New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-11-11
THE CLOSING DAY.
WEATHER AND INCIDENTS.

PHILADELPHIA Nov. lot seems but few
weeks instead of six months since the great Inter-
national Exhibition of 1876 was opened. But then
we had the first tulips and lilacs Of May the young
green was vivid on the trees; and the lowering sky
broke up into the frest alienation Of sunshine and
sycry clouds. Now, with the exception of the weep
in. willows all the trees bare the turf is still
green, but only few sckly gray and yellow tints
remain where the fower-beds made such gorgeous
patterns Of color; and the day, rising chill and
gloomy. with a streak of pale brassy light in the
west soon settled into slow, drilling rain, colder
and more cherries than snow. If Nature had taken
hint from Wagner's recent performance at Bay
reuth and adapted her scenic effects to the charac-
ter of the action she could not have been more sue
cessful.
Yet the outside scenes this morning were almost
an exact reproduction of those which | chroniced
on the 10th of May. At the Transcontinental.
which reached at midnight, there was the same
crowd of dodgers glad of a cot in the parlor at the
breakfast tables an equally hungry and inpatient
multitude cuciing at the bewildered and irritable
walters and when | looked abroad from the bal
cony, ii seemed that the very same multitude was
rushing toward tnc gates from all the avenues OF
approach. As then, the rural element predom-
mated the cagcrneSs the expressions of both curl
osity and preoccupation of mind, were just the
same. The boys with their almost obsolete guide
books were none the less unfortunate the explain
atcry policemen bad just as much to do; and even
the cyclone of political uncertainty which has come
l the coast from Florida found here its vortex ~
momcrt1ry calm As soon as the gates were opened
there vas a crowded influx at ali of them, and
mindful Of my experience at the Opening deter
mined TO be among the first.
Nv invitation included a ticket of admission
through gate No SO, but on arriving there / found
IL uho-pitably closed There was guard on hand,
who Informed large number of invited guests that
No. lad orders from Mr. Yates Chief of the Bureau OF
admissions not 10 admit any one without ms spe-
cia permit. Tie invitations, issued in regular order
by a., Centennial Commission, were not respected,
il seemed; but there a ready way of solyingthe
difficulty: paid 30 cents and was admitted at the
adjoining gate. The order reScinded soon after
ward, and the guests who arrived later had no occa-
! siou TO .c surprised at their reception.
INSIDE THE GROUNDS.
Once inside the gates found it interesting to
notice how the people insist on keeping up their
interest and enjoyment until the last moment. The
circular trains were packed with passengers, despite
thc law air; every building uncOmiOrtably
| crowded, and the ordinations of wonder and adj
miration were rs frequent as on the first day. The
chimes over the Machinery Building pealed the Mar
re,lilise the bands at the restaurants blew their
iauG,,t the foreign booths and baZaars enjoyed
fall tide of custom. and no branch of interest
seemed materially depressed except the sale Of soda
water In the Wonen's Pavilion they sold it hot)
Nne-tcuthS Of tine great crowd were evidently peo-
pie from the country, and most of them carried their
luuch-ha,krt, and satchels rs in Summer though
vlor, they expected to lunch in comfort in the open
air cannot guess. Many of them seemed TO sup
pose that an the principal pcrsonages of the country
NO | saw
ing out n gen, oman with jet black beard as Gov.
HAYES" while others looked admiringly at man
with red hair. taking him to be " Gen. Banks" At
TIE TuBUNE Building | found an eager crowd
constantly renewed, which brought a Whit of the
outsil, ,ohtical atmosphere with it. Then l went
TO In, Judge, building, where Gen. liawley was I'M
dcr.ong his last day of torture from frantic apph-
Giants for seats on the platform, bcwldered officials
and comuainants of all sorts. No will grudge
him the coming respite from the delicate and diff
cult tasl, which he mas SO admirably discharged
Along the entire western front of the Main Ex-
hihitiou udng the platform for the closing cere-
monies. ,ant to accommodate 1000 guests, with
Theodore Thomas's orchestra and chorus, was al
ready Completed and handsomely draped with iiags.
The guarded line, to keep of the approach of the
uublic. extended rs far as !arthOdrs fountain IN
the center of the squarc-a quite unnecessary pre-
caution for here was thing to which the Ameri-
can public had already accustomed itself. The visit
ors were not new to the Exhibition, after all. They
had learned to keep hands of, TO understand the ne
cesytv of barriers, and Ia submit 10 certain
amount Of Heavens first law. The guards
along tine bounded nclosure had much
easier time than the 10th of May. L
saw no attempt to break through-uO impatience--
nothing but a cheerful acquiescence. There was
still an hour or two before tie ceremonies, so l
straved further to notice what changes there might
have been in the features of the great show. The
Japanese Bazaar had evidently exhausted It's stock:
only the tall bronze cranes had crept up under cor
uer of the building, as if seeking shelter from tho
weather The popular Dairy had greatly
enlarged its accommodations. and was still
patronIzcd-fancy cold milk and ice-cream
on such a day and the little Moorish
villa was quite spoiled by canvas-coyered yeranda
around it. Approaching, nevertheless l found
placard beside the door, wherein, in hugely dis
PLAYED lines | read "a quotation from my August
letter to THE TRIBUNE, testifyng to the genuine
ness of the Moorish articles therein. Std9rittdh!
o. Abd.el-Kader, what | said then was true, but
why dIdst thou, after selling all those genuine
articles, supplant them with cheap trumpery imta-
tons Go o.-thOu art no better than the lutdel
The Government Building and the Womens Pa
yilion were both crowded to excess, ard from inc
number of persons who asked me the way 10 'ho
Agricultural Building, / should infer tha' IL was
equally so. There must, therefore, nave go
enormous numbog present; but abou, 80. -
gray vault OF the sky shut down over '" 20. q a.
Cling light in the west, the winu cam =. ~
north-cost and "A cold. dismal di%1io '' ~
fou, ho1 provided themselves Wlth uinoie"''
water-proofs and the cro"u az "io' ''o' ..,antior