River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1877-02-15
The Peterkins at the Centennial.

st. Nicholas for February.
They proposed to take tour of the
grounds in one of the railroad cars.
Inthis way they could getanidea of the
whole. They joined a crowd of people
rushing to one of the platforms to Sc
cure seats rs a train came along.
Mrs. Peterkin was near being left be-
hind, it was so hard for her to decide
which seat to take the hurry was so
great, the rest of the family thinking
She was going to be left, all got out
again and were obliged to hustle in the
minute the train was starting.
The little boys were anxious to get
out at the first stopping-place, but Mr..
and Mrs. Peterkin preferred to make
the whole tour and see everything
first. In and out they went among the
various buildings. Mrs. Peterkin said
she would ask nothing better than to
spend the day in this way. Agamem-
non had map, and tried to point out
the several buildings as they came to
them, but it was difficult to discover
the numbers attached to them in the
map. Meanwhile Solomon John
studied the different colors of the flags.
After some time Elizabeth Eliza said !:
81 did not know they had so many
of these 'Women's Pavilions.'
Il think they must have one for each
State" said Mr.. Peterkin.
at is astonishing how much they
are alike, said Mrs. Peterkin.
"With so many buildings" said Mr..
Peterkin, ''you could not expect to have
them all different.
"Still," said AgamemnOn, 81 should
not think they would have SO many OF
these statues of horses with wings.
"They are very fine, said Mr.. Peter
kin, "no wonder they repeat them SO
often"
"They come in pairs, said Solomon
John.
1--WE have seen them just five times.
! | counted" said one of the little
boys.
Elizabeth Eliza started: eve must
have made the tour at least five times!
| | have seen five WOmen's Pavlllons !!
"This is the very place we got IN,
/ said Solomon John.
The whole family made a rush to get
out, for they had just reached plat
4 form, and the time for stopping was
very short. Mrs. Peterkin stopped to
extricate her camp-stool, which she
had put under the seat, and getting 1t
out with trouble, she looked up to find
| that the car was taking her on, and all
the family behind on the platform
| She wished to get out, but was held
back by the other passengers, who
declared that she would break her
neck if she jumped from the car IN
motion.
But the next stopping place she felt
so clustered she hardly knew what TO
do, so she kept on ana on till she felt
she must somehow make up her nina
to leave that car; and with a desperate
resolution she stepped out on the piat,
form. She found herself in deserted
part of the grounds, a few gentleman
only getting out to go to the Brewers
Hall. Though there was crowd every
where else, it seemed very solitary
here. Mrs. Peterkin went round and
round the Brewers Hall, uncertain
where to go. At last gentleman no.
ticed her, and asked her II he could
help her. When she told her case, he
asked if her family had appointed any
place of meeting ia case or accident
Mrs, Peterkin thought she remember
ed their talking of the Main Building
as a rendezvous. The gentleman adj
vised her taking the train directly for
the Main Building. She shook her
head; she had already spent the morn,
ING in the cars. The gentleman smiled
but asked her to go on with him and
he would show her where TO get. out.
Mrs Peterkin joined him gratefully
and they took a train at neighborlng
platform. But they had not gone very
far. and we're making another stop;
when Mrs. Peterkin gave scream!
There was her family standing in a
row ready to receive her! She was SO
agitated She could hardly get out, and
almost tainted with delight at the
I