of the city summoning the various processions,
or accompanying them to the grand central
rendezvous. Bands of music playing patriotic
tunes bands of young men and women,
singing patriotic songs, enlivened the streets.
Every path-way was jammed up with human
bodies, so that it was with extreme difficulty
any headway could be made.
It had been originally supposed that, as the
ladies had undertaken the management of the
Fair, the articles exposed to sale would be
principally such as had been hitherto sold on
similar occasions. But the men soon became
inoculated with the Fair mania, and volunta
rily came forward, pledging large donations in
money and merchandise.
The mechanics, too, offered their machines,
and gave them in, one after another—mowing
machines, reapers, threshing-machines, plant
ers, pumps, fanning-mills—until a new build
ing, a great store-house, had to be erected to
receive them. They gave plows, stoves, fur
naces, mill-stones, and nails by the hundred
kegs; wagons and carriage-springs, plate
glass and huge plates of wrought iron—one,
the largest ever rolled from any rolling-mill in
the world—block tin, enamelled leather, hides,
boxes of stationery, cases of boots, cologne by
the barrel, native wine in casks, purified coal
oil by the thousand gallons, a mountain how
itzer, a steel breech-loading cannon, a steam
engine, pianos, organs, silver ware, crockery,
trunks, pictures, boat-loads of rubble stone,
loads of hay, and grain, and vegetables, stall
fed beeves, horses, colts, oxen, the gross re
ceipts of the labor and business of certain
days—in short, whatever they had of goods or
treasure.
The principal point of attraction at the Fair
appears to have been Bryan Hall, described
as “transformed, for the nonce, into a bazaar
rivaling those of the Orient in gorgeousness
and bewildering beauty.” Hero were col
lected, in apartments appropriately decorated,
all the rich and rare articles of taste and
beauty which were to be converted into the
means of sending relief to our brave boys.
Nor was there any lack of purchasers. From
eight o’clock in the morning until ten at night,
and frequently till a later hour, Bryan Hall
was densely packed with an eager and inter
ested crowd. The same is true of all other
halls in use of the Fair. To judge from the
liberality of the crowds of new comers, one
would have supposed that each carried the in
exhaustible purse which the Fairy gave For
tunatus, for there was no higgling about prices
—no backwardness about buying. People
were eager to invest in the Fair. If the sales
slackened, the fair traders had but to utter
the talismanic words, “ Buy, for the sake of
the soldiers,” and they proved the “Open,
Sesame,” to all purses and pockets.
There were various special departments,
which have been so successfully imitated in
Oitb IF'.a.ih-
the Great Fairs held since: a German Depart
ment, an Art Gallery, Manufacturers’ Hall, a
Curiosity Shop, and last but not the least im
portant, a Dining Hall. As the arrangements
for conducting this last department were
somewhat peculiar and illustrate the whole
souled liberality of the western character, it
may be worth while to give a sketch of them.
Lower Bryan Hall was occupied as a dining
and refreshment Hall, and the promise of the
ladies to dine 1500 people daily with home
comfort and elegance, was amply fulfilled.
The city was thoroughly canvassed for dona
tions to the Fair, every district being taken by
a lady and faithfully visited by her. The
names and residences of all who would con
tribute to the dinner-tables were taken, with
the articles they would furnish, and the days
when they would furnish them. The canvass
ing over, a meeting of the canvassers was
held, and the aggregate supply for each day
ascertained.
SERGEANT MILLER ON THE SANITARY.
UrCKLKMRRT, I‘A., [Oil tile MelTJ'lulld
Holder,] May 10,18,00,4.
To tho Italy Fare.
Respectd editer Esquarc
Wen I returnd last Fall from the War
Where my rite hand was left, bein dropt
in consequents of a sudden colisiun with
a very Hard Sliel (with a Copper Hed) witch
exploded at getysburg it seamed to me that
life had so menny crosses that I was farely
Plaid out I had found myself in a suden
succesluin of astoundin evencc like as the
mowse remarked wen he walked down The ten
Pin aley during n lively Game and was as
it ware amazed Thare was I cawled on
to play in the grate Gaim of life with nary
Hand and yet had cgsited grate antisipa
tions like as the Eg Plant observed wen
found in the Hen’s nest ever sence I had
been permoted to a Sarjency.
I soon contrived to make the left Hand cor
respond tlio I sometimes spel bad yet
and by Dint of practis witch makes per
fect, as the widower said who lerned to rite by
sineing so many marriage certefikets I have
lerned to eet my dinner in a way witch may
bee regarded as cmanently successful and
trooly gratifyin espeshelly wen tarrapins,
sof shels, or rost turky is the subject mater.
But to obtane the aforesed tarrapins and tur
ky Even in this Dutch town of Huckle
berry, on the Merryland line, where they
abound, takes Mutiny and to git my sheer
of this moral representertive of soshial walues
I have gon into commerce and opend a
small stoar suplide with unherd of luxuries
like as the rat trap exclamed wen they
bated it with Limberger of witch veriety
of cheas fowr ownccs is enuff to indoose a
Dutch regement to dessert and not stop til
they cum to their Lager.
In this stoar whare yo kin find all the
different aliments of projucc as wel as Poper
lation witch abound on the Merryland line
i have for nearly a yeer despenscd with un
sparin Hand the varis bountis of nater in the
Form of apel buter, coffy cssens, broonics,
plows maldn the uttniost display witch my
limeted meens wil admet like as the Coon
skin sed, wen itt was stretcht and naled on the
barn door Tharc i sot, day by day deel
in out sumtimes dry goods to a rum custunier
and sumtimes Kumm goods to a dry cus
reedin the citty papers alowd to my
more ignerent clience and passen over in
subdewed silents sutcli porehens of army in
formation as i judged should no/t be Alowd
As there is a good manny Suthcrn simpy
thisers in these plantins i have deamed itt good
pollisy to read out about twist a day
fore artikels from every wnn paper de
talein the summery manor in witch sum of
ther frends have had a Fall from the Galloes
and the wild yels of delite with witch
ther leeps into attorneyty wus haled by mir
ryad milyuns of grnttyfidc Patriots In ex
tempory composition i am Trooly great.
Such was my course of life until this
Spring like as the Shadd remarked wen he
cum to the hed waters of the Chcssy peek
wen wun mornen i wus startled by a cawl
from my lively naber miss Betsey Morris
hoo sudenly leeped tliroo my stoar winder,
tutching me with her foot as she past buy
I wus picken up sumthen frum the Hoar at the
time and I was farely capsized as tho smit
by an other bung-shel i reely thot that
Natur was indulgen in anew getysbug !
Wen i recuvercd I found myself seeted in a
small ril of molases witch flew frum an upset
pint, and wus drawin fur itself a mapp of the
potomuck over the bords: i bein the Situ
ashun.
‘ We gates'! Betsy’ says i as the eesiest
way to make her mad her muther is Dutch
i mist fire.
‘ Better oft'than you are just now,’was her
promp reply ‘Come Mister Sweetness
jump up!’
‘The ’lasses is gone! ses i, rather rew
fully, surveyin the seen of conflikt.
‘Yes—and the lass is cum,’ replied Bet
sey ‘Here i am Sarjint strate from
Funkstown with orders to report to you
forsupplise for the Sannitary Fair.’
‘What sort of fare, whatever on yearth is
that, i replide my rath vanishin before
her winning way as she remuved the mo
lases from my cote tale with a wet Towel
in a maner witch indicated Disintrested Regard
like as my Company wunst remarked wen
they was twist detaled to purtect the dwellen
of a Secesh who arter closin his howse up put-