The Meridional. (Abbeville, La.) 1856-1906, 1886-11-27

ed from a heavy wooden frame on tn
car in which it made it's celebrated tri,
| from Philadelphia. The honored me
mento of the "times which tried men,
souls" is but little. if any larger than til,
lead mouthed bell which rouses thu
Abbevillians from their morning slum
bers and summons the devout to thu
servicespf the mass. A huge rift runs
up its side dividing the Inscription
"PHILADA. MDCCLIII." A number O
large chips have been knocked off the
rim, and itssymmetry otherwise marred
Over in the Maryland exhibit is a little
bell about the size of the one which for
merly hung On a tall post in the rear Of
the old Catholic church in Abbe$flle. 1t
is said to be the oldest bell in America,
and was brought over by the first colo
ny which settled in Maryland under
Lord Baltimore.
But what shall we say of the State
exhibits 2 The Northern and Western
States, being older and Weather, more
populous, prosperous and progressive
are naturally far ahead of the rest of
the country. Of the Southern States,
Texas has the largest, and very fine
exhibit, Kentucky has the most artis-
tic, having spent some $15, 200 in pho
tographing alone, and nearly every
place and thing of note in that grand
old State is truthfully transferred to
large glass transparencies which deco
rate the sides Of her extensive space !;
Mississippi is well represented and in
very diversified form the display of la
dies handiwork and the art collection of
Whitworth Female College being the
most prominent.
The phosphate industry of Charleston,
and vicinity, and the manufactures Of
Salem and Durham, n c., are very
Interesting. Arkansas, Alabama and
Georgia are well worthy a visit, al
though nothing Of any particular inter
est attaches to them. Louisiana is
rapidly improving, and may soon be
creditable. Some taste is being evi-
denced since the ladies got to work
there, and we no longer find the stuffed
alligator and the red-beaked buzzard
in company with the wax flowers and
fruits, and the preserves. Vermilion is
not represented except in the "Map
Quilt" and when any Of her citizens
have seen this incongrous offspring of
many minds, methinks they will wish
th> J were not in this respect even. Oh,
yc gods! to think of this nondescript
makes one long for the powers of de-
scription which enable man to paint
with language a scene on his hearers
retina. Could the ancient Egyptians
but have come across this when search |
ing for something to worship, they
might have bowed down before it with
since it represents nothing
that is on earthy or in the heavens
above.
In the "Colored Department the !
negro has made, in some instances, a |
very laudable display. AS might have |
been anticipated, Kentucky and Vir-
sinia lead the van, the latter being |
most excellent. We were foreibly /
struck with the large collection of artis- |
.ic photographs, the work of j. C. Far
ey, of Richmond. He, like his subjects,
ire all negroes, and the work is not
'nly fifst-class, but the faces are all
Indicative of intellect of no small de-
gree. Among them we were pleased to
ind the patriarchial phiz Of the re- /
loWned Rev. John Jasper, of "The Sun
10 Move" fame. From biography of
lin, written and printed by negroes,
ve see that be began his ministry dur
ng the war by nursing and preaching
O wounded and sick Confederate sol
liers in the hospitals in Richmond.
kentucky also has a negro artist of
merit, and the mechanical genius dis
'layed is considerable.
Strolling through the Educational
cur attention was caught 1
" the handsome show of the Kansas !
agricultural College. Printing, espe-
o1Ir hoe boa,, o,,r;o1aI l,,, ca,no ,f