The Republican journal., 1873-07-17

The AMERICAN DEPARTMENT AT
VIENNA. Mr.. c. c. Fulton of the Balti-
more American gives the latest and prob
ably the most accurate description of the
American Department of the International
Exposition, as follows, in his last letter
from Vienna:
"During our absence the American De-
partment has been thrown open to the
public, and has been pretty harshly crili-
cised by the Vienna press, which. from
the long delay, processes to have expected
greater attractions. This harsh criticism
has had the effect of drawing more gen
eral attention to the American Depart
ment, and we found it we'll thronged with
visitors, and the close inspection of the
articles indicated that they found much
there to interest and instruct. Paris and
London have emptied their glittering shop
windows into the Exposition, which are
we'll enough to look at and admire, but
there is nothing in the American Depart
ment of this character. Everything here
pertains to the useful rather than the
ornamental, and whatever may be the
opinion expressed as to its character by
other members of the American press, |
predict that it will command more steady
attention and reap as many of the prem
iums as some of the more glittering por-
tons of the Exhibition. The extra wing
erected by our Commissioners is largely
occupied by the different American sew
ing machines, and they have each at
tempted to excel the other in the brillancy
and elegance of the temples which they
have erected for the display of their ma
chimes and the exhibition of specimens of
workmanship. They have all the variety
of their machines in operation. and they
are constantly surrounded by spectators.
The knitting machines are especial objects
of curiosity to the German ladies, who
imagined that this work in which they are
all proficient could never be better done
by machinery The display of American
ladies' shoes, which is very fine, charms
the ladies, and the extensive exhibitions
OF American dentistry, in both of which
we beat the world, are thronged by that
portion of humanity who have outlived
their teeth. Indeed, if the character of
any department is to be Judged by the
manifest interest of the visitors, no Ameri-
can will have occasion to be ashamed OF
the display. That there has been great
bungling and neglect in getting the de-
partment in order is evident, and is more
apparent from the fact that, am assured,
there is still large number of articles
missing along the road between Vienna
and Trieste, some of which are daily ar
irving and being put in position.
The American division Of the machinery
department is not extensive, but there are
about sixty different compact little labor
saving machines in motion, which always
attract eager crowds of spectators. All
the different machines used by the manu-
facturers of shoes are entirely new in this
country and are in practical operation
So also with the American agricultural
building. 1t is we'll filled with labor-sav-
ing machinery, and although not as ex-
tensive as that of England, has the adj
vantage of being acknowledged as the
same from which England has pirated
most of its machinery of this character
We encountered a great many Ameri-
cans yesterday, and most OF them had
come expecting to be mortified with our
meagre display, but were all we'll salts
fed, and considering the distance and ex-
pense to individual depositors, We're rather
surprised at the extent and number of the
articles on deposit"