Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1851-06-21
THE LONDON EXHIBITION.
Letter from Mr.. RIDDLE, United States .agent, to
the Secretary Of the american Committee.

ssso SSSfcsofJ ~ Gsc sxUtcEtCuSS COWUltLLee.
UNITED STATES OFFICE IsDusrarAL ExH1Brrros.
LosDos, MAI 30, 1851.
SR The abos Of the uries Of awards have been
asduous during the last week. There has been scarcely
hour Of single day since they their duties when
some other Of these uries have been within our
department of the Exhibition pursuing their investigations
and have found my time fully occupied in aiding and
ing them is peculiarly unfortunate for contributors
mat full description Of every article they exhibit, its cost its
material its exact purpose the improvement shows
10 predecessors, the demand for it at home the price which
could be delivered the seabosId and every thing per-
tanning to is history could not have been rendered available
inns time, since into the award Of priority Of excellence
every tning Of this kind must ON element The
mere price Of the articles without any thing else would have
peen OF service now, but in than
es OF our contributions am ignorant Of that The
best that could be DONE however, has been done and with
the invaluable aid Of COL P. B. JoHssos of New York,
Dr.JVC. SIXTH, Of Massachusetts, HORACE GarxLEr Eco
Of New York. j. g. CUSHrssHAM, Esq of Virginia AsHBEL
SIXTH, E'q OF Texas, SAMUEL WEBBER, ESQ., of Boston,
and other gentlemen from various parts Of county, such
Information has been given to The jues as trust will At
least do us justice in the Anal award Of premiums
have thought might be of interest to your committee to
know something detail Of the actual contents Of the
various national divisions of the Crystal Palace and as this
falls somewhat in line with the of my report will
endeavor to give you the result of my Investigations from
week week. rather the impressions those Investigations
have upon my mind regard to the industrial and
progress of various countries.
Near the United States DIVISION one advances westward
from the east entrance is Austria Russia inerposes be-
tween the but her products have but just arrived and
yet displayed she must be left for another day Aus
a, then, il but justice her say has surprised all her
compees here by the variety excellence in and
cture originality, and number Of her contributions She
stands second to France only in the beauty and richness and
usefulness Of her productions Indeed If the single article Of
silk fabric be thrown asdethe great textile product Of
French industryshe stands in nowise inferior to
France. ought say, passan, that nation here is
represented by Commissioner gilmore beraity mind,
egy Of character general information, higher views the
object and aims Of the Exhibition than is Austria. Mr.
CHARLES BUscHEK has been for many years London
chant though often visiting and residing his home in Vien
ma and bis appointment is certainly most honorable the
Austrian Government. There is connected with the
Exhibition who has done to conciate conflicting opin
on made suggestions advantageous to foreign contr
buos endeavored the broadcast make this gath
eng Of the worlds industry useful to all parties than Com
missioner BuscHzK; while from contributors be de-
especial kind feeling for the zeal he has manifested in
every thing that concerned our interest
Perhaps the prominent Of all the Austrian productions
the display Of vases Devices columns, and ornaments in
glass; Counter after coune uttng into the Of the
great building crowned by forests Of those exquisite
lures in coloed crystal which have made Bohemian glass
one Of the attractive titles in the dictionary Of
acture Vases clouded with ruby emerald mist bright
solors in mosaic work. exqustey graceful FORMS spiral
amns wreahng around tubes and the most decatey and
nicely blending shades Of which the mind conceive show
how much Of pure is combined with mechanical pec
ton in these trumphs Of crystalline skill Andnot glass only,
gsening porcelain and china with curious specimens of
quaint and artistic pottery lead the spectator back to the days
when Etrura staked and her immortality Of fame upon
delicate variations Of the eternal line Of beauty.
In stauay, too Austrian genius manifested in the
direction. in bold conception but in beautiful imi
aon, not in original design butn exquisite finish, that the
national excellence in consists. One it every where
in all her productions in the shading Of the features and
forms stauay through scuptured ve in the variety of
beautiful attitudes into which the female form is THROWN in
inlaid woods upon tables and chairs and foos the
qo carvings upon beds bureaus and SOFAS bright
paintings the fantastic hats Of the cutlery the cas-
sic and composite shapes meeschaums the frosted brass
and penduous psms Of chandeliers, and the nnumerabe
toys for children that occupy thousands Of Austrian work
shops in their construction
In the matter Of tools Austria is far below country in
quality of those she exhibits as she is above us in their
cheapnsss Carpenters adze planes chise auges squares
i
idea of good article of workmanship theirs They
all cheap cheap that wonders how the manufac-
paid but the iron is spotted the steel brittle the
temper poor, and the whole workmanship in our idea de-
fectve This rue too Of all backsmi,hs TOOLS For ex-
ample the srewpates made in Austria sold at less than
quarter the cost Of made in New England
but in quality in fitness in answering just the end for which
screwpae is wanted by mechanic for lifetime they are
far inferior The wonder is much how these tools are
made as how, with such tools, the Austrian wokmeu
complete such various and excellent carpentry and iron
work they exhibit here.
There many varieties Of manufactures in this division
which cannot fought not to overlook the peci-
mems of woolen fabcs however, which here great
prousion. Neither Germany nor France England can
equal these, whether in ghnes neness of thread elias
cty softness, gloss and lusre Of fnish The day Of
wellmade broadcoths has gone by. No desires to
his hreadbare The excellence Of the nanufac-
consists in producing the handsome surface and
finest the lowest price. In this the Austrian mills
are in advance Of the world. The woogrown, of which
many Heeces shown remarkable for its fine quality and
exceeding short staple In many Of these eeces the staple
is less than half inch 10 length, not longer in fact than the
staple Of best wool would be months grown The
New England manufacturers could such wool so that
it would spin The thread would break thousand times in
drawing And yet from this wool is made the highest
finest soes most elastic, and most lusous finished brood
cloth the world has yet and prices which would ruin
every manufacturer Of woolen fabrcs in unprotected COM
petition, in the United States II cheapness has as high
title to regard horoughness if industry the came
right to be we'll fed that does be well patronised the
population OF the world better cared for by manufacturing
goods to soc and sell rather than De1 then Austria is