The weekly Oskaloosa herald. [volume] (Oskaloosa, Iowa) 1855-1885, 1876-09-14
A CENTENNIAL LETTER.
WARNER HOUSE, II. ". COR.
BROAD ST. AND PARAMOUNT AVE,
PHILADELPHIA, PENN, Aug. %, &c

wv oiuSS W. "iOtN } ou iootJ GNU oh
how tired we areas are all faithful
pilgrims to the Centennial. We will
give you kind of a journal Of the
last week, and that will give you an
idea of what we have seen and been
doing. ..-..
| Last Sunday morning we arose
with the lark, warbled a song OF
praise, took Girard Avenue street.
car and was soon out to Fairmount
Park. There our eyes were almost
blinded by large buildings, flags and
people. The first building we tried
to get into was the Main Building,
whose large ,ioors were filled with
'0hirlagigs, (Webster is dead), called
gates; one of these we tried franti-
cally to enter, but an old, fat man
with red face says, "Young school
MAINS, you pay SO cents head"
which we did reluctantly, and were
soon running around the building,
tossing our heads up in air, wringing
our hands wildly and giving vent to
the following: "My p "Oh myp
ala ~ "Did you ever see anything so
pretty" By this time we were lost
from each 'ther, and then, "Oh, ye
tears !" We thought it would be
terrible for q young lady TO be out
in as large place as the Gen.
tennial Grounds alone. We wiped
our eyes and went to a man with
a blue suit on, with a red stripe
down 'em, red string on his hat, a
big club, and shining star on the
side of his coat,-let's see, what did
they call him, police? yes, police-and
inquired of him if he had seen any
thing OF three schoolma'ms, with lin
en- suits, large baskets, and green
goggles; he said no, so this search
was kept up till noon with the same
unparalleled success. We gave it
up, went to the Dairy and were con.
soled by II large bowl of bread and
milk, for which we paid fifteen cents,
and thought it the best we ever tast-
ed. At this place you can get splen-
did buttermiik, nice bread and butter
and simple, healthy diet of any kind,
much better than the French Restaur-
ant Lafayette, or the German Beer
Garden. Well, we went back after
dinner and went through the Main
Building, or tried to. And now,
"Barkis," we know that you will want
to know what we did see. Row dis
couraged we do feel in trying to an
swer your question. We might write
up Barnum's show or Grady's circus,
but to do the same with the Centen-
NAL is an utter impossibility. You
will be looking at something that
beats anything you euer did see, when
you will turn around and see some
thing that beats that all to pieces. 1t
is just so large and grand that we
hate to attempt to say anything of it,
for our muse refuses to come forth,
but we will tell you of few things
we do remember. First was such
wonderful large pipe organ; the Tiff
tany diamonds of New York, (Now,
"Barkis," | have forgot already how
much they were), 5000, | believe;
Il police stands over them any way, if
that is not the price. Such handsome
upholstery; dresses worth $4,000,
q hear the groan- of anguish from
you for the e..traVagance of the weak
er- sox). We thought we would get
little Chinese ornament to take home
to cur infantile niece, but CALI Hum"
informed us that it was $500, then
we thought we wouldn't.
The next day we went to the Pi-
onerr Home, little old log house of
the olden time, containing some of
the oldest relics on record, even the
cradle of Perigrene White, that man
that came over in the Kolifiower,
(Mayfower), and things that belong
ed to John Endicot, and some of all
the rest of the old men and women's
clothes. From here we went to Ma
chinery Hall where the noise is Just
deatening, especially that of the Cor
liss engine. In this place we saw
them making handsome carpets, en-
velopes, goods Of all kinds, and so
many things that it made ou heads
swim. Then we went to Horticultur-
al Hall and looked at the beautiful
display Of flowers, ferns, aquariums,
and everything attractive. We want
ed very much to take the flowers
home to Mrs. Bacon, but the superin-
tendent objected. When we went to
the Iowa Headquarters to register
the HERALD met our view we rush
cd forward, embraced it and patted
it, and in our glad surprise hardly
knew whether it was the HERALD or
mother. .E .." ..... .. ..... ... a
Yesterday Saturday was the 25.
cent day, and oh, such rush. Some
body was standing in front of some
body else all the time, and the little
folks were 100 numerous TO mention.
The Centennial has no manners at all;
the largest man will stand right in
front Of the smallest woman, or vice
versa, and a half dozen urchins will 90
trooping over your corns all at once,
and get you Il roaring, then go off
giggimg and never ask to be excus-
ed. Ur tue young professional with
high hat, long cane, and weak eyes,
with hguide- book, pencil and notebook
will come gaping along and walk
right over you; but you must not com
plain for you are ut the Centennial,
(realizing some of your dreams, ch p /.
We got II guide-booll and tried to
take in the Art Gallery, the Main
Building, and Annex, but it was an
impossIhility. We gazed up at beau
titnl oil-paintings and life like statua-
ry ,unliIeverything seemed visionary.
The pieces of statuary that delighted
us the most were the First Step, II
Penserozc, Nydia, The Blind Girl of
Pompeii, Bachus. and. so many 9th
ers that we have not room to men,
ton. Common language cannot ex-
press the beauty Of the oil paintings !;
the spectator, after wandering through
gallery after gallery, comes out be.
wildered and amazed, imagining him
self understhe blue skies of Italy, in
the tropical vineyards of Spain or
the lofty mountains of Switzerland.
There are SO many beautiful things
to see that the beholder gets discour-
aged because he cannot sec it all. Our
tavorites of the oil paintings were
Pan u Bachartes, Autumn Woods,
Know Whom We Trust, Macbeth the
Night before the Murder, and many
others. This Art Gallery would make
the Centennial worth so cents day
if it was all there was in fairgrounds.
In the Woman's Pavilion is Curl