Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1876-07-11
Centennial Letter, No. 3.

BY ;. T.. 5.
ELM AVENUE HOTEL,
PHILA., PA.
Our third day in the Exhibition was
devoted to the Art Gallery or Memorial
Hall magnificent structure of white
marble. with dome like the State House,
which building, though lofty and spacious,
was found to be incapable OF containing
the exhibits of art sent in from all quar-
ters Of the globe; and it was deemed
necessary to construct an Annex Building
containing iorty-five rooms, each about
forty feet square. We do not pretend to
criticse or even 10 attempt any descrip-
ton OF these works OF ait. We could
only give hasty look at the paintings
and sculpture from Italy, Spain, France,
England, Canada and other countries,
but we confess We loved TO linger most
among the works oil our own American
artists, where there was nothing to shock
the eye or the taste and much TO attract
aud delight. Among the paintings ex-
hibited by the u. 5. we noticed only two
from our own State. These were son
the Coast of Maine,' by Harry Brown,
aud Holiness large landscape Near the
Adrondacks" /; was impossible to do
Justice 10 this department in the short
time we had 10 devote 10 it; and we
would have loved to spend weeks in a
careful study OF the various and wonder
ful displays OF art here exhibited. Though
there is much that is atrocious and inde-
cent, there is more that is pleasing, en-
nobling and elevating.
The Annex TO the Main Building con-
tains carriages OF every description, from
different countries. some of them har-
messed to stuffed horses that looked as if
alive and just ready for start. There
were elegant private carriages that might
have been constructed for kings and
queens so richly were they upholstered
and finished, and baby carriages OF Won
derful structure and elegance, among
which we noticed a combined carriage
and cradle with canopy, reversible top,
shifting handle and reversible body
Some OF the vehicles from foreign coun-
tries were extravagantly luxurious, while
others were strangely uncouth. Some
had the drivers seat on the back OF the
carriage high up above the heads OF the
occupants so that all he could see was the
top OF the horses heads. One of the
beautiful Italian carriages was put to a
strange use. 1t was something like a cab
end was upholstered with delicate blue
satin which cost twenty dollars yard.
While the exhibitor was absent at noon,
an Irish woman with five little children
conceived this 10 be nice place Tor them
to dine-so she opened the doors and
took her little family within and they had
fine picnic all to themselves. The
wrath of the exhibitor on his return can
be better imagined than described.
The Woman's Pavilion was ou. next
place of resort. Here we found all kinds
OF work performed by women, embroi.
deries, carvings, straw work, bead work,
and the ike-very much like what is
seen at our county fairs, though on a
much broader scale. Here were seen
contributions from the royal family OF
England, such as etchings by the Queen,
table napkins spun by the royal hands. a
table cloth and a banner screen embroi.
dered by Processes. and drawings OF
flowers by the Marchioness of Lorne.
Horticultural Hail next demanded our