The Portland daily press., 1872-11-23

VISIT TO THE PLACE OF EVERLASTING
TORRENTS.
Old Cincinnatians, and many who are no.
so very old, will remember the museum on
Sycamore street, just above Third. Time
was when there was large and rare collect
ton OF curiosities to be seen there, which re-
quired much time and money to bring togeth-
er, but they are scattered to the 70 r winds
now, we suppose. The great attraction of
the place for country folks and young people
was the representation of the Internal. Re-
gions, situated at the very top of the museum.
up by no less celebrated an artist than Hiram
Powers, the sculptor, during his youthful
days in Cincinnati.
The old museum underwent many chaLges
of ownership and management, and expert
enced numerous vicissitudes. Its last owner
was DIR. Kerr, who now enjoys worldwide
celebrity as the compounder and proprietor
of the Great System Renevator. We remenl-
Der visiting the Internal Regions once, some
seven or eight years ago, when the good ma
tured doctor was running them day and night
at tremendous expense. s.Facilis descensus
Averni," wrote Virgl-easy is the descent
into hell-and then he added something to
the feet that the devil of it was to get back
again. On the occasion mentioned, when we
visited Avernus, the route did not descend
through the kissing fires of Vesuvius which
4Eneas braved upon a similar mission, but it
led up some five or six flights of stairs.
The Sybil who acted as a guide upon the
occasion, to protect us from the Furies, Hy-
dras and other engaging monsters who howl
at the entrance of Avernus, or who throng
the banks of the Tartarian lake, was the ethe-
rial doctor himself.
The Sibyl led us safely past Briareus with
his hundred arms, whose modern appellation
is 'poli se;' by the avenging Cares, and pale
Disease and melancholy Age-past the Furies
who dwell IN beer kegs, and Chimeras breath
ing fire from cut-glass decanters. Cerberus
barked at the door and stretched ont his hand
for Checks but at motion from Sibyl he
retired growing within his den.
Then roaring was heard, above, below
and all around, that seemed to shake the hill
tops. There were growls, and groans and
shrieks of agony. We turned pale and hest
tated.
''What is that?' we whispered with white
lips.
''Hand organ,'' cried the Sibyl, ''and the
old man beating the drum. Pitch in, old
manp'
Then we mounted fight after flight, catch.
| ing glmpses Of stuffed birds, shells of ocean
Indian relics, Fan alligator stuffed" Chinese
which OF course is mere figure of speech, fol
not word did they utter.
| One cage OF wax works, we remember
! represented Prot. Webster in the act of killing
DR.. Parkman with bit of grape vine MOI
recognizing the scene Immediately, we turned
| to the Sibyl for information.
"That," said the Sibyl, gratified at being
able to unite valuable information with the
| light and cheerful amusement of going to the
sx,fnrr al t1o% t. IL III
| killing Theodore Parker. Nat'ral, amt it q
Webster's last words, as he hit The, were
You amt dead yet, amt We ?''
Beyond that, in another cage, was deli
cate young man, whose face, innocent as {
| child's, was lit up with a touching serenity
as he thoughtfully leaned upon an ak witt
| which he had just dispatched his wife ant
two angelic babes, and contemplated hi
| (wax) work.
Another man seemed affected almost tx
tears while Staying an aged and affectionatt
grandmother with bedstead wrench. Tit
old lady had her senses up to the final mo
ment. These scenes were not part of thu
Internal Regions, though they were the mex
| thing to them.
Up another flight of stairs, which caused
! the doctor to puff terribly, and the object o
| our search was reached
'Now, then, gentlemen" said the doctor
gasping for breath and tanning himself with
programme, now you are in" The fina
word was lost in the horrid din which aros,
from the regions of the damned. We stoot
within dark and narrow passage, gazins
through bars upon sort of cavern filled witt
horrid monsters and other sinners with
cheerful view of river of fire in the back
around, while the most internal sounds fillet
the air. We might say, with entire pro
priety, that it was devil of place.
We gradually came to recognize some O
the figures writhing in their torture Their
was Ixion, fastened to the circumference of
wheel, ceaselessly revolving-a man with
great. many ups and downs; sisyphus, who's
task is to roll huge bowlder up hilltop
but which rolls back again each time th
summit is reached. As the Internal Region
had not been worked for some time, we OF
served that the rolling stone had gathere
moss.
''Who is that?" we inquired of the silby
line doctor, pointing to giant form that la
stretched upon the ground.
THAT is the teller that has his liver cate
out by vultur. You can see the vultur
eatin' oft. l forgot his name, but he cost
me seventy-five cents a week for liver.
know that
"But his lights are all right" we remarked
pointing to the blue fire issuing from his nos
trils. The doctor threatened TO pitch us
bowling, into the gulf If we did that any more
so we subsidized.
We saw Hydra with its hundred head
1.-THE doctor said they cost fifty cents a head
and Tisiphone with her whip of scorpions
Groans and the sound of the scourge, tn
cracking of iron and the clanking of chain
We're heard TO proceed from the judgmer
hall of Rhadamanthus.
Near where we stood were two very unpre
possessing devils uttering dreadful groan.
Their fortunes seemed terrible. They ha
died, evidently, without paying their news
paper subscription. During pause "
heard one OF them ask the doctor in hoars
whisper '.gi'm chaw terbac'ker.
The old museum has disappeared, althoug
the building is still there. What became {
those internal regions we cannot say. Pc
haps they are still packed away in that quet
old garrett, or they may be travelling aroun
the country horrifying Sunday schools at +,
duced rates.
HERE is fresh anecdote about Dickens
Somewhere about the middle of the seri
Ouhiication IF UDaviJ Cnnnorfiald Sbannppir