The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1876-05-20
OUR PHILADELPHIA LETTER.
PROM OUR REGULAR CORRESPONDENT.
PHILADELPHIA, May "a, 1876.

FROM OUR REGULAR CORRESPONDENT
PHILADELPHIA, May n, 1876.
How to get their money back and avoid
bankruptcy has become, even at this early
day Of the Exposition, q serious question
with the hotel keepers, restauranters,
proprietors of saloons, beer gardens, and
greatest-curiousity-i n-the- world" shows
that have established themselves in and
around Fairmont Park. Many Of them
Of them have paid enormous rents for
their places, indulging on the most ex-
travagant expectations in relation to the
crowds that would flock to the Exposition,
and, of course, to their booths. Their
dreams illustrate in forcible manner the
proverbial recklessness Of American cal
culation. Starting with the venerable in
wrought illusion that we are "the greatest
nation in all creation, our Exposition was
to be, as natural consequence, the great
est Exposition ever exposed. They left
out of their calculation such insight
6cent factors when measuring this with
other world fairs, as the Atlantic ocean,
the recent panic. and the facts that men,
beside their interest in the Centennial,
have also some interest in their farms,
merchandise, and wives. Rigorous ex-
perience is teaching these gentlemen q
lesson, the crowds do not come. The
largest OK in the world" and the edu-
Gated hog" are not paying expenses and,
the probability is that the proprietors will
have to eat their OK and hog or be eaten
by them. The world will survive either
catastrophe.
A ride OF three miles around the centen-
NAL grounds, in open cars drawn by q
steam engine, cost five cents, and this ride
is the first exercise that every visitor should
take upon his arrival within the enclosure.
1t will furnish him useful and compre-
hensive view Of the grounds and buildings
a. well as of the numerous restaurants
where white aproned walters stand heroic
ally by seductive tables and empty chairs
Since the opening Of the tenth Of May
there has been no concourse of people
that might with any propriety be called a
crowd. Many who come, and apparently
those in good circumstances, bring .
luncheon with them and may be seen
about one or two o'clock P. M. enjoying
pic mic in the various suitable places
which abound in the buildings and
grounds.
The Exposition is becoming each day
more complete and attractive, but the
work of grading, paving building and de-
mOlishing still goes on, and four or five
weeks must yet elapse before the arrange
ments and designs will be completed.
Meanwhile the managers solace themselves
with the reflection that they are making
quite as good progress as they made at
Paris and Vienna
To give ali adequate description of such
an immense exhibition as this, is the
work of an Encyclopedia rather than of
. newspaper article. II is difficult to
know with which building to begin. Art
lists and connoisseurs will hasten 6rst 10
Memorial Hall where there il the finest
DISPLAY Of paintings and statuary ever
seen in this hemisphere, finer, perhaps,
than will be seen again before 1875
Farmers and Grangers will prefer the
Agricultural Department, where they will
ind much that is new and much that il
familiar and old. Manufacturers, me
chanics and inventors, will ind their
chief delight in Machinery Hall, the only
building where the United States il peer
less and without practical competition
But the Main Building is now and will
continue to be the one most attractive to
the masses who are not strictly artists,
mechanics, OF agriculturists, but little of
each and all.
This il an immense building of AGO by
1900 feet, covering about twenty acres,
and is OF ornate iron frame, weather
boarded, 30 to speak, with glass. II il
filled with the industrial displays Of vari-
GUS countries, and about one third Of the
space is taken by American Exhibitors.
Great Britain after the United States oc-
cupies the next largest space, she with
her colonies, Australia, India, ETC., covers
about one sixth Of the entire area. II il
. significant fact that England has made
little attempt at mechanical display, but
has with wise discretion confined herself
TO those exhibits in which she excels.-
At Vienna and Paris her display of ma
chinery was very imposing, but there are
scarcely any English, or. indeed, any for
eign machines here, which | take to be a
tacit Acknowledgement Of the superior in
genuity and efficiency of American labor
saving devices. 1t proves that nations a.
well as women sometimes know their forte.
England, however, makes a superb display
OF thoss articles in which she has no rival
there Ii an almC Ut endless variety Of earth
enware from the commonest pottery TO the
costliest porcelain and majolica Her fur
nltures, carpets and Oil-cloths throw our
own completely into the shade. Several
London hrms have entire rooms and suits
OF rooms tilted out with admirable taste /; |
the elegance of their furniture both in |
workmanship and design displays perfec-
ton to which our cabinet makers and |
uPholsterers have never attained. In |
glassware, cutlery, and textile fabrics, we |
are also excelled by England. But with
only these few exceptions to cruelty our
vanity, 1t il doubtful after all il this Ex-
position will have that heAlthful humiliat-
ing influence upon M for the want Of
which philosophers and moralists land they
are right, too) say we are suffering.
This 10 called an international Exposi-
ton. but the American exhibition predo-
inmates 30 powerfully, both in space and
display, that the visitOr-under the mis-
taken impression, that other countries in