The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1876-01-01
VISIT TO THE CENTENNIAL GROUNDS.
DARBY, Delaware county, Pa,
December 18th, 1873.

VISIT III The CENTENNIAL GROUNDS,
darcy, Delaware county, Pa,
December 18th, 1875.
DEAR WHIG-Having made visit te
Fairmount Park, l will tell you something
about what l saw. In the first place the
general appearance of the park at this sea-
son Of the year is nakedness, the foliage OF
the trees being off and vegetation gener.
buildings are the more interesting features
attracting attention at present. We haG
heard about their great size, the number o.
acres they covered and so on, but we read
this as we would have read Dickens works
or any other novel, as somewhat imagined
or at least greatly exaggerated. We found
however, that no exaggeration had been
made and that the half had hardly beer
told. Surely nothing but being on the
grounds and seeing for oneself, will con
vince person what great work is going
on and the preparations being made for the
great celebration of our one hundredtf
year of liberty. The main building is Ger.
tainly magnificent editice, and is IAN exhi
bition Of the art and ingenuity of man in
itself. If you can imagine how Lexington
market, or in fact, any market building
looks, its shape and general appearance,
and then magnify it about five thousand
times in every way, with windows nearly
all over it, and a nice pine tongue and
greoved floor, you will have faint idea o.
what this Centennial building looks like
t. =, ILL,
lights that the interior is as light almost as
it would be without any covering. Wher
we stood and looked around US in this i'm
mense structure we thought surely this
would be a delightful place to take drive
with fast horse, especially for invalids or
a rainy day, for besides not getting wet,
they would have all the range they could
ask for. But although this is the largest
building, it is not, by any means, the pref
test or most costly. The Memorial anG
Horticultural Hall, which is built of the
best quality of marble, is by odds, the
| neatest and most elaborate building on the
grounds. On either corner of this build
ing are placed in statuary, larger by fal
than life size, beautiful maidens. They
are in half sitting posture and are look
ing down apparently on the eager crowd
beneath. Their vesture is a white garment
very Hastily arranged, and the bare foot OF
each can be plainly seen. Each holds in hel
hand book and flag of small size. This
statuary set the building off very nicely
OF course they each represent the "God
dess of Liberty" Beside these there is or
the center of the building largo statue Of
man which we think represents Wash.
ngton, the father of his country" But
this is not all yet. The American eagle
Of 1>a Il
tinctly on every building at the Centennial
| On the building first described we counted
| nine on the west end of the building, which
we suppose to be about the size of a large
live eagle. On the Memorial building
however, there are to be half a dozen OF
more. These last mentioned are curios
ties in themselves. They are made of cast
iron and will measure about fifteen or six,
| teen feet from tip to tip. In their talon:
| they grasp the United States, flag and be
meath their huge wings we walked anC
thought what delightful shelter it would
make from storm. These as well as othel
statuary and material, are hoisted to the
| top of the buildings by steam, an engine
being placed beside the building. A switch
| from the Pennsylvania Railroad runs close
to the building, so that from the time ma
terial is loaded on the cars until it reache:
where it is required ON the top of the build
ing, it is handled entirely by steam power
The ground for acres around these build
| ings looks like field that had been plowec
and then packed down, and the weather
being somewhat rainy, it is hardly neces
sary to say that the mud is almost unbeara
BILE. Notwithstanding this hundreds anc
thousands of men, women and children
were on the grounds apparently as eager
as could we'll be possible to conceive, tt
see the sights.
The Centennial grounds are ample and a
better location could be found no wher,
probably But it would be unwise in u
to stop here and not look little farther
From within hundred yards of the mali
building in almost any direction, but NOR
particularly toward the city, you will fine
beer saloons and drinking houses thrown
open Sunday and Monday to all who in
dulge, and even the temptation is strong t.
many who would otherwise not think o
strong drink. In these may be seen men
from the beggar who crouches in one cor
ner, to the "gentlemen $50 called VIII,
wear their beaver and cloth, drinking, bet
ting, smoking, cursing and so on, no
only during the week but on Sunday.
remarked to gentleman standing near
drinking house, Do they allow liquor ant
| beer saloons to keep open on sunday mere
and is there no Sunday law against it p
Il guess he knew l was green in those parts.
But he replied, g Young man, to be candle
there is prohibitory law against this work
but it is not enforced here. You see thes
beer saloon and liquor house proprietors G
to the authorities, and putting neat sun
of money in their hands, say: Now | wan
you to keep quiet about me, and in thi
way they are never molested for Sunda
selling" Is, or can it be possible, tina
those in authority can be thus bought?
have no doubt but this statement is some
what over-es estimated, and yet believe ther
is "more truth than poetry" in it. TIL
coming Centennial is something in whic
every true American or lover of his cour
try should feel proud, but to allow an
such places as drinking houses on the yer
ground itself, is not only disgrace to Phi
adelphia, to the Centennial committees, an
to Pennsylvania, but to the whole America
Union. Very respectfully yours,
ELECTRICAL.
Leaves of the pineanDle now helm