The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-01-10
THIRD DAY OF THE FAIB.

the unseasonably hot fortnight we had just got
through. In the sunshine and out of the biting
good deal of courage, In one habituated to the
close sanctum, to face old Boreas as he clustered
over the Fair Grounds, yesterday, in the pleni-
tude Of his might.
When we reached the grounds, about meridian.
there was but slender attendance nevertheless
we would venture the assertion that, Of visitors
simply, the ladies were in the majority. Cog
bless the fair, say We; their bright smiles are
always ready to cheer and to encourage, in every
work OF honor and Advancement, no matter how
great the inconvenience and trouble to them
selves.
We had laid aside Tin our minds eye) the beau
tiful collection from Honduras for a rainy day !;
but discovering that our AMIGA BILE colaborer Of
the Picsyune had already given it his attention,
we felt 1t our duty to inspect the collection from
that remarkable country. The specimens of
native wood, OF which there are probably up
wards of thirty, are absolutely wonderful
Though Honduras may possess all the trees Of
our own forests-pine, gum, hickory, sycamore,
ash, etc-there are none of them in the collec.
ton at the Fair Grounds. But there was the axe
master, the cinnamon, the catalosh, mahogany,
red wood. fiddle wood, yaxnic, iron
wood, cabbage bark, light wood (heavy as
lead-tucus a n0H-and (most beautiful sarsapa-
rilla wood, pigeon plum, fustic, logwood. button
wood, ciruelo,. montana or mountain fig, white
mangrove, eaybox, zalum, rabiu, chintok, white
poison, black ditto, locust bullet, bastard rose,
madre del cscao, and dozen Others which the
crowd that gathered round to listen to the ex-
hibitor's description prevented us from inspect
ing. The mahogany is of two species-one of
them upequaled by any other mahogany we have
ever seen. Every one of the different specimens
above named is worthy of an individual descrip.
uon-the colors are so vivid and varied. the grain
so close, and the specimen itself apparently so du.
rable and ornamental. A gentleman who. like
ourselves, was attracted to this table, gave
us the benefit Of his personal observation in Hon
durss. he said that most Of the species before US
were very hard to turn, and that, though growing
Unfortunately in all the forests and easily pro-
cured, it was difficult and expensive to get the
native cabinet makers to work them. The grain
Is go close and tenacious as to require tools of the
finest temper, and the workmen always include in
their contracts the condition that tools broken
shall be paid for by their employer. These are
the woods of which teppins and balls, elaborate
carvings, etc., could be made, as smooth and as
lasting, as well as beautiful as ivory.
There is also wood here which ought to attract
the attention Of John Mahony and other great
boat builders. IL is the sam wood, in appear
a. ce like the sandal wood, or the light pieces Of
DRIFT which dry on the banks of the Mississippi
when that stream recedes. II is comparatively as
light as feather, and said TO be exceedingly dur.
able and resisting. We were told by seafsring
man that yacht could be built of this wood OF
wondrous thinness, which would beat the world
IN race. The corn is OF favorable appearance;
the sugar cane is said to grow spontaneously; of
as well as Of corn, are gathered yearly. There is
a barrel of Cassia nuts on the stand, which, when
roasted, have richer flavor than the chestnut,
and are more pslatable than the Brazil nut. They
are good for flour, and grow in profuson. We
saw some hand made rope of the silk grass, which
grows wild, to the hight Of twelve feet it is finer
and more yielding than Manila or Campeachy
grass. Then there are sponges, mot of first
quality, however;) roots which are specifics for
snake bites, and all sorts of poisons aud ulcers
W ia
full in score Of ways; the yam, which is as nu-
tritious and grateful as the best Irish potatoes;
lines, mapgoes, and all the fruits of the tropics;
tobacco, equal to any grown in the West Indies,
excepting Cuba; peppers of many varieties; CO.
rails and shells fit to adorn the submarine palaces
Of Neptune, and many other wonderful things
which we had TO overlook. If all the curiosites
on exhibition ss coming from Honduras really
come from that region alone, it certainly must be
the region on earth most favored of Dame Ma
ture.
Close by the Honduras department we were
attracted to a very stylish and tasteful set OF
billiard cues, deliberately worked at the handle in
mosaic, and mounted upon a newly invented re-
volving stand, for which patent has been applied
fOr-the exhibition of Aessrs. Brunswick Brothers
X Co., of this city. Their Jenny Lind table is q
very creditsble production, and we think their
competitors in the billiard line will find it pretty
hard TO beat them.
Some doors. ssshes, portals and panels OF Lou.
siaDa cypress, on exhibition near the entrance to
The A" Miscellaneous " building, are deserving of
every body's admiration. They show how orna.
mental and useful the commonest tree in our
swamps can be made-that We need not send to
lar on Cent? al and Southern America for materials
Tor paflor and bed room furniture or for ornamen-
lal doors or other purposes. The blank books of
Mr.. John W. Madden are really splendid. The
binding beats even that on Harper's Illuminated.
Mr.. TuTnells display of shoes would tickle Cinde-
rella TO DEATH The show case OF Shark Staufer
Co. must contain thousands of dollars worth Of
the finest cutlery to be had of the greatest English
makers, and their guns, pistols, etc.. are perfec-
ton itself. Messrs Levi 4 Navra, of III Poydras
street, have an assortment of water coolers, bath
tubs. wash basins, pals. punch bowls, etc., etc..
ss admirable as it is useful and economical.
Bot Of the all the wonders we have witnessed at
the Fair Grounds the most remarkable is a model
made with a common jack knife by a venerable
black man of POnchatouls, named Aleck Cook.
This model is about IA inches wide By "a in length.
In this small space are combined grist, turning,
saw and planning mill. and wheat fan, rice husker
and corn shelter, all set in motion by the mere
turn OF wheel. We are not of a mechanical
turn, and cannot explain, or even understand the
various uses which this machine is capable Of but
we hope this notice will call the attention Of our
citizens to man, who, though uucultiyated aud
Of an inferior status, seems to possess the highest
mechanical genius, and is as retiring and humble
add kindly as he appears to be gifted as an in
ventor. Aleek Cook stands near the exit of the
mechanical department, and we advise all our
invention. We did not ask an expression of his
political opinions, but would wager our bottom
dollar his heart never could be wrested from it's
faith to the people among whom he has lived De.
yond three score.
At tie exhibition in the amphitheater, the fol.
lowing awards were made:
For the best Short horn bull, to Mr.. o. E. Hall;
second award, j. Z. Devsnny.
Best Brahmin bull, TO Pierre Nougrain
Best and second latest bullock to McOuoid h
Nehle. There were other awards for cattle which
shall be published Tomorrow
The following awards were made for horses:
p me lest stallion, Of any age, to W. A. Freret's
knight Of Ashton.
Best gelding, four years old and over, R. John.
IONS Gen. Lee.
Best mare, four years old and over, ]. KsrIin.
nonds Rose.
Best mare, three years old and over, J. X. Raw.
nond's Lote.
Best stallion, four years old and under five. M.
}. TOwnsend's Lewis Smith.
g, Best mare, five years old and over, s. Leonard's
Sell Gwynne.
Best mare, four years old and under five. 8.
-eonsrd's Mary Wynn.