The Van Buren press., 1876-07-25
CENTENNIAL LETTERS.
The Third of Series by DR.. A. N.
Bourand.

rites mentioned before, contemplating the
wondcfous career Of this messenger, dropped
from the yoids of celestial space. with some
kind of an indiscribable emotion, or awe, my
thoughts began to traverse the cliulgently
bright regions where the bold and inexperi-
enced youth Phnton allowed bis unruly
steeds to dash headlong, and furously down
the sleeps of the Heavens, with the chariot
of the Sun, coming near consuming our
earth with fire, and spreading CONSERVATION
among the gods of earth and.skyres who look.
ed on from afar, with fear aud trembling. but
as Mythology tells us. Jupiter saved creation
from the dire consequences of Phebus' sons
inexperience in chariot driving. by launching
upon him a thunder bolt which ended his
mortal career; but as we would say at the
present day, by an overruling benign influ-
enec potently kept althings moving rs was,
and is. and ever will by the nW of Him
whose ways are past finding out. But as the
mind could find no helpin these myths of past
ages, ] thought OF Millions picture of Gabriel
with his awakening horn, as he traversed, on
angel wings, the blue ETHEREAL expanse of the
inter-stellar voids of the celestial regions
known only to the po,cers above any concep-
tion of the mortal mind-but STILL the wanted
aid had not been reached. and as l felt my
self fast growing insigniticantly small in ere
alton. and unequal to such sublime flights Of
thought; and as if in my helplessness to, in
terrogate this woiIderous stone. | struck il
with my cane, it answered, by giving out a
clear ringing sound, which caused persons
near by to look that way, and ask what it is
it, and looked on with amazement, asking
where it came from, how IL was created. &c
Some said 1t must have been thrown up into
the Heavens by some volcano on the earth
Others said perhaps it had been thrown from
the moon, by some eruption in that satellite
others said it might be from the sun; again
Others were rather confident that it was caus-
ed in the upper regions OF the atmosphere, by
an aggregation of gases which becoming a
solid body gravitated to the earth, As had
no original opinion of my own, only that
borrowed from others, | need not tell the
reader what | cast in, among these con-
tlicting opinions.
W iibCH VII thls spt-itlth 10 hiHsh
teorit, from Tucson, Arizona. weight l4Oe
lbs" The history OF it is, that it was found
in Arizona, by Mr. Ainsa in a smithy. being
used by a blacksmith as an anvil! This large
block of nearly pure iron, with some Michel,
is one of a large group of Celestial droppings
discovered in Mexico, Sonora, and Arizona.
Metcorites are sometimes of enormous size
iron is the chief component. but there are also
generally pTestat, cobalt, michel. chromium,
copper, tin. magnesium, carbon,
phos phorus and sulphur, and sometimes hy
drogen gas AS there is no mineral of EARTH
" origin of the composition of meteorites,
they can always be readily distinguished from
all others.
The smaller meteoritc before mentioned, is
from Tennessee. it is spear shaped 3 feet long
10 inches wide and S inches thick, tapering
towards each end, and gives outa clear sound
when struck with "A hard body. The weight
was not given. 1t has been said by a great
man, that I've never grow wise by wonder
ing" notwithstanding this lesson, how can
we help wondering when we contemplate
these visitors from other worlds than ours.
Passing from the meteorites, eastward,
along the central aisle Is mass of cinnebar
from the Almaden mine of California; still
farther on is a group of the richest silver and
gold ores of the country, in large massive
blocks. Here is compendious exhibition of
the mineral productions of the whole country.
The gold oi California. silver from nevada,
iron aud copper from Michigan. the amethy st
and opel of Montana, coal from Pennsylvania
and other States. are rpDrpSpntpu here,
The lighthouse system is here fully Illus
trated. The different kinds Of revolving
lights, from the small contrivanccs to the
large glass domes that can flash forth numer-
Gus pencils of light every few seconds. over
the dark waters of the beniglted ocean, how
ever boisterous the winds and waves may be
and guile the coming ship to the haven of
safety.
Here Is the wonderful machinery, like some
thing animated with intelligence. that makes
the IT, $. Centennial envelopes. block of
paper knee-high cut in the shape of the un-
folded envelop is placed ot one end of the
machine, it takes one paper at time, pastes,
folds and stamps it, and gathers them in pack
ages of % each, ready to be taken out by the
attendant.
Here are great quantities of the specimens
of different kinds OF wood perhaps from eve
ry known portion of tie world, showing the
texture by cuttings across and lengthwse,
and the susceptibility Of receiving polish.
However interesting and instructive it might
have been To have examined them. had only
time to take u hasty glance at them
Here is glass case of the George Washing
ton relies. which have been collected from the
members of the Custis and Lee family; many
Of the pieces being brought from Arlington,
the old Gusts mansion in Virginia, opposite
Washington; the actual clothes and utensils
used by Gen. Washington in his service ut
head of the American army. Hanging up at
one end Of the case Is the coat. breeches and
vest worn by him when he gave up his come
mission al Annapolis. They are of the old
Wing colors of buff and blue. with their white
facings. Ills golden-headed cane, much long
er than the usual length of walking canes.
his dress sword, his pistol. the iron-bound
treasure chest, the camp chest with its rude
contents of platter. saucepan, coffee pot, can
dlestick, and other cooking utensils, are all
here to be seen-a dinner set of China pre-
sented by Gen. Lafayette to Martha Washing
ton, "A pormauteau marked Yorktown" and
the compass he usec as surveyor before the
Braddock expedition and the counterpanes
worked by his wife in her youth, are also
gathered here.
Walking around this case again and again
to contemplate these precious relics of the
noble spirit that once dwclt among them. re-
Elections came thronging my thoughts, how,
in view IF the near approach Of the termin-
alton Of his earthly career. he had warned his
countrymen against sectional disscntions,and
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