Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1867-07-18
Especial European Correspondence Of the
HnAALp.l
TINE UNIVERSAL EXPOSITION.
seventh Letter Of Commissioners
Hager,
VERMONT CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE xxHIsI.
rIos-AwARD OF PREMIUMS.

Editors Ruilaaa Herald Il returned to
this pl ace to attend TO The great distri-
button OF medals, TO come on during the
first part of next week. have eHdea.
vored to obtain from Commissioner
Beckwith list OF the prizes awarded to
Americans, but the same spirit OF obsti-
macy and want OF courtesy that has
heretofore characterised his course in
duce him to withhold from American
contributors the decision OF the juries
till the latest possible moment.
This Is humiliating and revolving to
an American citizen to be obliged to call
upon the officials OF other nations for
Information or assistance that should
be extended to them by the Commits
sioner for the United States, and we feel
areluctance in doing so because we are
well aware that every man appointed to
. position has duties enough to perform
pertaining to his office, but necessity
has compelled us to solicit aid and infor-
nation from those OF other nations.
have been specially favored by Mr..
Casburn, the Secretary OF the French
commission, who has kindly rendered me
assistance and information which was
unable to obtain from the United States
Commissioner or any OF his subordinates.
Notwithstanding the comparatively
small number OF medals and honorable
mentions" to be given, Vermont has,
in the few contributions she has made,
had awarded to her her full proportion
OF prizes.
The weighing scales contributed from
Vermont were brought into competition
with those from England, France, Ger
many, Russia, Prussia, Austria and
Switzerland. In majority OF these
countries the law forbids the use of any
scales except such as have an equal
balance beam, 80 that the weight shall
be put into one scoop and the article
sold in the other. This is done to pre-
vent giving wrong weight. Three Of the
| jury to whom Fairbanks and Howe's
| scales were examined were from France,
one from Prussia one from Germany,
one from Austria and two from Great
Britain. The contributions of scales
| from the Messrs. Fairbanks mandatory
was very large one, embracing a rail-
road scale, two dormant platform scales,
one graduated to French and the other to
the English standard, and numerous
small platform even balance and counter
scales, graduated to the standard OF seve-
raj nations, as France, Austria, Italy, Tur-
key, Spain, Portugal, &c. The company
has evidently expended considerable in
getting up this great display. The style
Of finish, especially upon the Railroad
scale, was not satisfactory to the agent,
who has had the scale reprinted, but ii
still is far inferior in appearance to the
splendidly finished "Howe's" scale that
stands alongside.
The jury in making their examina-
tion were probably impressed with the
large display and great variety of Scales
and Balances from the Fairbanks manu-
factory, and accordingly recommended
the award Of medal to the exhibitors
In the examination OF the "Howe"
Scales "a contribution far inferior to
those of the Fairbanks Company, so far
as Number was concerned,) the jury were
much interested In the simplicity OF the
| arrangement of the levers and the &C.
curacy of the Hay Scale, as was proved
by the weighing Of men first upon it and
then upon the small platform scale.
They also saw the advantage it possessed
over all other scales in requiring no pit,
and being so arranged with friction
balls as to etfectually prevent any braz.
ion or any wearing of the knife edges,
and in view Of these superior points,
awarded medal to the Hows Scale
Company, for Scales. The award to the
Fairbanks Co., was for Scales and Bal
anees. They could but see that the
Fairbanks balance was the best on exhi-
bition.
Wardwells Stone Channelling Ma
chine arrived at the Exhibition covered
with dust, mud and rust. 1t looked
hard. When announced to Mr.. Beck
with that | proposed taking charge OF
that machine In the absence of the
owners, he in his peculiarly hateful
manner protested against Americans
sending machines that had been proved
failures, and especially one that would
take so much room, and said that it had
been tried and pronounced failure. I
knew the machine was valuable one
and answered well the purposes for
which it was made, and ventured to
say so to Mr.. Beckwith.
The machine was in due time set up
and examined by the jury. 1t was SO
simple in it's construction that every
member of the jury could easily under
| stand it's object and notwithstanding