Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1876-08-24

of brilliant days for the Exhibition.
With a noticeable increase of visitors,
a regular panorama Of new attractions
and the "delightfulest'' kind of wealth
err except one or two rather warm
days-everybody has been happy My
last letter had no more than started
upon it's journey when Prof. King
succeeded in launching his mammoth
air-ship, Buffalo. 1t was inflated
with $4,000 cubic feet of gas and
freighted with a car containing ten
persons. The balloon was constructed
in Buffalo, n. Y, in 1873, and has
made eight ascensions previous to this
one. Several carrier pigeons were
taken along on the trip. The first was
let loose as the balloon assembled, be-
ing signal for the owner of the birds
to be on the lookout for the others to
follow. The second, bearing a mes
sage dated 6:45 2. NJ, and stating
that an elevation of 5000 feet had
been attained, reached it's home in
eleven minutes. In starting, the ex-
cursionists had failed to provide thea
selves with a cup for drinking purpo-
,hor
landing was effected and a purchase
made Of the necessary article The
balloon ascended again and took a
westerly direction, landing near Perth
Amboy, New Jersey, at 8 o o'clock next
morning.
The regular series of historical
sketches of the States by orators ap-
pointed by the different Governors was
resumed on Wednesday, when Hon.
E. d. Mansfield delivered descrip-
rron OF the past and present of che
State Of Ohio, commencing with its
partial exploration by Moravian and
Jesuit missionaries one hundred years
ago, these being followed by pioneers
from the Colonies. He said that from
that day its development had advanced
until now the State stood forward as
the first in agricultural Importance,
raising five times as much grain as is
produced by the most favored Euro
pean nations and exceeding Pennsyl-
vania and New York in the raising of
domestic animals. The coal fields of
Ohio surpass those of Great Britain,
being over 10000 square miles in ex-
tent, while the State has over 1000
square miles of iron, or enough to
supply the population of the entire
continent for ages. 5000 miles of
railway and $4,000 miles of river and
lake coast are within the State bound
aries In educational advantages for
the young and in the proportion of her
youth attending scnool Ohio claims to
show brighter record than Pennsyl-
vania, New York, or the New England
States. The proportion of school
children to the population under II
years and Of an age to attend school is
as one to every 4 2-10. In Illinois
the proportion is one to 4 $40; in
Pennsylvania, one 4 $40; in New
York, one to 5 2-10 and in Massachu-
setts and Connecticut, one to 5 40
thus showing that the educational
advance is more rapid in the West
than in the East. The lecturer en-
larged upon the extensive manufactu-
rers, religious and charitable institu-
tions Of Ohio, the State having 6,400
churches and a number Of benefactions
for eleemosynary purposes. The fer
tility of the soil and great resources Of
the State in coal and iron were speci-
ally commented upon. To change the
subject; a valuable and interesting
addition of stuffed animals is inst
made to the Ohio display in the Min
eral Annex to the Main Building.
The collection consisted of gorilla,
shot on the Gaboon river by DR.. Chail-
lu, during his explorations into Central
Africa a kangaroo rat, from Austria
liza; Brazilian ant-eater, the galeo-
pitheous, a native of the Philippine
Islands, and the kaola, a native of
Australia.
It Is estimated that over 800 per-