The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1876-06-08
Centennial Letter.

Centennial Letter.
THE CROWD GROWING STILL LARGER
AND MORE APPRECIAT1vE - THE
STATE BUILDINGS - HOW DIFFER
ENT STATES HAVE PROVIDED FOR
THE COMFORT AND CONVENIENCE
OF THEIR CiTIzENS-THE KNIGHTS
TEMpLAR REUNION.
from our Regular Correspondent.l
Philadelphia, June 9Th, 1876.
One very pleasant feature on the Exh;bi
tion Grounds is the buildings erected by
| the different States for the accommodation
and CONVENIENCE of their home visitors.
| These buildings do not as n rule contain
anything in the way of exhibits, but are
merely state headquarters" where citi-
zens of States may find comfortable place
TO rest, write and visit-in which they can
feel perfectly at home, because it is, col
lectively, their own. The buildings are
nearly all situated on State Avente, in the
northern section of the grounds, which is
the highest part Of the inclosure and over
looks the main exhibition structures. a
register is kept in each headouarter where
in visitors from that State are asked TO
write their names, and files Of the locsl
newspapers are placed at their disposal in
the patlors and reading rooms. The latter
feature is not very comnlete as yet, and l
would respectfully call the attention Of local
newspapers in your State to that fact. The
publishers will serve a much better purpose
and accommodate more of their home
people by furnishing their papers for the
State headquarters than by aiding Geo. Y.
Rowell 81 Co in big advertisement of
that frtt.
The Pennsylvania building is The largest
and is located within q stones throw OF
Machinery Hall, facing the lake. 1t is
105x65 feet and of Gothic architecture.
On either side of the muin entrance are
two towers fanking a larger one, while
n neat porch extends around portion o.
each of the four sides of the building. The
main entrance leads into u large hall abou
sixty feet long by forty wide, and high il
proportion, the roof being formed Of hu;
merous graceful arches. The walls have
been properly painted and ornamentcd
aud it is proposed on them shall be hung
the portraits Of AL the Governors Of thu
State, from the time of Penn to The pres
ent. On either side of the hall are tw,
rooms, each about twenty feel square. Th
first Of these on the right is intended fo
the use Or citizens of The State, with al
adjoining room fitted up i'll elegant styl
as ladies' parlor. The carpet is Brus
sells and the furniture Of Walnut, covered
With inaroon rep. TN the opposite side
the first room is intended as a committee
room, and the furniture is finished in red
The Governors room adjoins it on tn
west, and is fitted up in fine style, the fur
, niture being finished in blue. Each apart
; Tent has connected with it retiring rooms
: and every convenience is arranged for Ihos
= who shall frequent the building. Til
. tNtal cost of the building and furnitur
= was $1,000. II is in charge of A. C
= Mullin, Secretary of the Beard of Manag
ers and General superintendent, who j
assisted by Lewis G. Ball, Assistant Super
intehdsnt, and messenger ahd janitol
r Hon Morton Mc'Michael is President G
, the Board OF Managers, and ex. Governo
. Curtin Vice President. it is intende
, soon 0 have formal opening, when mem
{ bers Of the Legislature and other official
= will be invited TO enliven the occasion.
| New York he's really the most elegar
= State building on the grbtnds, though it
, not 50 large as that Of Pennsylvania, nc
half so costly, There is really a strikin
, contrast in the Two buildings, when tn
cost Of each is taken into consideration
The total cost of the New York structur
| is put down at $4,000, ard yet the furnitur,
finish and style Of the whole thing woul
lead one TO estimate its cost above Pennsy
vania's $1,000 building. 1T is two storiC
high, with elegant ladies' parl6rs on tn
second floor, fur hished superbly, and ha'
ing two rooms for the use of guests. o
the walls are large crayon portraits {
William Cullen Bryant and Gerret SmiIl
In the Governors room is a similar an
very fine portrait of Governor Tilden. Til
building has a comfortable homelke ali
and is withal both snowy and converter
1t is built on the square-boX plan, wit
ample piazza room. 1t is under the maj
+, agemeht Of the New York commissioner
: headed by Mr. Frank Leslie and Jackso
f, Schultz.
y One of the most imposing Of the Stat
group is that of Ohio, built Of dresse
Il stone from the quarries of the State, an
therefore cf more substGntiGl charactS
than is usual among these essentially ten
= porary buildings. To the rear of it
erected large hall which will serve
place fer meetings of county and Sta
organizations that may desire to use
during the progress of the Exhibition. I'll
: stone for this structure was contributed fro
tweny-eight different quarries, and ha'
:, been put into the walls both dressed a nd u
! dressed, and SO arranged as TO display Il
y different colors and Farities. The top po
= tion of the front is of a very fine specimt
n Of dressed sand stone from Dayton all