The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1897-08-27
A VISIT TO THE BOUNTIFUL
SOUTHLAND.
BY THE EDITOR.

air no trip can be more inviting than one
over the magnificent Southern Railway
from Washington to Chattanooga. i
was our good fortune, through the cour
tesy of this company, recently to make ;
journey over their route to the "blessed
land of middle Tennessee. The Nationa
Capital is scarcely out of sight before the
train flies past scenes and localities rlcl
in historic interest and tceming with nat
ural beauty At Charlottesville is the ia
nous and popular University of Virginia
which for many years has been recog
nized center of culture and learning
Monticello, the old homestead of the au
thor of the Declaration of independence
is near this spot, and shares with Mount
Vernon and the Hermitage in atfordinG
attractions for those induced with patriotic
| impulses And rightly; for there is tht
! tomb of Jefferson, there his former estate
| and there his once beautiful home, still
preserving, through the liberality of its
present owner, many of the beauties and
attractions that belonged to it in days OF
yore
spent two days most delightfully."- in
viewing the Tennessee Centennial Expo
sition. While, of course, on not so grand
scale as the Worlds Fair at Chicago, it
is a most creditable exhibition. 1t has
been managed upon business principles,
and enjoys the unique distinction of bein g
the first Exposition of the kind that has
more than cleared expenses for the first
three months. The authorities confident
ly expect that they will wind up in No
vember with good balance on the right
side of the ledger. My thanks are due to
the Bureau of Promotion and Publicity,
for the courtesies of the grounds extended
to myself and family. Far beyond the
scope of this article would it be to attempt
to particularize the many interesting
| things l saw, but no one can visit the
Tennessee Centennial without being struck
with the Art Gallery, called the Parthenon,
and modelled in imitation of that glorious
structure standing on the Acropolis at
Athens. 1t has been pronounced to be an
exact reproduction, and its beauty and
grandeur are no less imposing than are
the many wonderful art treasures sheltered
within its walls
The Woman's Building at Nashville will
bear most favorable comparison with what
was by many considered the most interest
ing of all the buildings at the Atlanta En-
position two years ago. 1t is built after
the manner of the Hermitage the home of
Andrew Jackson, which is located in that
portion of Tennessee, and it contains
among other attractive features Colonial
sitting-room, the exact reproduction of a
fellow, and once used by General Wash
ington as his headquarters. One of the
most interesting things saw there was a
handsome English Book of Common
Prayer, over century old, owned and ex-
hibited by Mr.. T. J. Dorset, formerly of
Maryland.
Every body loves little child and when
l found at the Centennial building de-
voted entirely to the little ones l could
not resist the temptation to enter. With
in sweet picture met my gaze. A circle
Of children, some of whom were urchins
from the streets, danced and sang and
played in illustration of the most improved
Kindergarten system. AS | looked into
those happy innocent faces l realized the
truth and beauty of an inscription upon
the walls of the room, taken from a song
of the great lover of children, the poet
Longfellow, who said to them,
I'VE are better than all the ball lls
That ever were sung or said,
For we are living poems,
And all the rest are dead
In the Negro building there was a most
surprising and, in fact, an impressive ex-
hibit. The progress of the race from the
condition of cabin life on the old planta-
ton to that exemplitied by their exhibits
at Nashville is truly wonderful. The sew
eral scientific and industrial institutions
which have been established in the South
and elsewhere fol- the benefit of the race
these people in all the walks of life is ex-
hibited, and altogether it is undoubtedly
the most complete display of this charac-
ter ever made. was specially attracted
by some wonderful work in carving and
embellishing horns which was being exc
| cuted by an humble old colored man who
said his art was entirely sclf-acquircd
Truly he was a man of genius, for though
working with the rudest tools he produced
articles of exquisite beauty and finish.
can thus speak casually of few of the
many interesting and beautiful things to
be seen at Nashville this summer In
most of the general features the EXposi
ton is, of course, similar in others which
have been held in recent years. The en-
ergy and pluck necessary for the success
full issue of so gigantic an undertaking
under the condition of the times, can only
be found in such men as President J w
Thomas, of the Nashville, Chattanooga 4
St. Louis Railway, who has most abb,
filled the Presidency of the Exposition
| L. Il
and A. W. Wills, Commissioner General
who with their efficient coadjutors have
gathered together in the "Centennial City,
so many beautiful and rare exhibits to de
light the thousands who have gone anC
are still going to Nashville. During TIL,
next two months many from the North ant
East will visit the Southland choosing, fol-
their route the Southern Railway which
traverses a region of country that has ne
superior for natural resources and mag
nitent scenery.
In future article shall have something
to say of THE Land of the Sky" in the
mountains of western North Carolina, OF
a days sight seeing at 'Biltmorc,' the es
tate of George W. Vanderbilt, and of the
beautiful country of Southern Contra
| Tennessee. F. :.
A careful investigation of the various
grades of petroleum will be made with i