The Canton mail. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 18??-1882, 1876-05-06
IN EXHIBITION TRIP.
Scenes in and Around the Grounds-Pr,
arutioms for Tisitors.

IN EXHIBITION TRIP.
Scenes in and Around the Gronnds-Prep-
aratioms for Tisitors.
Gath, the Philadelphia correspondent
of the Graphic, writes: 1 have never
until this moment written a cursory line
on the American show. That is the
handy word to call it. Exhibition is an
imponderable word; exposition is an
afectation. Centennial has tent yell
in it, as you will observe when you ap-
preach the thing itself, and the peddlers,
vendors, and mountebanks begin to yell.
As Julius Cesar and the Latin language
had nothing to do with 1776, it was I'M
fortunate to have brought them on the
ground after the hundredth year. Let
me show you the Pegasus as it stands.
RIDE To THE GROUNDS.
You are in Philadelphia and take a
horse-car west, paying seven cents fare,
an excessive and inconvenient amount of
change. though the usual Quaker nickel.
To avoid the odd cents you take more
tickets than yeu want, and hence every
time you pull out your handkerchief the
little tickets fly. If seven cents is the
extent to which metrical coinage has ad-
vanced in America, then hurrah for us.
The cars pass over bridge and river,
the Schuylkill, and are in West Phila-
delphia, where the ground begins to rise
to higher plateau than the city. At
the foot of the plateau is the steam-rail-
road depot; at the rise or ridge of it is a
large new depot, rapidly pushed forward
BY the Pennsylvania company. Looking
down at the mass of railroad tracks, from
twelve to twenty abreast, crossed in
places by broad and long iron viaducts
for the streets, one gets the first big i'm.
preston Of the show. But at present
We must proceed by horse-car through
the uninteresting and new suburb OF
West Philadelphia, and it is a very long
ride indeed from the heart of the town
to the fair. / should say that you could
30 BY the Sixth avenue carso of New York
nom the Central to the City park and
back again while making the ride from
the Continental hotel by horse-cars to
-shs exhibition. There are nice carryalls,
charging 90 ceuts, open at the sides,
which 60 faster and by a better wsy
through the old Paramount park and
over Girard bridge, at least half the way
going through woodland landscape. And
the bridge last mentioned, 100 feet wide
ls the most elegant construction of that
kind ever saw. 1t is new, as are the
Paramount and South street bridges, but
In all there are only five for car. OF
walkers.
PUBLIC CATERERS.
1t is my belief-and spent three DAYS
and took heavy cold coming to it
that nobody will want to lodge in PhiIa-
delphia proper whose daily or principal
interest requires him to be at the show,
1t seemed to me that the horse-cars went
fve or six miles. Nor is there any ne.
cessity for seeking lodgings so far away,
rs the show has stimulated new CITY
into being, almost the reproduction in
cardboard of the older one, plentiful in
hotels, great and little, and in lodgings.
restaurants and amusements. The ordi.
nary passing life of Philadelphia city will
scarcely be felt on that bold plateau
where the pageant rests. The New York
newspapers come by earliest day; before
they are read the Baltimore and Wash
ington papers arrive; Boston publishes
on the ground. At present the United
States hotel is the only open house, and
it is very large and well furnished and
put dexterously up on a side street.
where the dust and the rolling wheels of
the show will not come, for the dust and
the heat are to De ponderable Qualities
here From the skeleton city arising,
the mighty facades and lofty profiles of
the exhibition buildings, the street
PAYERS and multitudes, I turned up this
little side street, under the streaming
banners of the United States hotel. and it
all vanished. There were familiar faces
OF Boothby, the proprietor, whom saw
yesterday chiefsteward at Wizards hotel.
and Z. ii. Willard and other welI-known
governmental sconces. "Why," said L,
Lord bless me. thought this was to
be foreign show" Dobbins, the extra
ordinary contractor who has thrown I'D
the vast halls of the exhibition, combin-
ing magic with might, owns this. and is
building another hotel. In essentials
they are rows of dwelling houses, new
and meant to stand, now hotels, PRESENT.,
homes. Mr.. Boothby anticipates the
great rush in September after the water
ing places fail. Although large part
OF this house was engaged months ago he
says that the hotel accommodations on the
spot will exceed the demand. One con.
Germ, now rising like a fog bank, will
hold 1000 people
THE COUP DELL
The streets which point to the exhibit
ton quarter are new and laid askew to
the square, which must grieve the rect
angular Quaker heart. Belmont. Elm
and Girard avenues describe large tri-
angle, in which are several streets be-
tween the main gate, the railroad, and a
corner of the park. Here is the micro
eosm, the raree show outside, full of no.
teis, theatres, beer pavilions, costly res
taurants, horse-car stations, and the ar.
irving multitude. The sound of ham,
mers ha. now well-nigh ceased, and the
clap of the trowel and the click of paper
hangers shears is more common. A huge
opera-house, tie skeleton of its develop
ing corporeaIity, is just beside hotel of
plastered wood where two thousand beds
are to be made and the bar privilege has
sold for $4,000. Opposite is another
hotel of brick which will have seven
hundred and fifty beds A brick re tau
rant, very well built indeed, with plate