Middletown transcript., 1877-07-21
Written for the MiddletoRn Transcript
The Permanent Exhibition,

4
asm in the New Centennial J" not that
it is at all inferior to its predecessor,
but we miss the crowds, the excitement,
the elegant little Japs, the emusty Turks,
the stern Spanish soldiers, the cour-
teous Italians with their sparkling eyes
and fascinating accent. We reach out
our minds, as it were, after something
! not attainable and indescribable; our
list Of admiring adjectives do not seem
to be needed.
| The building is neat and elegant, but
we want to be jostled by the gaping
crowd in search of curiosities we want
to seek information from natives of
Egypt, Australia, dear old Sweden
i poets rare of "what might have been. ?
But we are craving what has been and
is buried in the past. Outside Of the
| Main Building the prospect is lovely
90 far as nature is concerned, but where
are the folks in search of the Log
Cabin, which, by the way, has been
treated as Aladdin's Palace and bride
were, it was carried bodily into the
Main Building and set down uncon-
sciously near the ''big organ, " and the
magic baton of Mr.. Hassler. The grass
is growing where the Public Comfort"
stood, and Judges Hall is vanishing
like the frost before June sun. The
chimes have "gone where the woodbine
twineth perhaps up into some icy
tower. We want back the jam in
search of the buttered Iolanthe we
want to be sprinkled by the Bartholdi
FountainAs we wend our way over to
Machinery Hall we crave the Corliss
engine as the child cried for the moon
and the cataract, the big pipes and lit
tie pipes, the blowers, and the tank
with the subtsrranean divers are gone
forever. We are in the same position
certain Delaware physician said Of
his "son JIM" HE could not get him
interested in anything Nearly all
the countries are here who were here last
year, and some fine exhibits are here
that are new. Among the latter is
''HufFagle's collection" from different
parts of the world, Chinese idols, shells,
images, articles Of dress in quilted silk,
books, minerals, painting Of, and by
nations of India, case Of shellac from
the insect to works of art, skulls Of an
imals from the elephant down, some
relics belonging once to Washington,
and numerous other things. Switzer-
land left some of her lovely carved
wood, and exquisite music boxes, as
well as her far-famed watches, Austria
and Hungary have splendid exhibit
of glassware, bent wood, furniture and
precious stones. China has fine ex-
hibit Of carving, paintings on silk, and
Japan the same, as well as Magolica
Or Jamolica ware, which it is / leave
our Southern friend Mr.. B. to deter
mine, as we always forget. Pragen's
lovely garnets are still there to tempt
the eye, and France, with her grand
church furniture and exquisite seyres
china, has her banner still floating.
The centre of the building is a good bit
altered, galleries are erected, and ban
ners are hung so as to enclose the
sound of the large organ and the Or
chestra. These banners contain the
names of immortal musicians, such as
Mendellsohn, Hayden, Shubert, Han
del, Mozart and dozens Of others. Near
the log cabin is an Indian encampment,
but the Indians who were there while |
have vanished, and two chiefs in wax
hold guard. The live Indians, with
their wares, should have been retained.
The centre also contains some of the
and other statutes which
were in the Art Gallery, and we also
see some familiar pictures among the
new ones grouped here. Among them
we noticed "Tubal CAIN" SEarly
Trials" "a sweet face we never tire Of
looking at-"Girl and Doll true to
nature Emily Sartain's picture, 'eThe
Seamstress, I" s'Basso Reliefo," in mar
bic, "The Angelic Choir" Some of
the new ones attract much attention,
one in particular-"R Retreat of the Brit
ish from Boston, full enough of hon
Drs to suit any taste; dead mothers ly-
ing on living babes, old women loading
guns, stalwart men wounded and
crushed under dead horses, etc. Ben
Iel, of Philadelphia, has two new pic
iures here, "The First Death" and
The Dead Cleopatra. His dead
oeople look in a state of putrefaction,
specially the latter picture. We think
f Antony had seen Cleo Just after she
lied he would have wondered how he
lad ever loved such "horse marine
Is Bensel has pictured her. We are
confident that had she died first 'eTonya !
would have lived on, for men, the poets !
ay, "have died and the worms have
,aten them, but not for love" There
$ another picture there which we wish i
We had not seen, and that is a full
ength likeness of Lafayette. Now we ,
llways had a romantic love for Lafay- ,
,tte, for our histories tell Of his beauty,
lis culture, his wealth, his taste, his :
ovely bride, his personal sacrifices,
md our heart beat faster, and our $
thoughts were chained at the mention +
# his name, until this picture made its I
appearance, it may be true likeness t
md doubtless is but just took at him, /
tall ungainly figure in swalloY-tail /
,oat and stand-up collar, yellow trow- i
ers, full and wrinkled, strapped down 4
,ver big leather boots, nondescript q
rest buttoned over a paunch which re- !
minded one Of an English alderman, !
r the president of Philadelphia /
street Car Company. And that re- /
minds me of the Sunday question in t
egard to the Exhibition. Mr.. Wan !
maker says if ''they"-who ever that ]
s-open the show on Sunday he will '
axe all his coats and pants out of the 7
That would be terrible +
oss to sight-seers, and all his cash out .
# the fund. This places him some I
L II !