The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1876-10-27
Correspondence.
CENTENNIAL LETTER.
From cur Regular Correspordentl
PHILADELPHIA. Oct. %, 1876.


From cur Regular Correspordent.l
PHILADELPHIA, Oct. %, 1876.
The weather for some days past has
: been uniformly cool, but not enough Sc
TO entail any discomfort to Centennial
] visitors. Nor does it interfere with OF
t curtail the regular daily attendance
e which is still immense. The people
e both citizens and strangers, are begin
, ming to realize that but one short month
, remains before the close Of the exhibi-
ton, and the Commissioners have just
officially decided that the time shall not
be extended. But the GOODNESS" has
brought two or three white fros:s, and
4 these, while tending to rarity the atmos-
phere, and all that, have frightened in
some degree one of the brightest spots
| ever seen-.he plateau which was the
, scene ofour horticultural display. Many
of the most delicate flowers are effectual-
ly wilted. Yet there are still many in
bloom, and the roses and Young ever
greens together with the geraniums will
remain some time longer, but the tropi-
cal productions have been levelled to the
earth or completely shrivelled, and the
Garden Of Paradise, as many rustic visit
ors have named it, has lost its chief glory.
But the frOsts were welcome. They have
been delayed a considerable time beyond
the usual period, and the sympathy here
entertained for the suffering people Of
Georgia who can only find relief by the
advent Of Winter, reconciles all to the
change in the appearance of vegetation,
and inspires new hope that the hand
Of the destroying angel may soon be
averted.
The ethousandsand thousands ofstrang-
ers who have 1ocked here to see the Ex-
ipositiOn are anxious TO enjoy all The
sights of the city. Chestnut street is
thronged every evening, and some of
the handsome stores keep open till ten
o'clock in order to give them view of
their contents, while others dress their
windows in their showiest goods, and
have them brilliantly Illuminated None
of the strangers think of going home
without paying a visit to the National
Museum in independence Hall. In fact,
many of them regard it as sort of pat
riOtic duty to go there before going TO
the Exposition itself The ancient hall
is crowded from early in the morning
until ten o'clock in the evening, and two
old men dressed in continental costumes
who sell fac similies of the papers of 1776, |
have reaped harvest. Several efforts |
we're made to indict the continentals as
nuisances for obstructing the pathway,
but all failed, and in their quiet way
they harm no one, while their quaint
costumes add greatly to the scene, and
reawaken memories of the past The
new bell which was placed in the belfry
just before the Fourth of July proved
such failure in tone that it has been
taken away TO be recast. The old bell,
which was early cracked, and which for
many years past occupied an honored
place in the venerable hall, has been
mounted substantially in an elevated DO
sition in the Museum, where il has been
regarded with reverence by the great
throng of visitors from all parts of the
Union. The original Declaration of In
pendence is carefully protected in a glass
case, and is, of course, the principal OBJ
Ject Of admiration. The walls are lined
with portraits of the early fathers, and
antiqe crockery, china, dolls, dresses,
chairs and relics, all of which are associ,
ated with revolutionary characters are
plentifully shown, so that the antiquarian
can spend hours in looking at them.
The American Fish Culturists' Asso-
citation has just held asession concluding
with dinner, for which the bill of fare
consisted of eighty-eight different kinds
of fish. There We're turbots and soIes
from England, imported for the occasion,
and kanten, japanese seaWeed, prepared ,
by the cook of the japanese commission. ,
A conger eel from Portugal, pluk fish {
from Norway, mixillion from Spain. !
black shark fins and white ones from
China, oolachans from Alaska, dried fish
maws from China, and dried octopus .
eggs from the Land of the Sun. Nor
way showed mackerel in oil, halibut and
salmon, while Portugal tickled the pal
ltes with squid in OIL Even that troub-
led country, Turkey, sent botargo, (mul-
let roes,) and the Cape of Good Hope
contributed cray fish. Japan showed
some not very toothsome shake and |
dried salmon. The propagation of fish :
is subject attracting good deal of at /, /,
tentlon in this country, and it is one of
great Interest and importance. The
piscatorial department of the Exposition
IS not as great a success as could be de- !
'ired. The Smithsonian sends hundreds {
1f varieties, and several foreign nations a
fac siBlilies of the most noted c
ish belonging to their waters They
ire mounted substantially, and to all r
scientific intents and purposes, or rather
o the student of natural history, convey i.
good idea of the appearance of the diff b
erent species; but however valuable S
hese copies may be, the live fish would, S
Df course, be far more satisfactory There e
re many difficulties to overcome in con- o
eying live fish from one locality to an "
ther, and very few have vitality enough
0 recover from transportation or to be- -
ONE acclimated to other waters. The :
quarial arrangements are very COM =
lete, and it was predicted at the begin y =,
ing that the assortment of live fish :,
7ould be extensive. Sea water is -
rought here every day by railroad. :,
ome few varieties, including the toad a
sh, which seems to be half oyster and =
alf toad, and which was altogether a a
TRANCE looking specimen, was brought y
rom Bermuda, but they soon perished. - y
he sea tanks, however, still contain a ss ss
urge collection of green turtle. The -
Monster from Bermuda, weighing 260 9
ounds, seems perfectly at home in the y. J"
Ink, and is a veritable giant compared Is
18th the ordinary sized and even some
{ the largest turtles found in our vicini OF
Y. The soft shell crabs are very curious. al
t is amusing to see them walking over re
heir pebby beds, carrying shells on their ri
acks and their intricate claws and care liz
III locomotion indicate that they must A
andle themselves gingerly if they don't IL
rant to fall to pieces The holl-bender b.