The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1877-04-28
Special Correspondence.)
Philadelphia Letter.
Inc permanent charlottesville Centen-
mai Catalogue Company--The Locomo-
tive Strike ON the Reading Railroad
Pennsylvania Railroad Stock.
PHILADELPHIA, April 26, 1877.

PHILADELPHIA, April 70, 1871.
The Centennial Exhipition marked a new
era in the history of Philadelphia, and it is fit
therefore, that the good people of the Quaker
City should have perpetual reminder of its
departed glories in the permanent exhibition
which is to open on May TO- The main build
ing was purchased for the enterprise and about
S300,000 of the Centennial stock was made over
to the new Company by the Board of Finance.
1t was believed that the proceeds of this to,
gether with the new subscriptions would make
the enterprise sef-supporting. The decision
OF the United States Supreme Court has cruelty
dispelled this comforting belief Previous to
that it was estimated that the holders of Gen.
tennial stock would receive 80 per cent Of
their investments. They will net now get
more than 30 per cent, and it is not improba
BILE that this will be still further reduced as the
result of an adverse decision in the pending
suit with the concern known as the Centennial
Catalogue Company. 1t will be remembered
that this company, for the consideration of
100000, secured the exclusive right of pub
fishing the catalogues of the exhibition with
the privilege of inserting advertisements. 1t
now appears that the investment proved dis
astrous for the publishers, and on the ground
of alleged breaches of contract on the part of
suit to recover the 100000 and about $50, 900
additional in the way of damages. Arbitra-
tors have been appointed, and it is probable
that at least the amount paid as a bonus will
have to be refunded. When the character of
the catalogue is considered one cannot avoid
thinking that the American people had good
grounds for damages against all concerned
especially when it is considered that the fine
art catalogue was made bulky volume through
the insertion of such aesthetic patent medicine
symbols as ''S-T-1S60-X" The whole was sug-
gestive of peanut stand system of finance
that returned to plague its inventors. George
Francis Train. by the way, hasof late teen in
Weighing against the conservative methods
and antiquated village ways that in spite
of the Centennial, Jay Cooke and Tom
Scott, still characterize the city of Penn.
He finds cause for congratulation 10 the
fact that roasted ground nuts can be had
here for half the price that the street vendors
fill Bayard Taylor's pockets for in New York.
Philadelphia, says George Francis, is capital
peanut city. But to return The managers of
the Permanent Exhibition have appealed to the
public for the additional subscriptions neces-
sary to make the enterprise self sustaining. A
liberal response seems certain and the show
will be opened to the public with great eclat on
the day PANIED. 1t will probably prove a
worthy successor of its progentor and become
an interesting feature of Philadelphia The
fine at building, or Memorial Hall, is to be &C.
cuped by the Pennsylvania Museum and
School of Industrial Art, worthy institution
stimulus to art education afforded by the Cen
tennial Exhibition. The price of admission to
the Exhibition has been fixed at twenty-five
cents, which will include the privileges OF the
Industrial Museum. Following the example of
General Hawley aud his associates the concern
is to be closed on Sunday, and this in spite of
the nearly unanimous opposition of the press of
Philadelphia.
The two topics uppermost in Philadelphia
during the last ten days have been the strike of
the Reading railway engineers, and the attack
OF the bears on Pennsylvania railroad stock.
AT present writing the indications all point to
complete victory on the part of the Reading
Company over the Brotherhood of Locomotive
Engineers. The Company's trains are all run
ming on time, and figures are furnished showing
marked increase of freight and passenger
traffic since the strike began began, and this in
spite of the fact that the sympathies of the
public seemed to be warmly with the brother
hood, 1t appears that other railways have
come to the assistance CT the Reading road in
the belief that this struggle would prove a cru
cal test The engineers seemed eager to take
up the company's implied challenge, but in
they have gone to the WALL 1t is probable
that the result in Pennsylvania will prove a
severe blow to the brotherhood throughout the
country. Pennsylvania stock with par value
OF $50 has been low down in the thlrties for
several days, and general panic among the
shareholders has been feared. The stock is
held so universally in Philadelphia, in small
and large amounts, by people of nearly every
station in life, that should serious trouble begin
the resu 1t would be widespread disaster. 1t is
thought however, by those best informed that
the willingness to show facts and figuies on
the part of the company will ward off the