The Arizona sentinel., 1876-07-08
CENTENNIAL.
Our Philadelphia Letter.

PHILADELPHIA, June Is, 1876.
The attendance at the Exhibi'
ton for the past week has been
larger than heretofore, although
there has also been raise in tenn
perature. The state of the wealth
er doesn't seem to have much eff
feet on sightseeTs. When it rains,
as it did yesterday, everybody ap-
pears to think that everybody else
will stay at home, consequently,
they will have nice quiet day
of it, and are surprised on reach
ing the grounds to find that their
happy thought has occurred tC
others. The advance guard of the
Fourth of July crowd are already
putting in an appearance, and
| their arrival revives somewhat
the dropping spirits of landlords
and clearinghouse keepers.
There is no lack of accommodation
and at very reasonable prices. One
can live in Philadelphia, to-day.
as cheaply as in any city in the
country. Provisions have not
been SO cheap for years, and board
is correspondingly low. OfcOurse,
if you 90 to the hotels, you must
pay hotel prices, which are the
same as in any other large city,
except Cincinnati, during the
Convention. But if a person is
willing to take half the trouble
they would in looking for board
at home, they can find pleasant
homes where they can live al
from 81 to So so per day. If you
don't believe me, come and be
converted.
The commission and Board OF
Finance have come to blowing il
not to blows. The Board have
laid in a supply of ammunition in
the way of opinions from eminent
lawyers from Chas. O'Conor down,
and are prepared to "hold the
fort" which, by the way, their
efforts alone have made worth
the building. They raised the
money, and organized and con
Quoted the Exposition from it's in
ception to its present state of per
lection. The Commission was in
tended to be and is an honorary
body, and serves very well as &
figure head. But not content
with serving we'll in this capacity
it wishes to be the helm as well
and therein makes a mistake. II
will be wise if it yields gracefully
to the inevitable and endeavOrs tC
preserve what little dignity it has
left without becoming a general
nuisance and arousing in every
one a desire to abate it as such.
Although Gilmore has left us,
and this is Thomas last week, we
are not to look entirely to oui
hand organs for our music. Sew
eraI instrumental concerts take
place in the Main Exhibition
Building daily, to say nothing OIL
the Electrical Organ in Horticul-
tural Hall, and the bands at the
Restaurants. Vocal concerts are
also given by choral societies in
the Main Building, and there is
music in the air generally. Down
town we are to have English
Opera, by Miss Kellogg, Miss Cary,
and troupe, and on Monday even
ing, M. Jacques Offenbach will
open a new concert garden on
Board street. He has an orches
ira of 60 pieces, and is to interpret
his Operas Bouffe for US.
The exhibits in the Main Build
ing, excepting those in the de-
partments of Russia and Turkey,
are now so nearly complete that !
shall begin the herculean task OF
attempting to describe them.
Anything more than an outline
picture is impossible within my
limited space. The first thing
that meets the eye on entering
the Main Building, by the corner
door from Belmont avenue, is the
compact little department of the
Orange Free State. Most persons
will need to think moment be-
fore placing this little state geogra.
phicalIy, but having recOllected
that it is on the South African
coast, they will be prepared for a
rather peculiar display. Here are
skins dressed and undressed OF
the Elmand, Springbok, and 9th
er connecting links between the
Deer and the Ok; long rods OF
Rhinoceros hide, and bundles of
REIN, or raWhide rope; Odd-shap-
ed native baskets, tusks Of ivory.
and cagespf gorgeous birds. There
are some rude specimens of wood
carving one of which represent
ing a woman passing beforea BALL,
is labelled 1.-THE Transit of Venus +"
The products of the country are
represented by chests of wool. in