Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1876-10-04
CENTENNIAL NOTES.

Much of the fine silverware at the
Centennial Exhibition has been bought
for wedding presents.
A fair mathematician has estimated
that the fog-horn is the direct cause Of
more profanity inone day than a regi-
ment of parsons could eradicate in a cy-
Gle Of the moon.
The automatic evelope machine, in
the Main Hall, always has q crowd
around 1t. 1t makes out of a sheet of
buff paper, that unwinds from an end
less reel, AS envelopes minute. The
paper is cut, shaped, folded, pasted, fas-
tened gummed, and the gum dried, all
by machinery-which finally delivers
the envelopes all done up in neat pack
ages. One girl tends the machines.
-Refrigerators become interesting
when, as in the case of big glass one
shown In Agricultural Hall, the tenn
perature is kept down to Is deg, even
in the fearful 100 deg. weather of this
centennial summer. Fish, and other
provisions that have hung inside since
1872 have gradually dried up. The air
inside is so dry that block of ice,
standing on end, has left no drop of
water on the floor where it stands, even
in months of uneqaled heat.
I'm the Russian department there is
case always pleasing to visitors which
contains various military uniforms and
accoutrements. Dressed figures are here
shown, together with separate articles
of military apparel, and small portma-
teaus for officers baggage. Adjoining
are cases containing great variety of
weapons-firearms, swords, etc. An
effort has evidently been made here TO
give thorough idea of Russian profici-
ency in these directions, samples of
everything most notable in the products
of the empire in this line being shown.
One odd little invention, exhibited
in Agricultural Hall, is machine for
pairing potatoes. 1t really does the work,
too, and does it very neatly and rapidly.
Ii is the invention of j. ID. Seagraves,
Worcester, Mass. works on principle
similar to that of the ''apple- parer," but
more curious in its ingenious arrange
ment. The exhibitor has been illustra-
ting it. all summer, to gaping crowds,
but begins to find that doesn't "pay" 10
buy potatoes at 81 bushel and use up
two bushels day merely to crafty idle
crowds. But what blessing that little
machine would be to clearinghouse
keepers They could run their hash
mills cheap, with that.
Among the curious Spanish exhib-
its at the Centennial are the EspartO
and GuncO grasses. The latter species
Is found only on the Mediterranean
coast in Andalusia, not spear growing
anywhere else. Its great length, among
other peculiarities, makes it excellent
material for weaving, mattings, baskets,
&c. 1t is also used for variety of other
articles, toilet covers, cigar cases, match
safes. The floor mating made of this
grass in Spain is sent to all the warm
countries of the world, particularly to
South America. A great variety of ar
ticles made of this grass by prisoners
in one of the Spanish .penitentiaries is
on exhibition in the Centennial Main
Building.
The special correspondent of the
London Times says it would be difficult
to find an apter illustration of the big
way in which the Americans do things
than that furnished by the Centennial
newspaper building, in the exhibition
grounds. Here we may see any one, or,
if you like, all of the 5, ,l29 newspapers
published regularly in the United States,
and see them one and all for nothing.
You are not only permitted as favor to
see them, bnt invited, nay, pressed, TO
confer the favor of entering ths build
ing and calling for what paper you like.
Ii is about as cool and agreeable place
quite apart from its literary attrac-
tiOns-as a visitor to the exhibition
could wish to be offered chair in.
The printing-presses (the American
specimens) are marvels of compactness;
and their speed is wonderful. The Lon
don Times's "W alter" press is also ex-
hibited, in operation, like all the rest,
but it is not so compact and simple as
the New York machine. The Herald,
Sun, and some of the Philadelphia pa
pers the have Hoe presses at work. The
whole process is shown, from type-set-
ting to stereOtyping, and then the cury-
ing metal rim is screwed to its place on
the huge central cylinder, the press is
started, and away it goes, printing ten
and twelve thousand copies an hour.
The Philadelphia Times has a new i'lea
in printing presses-one of Hoes very
latest-a larger and longer and less SIM
pie machine, but a much faster one than
any ever produced 1t sprinkles, cuts
and prints the sheet, all from the end
less roll already in use on other modern
machines, but it turns out 10000 copies
an hour.
In the wine exhibition Spain ex-
hibits an immense collection of choice
wines in casks and bottles. Among the
most attractive lots, in the endless ar
raw of bottles was the old sherry OF
Gonzalez Byass & Co., the Jerez de la
Frontera No. 5, and Soleras of the vim
tage of 1920. Speaking of wines, there
is another temple or department, occu-
pied by California wine-maker, who
says he gathered 100000 (eight mil
lion) bushels of grapes, last year, and
sent two-thirds of the wine to Europe
Ii is a fact that Europeans are getting an
idea of the excellence of the California
wines. While we were talking with the
exhibitor, a couple Of Englishmen took
their leave, after having just given an
order for two casks to be sent to the
next steamer for Liverpool. These gen.
tlemen were conROisseurs, who had long
been familiar with the wines of France
and Italy, and the Grecian archipelago,
and they preferred this California
"Riesling" for a common, good table
wine. This particular vineyard produ-
ces this year about 10000, 600 gallons,
equally divided between dry and sweet.
Those colored residents Of Raleigh
who were talking of an excursion to the
Centennial have about given up the sub
ject. The idea originated with gray
haired "uncle" who don't expect to live
another hundred years, and who, 1t
turned out, had private axe to grind.
He planned the excursion on the coop
eratiye principle. To a crowd Of his
friends he explained:
81 recken de expenses at $50. Fifty
of us will throw in 81 each, an l will
90 down thar. When 1 git back we will
throw in another dollar aroun', and de
next man kin go, an we'll keep de sys-
TEN goin' till de whole caboodle hez
been down thar"
"Uncle Ike, how long does you expect
to be gomez"
"Only two weeks" he replied; "each
one will be gone just two weeks"
"If dar's fifty of us an each one is
| .xona tuo uaata uhar mart of de show