Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1876-08-18
OUR CENTENNIAL LETTER.

/ NNNAe-~N-N--@ N@N
lightfulest" kind of weather-except one o.
two rather warm everybody has beer
happy. My last letter had no more thai
started upon its journey when Prof. King
succeeded in launching his mammoth air
ship, Buffalo" 1t was inflated with 81, ,00(
cubic feet of gas and freighted with cal
containing ten persons. The balloon wa:
constructed in Buffalo, N. Y, in 1878, and
has made eight aSeensions previous to hi:
one. Several carrier pigeons were taken
along en- the trip. The first was let loose as
the balloon ascended, being signal for the
owner of the birds to be on the lookout fol
the Others to follow. The second, bearing q
message dated 6:45 P NJ, and stating that
an elevation of s, 600 feet hsd been attained,
reached its home in eleven minutes. In
starting, theexeursionists had failed to pro-
vide themselves with cup for drinking pur'
poses, and when near Norristown, Pa, a
landing was effected and a purchase made oi
the necessary articles. The balloon ascend
ed again and took a westerly direction,
landing near Perth AmbOy, New Jersey, at
0 o'clock next morning.
The regular series of historical sketches
of the states by orators appointed by the
different Governors was resumed on
Wednesday, when Hon. E. D. Mansfield de-
llvered description of the past and present
of the state of Ohio, commencing with its
partial exploration by MOravian and Jesuit
missionaries one hundred years ago, these
being followed by pioneers from the Colo
nies. He said that from that day its de-
velopment had advanced until now the
State stood forward as the first in agricul-
tural importance, raising five times as much
grain as is produced by the most favored
European nations and exceeding Pennsyl-
vania and New York in the raising OF do
mestic animals. The coal fields Of Ohio
surpaSs those of Great Britain, being over
1000 square miles in extent, while the
State has over 4, 600 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
coasts are within the State boundaries. In
educational advantages for the young and
in the proportion of her youth attending
school Ohio claims to show brighter record
than Pennsylvania, New York, or the New
England States. The proportion of school
children to the population under 81 years
and of an age to attend school is as one to
every 2-10. In Illinois the proportion is
one to 1910; in Pennsylvania, one to $40;
in New York, one to 2-1O; and in Massa-
chusetts and Connecticut, one to 4-10;
thus showing that the educational advance
is more rapid in the West than in the East.
The lecturer enlarged upon the extensive
manufactures, religious and charitable in
stitutions of Ohio, the State having 6.400
churches and a number of benefactions for
eleamosynary purposes. The fertility of
the soil and great resources of the State in
coal and iron were specially commented
upon. To change the subject; a valuable
and interesting addition of stuffed animals
is just made to the Ohio display in the Min
eral Annex to the Main Building. The col
lection consisted of a gorilla, shot on the
Gaboon river by DR.. Chaillu, during his ex-
plorations into Central Africa; kangaroo
rat, from Australia; Brazilian ant-eater,
the galeOpithecus, native of the Philip
pine Islands, and the kaola, native of
Australia.
1t is estimated that over 500 persons per
day visit the Egyptian Princess in the tick
et-ofice north of Machinery Hall. This
lady arrived several weeks ago, and since
then has received calls from thousands Of
representatives Of all nations; but her ad-
vent was so unheralded, and she has kept
so quiet since being conveyed to the Inter-
national city, that were it not for the pla-
cards near the northeast corner of Machin-
cry Hall very few, would be aware of her
presence. Attracted by these announce
ments, however, the visitor naturally fol-
lows the direction of the index finger on
one end of the card, and by this thoughtful
precaution thousands have been led to pay
visit to parsonage who might otherwise
have escaped attention. The lady herself
is said to have once been very beautiful,
but the hand of time has not touched light
ly her delicate features, and not even her
most enthusiastic admirers would now ven
ture to call her young. Her dress possesses
allthe characteristics of Egyptian cloth, and
though decidedly inartistic, has evidently
answered all the purposes for which it was
first intended. The Princess is now neith-
er lovely nor vivacious, though there is no
reason to believe that in years gone by she
was not an adept in all those little arts
which attract mankind and excite the envy
of the gentler sex. In height she is little
less than five feet, her form still preserves
some "reminiscences of a well-rounded con-
tour, and her hands and feet are small and
delicately fashioned. It is believed that the
Princess possessed in her younger days a
soft, sweet voice, which had been thoroughly
cultivated by the best Egyptian masters.
But this assertion cannot now be verified,
for the lady never attempts to sing, and not
one of her visitors have yet heard her speak.
Sometimes gentleman whose appearance in
dicate that they have spent the best years
of their lives in the study of oriental Gus
toms, costumes and history, will, after dill
igent inquiry, learn the whereabouts of the
Princess, but instead Of paying her a mere
call, they invariably prolong their stay into
a visit Of such length that one naturally
wonders at their actions. They scan every
lineament other face with devoted interest,
and even converse by the hour on the pecu-
liarities of her garments. The Princess
pays no attention whatever to these enthu-
siasts, and has, from the first retained 81
lence and placidity which nothing could
disturb. By the side of the Princess hangs
curiousl ly-ornamented case, rich with
Egyptian figures and inscriptions, which
describe her ladyship as princess of noble
family. The inscriptions give number of
interesting biographical details, and con-
tain extracts from the "Book of the Dead"
or Ritual of the Dead" The Princessis
without doubt over 2, 900 yeats old, andis
one Of the best preserved mummies on ex-
hibition.
Nearly 1000 0soldiers-mostly State troops
are encamped at Belmont, in the vicinity
a -