Year: 1876

PHILADELPHIA, July IL, lo.p-


Dear 41acertiser 1t was the in.
tention Of the undersigned to write
out few centennial notes for you in
time for your issue this week, but
the extreme heat at Philadelphia and
the over exer.ion which it required
to look at the exposition in limited
time is my excuse for deferring the
opportunity. The continual labor Of
walking through the various depart
ments there, and Of studying the null
titude Of objects day after day, from
early morning until night, became
very fatiguing, and it required all the
rest possible during the short night,
which succeeded the melting days of
the last two weeks, which the mer-
curry described by marking 1902 to
ll0o, to recuperate our strength for
,he daily round. Now, however
since we have arrived in central New
York for little rest, where the nights
instead of filing us with a desire to
be clad like the statues in Memorial
hall, admit of goodly covering OF
quilts and spreads and give eight
hours refreshing sleep, | will test my
recollection by an effort to continue
my report.


| have said in former letter that
the great exposition is no humbug,
that it is all its friends claim for it.,
and this needs no qualification; but
do not understand from this fact that
there are no "humbugs" connected
with the mammoth show; neither
would have your readers infer that
from under every broad brimmed
white hat they will meet, will beam
the radiant countenance of second
William Penn. In fact, the evil
dences near and upon the grounds
Indicate decided degeneration on
the part of the estimable Qualsers,
and even their "painters" Ito borrow
from the late Mr.. Ward) seem to
have forgotten William while they
still remember his illustrious aborigi-
nal friend; for although no work Of
art reflects the noble qualities of the
Quaker father, almost innumerabble
statues and portraits of "Mr. Low"
with bunch of twisted "weed" in
one hand and a mug of flowing
9ager" in the other, decorate the two
solid rows of buildings that flank
Lancaster Avenue for mile from the
main entrance. But one of the de-
ceptions of which INTENDED to speak
is the selling of catalogues, and l
warn your readers, should they go
there, never to buy one. Thousands
of dollars Is daily thrown away by
visitors upon these frauds and it
seems strange that our Iowa commits
sioner does not raise his voice against
this outrage. A "guide," which is
bought for ten cents or twenty-five,
as you prefer, is a good investment,
as it points out accurately the posi-
tion of the various buildings, walks,
avenues and places of interest, but
the experience Of our party with
Catalogues was not pleasant.


We passed two days upon the
grounds looking at and taking notes
of objects that interested US, but the
chirography we used made it neces-
sary to call a council of the party
each evening to decipher it. A
friend in the party seeing our per-
plexity one evening suggested in
vesting in catalogue, if for no other
purpose than the descriptions, to save
writing. The thought was happy
one and not waiting to inquire if he
had drawn upon his wisdom we con
cluded to follow his advice. So next
morning We made ourself the happy
possessor of one of those infallible
volumes and, starting upon our mis-
sion, viewed with pity the pencil
scratchers around US. We first
marched into the department of Italy
with as much assurance as Napoleon
crossed the Alps and first halted be.
fore q beautiful collection OF bronze
statuary. Consulting our "lnfallible'
by numbers and class we were sur.
prised to find printed in the place in.
dicated, "A chemical preparation