The Leavenworth weekly times., 1876-08-03
OUR CENTENNIAL LETTER.

EDITOR TINES Machinery Hall is as
interesting to all classes as any other por-
tion of the Exhibition. This was a sur
prise to me at first. l couldn't imagine
that ladies, as rule, would care for any
thing but the contents of the Art Halls and
the beauties OF the Main Hall. But the
bewildering machinery, and the many in
vent:ons seem to delight ladies, and men
who know little or nothing OF machinery :;
or, as Miss Anthony would cay, "sarkasii-
kul," idiots and women. Whether l belong
to ether Of these categories, "let time and
chance determine; anyway, l found Ma
chinery Hall a wonder-place. The exhibit
is nearly all from the United States. The
foreign countries have lew things, but
many that exhibit in other buildings, show
nothing in this. Of course this is rather
hatteriny to the y Iankse ingenuity, az init
mating that il would be useless TO compete
with it. And it is really apparent in all
departments that the Yankee nation Is pc
culiarly cute" in appliances and inven-
tions. Where England has shown better
quality in some fabrics, the American runs
away with the prize by shoUing some won
derlul adaptation that makes the fabric OF
greater practical utility. Yet the British
are not slow in discoveries and inventions,
and they have given some fine models OF
railway signals one of which is now used
OH the Pennsylvania railroad, and the her
on the New York Central and Hudson
River railroad. They are, without doubt,
superior TO anything originated in this
country. Here, too, is u fine cotton GIN,
but could lot find an American machine
TO compare with it A squirt gum called
a h dronette, is far superior to any hand
pumps and sprinkers among us. "No fam
ily should be without il" True there are
S cam road rollers and steam farm Iocomo-
tives, that We have, SO far, found little or no
Use for, but which many rich English farm
ers cannot b. without. Specimens ui
armor plate of various degrees of thick
ness, are shown, terribly bored and battered
by shelied iron shot at so feet range, but
still left tough enough TO stand many a
hard tu-sle with the guns
Germany shows us some Of the iamou-
Krupp guns, one OF them an enormous
affair, weighing l25 tons, and poking it,
ugly nose away out high over the heads of
the crowd "a they pass along the aisle. An
atmospheric gas engine for motive power,
Is curious and new, but i lear hardly salts
factory. 1t is propelled by explosions OF
gas which is combined with air in certain
degrees. Beyond these Germany is of no
int, rest to an American.
Belgium has a srupendous machine for
boring and tubing mines and wells, below
water level. These may be "a good and
serviceable appliances in America, but i
never saw any, neither in the oil regions
Lor the mountain mines.
France shows sosp-making machinery,
but what is OF more interest here is a sec
tional survey Of the Suez Canal From
this, one can get better understanding Of
that great work than from all books and
pictures
Sweden, Russia and Brazil exhibit here.
but in small extent and things OF no un-
usual note.
The United States displays machinery
with every branch of industry,
and in such elegance and proius'on "a TO
turn the gravesl head. Printing presses
and type-writers, in constant action, rival
each other in special advantages, aud our
foreign friends are daily carrying of some
OF them TO facilitate their work at home
Along with these is type-casting machine,
which shows you the molten metal and the
finished type dropping out near by at the
rate OF one = second. Navigation and sen
commerce is fully reDresented in all the in
ventions and appliances of boats, shipping,
armor, life-saving apparatus OF
all kinds, model steamships, and q perfect
beauty in the way of an ice yacht. Here il
a tack machine, making 400 \ minute, and
:, 500 different kinds and sizes. Then come |
machines turning out large and email nails; |
stave and barrel machines, making barrel |
complete before your eyes, including the |
dressing of the hoops; machines to make |
shingles and barrel heads; to fashion and |
put together blinds, doors and sash ma
chimes to make cork shoppers, taking the |
huge sheets and giving stoppers trimmed |
ready for the bottles; picture frame and |
mitre machines ; steam and hot water hair |
curling mschines; electric and water mo-
tors Tor running sewing machines ma
chimes for making boxes of all shapes and
sizes, and machines TO turn out complete
The elegant pressed brick Of which all Phil
adelphia il built.
!, There 10 . little piston engine, run by
,old water, called the water Witch" )" with
power enough TO run sewing machines, cof-
lee mile. and email printing presses, which
is very interesting 10 all who have such
york to do. There is a patent emery saw
'harpener, which makes the file useless in a
'aw mill, and hosting machine that
makes a derrick seem clumsy and old fogy-
sh. A complete paper mill is in daily
operation, and -four machinery OF all sorts
makes the handsomes, -four with al the
process in your sight. There are scourer,
neat choppers, and bread kneaders, which
will help along cooperation kitchen work
we'll. There are mineral crmh-
~ and bone pulverizers, which amaze one
nth their strength, and planning mills Of
,reat variety. There are some competing
lrill engines boring enormous rocks through
nd through, one of them the same that
'roved most successful IN the great Hoosac Z
unnel bore. III
The W altham Watch Company have al
,odel workshop in full operasioa, and all :
he ingenious looms for cloths, CANVAS and