curious groups upon the wild land
scape stood stuffed specimens of per
haps every animal known in the two
States. These are 80 strikingly life
like, their positions so natural, and
the scenery so wild and true to nature,
that the visitor is smitten with mute
admiration. In another quarter are
the birds of the two States. They are
not so naturally grouped as the for
mer, but they are very life-lilIe, aud
are SAID to have been killed 10y lady
who sits at n table near them, and who
seems more interested in selling pho
tographs Of the group than in answer
ing questions as to the manner in
which she slew az many of the feath-
cred forCsters as Sampson did Of the
PhilestinGs. | do not mean to say she
was at all deficient in jar. Between
thede groups, and in the centre of the
building, was q large structure, bullt
in imitation Of the Capitol at WASH
ington. The portion representing the
building proper was not an accurate
imitation in shape, but it was literally
covered with fruits, mostly apples, Of
the two States, The varieties are ex-
cecdingly beautiful, and the size Of
many Of them is absolutely wonder
ful. The GiOriU Mltndj and several
other varieties are so very large that
one feels as though they were fit only
to be fed to cattle. The dome is an ex-
act representation Of the Capitol. The
tall columns supporting the dome
proper are strung with apples and the
dome Itself is covered with them RS
closely as they can be packed. Sus-
pended from the roof of the building,
and hanging exactly over the dome, is
"A huge bell, made OF wheat, with its
heads hanging downward, and shaped
in imitation of the Independence
Bell. a large pumpkin answers for
the clapper. Every natural produc-
ton, whether of seeds, timbers, fruitss
stones or minerals, is on exhibition,
ard the arrangement Of them is SUI
perb. One leaves the building with
the same wonder that overwhelmed
him on his entrance, and he declares
that the great West is no humbug at
all.
We stopped at several OF The State
buildings. Save at the New York
building, into which we and hundreds
of others were driven for a few mo-
ments by transient shower, the at
tendance amounted to good sized
vacuum, The California building was
a complete sell. We expected much
and saw but little. The big tree was
not there, and aside from two or three
specimens of vanished wood on q
small scale, the blank walls and empty
halls made hollow echo to our dsap-
pointment.
The West Virginia building was an
exception. Immense blocks of coal
from the Kanawha were stacked out,
side, and within were ores, agricultu-
raj specmens, and beautiful samples
of timber, making quite creditable
display. But the number of visitors
were few, and it seemed to me that
the plan of taking the exhibits of the
various States away from the Main
Building and from Agricultural Hall
and hiding them from view in those
State buildings, more than half a
mile away from the principal attrac-
tions and frequented portions of the
grounds, was a sad mistake. In this
view l was sustained by the friends
along with me, some of whom re-
marked that Virginia did a sensible
thing in refusing any such appropria-
ton.
believe enjoy the memory Of the
Centennial better than ! did the actual
view Of it,. That was job, for he
tween the crowds without and crowds
within and the abominable improvis-
ed cot, which is sure to meet the WISH
tor at his hotel as inevitably as the
swarms of musqultos large enough to
have tome from Kansas or Colorado,
and tho illness that comes from the
extremes of temperature and loss of
rest, the visitor is in no good fix to er.
Joy sights. But | find them swelling
up ia the memory, and maybe next
week ] shall tell more about them.
1 SEE.