Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1885-03-19
THE SUNNY SOUTH.
NEW ORLEANS, Mar. IL, 1885.

The great display OF tne WOrlG exposition
is continued success. Each day brings out
new attraction, new beauties, new features.
The recent bright, warm DAYS have made great
changes on the beauties of the exposition
grounds. They are now covered with carpet
of luxurient Burmuda grass, soft and green.
The sun has renewed its splendor, and spreads
majestically yet benignantly over the vast en-
closures. Flowers are blooming, buds unfold
ing and the trees are putting on their dress OF
beautiful green. The landscape smiles, and
all around new objects of interest await inspec-
ton This year the winter, unfortunately, hav-
! ing fingered about a month longer than unusual,
am sorry some of our ST. Clairsville friends,
who were here some time ago, did not stay
long enough to see the full beauties and splen-
sire to enjoy, for a season. what l regard the
finest and best exposition, everything consider
ed, ever beheld on this continent, from now on
to the middle of April is the best time to come.
Those who cannot enjoy seeing and hearing
what's to be seen and heard here, must be very
sick, or very dull, or cross.
HORTICULTURAL HALL.
The third building in size, and very con-
spicuous feature of the group of the three lar
gest and principal buildings, is 800 feet long
and 1874 feet wide in the center. 1t is undoubt-
edly the largest conservatory in the world. 1t
is substantially built as a durable structure,
and by arrangement with the city, becoming a
permanent feature of the park. 1t stands in
the midst of magnificent live-oak groves. Sur
mounting the center is handsome tower 80 ft.
high, rooted with glass. Beneath this tower is
grand fountain in constant play. Extending
through the center of the hall is exhibited 90
600 plates of fruit, double the amount perhaps
ever before displayed at any other exposition.
Around the hall are arranged infinite vari-
ETY., almost, of rare tropical and semi-tropical
plants, flowers and shrubbery, gathered from
every available source. Above this display,
on proper pitch, appears the roof, almost as
solid plate of glass. In the central hall, with
higher roof, only part of glass, is located a
the most delicate flowers from the far south is
nurtured and made to bloom in their most bril-
liant perfection. Tropical fruits in the various
stages of growth are also exhibited.
Around a fountain, in the center of the hall,
whose waters shoot far up, almost to the lofty
roof of the building, stand in all their native
ora Ddaur orow;nn and thr;vino tho naID, fba
date and the banana; and spread around in
graceful array the horticultural products of
every section of the United States, of the trop-
ical cimes of Mexico and Jamaica, of the far
of the old countries of Europe.
Every variety of fruit is seen here-the
rough-coated apples of Minnesota, Nebraska
and the great Northwest; the delicate tinted
semi-tropical fruits of California and Florida;
the rich, highly favored products of the tropics,
innumerable varieties of oranges, lemons,
grapes, apples, sugar canes, pine-apples, CO.
cosnuts, and many other fruits legs commonly
known to those who live away from the ''Land
of Sun" Within this hall there is waited on
the balmy air the sweet perfume from all
this vast array of fruits, flowers and plants, so
delightful to the senses that one desires to
linger in the enchanting place; yet around this
building ON the outside is little less charming
The broad, straight avenue that leads to this
hall is itself superbly beautiful wide, hard
asphalt walk, along which, on either side, are
handsome and substantial seats and canopied
high over head by the r-spreading branches
of the double row of grand old live oaks, whose
branches mingle with their ponderous trunks
are 80 feet apart and from whose boughs droop
the exquisite and far-famed Spanish moss
With the warm and brilliant rays of sunlight
streaming through the interstices of the thick
ly woven branches above, the sweet, balmy air,
| the magnificent buildings in the distance, with
| flags of the world floating from their vast roofs
and lofty towers, the gloriously beautiful
grounds on every side, this avenue is truly de-
lectable, and is it any wonder that visitors love
to linger here-that they sit here and lunch
here, and promenade here for hours at time.
| q S1AAi-o AM UCLr Ut AhAASO hASOhSAON.
On Tuesday morning, the Sd inst, in COM
pany with st. Clairsville friends, Miss Jones
and Miss Neal, who arrived here on Thursday
previous, and Mr.. Wilson Mitchell, we went
aboard the fine passenger steamer "Jesse X.
Bell" then lying at the foot of Canal street,
bound for the lower coast, the Jetties and Gull
of Mexico. The boat rapidly filled with pas
sengers, collected from almost every state in
the Union, having in view the same object
sightseeing and pleasure-and when the boat
loosed her moorings and headed down the
mighty river at a. m, there were 26O excur-
sionists aboard, and as good humored. genial
and social a company, as whole, as l ever
Travelled with. The morning was bright and
fair, and everything seemed to conspire to
make the prospect good for day of pleasure
and profit. As the highest part of the city is
that directly over the river, and it falls as you
go toward the lake, you can look down from
your vessel, as it rides upon the bosom of the
Father of Waters" upon the streets and
avenues. A river parade shows one the entire
city, for New Orleans clings to the Mississippi,
and is narrow fringe along the river, seldom
running back over one or two miles. The
Crescent City never looks more beautiful than
when thus seen from the river-its long front
of twelve miles full of steamboats,, steamers
and ships. and barks of every nation.
We passed, in order, as we glided down
southwark, Jackson square, the cathedral the
French market, U. s. barricks, the battle
ground of New Orleans, the jackson monu-
ment, the Chalmette national cemeteries-the
three latter places we visited specially the day
before. Could give many items and incidents
of our interesting visit there, but our boat is
moving and we will have TO pass. We are now
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