The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1876-05-11
Correspondence of the Press.l
GENERAL NOTES.

NV hSs
vastness of the Exbibition-strilkinx Sta
tistics-The Maine Commission-sish, s
Worth seeing-How TO Go and Where 10
Stop.
After wandering about the buildings and
grounds of the Centennial Exhibition one day,
one retres confused and overpowered With the
immensely of the undertaking. / care not how
much one has read about the exposition or
what conceptions he has formed of its extent
and variety, he cannot te impressed with its
vastness until he has spent one day in deter
mined but fruitless attempt to see enough of it
to grasp the extent of the Worlds Fair. have
travelled about industriously to-day, through
vast buildings, along streets crowded with rail-
road cars and teams of every description, along
walks bordeIed with the choicest of shrubs and
profusion of brilliant flowers. 1 have seen
artisans of every nation at work in their own
way in building castles and cottages; have
crossed and recrossed bridges over the ravines
which make Fairmount park picturesque, aud
yet find by the guide book that have not
visited half of the exhibition buildings or
walked over half of the enclosed grounds AZ
ter passing through the main building one
goes out with confused idea that every ma
ton and cline has brought profusion of it's
rarest and most curious productions to the Cen
tennial. Over the sections allotted to the va
rious nations, he sees characters which he can
not read, he hears Babel of tongues which he
cannot understand, he sees races and costumes
which are thousands of miles away from their
homes, yet the Universe has understood ia its
own tongue the invitation to come to our Cen
tennial Exposition as a challenge to display
the wonders of its skllfu and cunning work
manship.
Regardless of the fact that the extent of the
Exhibition grounds and the proportions of the
principal buildings have been published many
times 1 cannot but feel that it is fitting in this
connection to repeat them. Fairmount park is
the largest public ground in America. 1t con-
tains $500 acres and has been improved by the
city of Philadelphia at the cost of millions. OF
this park 270 acres have been enclosed for the
Exhibition grounds.
The Main Exhibition building covers an area
of 81 acres. If in the form of a square, the
buildings would measure over 81 rods on sdel
Is it any wonder that the ordinary spectator is
appalled, when he attempts to give an idea Ut the
extent of this single structure of iron.
granite and glass? In this Main build.
ing the United States, England, France and
Germany are with each other Here too
Japan, China, Brazil, Spain, Egypt.
Mexico and other nations make such gorgeons
displays of their handIwork as to dazzle the
beholder. The curious workmen in WOOD of
Norway vie with the famous artzans of Swift
zerland. The ladies will never tire of viewing
the hundreds Of thousands of rare, rich and
beautiful things in this hall. 1t is a repository
Of the human skill of the world. Memorial
Hall is an affix of the Main building. 1t is not
yet open to the observer who has TO pass
in under device until Wednesday
The IA acres covered by Machinery Hall is
also wonder of itself. Ia it the mechanic
will find study of which he will never tire.
to save labor and multiply power one might
easily imagine to be grouped within these
walls. One vast engine from the works of
George ID. Corliss of Providence r. l.. drives
all the machinery which the exhibitors design
to run. In the other extreme and near by the
monster engine is the delicate and curious ma
chinery of the famous Waltham Watch Co. In
this hall, the work that scores of machines are
intended to do will be carried on by skilled en-
ployes. There appears to be comparatively little
foreign made machinery. 1t is essentially an
American exhibition and one the country NAV
well be proud Of
Agricultural Hall covers ten acres. Here the
display of implements and products are most
mOwGrG and
reapers are here; the steam ploughs and ali
the other implements that the inventive mind
has devised to fret Mother Earth IN bring
forth fruit and save the toll and sweat of man
are here. In passing through the hall one gets
the impression that the tireless and inventive
Yankee has done grea; deal to deprive the |
sentence pronounced by the Creator unon onr |
first parents of its Iisor.
lnaddition to these principal BUILDINGS there |
are sixteen "annexes," and the detached pa- |
nj hn md is cai1
200. These are ia all forms and STYLES which |
eau be devised-from the slowly Constructed |
and elaborate house of the Japanese to the |
primitive log structure of early times: from |
the little jaunty 9x10 structure, where some |
bright and fortunate one is permitted to turn |
an honest penny or two. to the elaborate and |
extensive structures built by the governments |
OF the United States and Great Britain.
Outside OF the grounds on all sides are |
saloons by the hundred. All the streets lead. |
ing to the Exposition grounds for blocbs and
half miles are lined with places where refresh |
ments are sold; and L regret to saw that the |
fluids on the bills of fare outnumber the solids
The same is true of the signs. Lager beer is |
all he could do for day in single sonare
with whiskey alone. In one saloon lust across
the street from the main building one hill of
fare contained forty combinations of intoyicat-
ing liquors.
ent now-Messrs HASKELL Nye and Simnson.
All of them are busy-the former with the
business and perplexities of their honorary
positions, and Simpson is busy with note book
and pencil. To-day he went to states. prison
to see it, He didn't get uniform. Our com.
missioners are untiriDg in their efforts for
Maine people, and if our show is not as good as
it should be tbs not their fault The fact is
its big tbing-a gerry big thing. Goods have
been piling in here by the hundred of car loads.
Many have been delayed-set on side tracks.
Some consgnments are now on wharves. To
get all here, the commissioners have used
every means at their command. They have
written letters by the score. they have ran
sacked depos and inspected bills Of ladipg
with the zeal of revenue officers in moiety