Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1885-02-19
NEW ORLEANS EXPOSITION.
The Big Show as Viewed by An OBJ
servant st. Clairsville Man.
rrsspondence to CaRoNIGLE.l ]

available space has been taken Dy exmOitors
and the tardy ones are now rapidly complet
ing the setting up Of their exhibits. In
very short time, at the same rate of progress
the great show will be in full blast.
The more see Of it the more become i'm
pressed with its vsstness-its grandeur AM
beauty. What may write will be based Oh
my own observation and reliable information
obtained on the grounds.
The tract of land or park upon which tn
exposition is located contains 249 acres. Tn
views obtained from the towers on some o
the buildings embrace the metropolitan cit.
of the fair south-the grand old river rolling
silently by, and stretch of country THIRTY
miles in extent that is very attractive indeed
TIE MAIN BUILDING
Contains general exhibits. 1t situated nearly
in the centre of the grounds, and it is th'
largest ever erected, being 1878 feet long BY
905 feet wide. In order to give your tow
readers some definite idea of its vast dimen
sion, let me state that if it was placed in st
Clairsville the east end along the alley be-
tween Joseph Kings and the school house
the west end Of it would extend to the resi-
dence of Mr.. Joseph q. Close or perhaps t
Mr.. A. P .sBlairs-that would be the length,
The north side being placed at the M. E
cemetery and running west along by Mrs
Ferren's, the south would extend to the soutf
end of the q. P. church. So you see it would
bury up the the greater portion of the ole
town, the new court house, school house, botf
hotels and all three churches included. Tn.
farmers will readily understand its size wheI
it is stated that it covers about 33 acres Of
grounds.
Within, the view is unobstructed from one
side to the other; all the phases of the exhibi
can be seen at a glance.
There are no partitions and the lofty pillars
supporting the roof present no impediment tc
ones vision, but aid the eye in measuring the
vast expanse: Wide and spacious galleries
SO feet high are reached by twenty elevators
and convenient stairways. The view from
the one in the central tower is simply superb
The galleries extend around the entire build
ing. Mrs. w. and walked entirely around
them, one morning, and estimated the dis
tanee to be one mile.- The view, as you pass
around. looking down on the vast array OF
exhibits which completely fill all the allotted
space for them on the floor below, is grand
beyond my powers of language to portray.
1t is said that to pass along all the aisles
between the exhibits in this building one
would have to walk eighty miles. Of the
truth of this l do not know; have made NO
estimate myself. One thing is certain, how
ever, it is vast deal farther than desire OF
expect to walk in the one building; am in
clined to the opinion that the statement is not
fer wrong. Despite the enormous size of the
main building, it was found necessary to ex-
tend the machinery department. This exten>
sion, under the title of factories and mills
building, is $40 feet long by 100 feet wide.
The machinery department occupies space
1878 feet long by 800 feet wide within the
main building. From the galleries overlook-
ing it, over two miles Of shafting can be seen
rapidly revolving, driving every known char
acter of machinery.
siehalfoccupies the centre of the interior;
has: seating capacity in commodious chairs
for 5000 by actual count, platform capacity
for 600 musicians, ard mammoth organ built
expressly for the exposition.
The live stock, for the accommodation of
which there are located in the north end of the
grounds, six barns, two rows with three in a
row, placed about fifty feet apart. Each build
ing is 37S feet long by so feet wide. Starting
in at the left-hand row the first building is oc-
cupied by horses and cattle; the second by
sheep, and the third by poultry. Coming back
on the other row you have in the first building
turkeys, geese and ducks; in the second swine,
and in third horses, Shetland ponies and cattle
of various breeds. The stock shows take place
at different times, consequently not all the
buildings are filled to their full capacity. The
poultry building, however, was entirely full Of
chickens of all sorts and sizes, from the great,
tall Shanghai down to the little Bantam. The
Growers set up tremendous racket of a morn
ing, sounding their clarion notes. which for va
riety of tone and style of execution, somewhat
surpasses that performed in the play entitled,
DO you want to buy a chicken, and can it crow2'
noticed some pens of fine sheep from various
parts of the country, among them some from
Ohio, West va. and Vermont. One Merino
buck, in particular, the agent told me was val
ued at $25 ,000-a fancy price surely.
The management is very much embarrassed
for the want of funds, being $3.50, 900 in debt,
and the creditors, laboring hands and others
are clamoring for their pay, and no funds to
meet their demands. Congress has been petit
toned for $500,000 additional appropriation,
which, it is claimed, will be needed to carry
them successfully through. The gate receipts
are little more than is required to meet the
daily expenses now. But up to short time
ago the weather had been SO unusually bad,
and there was so many difiulties to contend
with, causing delay in getting things in shape,
and the same thing causing slim attendance,
the result was they run woefully behind. 1t
looks now, however, that from this on every
thing will boom. Multitudes of people are
arriving daily in the city, brought out by the
fine, balmy weather, and also, no doubt, on ac-
count of the approaching Mardi Gras, TO which
tens of thousands of strangers come every year.
Rapid preparations for it are going on now.
The sound of the hammer and saw are heard on
all hands, on the streets, fixing up seats and
decorations for the great pageant, which is in
tended to surpass by far any previous carnival.
In consequence of these things the price of
the popular streets along which the procession
passes After the Mardi Gras is over, good
rooms will be more easily obtained and prices
will be lower. Nearly all the private families
on Camp, st. Charles and other of the best
streets, rent nicely furnished rooms in their
fine residences, and some Of them board their
guests also, whom they treat with great kind
ness and cordiality. Our location is central,
near the St. Charles Hotel and the post-ofice
close to Lafayette square, and within two blocks
of Bishop Mallalieu's, resident Bishop of the
N. E. church.
see in THE CHRONICLE of the 5th inst, Just
received, brief history of the Old Liberty
Bell. 1t is standing ON the car on which it was
brought, in the main building, ornamented with
a wreath of pampas grass and flowers, and an
officer sitting by guarding it. 1t is quite an
attraction here. Many look at it with great
curiosity, never having seen it before. Some
who look at it hardly know what it means;
think it can't be of much account as they see
IL ia craokad