Middletown transcript., 1876-11-18
Written for the Middletown Transcript.
Centennial Notes No. IA.

4 Written for the Middletown Transcript.
: Centennial Notes No. IA.
? AFTER THE CENTENNIAL.
Well. the Centennial is thing of th'
past The huge Corliss engine ha
: ceased its throbbing, and the thousands
Of arteries that caught their life from il
; last May, on that stormy day, ceased te
vibrate last Friday on just such day
as gave it birth The day was in uni.
} son with nearly every ones feelings, fol
we all felt sadness creep over US, when
we thought that our Exhibition was soon
to die, and the familiar places, Oh the
! grounds would soon know us no more
forever A large platform was erected
in front Of the Main Building, around
which were innumerable benches, in
tended for the invited guests-commis-
sioners. members Of the press, &c-but
as the day advanced it became evident
that. any outdoor ceremonies would have
to be dispensed with; therefore Judges
Hall was selected as the next best place.
We were favored with card for Judges
Hall by the untiring and ever polite
Commissioner of Passes, Mr. Flanagan,
but owing to the rain, and wishing to
avoid damp crowd which we knew we
would encounter in Judges Hall, we
stayed in the Main Building thinking
that to take notes for the "dear old
TRANSCRIPT would pay US better than
gazing on the wooden face Of Grant and
hear him give the order for the great
heart 10 Machinery Hall to stop its beat
ing, instead Of risking a few drops Of
rain aud stop it personally, as he started
it six months ago 1t is thought that
there were 10000 people on the
grounds, and we have an idea that is
short of the mark.
We went out again on Saturday after
noon, but 10! what change was there!
We went into Machinery Hall first; here
we found the central aisle completely
torn up, the tracks exposed and ready
for the trains to take away the noisy,
busy looms. -four mills, paper mills,
hammers. envelope machines, printing
presses. the gig saws, around which the
curious crowd pressed eagerly to see
blocks Of wood turned rapidly to chairs,
tables, goblets, &c and to hear the
operators hold forth in their quaint way
especially the "Mohawk Dutchman,"
with bis crown, eyeglasses, chain, and |
jewelry of wood carved by himself. The
glassblower still creates the fairy arti-
cles, but before slim audiences. The
busy hum of the machinery, the deafen-
ing roar Of the water, the glistening cat
aract. have given way to the carpenters
hammer, the puff of the locomotive; and
unsig ghtly derricks rear their arms in
every direction. Many pieces of ma
chinery are covered, not being ready for
removal, and they look like frozen SEN
tinels, doing ghostly duty over tho gen.
eral chaos We took a walk through
the Main Building in hopes of shaking
off the depression left by the destruction
At Machinery Hall, but here we were
met by something worse. Over half Of
the departments are walled, roped or
wired in. The "Japs" have an eight
foot board fence around their depart
ment,, which is as free from knot-holes
and cracks as any fence l ever saw.
Sweden is nearly as bad. Egypt has
picket gates between her pillars, and SO
has Spain. In the latter the grim Span
ish soldier stands guard, and looks as
immovable as their figures are in the
government building Every one car.
rying bundle, satehel or box. was
stopped from entering the Main Build
ing, on account of hints of smuggling.
We never carry anything of the kind,
SO were allowed access, in spite of hav-
ing big pocket capable Of holding an
Art Gallery catalogue, large note book.
three sandwiches, box of candy, pocket
book, handkerchief, besides odds and
ends. such as knife. baking powder from
Hall, business cards and
books for the little ones at home. This
pocket is merely representation Of the
general centennial pocket Of the ladies.
md shows that stopping ladies with
small boxes is but farce
The ladies connected with the '76
Club intended to have given supper
,u Tuesday previous to the closing, but
t being election day they deferred it
until after the closing. The event was ]
! grand success. The company num-
oered about fifty, and represented the
principal papers Of the city as we'll as
distant cities. and foreign presses
While the guests were arriving. the
Messrs Fitzgerald, of the Item, enter
tained us with choice music; and after .
Ill had assembled Mrs. Ella Rolph re-
cited "The New Organ" in inimitable
style. This lady is an elocutionist Of
he first order, and combining a mag
,i6cent voice with lovely face and /
sweet attractive manners, cannot fail to
be successful in the readings she will
give this winter. After the supper-was I
eaten, numerous toasts we're proposed,
ind many speeches made, among the
nost prominent we will notice '' The
Press" ably responded to by Mr. Don
lily Of Forney's Press, Mr. Harry Fits-
gerald Of the Item, and last but not least
Mr.. Taylor Of the Graphic. ''The Cen
ennial Board of Finance was respond i
ID to by Mr. Charles L. Flanagan, who {
'aid in his jovial way that be bad been t
Notified three weeks ago and would be .
to make a speech, SO be had t
been at work on it ever since, and the t
'esult was in his hand. which be read |
IF with great effect, but during the de- i
livery Mr.. Taylor, Of the Graphic. drew |
lis picture, manuscript and all, which t
vas perfect. 1t was passed around the /
able, creating much fun at the expense t
If the unconscious orator. Mr.. Flana- e
,an's speech was excellent, and drew q
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