PIEDMONT AS IT WAS.
The Great Atlanta Exposition as It was
Seen by the Journal’s Reporter.
We were warned by those who pre¬
ceded us from here to the Piedmont
Exposition not to come to Atlanta,
but as we did not receive the mes¬
sages we boarded the train on Wed¬
nesday of last week for the Gate City.
The crowd and the situation were freely
discussed on board and before we
ha 1 compassed half the distance our
desire to see the exposition as well as
our courage had about deserted us.
About 2:30 p. m., we ran into the
Central depot where a multitude were
gathered, pushing, squirming, gestic¬
ulating and making a noise that rivaled
Babel in confusion. Not one famil¬
iar face did we see, and we knew if
the friends we expected to meet us
were among that mass of humanity
they would never find us. Grasping
the hand of little Willie Lasseter of
this place, who had corns on the
same train to see relatives, we made
our way out from under the car shed.
We knew not the number of the house
where we had previously engaged
boaru, and under such circumstances
a hack could not be procured, so we
walked the streets with our faithful
little companion in the pouring rain
seeking a way out of our difficulties.
We looked like a pair of innocents
abroad, and if there had not been
hundreds of others in like JJ dis¬
tress our appearance would have ex¬
cited laughter or commiseration. Fi¬
nally we ttepped into a law office and
obtained from a city directory the
number of the house we were seek¬
ing, and securing a hack we were
soon knocking for admittance at a
nice residence on Crew street. The
Hamilton party had left, but we were
cordially received and treated with
marked kindness by our hostess Mrs.
M. J. Griggs and her kind sisters.
The Piesident’s reception and the
torch light procession were the at*
tractions for the afternoon and even¬
ing, but as it still continued to rain
we preferred to remain quietly in
doors. The following morning in
company with a pleasant party of
about ten from the boarding house
we went out to the exposition grounds
on the Air Line train. The rain had
ceased and the sun was shyly peeping
At intervals from behind scudding
clouds. But the mud was fearful. It
required the greatest care to keep
one’s equilibrium, and numbers rolled
in it, looking so extremely ludicrous
they were spectacles for angels and
«nrn.
Our party first entered the Main
Building where a scene of bewilder¬
ing met the gaze. Pyramids arose on
every side covered with everything of
nature both useful and ornamental,
while fine carpets, handsome furni¬
ture, exquisite lamps and all thac was
needed to adorn and beautify an ele¬
gant home were displayed in infinite
variety, showing the wonderful handi¬
work of man. Finally our gaze be¬
gan to single out objects of special
interest, some of which we will briefly
mention. As Betsy Hamilton very
pertinently says folks had as well try
to count the drops of water that fell
on Tuesday in Atlanta as to try to
tell all they saw.
In the merchants’ exhibit the rich¬
est display of silks was made by
High’s dry establishment. The wall
on one side of the space occupied by
this firm was lined with costly pat¬
terns of silk, some displayed in com¬
binations rich and rare, and draped
in graceful folds as they were to be
made up. In another merchants’
display we noticed a lace house with
columns of thread, built in imitation
of the capitol. Within were the
richest laces and fancy things taste¬
fully arranged to attract the view of
the visitors. In the dry goods line
here as in all the merchants’ exhibits
every conceivable variety of goods
that could be made into wearing ap¬
parel or utilized in adorning the hu¬
man form divine were placed on dis¬
play. We were attracted on enter¬
ing the hall by a candy factory ex¬
hibit. A house and a fence around
it were made of sticks of candy as
large as stalks of sugar cane, and a
kitchen on the premises was con¬
structed of ground-pea candy. It
was unique as was also the house
made of bakers’ bread in the bakers’
exhibit. This house was labeled,
“The House That Jack Built,” and
looked almost good enough to eat to
the unfortunates who could not find
accommodations in the crowded city.
Another toy house of wood work con¬
structed by a boy of twelve was built
in the modern style of a palatial resi¬
dence and was a model of architec¬
tural beauty.
Here we could have lingered in¬
definitely admiring the fine paintings
on exhibition. Among the most no¬
ted pictures was a $40,000 painting
in the S;ney collection. It was a
Spanish wedding scene and was call¬
ed “A Scramble After Marriage.” We
are no connisseur in art and it did
not strike us with half the force of
other cheaper paitings. One in the
New York collection painted by the
artist Brown seemed to us much
more life like and it was only $2000.
It was called “Street Gallantry,” and
the group of children with a boy and
girl as the central figures seemed to
stand out from the canvas in life-like
reality. It was so natural that a gen¬
tleman m our party went up and ask¬
ed the urchin to black his boots. In
the undertakers’ department there
w ere fac-si miles of the burial cases of
Henry Ward Beecher and Samuel J.
Tilden. These caskets were covered
with colored plush and lined inside
with cream satin. In such soft nests
repose the bones of the illustrious
dead.
We lingered long over specimens of
woman’s handiwork in the fancy work
department. There were laces and
embroideries of every imaginable
pattern, crazy quilts without number
and the most artistic designs in ara
sene work, Kensington and crazy
scrap work. Woman’s skill in needle
work is truly marvelous. We passed
on finally and came to specimens of
the antique, where the very harp that
Irish Bard, Tom Moore, played on,
was on exhibition. It recalled the
lines of Lord Byron to Tom Moore,
but we had no time to give to senti¬
mental reflections, and after paitak
ing of lunch followed the party to the
agricultnral building where the busy
hum of machinery in motion fell
heavily upon the ear. fine.
The county exhibits were very
and several states were represented.
Every food product, specimens
wood, minerals, iron ore, and some of
everything on or under the earth pe¬
culiar to southern soil were in the ex
hibits. Floyd received the premium
for the best county exhibit, but pop¬
ular opinion seemed to give the pre¬
cedence to Putnam. Floyd, Putnam
Sumpter were the competing coun¬
ties, since it was apparant to all they
had the finest exhibits. Col. J.
Gorman was in charge of the Talbot
exhibit and was as genial and pleas¬
ant as ever. Miss Annie Dennis had
a fine display of preserved fruits,jellies,
pickles, etc., in this exhibit and we
learn was awarded the $100 carpet
on her pickles. We were deeply in¬
terested in the pin and tack making
machines and the sewing machines
run by machinery which turned out
18 suits of clothes a day. But this
article has already run beyond the
prescribed limits.
W. J. WATT,
WHOLESALE grocer,
1000 Broad Street, Columbus, Ga.
Having ntered into the Wholesale Business with a largely increased trad
h;,a necessitated the building of a coni mo lions and roomy Stick Warehouse
w,. the railr »ad with aid-*-track facilities I buy mv g^>ods for cash in car
load lots and unload the «ars into my own warehou e, thus in king a gre t
savins in * forage and draya e. I have in waremm e and in store and am
p ep ired to offer to the trade a
A FULL LINE ° GROCERIES lid PROVISIONS
At prices which < efy compeiit on. Col E G Raiford. so well and favoiably
known to the public, is with me as I'ravel ng Sah-sm*n, an i will call on
the m eichants ah ng the lin*s of ro.al lending to the city with wimple* and
prices. Tho-e who would buy advantageously to themselves are solfcite '
to try me b fore purchasing elsewhere, 1 want vt-nr trade, and am m e I
can vet it if you will aivc me a fair trial. 1 liave ill my Warehous.* several
nr loads of superior Texas Rus* P oof Oats, by the sack or car load,
aasrSDecial attention paid to the tilling ot orders entrusted to mv care
W. J. WATT.
With a hasty glance at the f
stock we will bring it to a close.
did not get to see all the horses c
those were not very however deeply impresse<|jjj are *
we saw, we
suaded there were some there of »[j
finest breeds. The thoug *
cows
claimed attention, We 1 tht^ 7 r
our saw
trio from Richmond, the two cows
valued at $1,500 and $1,000 each.
They were of the Holstein breeds
and the $1,500 cow gave ten gallons
of milk a day. The next in interest
were 11 from a stock farm in Nash
ville, some of them of the Hereford
breed. The Jerseys were numerous
and though not so fine looking as the
others, are said to give richer milk
and more butter. After “doing”* the
poultry department we returned to
Agricultural hall and a little later to
our boarding house in the city.
We did not get to see the Presi
^ ent an( j his p re tty wife, nor the
wor ^ Sj we f e it hnat w hat we saw
was we q WO rth wading through the
mud and slush to see it. *'-41
I •*' iv .4 T 3 « *
, . ,
Friday at noon we scrambled for
standing room or. a homeward bound
trainand , eft Atlanta . Afterwards
by the courtesy of a gentlemen wh <5
chose to stand in our stead we se
cured a seat and the hours passec
pleasantly until we arrived safely a'
home. Since our return when ou|
thoughts revert to the exposition anc ,
1
the wonderful genius of man in de
vising and creating we are ready
exclaim in thelanguage of Shakespeare:
<< What a piece of work is man! How
noble in reason ! how infinite in fac
ulties! in form and moving bow ex
press and admirable ! in action how
an an g e l! in appearance ho#
like a god ! ”* M. B. N'.
Crops sre nbort bnt O J Edg<*, of Go I
uoibns, h*s reduced the prices on
stock of boots mid shoes.
rr. SETH N. JORDAN,
Operating Surgeon and Physician?*
Broad St.* Columbus, t?
