, 1876-09-08
LETTER FROM PHILADELPHIA.
The CentenriaI Exposition.

EOr tne PUGET SOUNp W EhkBh AhdUbsl
PHILADELPHIA, August q, 1876.
One half of tie six months term
of the great Centennial Exposition
has elapsed, and the total number of
admissions up 10 August 10, was
2,86O.OO0; the Iotal cash receipts at
the gates and fF licenses amounted
to over a million dollars.
tits my purppse to write up in
this letter, at least partially,
THE E&mBIT>dF GREAT BRITAIN
and her colonies here, which are
numero3s and elegant. It is mat
ter of sur prise to many persons that
Great Britain should have taken so
deep an interest in this Exposition,
and sent hither such large and valu-
able displays of her arts and indus
tries. 1t is gratifying also to every
true American that the great parent
nation of which we are an offshoot,
should figure so conspicuously in the
first centennial celebration of these
free and independent States"
The British headquarters comprise
three handsome buildings = one
large and two of moderate size.
These buildings were erected and
furnished at cost of over 500, 900.
The larger one, which is in a style
of architecture of more than a hun
dreds years ago, is two stories high,
and most richly, though not gaudily
furnished. 1t has three large recep-
ton rooms on the first floor, while
on the second floor are the offices,
consultation rooms, etc., all looking
cosy and attractive. This building
is the business headquarters Of the
BRITIsH COMMISSION,
under the direction of the Lords of
the Committee of the Privy Council
on Education, and his Grace the
Duke of Richmond At the head of
the Executive Commissioners for the
Exposition is Col. Herbert A. San
ford, R. A.; the entire commission
numbering ifty men, each of whom
is assigned to a specific line of duty,
but all working in perfect accord.
This number includes SIX Royal en-
gineers and a Metropolitan police
force of 13 men. The two smaller
buildings are used by the police, the
engineers, and number Of artisans
and workmen who came over with
the Commission. To Col. Sanford,
who is the true type of an English
gentleman, am indebted for the in
formation concerning the British ex-
hibits. l found the Colonel in his
private Office busily engaged with
letters and documents, but on in
forminghim that I wished to write
an account Of Great Britain's exhibit
for the WEEKLY ARGUS, published
at the port of entry on Puget Sound
away off in Washington Territory he
cordially and cheerfully gave me the
information desired.
There are IL Colonial Commits
sions, all of whom occupy for bust.
ness purposes, the same building as
the British Commission. No less
than 13 British colonies, besides the
Canadas are represented by fine ex-
hibits of goods, while the displays
made in the leading departments by
England herself are very large and
fine. The British Government paid
out $4,000 for
TRANSPORTATION AND ms URANcE
on the contributions she makes
to the Art Department alone. That
the British displays are extensive
there can be no doubt, when it is
known that they occupy one-ffth
of that great structure known as the
Main Building. The thirteen
BRITISH COLONIES
represented are the Bahama Islands,
the Bermudas, British Guiana. Cey-
Ion and Straits settlements, Jamaica.
Gold Coast Colony, Mau ritius, New
Zealand, Queensland, Seychelles
Archipelago, Tasmania, Trinidad
and Victoria. These, with the Can
adas, which are not put into the list
as colonies, make fifteen countries
belonging to Great Britain that have
on exhibition at the gyeat Worlds
Fair specimens of everything imag-
Unable that belongs to the domain of
art, industry, manufactures, mineral
resources, trade, commerce and edu-
cation. And all are arranged in
faultless style, so as to afford visit