The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1876-06-03

PnILApELpHIA. May 81. 1876.

PHILADELPHIA, May 81, 1876.
In the main Centennial Building, which
is the one of most general attraction, the
visitor will be impressed, aud, perhaps
pleased to see the comparatively large
space covered with the excellent exhibits
of that kingdom or empire (Which is it p
to which we are most nearly related in
language, institutions, and laws. Next tC
the United States, Great Britain and hel
colonies occupy the largest space or about
one sixth of the entire area of twenty
acres. By her almost complete Withdrawal
from competition in Machinery Hall she
tactily confesses her infcriority to thu
United States in mechan ieal devices, but
knowing her strength in manufactures Of
every description, she has made a superb
display of textile fabrics, pottery; and cut
lery. In these, as well as in house furni.
ture, she excels any thing that we have
produced.
The arrangement Of the British colonial
department is systematic, an excellence
which distinguishes it from almost every
other country. Exhibitors sending their
goods were compelled to entrust them "a
their commissioners, hence the exhibits
have been arranged, not as our own, to
advertise certain firms, but to illustrate
the resources natural and industrial Of
Australia, India, Canada, etc. Canada
although less remote from Philadelphia
than some of the States, has followed the
same excellent plan. Her exhibits have
been arranged by board of commission.
ers consisting of three from the Dominion
at large, and one from each province.
Our nearest neighbor has appeared in this
arena full panoplied. Those who know
her from the school biographies only as a
numbering, ship building, mining, and
trapping region will be surprised to find
that she has thrown down the gage to Bos.
ton and New York in the manufacture Of
pianos; that her sleighs and skates excel
those made in the States; that she is not
far if at all, behind in the manufacture Of
shoes and boots; and that she has very
creditable display of furniture, pottery,
and marble work In the Canadian de.
partment of Machinery Hall there is q
very clever display of the results of inven.
tion and labor saving genius, l was par
ticularly impressed with the merits Of
Hawksworth's spiral spark arrester aud
draft improver," exhibited by Henry Col
ford, Esq, Of Halifax, Nova Scotia, il
consists of a cylinder with triangular plates
arranged spirally on the inside and is like
a winding stair with what carpenters, !
believe, call the "riser," that is the verti.
cal board removed. This simple and cheap
device fitted to any Aue, chimney, stove.
pipe, or smoke stack of locomotive, 10.
creases the heat, economies fuel, makes
the escape Of sparks an utter impossibility,
and SO improves the draft that it is only
necessary to fix it upon the most incorrig-
able chimney, to cure that evil which the
proverb, in despair of adequate reproba-
tion, has coupled with scolkng wife.
The display of Canadian row and pleas
ure boats is very fair, but in this depart
ment the Dominion is eclipsed, as are all
other competitors, by the paper boats ex.
hibited by Waters & Sons, Of Troy, New
York. They are miracles Of lightness,
strength, and beauty. One man can cas-
lily carry one of these boats that will bear
three or four persons in the water. Wa.
ters & Sons have on exhibition racing
boats, sail boats, and family boat, all
made of paper, and they constitute one of
the most interesting exhibits in Machine
ry Hall. In the British colonial depart
ment India does not make SO imposing
display as Canada, which was to be ex-
pected from her immense distance, her
exhibits, however, are well worth inspec-
tiou, consisting Of rare and costly shawh,
silks, carpets, jewelry and exquisite speci-
mems of carving.
The Australian colonies have wisely
confined their exhibit almost exclusively
to the rich natural productions of the
country. A day in this section devoted
to the study Of the almost perfect geo.
graphical and geological maps, and to the
large painted photographs representing
the natural scenery, architecture and folk
life of the country, will give the visitor a
far more vivid and correct conception Of
the inhabitants aud resources of this com.
paratively new land, than he ON get from
reading many volumes of travels. Here
the industrial exhibits consist Of leather,
including beautiful specimens of tanned
Kangaroo skins, whicipI was surprised to
learn were used in the manufacture of fine
boots and shoes; metals in great variety;
the amount Of pure gold dug in certain
period, represented in mass by an immense
gilt column. There are also collections of
botanical specimens, timbers, woods, ce-
reals wines, and canned meats including