The weekly Oskaloosa herald. [volume] (Oskaloosa, Iowa) 1855-1885, 1876-08-31
CENTENNIAL LETTER.

Centennial Exhibition.
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CENTENNIAL LETTER.
In an annex to Agricultural Hall can
be found all farm and business wagons
not properly coming under of the head
of carriages. Here we saw several famil
lar names, such as the "Studebaker" of
South Bend, Ind, the "Schuttler" of Chi
cago, and the Orchard City," Of Bur
lington; the Wright Spring Co." of Den
mark, exhibit several specimens of their
wagon seats. The show is very good, and
comprises all kinds and makes. 1t pays
for an inspection.
In Agricultural Hall is quite an exhibi-
ton of the "Caoutchouc" tree, from which
India rubber is made The trees here are
small, look some like magnolias, with
leaves resembling a tobacco leaf. These
trees attain height of $50 feet on their
native ground, as an attendant informed
us, and grow best ON swampy ground. 1t
is the sap from this tree that India rub
Der is made of, and to our surprise we
learned that when gathered it is white.
They cut slit in the bark, similar to the
process in a turpentine orchard, and catch
the sap in an earthern cup, and the color
is given it by smoking, to prevent decom-.
position. Several specimens of the "lumps,"
about as large as mans head lay near
the trees, showing what it looks like in its
crude state. The leaves also yield the sap.
Both Brazilian and African caoutchouc
are on exhibition.
While looking over the Michigan tim
Der exhibit, [ saw queer specimen, yeri
table Siamese twins, two trees, one about
six feet high, the other three and half,
1akout eighteen inches in diameter, joined
together by natural limb, nearly foot
in diameter, extending from near the foot
of the shorter stump to the top of the
longer. There is also tree, nearly two feet
through, which his an antler prong en-
bedded in the solid wood, extending from
side to side, apparently through the tree;
but when 6rst seen SO years ago, when
the tree was but nine inches in diameter,
it was plainly visible on both sides, but
some years ago it disappeared from view,
covered by the growing bark of the tree
l suppose when it was small buck ran
the antler through the sapGng and broke
it off. 1t is curiosity now, anyhow.
In the annex to the Main Hall | found
the minerals, building stone, etc., of Iowa.
Saw but little from Mahaska except q
fine specimen of building stone from JEFF
Blackstone's quarry at Given, and sec
ton of the Mahaska county Coal Co.'S 81
foot vein of coal; both fine specimens,
but regret that we have not much more
of the same kind to show our products.
On the banks of a fine little natural
stream is the Dairy" a lunch house
where bread, milk, mush, buttermilk, pie,
&C., may be had if desired. Near by is
an "old fashioned" home, of 1776, where
all the old-time customs are shown
and where an old fashioned dinner may
be had A great many old fashioned
things may be seen; clock 200 years
old, Queen Anne musket, old fashioned
powder horn and bullet pouch, the old
} time high-backed chairs, spinning wheel
cradle, etc.
A descriptions of the great show would
not be complete without just tribute to
the police, not only of the grounds, but Of
the city. No city in the world has theil
equal. If you ask policeman question
in the grounds or out, you will get gen
tlemanly answer, conveying all the infor
nation he can give you, and if necessary
, to make it plain to you, he will accompa
. | nv YOU to the end Of his beat to show you
We saw hundreds of them and failed Il
see one who was not gentleman, greai
contrast to those of New York and som'
{ other cities L know of.
If you are tired of the grounds, come
with me down to the city, and see wha
we can find of interest. We first visited
, Independence Hall where the Declaration
r of Independence was signed, and foun(
hours of study aud reflection in looking
; over those old relics. The hall is furnish
! ed and arranged as il was when that fa
. nous document was signed. The chairs
tables ETC., being in their places as on tina
memorable July 4, 1915. The President
? chair, as it was occupied by John Han
cock, occupies raised platform at tn
! rear end of the room, and the seats o
{ the members are arranged in cireula
form on each side thereof. The origina
drafts of the declaration may be seel
here. It is badly faded, and is kept in
! fre-proof safe for preservation. Ever
| the old chandelier used during the ses
3 sions of Congress, hangs in the hail. Tn
I old bell, aLiberty Bell" the historic on
: that rang out the news to the excite
{ crowd about the hall where the documen
! was signed, hangs in ROOM adjoining til
t hall where the sessions were held, sul
2 pended in the frame that il hung in whe
!, in the belfry; the crack in the bell ha
been clipped out as it was once the inter
ton to attempt to cast piece in th
flaw to fill it, but being unable to procur
/ the same kind of metal the project wa
abandoned. There are many relics hel