The Lake County star., 1876-06-01


0bOW Uncic Sum's Gcnerd Display
-I1stW Euciyitics 0m the Grounds
.Somc Interesting SUBJECTS tOr FIT
tire Lcttcrs-A .fcW Other Things
Bricfy Mentioned.
From our Regular Corrcspondcnt.l
PHILADELPHIA, May 10Th, 1876.
The attendance at the Exposition
increases somewhat and has been
generally better than last week.
For some days past the weather
has been most delightful, and aside
from the slight drawback of II few
unfinished buildings, etc., this is
really the pleasantcst time to visit
the Exhibition. The trees, flowers,
grounds and all surroundings look
as fresh and beautiful as u May
Queen, and Fairmount Park is Just
now the most attractive place to be
found anywhere. There is no dust
and oppressive heat to be encoun-
tered, and travel both OH the road
and about the city is not accompa-
nicd with many discomforts which
will be inscparablc from it in mid
summer. Yet most likely the great
rush of visitors will come then, for
Americans as a rule, select the sea-
son of the year for pleasure trips,
when travel is burden rather than
II plcasure-whcn it is too hot to
stay at home. There are still pco-
pie who do not realize the discom-
forts of two in a bed, in Il seven by
nine room, in the middle of July,
and that is why the crowd is eX-
pcctcd to be the largest about and
after the glorious Fourth.
Last week gave II pretty full
outline of the government agricul-
tnral display, but only "foolcd round
the edges of the United States
building proper, which | think will,
after all, attract as much notice
from the average visitor as any part
of the exhibition. Uncle Sans
centennial Branch Post Office
which occupies space forty by
sixty feet in the southwest wing of
the building, is as complete and
well-ordercd as any city in the
country possesses. 1t is incloscd
by walnut partition with glass
front, and has five hundred cOnven-
lent lock boxcs. There are ten
carriers employed, and SO boxes for
depositing mail stationed at various
points OH the grounds. The clerks
speak all languages and the deposit
boxes arc lcttcrcd in English,
French, German, Spanish, Italian
and Japanese. Hourly trips are
made to the main city postoflicc by
the Centennial mail wagons, which
arc handsome vehicles with drivers
in uniform. One of the carriers is
a John Cinnamon, whose queue
hangs down his back as natural as
the curl of a pigs tail.
Tho space occupied by the Post
Office Department, proper, is 4Ox4O
feet, and displays many interesting
exhibits. The little Envelope Ma
chine and nicklc plated Baxter En-
ginc, mentioned before, which is
now turning out $4,000 envelopes
per day, with tho new Centennial
Stamp, attracts a constant crowd
around the bronze railing by which
it is incloscd. a model mail-catch-
or upon n car inside the building,
built on a scale of one inch to the
foot, and near the envelope machine,
calls forth the admiration of the
younger visitors. This car runs on
track twenty feet in length, and
catches miniature mailbag as it
passes along at full speed, illustrat-
ing practice of the fast mail trains.
There arc cases containing spcci-
mems of all mail-bags, pouches, etc.,
used by the department.. Spcci-
mems Of all the locks and scales
used, and samples of marking and
cancclling stamps, together with
six highly ornamental frames con-
tanning specimens of all stamped
envelopes, official envelopes, postal
cards, and postage stamps ever used
in this country. These arc fur
nishcd by the Columbian Bank Note
Company, the present contractors,
and valuable directory to the stamp
gathcrcrs.
The Interior Department makes
good display. The Patent Office
shows 5000 models arranged in
classes, 10000 patents bound in
series; II central Office of admins
tration in which the workings Of
Americas favorite bureau is illus
trated. Strangely enough, one
finds the Patent Office section of
the Interior Department in the pos
session of the original Declaration
of Independence, and the Commits
sion of General Washington from
the Continental Congress; also, the
relics of Washington, his clothes,
camp equipments, punch-bowl and
furniture. The National Museum
once sought a frcproof place ofde-