The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1876-06-22
)UR CENTENNIAL LETTER.
PHILADELPHIA, Juno II, 1876.
AGRICULTURAL HALL.

Ueel WduuoTlig SDouC through tn0
Main Hall, crammed to repletion
with all sorts of indiscribable beau
ties and wonders, gathered from the
tour qnartors of tho earth and the
scattered islands of the sea.
Marvellous indeed are they-won-
ders such as few of us can expect to
see again-but hero is an exhibition
of over threo hundred buildings,
many of them worlds in themselves,
containing vast stores of wealth, and
grand contributions of genius which
must be seen but cannot be describ-
ed. Buildings whose names afford
not the slightest indication Of the
treasures they possess, or the uses to
which they are applied, and the
character here give, applies parti~
culayly to tho Agricultural Depart
ment, department too little appree
ciated and too little known, aud the
treasures of which have been neglect
cd by the great mass of Centennial
visitors, many of whom pass whole
days in the Main Hall and Art Gal
lery, admiring pitchers and vases,
meerchaum pipes, sivorware, statues
end paintings-things entirely bey-
-ond their reach, and which they can
never hope to possess.
The building itself, when seen from
che distance, looks like old abbey,
being in the form of a cross, and all
of its cupolas, steeples and turrcts
surmounted by crosses, which give
it quite a religious and respectable
appearance. The bnilding is about
eight hundred and fifty Elk feet on
each of ite sides, and contains with
its walls az much Of interest as any
other building on the grounds. 1t is
q positive relief to get away from the
glittering gewgaws and things that
surroupd you in the Main Hall
There everything is suggestive of the
most eXtravagant luxury, wealth and
case, the surest index Of natiop's
ruin. The richest Of siiverware, the
costliest of carpets, the rarest works
OF art, laces and Jewels are around
you on every side. Everything about
you tells Of wealth and ostentation,
bnt the moment you step into Agri~
cultural Hall you are in another
world. Your eyes arc no longer tor
tnred by visions of wealth away boy
ond your reach and unploasantly re~
mipding you of the multitude of
grades above you, for while there is
wealth untold within the mighty
building, You feel that it is among
the possibilities, that part of it may
one day be yours. Here are no
jewels, no gold, no silver, no dia-
monds, but the square products of
hard and honest toll, tho fundamen-
tai elements OF individual success and
tho primary sources of a nations
wealth and greatness.
Whom most people think of Agris
cultural Hall, who have not visited
it, visions Of huge pumpkins, gigan-
tic cabbages, enormous beets aud
extraordinary potatoes immediately
float before their disordered imagin~
ations, and you will be somewhat
surprised to learn, no doubt, that
there is not one of the articles | have
named, to be found within the Agri-
cultural Building, if except a half
dozen dishes OF potatoes LETT there by
some ambitious amateur abouc two
weeks ago. 1t is not only ohe pro-
ducts of agriculture in the way of
cereals and seeds, but by what may
seem strange misnomer of classiti.
cation, many things are so remote in
their relationships, that it requires
sometimes pretty acute knowledge of
logic TO observe it's particular bearing
on the business of agriculture. In
one portion of the hall is gigantic
stuffed graf. Two countrymen, the
Jox, ,,.