The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1874-07-14
written for The Spirit of Democracy
Letter From Columbus.
COLUMBUS. ONO. July 7.

ED. SPIRIT: Will you permit a lady
friend, who is a regular reader of your
paper, but who has little experience as
writer, to write short article which she
hopes will be Of some interest to the read
ers who are engaged in educational pur-
suits?
One morning last week I, with a few
friends, joined an excursion that was 60
ing to Delaware, to be present at the Com
mencement of the "Ohio Wesleyan Uni
versity." The very thought of getting
out of dusty city, with temperature
like an oven, was refreshing We had
ride of twenty-five miles through fiat
country with not hill to be seen on the
line. T Icould not but notice the contrast
in the fehls as wepassed along. Fields
Of wheat identifying the landscape with
an abundant harvest, dressed in the rich,
est hue of golden wealth, and adjoining
them pasture fields bare, brown ani sere,
which, when you looked st them alone,
made you think you were travelling
through the arid plains Of some eastern
desert, rather than the fertile fields Of
Central Ohio. Such has been the effects
Of the drouth.
But we are at Delaware and backing
down to get out near the college grounds,
where with our lunch baskets in hand, I'VE
make our exit from the car. A crowd is
on the ground and VIC find it difficult to
get near enough to hear the addresses OF
the graduating class. We have hardly
got ourselves into shade and position to
hear, until along comes our old friend and
teacher, Prof. Cosgrove, who kindly pro-
poses to show US around the buildings
Having never seen college before, we
are anxious to look, ,and we are soon with
in its gloomy malls, by which we reach its
society rooms and library. The latter, I
must say, is quite artistic, with several
thousand volumes of solid reading mat
ter, and also quite collection of paint
ings. Next we to the cabinet, and
here we are surprised. SO many things
to look at. Stuffed skins Of birds, ami
mails, reptiles and fish, geological and fos-
siliferous specimens and rare curiosities,
among which are several casts Of fanimals
of former period, afew Of which | will
attempt to describe.
First, the head of an animal, the bones
Of which head are more than four feet
from the top to the points Of the tusks OF
the over jaw, and striking curiosity
The tusks are the two front teeth Of the
animal, and are about five inches in thick.
ness at the base and two feet long, and
from their base at the jaw curves down
wards. They could have been of no use
to the animal except as means of de.
Tense and digging up roots or pulling
down branches to feed upon. The origi.
nal was found in the valley Of the Rhine,
and is Iow in the cabinet at Darmstat.-
Another complete skeleton OF an animal
the length of which is about twenty
feet and its height to the top of the shoul.
der bone nine and one half feet. The
bones of this animal show it to have been
very heavily built, and when in flesh musl
have weighed several tons. Its teeth and
shape indicates it to have been a herbifer
Gus animal Next in order of my atten
ton was turtle ten feet long, four feel
high, and would measure more than flf
teen in circumference: rather large for
convenience in making soup The origi-
nal was found in the earth near Buenos
Ayres, ,and is now in the cabinet at Dion
France. Another much larger stood in
the hall but not so perfect. Itlooks much
like the tortoise of the present day mag
nifed several thousand times. Two large
fossil eggs of extinct birds, measuring
about one foot in length and eighteen in.
ches in diameter. Corals, molluscs and
petrifed shells claim a full share of your
attention; but why attempt TO designate
These things can only be appreciated by
being seen.
Then we went to the spring of sulphur
water. The best description can give
you Of its water is that it tastes, as i'm
agine, like raw beef and spoiled eggs.
am told that those who try it few time:
prefer it to pure water. Such is habit.
In the afternoon a shower cooled the
air and drove such Of the company a.
could get in, to the chapel. I was one O
the lucky ones, and in getting there had
much better opportunity of hearing thar
in the morning. The addresses were
concise, many OF them fine and we'll de
livered. The day was one Of interest
pleasure and profit to me,and shall long
remember what I saw and heard in my
first visit to this institution Of learning