Year: 1876

Mr.. EDITOR IL feel that any extended notice Of


the Centennial Exhibition would be out Of place in


your columns, especially if it came from my pen


so it is but a brief synopsis of our observations


here that we place at your disposal.


From statements in the papers we were led to


suppose that this City was not compactly built.


You can imagine our surprise, then, when we found


its widest streets not more than half the width Of


those Of your 'sfodel Town." This being the


case, you may judge how much of success
street gathering such as we had on the 18th, would
be. When two or three hundred thousand people
endeavor to congregate in one narrow street, one
would expect 'tam."


Our own experience was, that on arriving within
about half mile of Independence Hall, we re-
tired in disgust and consoed ourselves by reading
account of the exercises in the papers the next
day. The procession, however, was visible, and
very grand IN its array Of blae snd gray, gorgeous
with gold lace and tinsel, but some of the evoln-
tons we thought were not performed with the PIE
cision of veterans, and it is even said that Gen.
Sherman had to apologize to foreign General for
the awkwsrdness of some in important places in
the procession.


In regard to the Exhibition we shall say but lit
tie, from the fact that we are at loss for COM
mencing place, and feel that, should we once get
well into the subject, it would be even more diff
cult to find stopping place.


We shall first compare it with the Exhibition st
Vienna in 1873 We had not the pleasure of at
tending that Exhibition, but from the dictum of
good judges, who ucsre there, we draw the follow
ing conclusions:


In the way of accommodations for visitors on
the grounds, our Centennial far surpasses any prev
TT~bs . s-aE.-
there was not seat nor drink of water to be had
without paying for it here we find seats in sbun-
dance and tanks of ice-water at every turn. OF
course it is not always Just as we would have it,
for with the thousands that are constantly drink
ing water in this hot weather. 1t is next to an i'm
possibility to keep the tanks full and in order.


In agricultural implements and machinery in
general, this Exhibition is far ahead, but, though
the Oriental nations make creditsble display
here, we must admit that Vienna was ahead in this
respect. From her close proximity to those coun-
tries she had every advantage.


In Art, too, in the display of works by the old
masters, Vienna had the advantage, but for this
there is one consolation. We Americans would
never have appreciated the old, cracked, dscolor-
ed, time-stained pictures of the olden time. And
we are not sure that we are far wrong in this, for
Il is "a thing of beauty" that sis a JOY forever"
and cur idea of painting is that it should be
hing of beauty notr, and not, necessarily, that
nenages hence should go wild over IT. So we con-
;lude that we have no reason to be ashamed of our
Centennial.


Much has been said in regard to the exorbitant
prices charged here at Hotels, Boarding houses
md Restaurants. In regard to this we would say,
hat we have been as successful in securing good
md cheap boarding as we ever were at Cincinnati
Turing the Industrial Expositions there 1t is true
hat men may, and many of them do, pay six to
en dollars day for board and lodging; but many
,thers do not pay more than one dollar day. So
With the Restaurants.


As 1 was taking farewell stroll through the
Main Building, 1 came upon the "Bryant Vase"
which had lust been unveiled. 1t is a massive
liver vase, which is to be presented to the Poet
Bryant. 1t is more than three feet high, and ex-
Iuisitely carved, designed expressly as eomph-
nent to the poet. sCRIPTOR-


Philadelphia, July, 1876.