Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1892-11-24
For the Ellsworth American.
A Trip to Chicago.

to begin at the farther end as space and
time may not hold out. All readers of
the AMERICAN are too familiar with the
exercises of the three days given to the
| dedication for me to enter into details
| further than to speak for the most part Of
| my personal impressions OF what | saw
and heard. Through the courtesy Of Gen.
Squirting obtained ii, ket to the grounds
for Columbus Day. Before | obtained IL
| had the greatest contempt for the man
agement. II was I'M nAmerican to shut the
people from the grounds except a favored
few. This was the peoples day, nation
al day, not q day to emphasize class dis
tinction or favortlsm. When l had OBJ
tanned the ticket however discovered
very quickly the wisdom Of their course.
1t became apparent even before | had
time to reason upon it. But what crush
and crowd there were outside in this great
city! | do not like Chicago with all its
! splendid achievements, the great energy
aud pride of its citizens. To me 1t is over
grown, crowded, its "hlg" buildings are.
many of them. ugly. and some Of its finer
ones are masses OF mingled architecture.
partly Venetian. partly Italian, and partly
something else, not all Of course, perhaps
not many. but enough to harm the general
effect certainly.
| We entered the park during the fore
noon of Friday, the twenty hrst. One of
/ a.,
| of the buildings to one another. compared
with what we expected another Is the
enormous size of the fair buildings proper
| and ! am sure the architecture Is very
! generally admired by those who know
| The effect caused by the sdmixture OF
| plaster Of Paris and seaweed (if was
rightly informed made into great square
! thin blocks and attached to the outside OF
the wall is great triumph. According to
shading one would be certain that all were
either granite or marble buildings. One
Of the largest reminded me strongly Of the
Capitol at Washington. To all appear.
ance it is magnificent granite structure
| with lofty pillars aud deep arches and yet
all of them are mere shells. Figures are
| of but little use In judging Of the size.
All are so large that one misses a chance
to compare, Take the Manufactures and
Liberal Arts building, for instance, In
which the dedicatory services were held.
II is one OF the greatest structures In the
world. The dimensions 1851 by .s1 feet.
nd nd
one half acres. Floor area including gallery
A acres. 1t is three times larger than
the Cathedral OF st. Peter at Rome and
four times larger than the old Roman
Coliseum There are seven million feet of
lumber in the floor and il required i've car
loads of nails to fasten the flooring TO the
joists. There were 81 900 seats provided
on the day of which speak and standing
room for 1000 more. But the overwhem
ing figures gave me no such idea as a walk
along the avenue that extends the length
Of one Of its sides. When one has walked
one-fourth of a mile beside the straight
wall Of building with 100 or 200 feet
before him still he begins to comprehend
the matter, especially If he is late to
dinner.
OF the State buildings Maine has one OF
which her people need not be ashamed.
1t is not large but in good taste, think,
and liked very few better. Close beside
this is the old colonial structure of Massa-
chusetts. Every detail Is in perfect keep
In, % old b..
yard" | thought instantly Of the old
"Wayside Inn" at Sudbury. Close beside
this the somewhat gorgeous New York
building stands which, so far as | noticed,
building which is 50 large as TO be mis-
taken often for one of the main buildings
of the fair
Inside the Manufactures building the
exercises Of Columbus Day were held
All along beneath the gallery of one side
were hung the flags Of various nations.
At one end was seated that great chorus
SO far away from the other that could
not tell when entered whether they were
human beings or not. In fact one could
| only discern the separate from near the
| middle of the well-lighted room. At the
other extreme in the gallery over the
| entrance were the numerous bands, and be-
| tween these two extremes was that vast
| throng for whom the day has been made
memorable. The solemn yet beautiful
prayers Of the bishops; the fervid south
ern eloquence of Watterson the lofty
periods of Depew have been all heralded
near and far and we need not dwell upon
them. 1t was a great day for Chicago,
1t was also most auspicious opening for
the Worlds Fair.
| The only reduced fare was over that
section of the Maine Central Railroad that
extends through the White Mountains to
Montreal. l had never seen these before.
On the return trip we entered the Notch
just as the sun set for the valleys. How
everything had changed in a week of
time! When We crawled up that splendid
valley seven days before the mountain
tops were green, the valleys were golden
and thick with autumn leaves, now Death,
that wretched and accursed conqueror,
had done its work that enemy who reach
ing forth his whitening hand is the one
power that never falters, never yields and
never fails. We stay his hand little now
and then but only for time. 1t is the
one great enemy Of all things; the de-
| strOyer of all the highest and Dest, for
| whom I have not one word of nraise nor
one thought that is not hateful. 1t was
sunset in the valley. The bare trees made
the silver cascade show more brightly and
the Wiley House, famous for its sad his
tory SO beautifully told by Hawthorne,
could be clearly seen for long distance.
The mountain tops were white with snow
all about us and as we pulled into the lit
tie station just below | had fine view of
Mount Washington that cannot soon for
get. In the car where sat men dropped
| their cards to look. the coarse men In the
front stopped their oaths for a time and
men who had seen it every day said it was
beautiful" 1t was almost dark at the
station. but up there on that snowy heigh,
the sun shone with silvery splendor.
moment or two only and then the train
| pushed out between the foothills.
GEO. A. PHILLIPS.