The Republican journal., 1876-11-23
The Close of the Centennial,
Correspondence CT the journal.

SION. ms great city radiant With delight, Its
streets canopied with the cnsigns of the world,
every face wearing a look Of happy expectancy;
the crowded mortals patiently enduring any
discomfort that they might reach the gates, and
cheeriest greetings all the way
thlther; the first entrance into the grounds, the
splendor of the great buildings crowned with
floating flags, the dense masses Of people, the
peallng chimes, The boom of cannon and the
strains of national songs dear to every Ameri-
can. while the glad May sunshine streamed
over it ALL and our own America, the youngest,
happiest land proudly took her rghtful place i'll
the foremost ranks of all the world, All. it
was no wonder that language failed us, that We
met each others eyes without knowing whether
to smile or weep in our excess of emotion, and
that every nerve thrilled and very pulse leaped
trying to tell our unutterable delight.
In the midst OF all the gladness, there were
still found the usual number of croakers those
unenviable souls who are never happy unless
they can MAKE other people miserable, and dire
were the prophecies they spoke; but Yesterday
having TILED every day with records of gori-
Gus success, the Centennial Commits sioners
proudly closed their work and the great Corliss
engine ceased its throbbing, sitting the pulses
that have so long made Machinery Hall seem
full of intelligent life. We could not hope for
the sunshine Of May; that is d sunshine Of
promise only, but we did wish that the sun
light OF November, brieter yet richer because
the May promise had been entirely kept might
ill the last day of our grand enterprise. For
three days Workmen had been busy construct
ns the Great platform in front of the main
building; seats had been ranged in the plaza
and tickets were eagerly sought upon every
possible preteNt There was something wretch
eddy sad about the sound of the hammers they
seemed to strike with heavy thuds having never
a bit of the ioyou, ring which smote our ears
last May and A. we passed to and fro it was
with regretu faces and words whose tones
told our sadness for the summer aud autumn
have been the richest i'll our experience. When
Friday came, the air was raw and chill the
winds We're Wailin@ a"d the sky was all
murEy gray; bat no weather dauns the aver
a%e American sght-seer, 20 the ears were
packed and the gateWaNs thronged at an early
hour Holders of tickets looked ruetullv to-
ward the platform where their hopes had 50
Wi>tluily pointed; It was slippery and damp
Withthe mist fast increasing to abso dilute rain and
the precious ptSteboards were sadly put away:
umbrellas hit each other with vicious force,
that especially dlsagreeabe odor rising from
damp wooens elvaded the buildings, and we
went doletully round taking last looks with u>
much soemnty if beauty and skill would
never again exhibit their trophies for our gaze.
In ha
many gathered about its glowing stove, claim
ING to be >crlbher> for that occasion at least
while the rank and file who had every dav been
there Were buSily scratching still, or asserting
their papers Very few ladies have written
there. We have preferred to DO our work in Il
more quiet place, but no one las claimed the
privileges Of that room without knowing how
earnestly and faithfully its superintendent, Mr..
NJ. +. Lobo has discharged his often provokingly
yeXatious duties. His unfailing courtesy, his
accuracy and wonderful memory of people and
their re4uisition, deserve our best praise
When the hour came for the speeches the plat
form was left to dc>oation while all who could
by hook or crook gain atimitan ce to the Judges
Hail Grammed it to the last inch. You have
doubtless seen the tele3rapaic accounts of the
enthusiasm there 1t wa> altogether too heart
felt to be dampened by any amount of foul
weather, As mutual fluctuations and congratu-
lations We're exchanged, The speech of Mr.
Welsh (who is an admirable man in every relit-
ton of litel was especially graceful and happy.
Cen lIawley and Mr. Goshorn. by whom 50
much that was both delicate and difficult to
manage has been succes stully handled made
their appropriate remarks, and President Grant
received his usual amount of cheering in his
usually upathetlc way.
Going into the main building | took 4 chair
for one more DECENTRALIZATION among the sections
at its eastern end. rolled along past the French
carriages down through the Belgian department
with ITS exquisite laces, and the Brazilian pa
Nlllon where those pretty feather bouquets are
sold, reaching Mexico ana alimiring once more
that precious ONYX with its rare yeining and
transparency, then going among our textile fab
les and over among the books and stationery
which proclaim our book and paper makers the
peers OF those in any land and then found the
American pottery What beautiful things they
make in Trenton! how graceful are the shapes
and how perfect the tintings! Before one of the
cases stood two japanese gentlemen admiring
and selecting specimens Of our ware to carry
away with them to that land where pottery has
claimed a greater antiquity than almost any
other art; but my chair rolled on bringing me
To the grayestones! OF course these suggested
any amount Of melancholy reflections that
might have been as profitable as disagreeable
things are generally, had | chosen to indulge it.
| M fihp | ant a ~, -:
piled with copper and galvanized wire; past
ingots OF copper and pyramids of railway ties
gave one brief peep into the mineral anneye,
and became hopelessly nterminged among the
crowd still haunting the furniture department
The Roosevelt organ was pealing people We're
shrieking with laughter before those distortng
mirrors and the thing didn't look one bit Is
if ii was "closed."
This morning | went once more. Twenty
four hours had wrought AN amazing change.
In the street cars room and to spare no
crowds on the sidewalks anywhere; banner,
We're few, and they hung deiecedy. noticed
for the first time how ragged and used up We're
the flags ON the main building; how neglected
aud aeSolatr the Globe ana Trans Continental
Hotels appeared; and went through the turn.
>tlle feeling rs if some important du1y Were
neglected because the shlVering gate keeper
didn't nip" my pass rs usual. In Memorial
Hall my tayorite pictures had been taken
down; my boot-heel- clicked dSmally on the
tiled floor, and the hollow echoes of hammer
ing were quite too awful to endure. Agrirul-
tural Hall was both confusion COMPOUNDED and
contounded confusion; Machinery Hall WAS
taking itself 10 pieces with due respect to lis
Joints and sinews, | turned to the main
building. The Italians were busy packing;
Norway and Sweden had draped all their pas-
ter figures in gray cambria; China was cropped
in" and Japan had built round itself Il solid
board fence, higher than mans head. The
few people there wandered listlesslv about in
dreary fashion, without one spark of the glad
interest and perpleXed yet delicious vagueness
which has made our crowds so charming. and
| realized how utterly all the life Of our Cen
tennial was extinct, | was clad TO Get AWAY