Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1876-08-31
Centennial Letter.
from our Regular Correspondent
Philadelphia, Aug. % 1876.

'010O'CoC' t|'1fCco, 10y - - s ~
Brazil is conspicuously prominent,
so to speak, among the foreign coun-
tries represented at the Exposition.
The late visit Of the Emperor Dom
Pedro has caused much to be written
concerning that country which has
tended to familiarize our people with
their southern kinsfolk, as we have
suddenly come to recognize them. A
learned member 3f their Commission
put the case strongly the other day
1--WE are Americans, as you we
claim to be as free a people as you !;
the only difference is that, with our
Emperor, we are not vexed with the
turmoil of choosing a ruler once In
four years" The truth is that royal
visitors heretofore have done little to
seduce US from our allegiance to Dem
ocracy; but king like Dom Pedro,
who comes to this country to talk with
It's statesmen, saVants and poets, who
looks into the workings of schools,
newsboys' homes, manufactures and
asylums, that he may the better upift
and ennoble his own people, is dan
gerous man in republic. What the
central and provincial governments of
Brazil under this sagacious head are
doing to elevate the people is shown
in the Brazilian school exhibits No
educational department il the Exhibi-
ton surpasses this in breadth of scope
and accuracy Of detail The books.
maps, pictures and cases Of brilliant
insects are all arranged, too, with an
artistic sense Of color and effect which
hints that their director belongs to the
trophies.
The exhibits made by Brazil in its
picturesque court in the main building
aetract universal attention. Visitors
linger in admiration over the beautiful
flowers made from the feathers of
birds whose pIumage shadows in bril-
liancy the tints of the rainbow. The
colors are like rays of prismatic light
and the textures are as soft as the
mist itself. Here is a spray nearly
two yards long. The stem and the
branches, the leaves and flowers, are
all formed of the natural feathers un-
touched by dye or artificial process Of
any kind, and the buds that seem
ready to break into blossoms with the
next noon sunshine are miraculous
bugs of a silvery and golden sheen.
Even more wonderful than the flowers
are the brooches, earrings and pins,
which are set with insects equalling in
variety and lustre of color the most
precious stones. Unseen, they cannot
be imagined. The opal, the amethyst
and the emerald, have been endowed
with life when these MAGNIFICENT crea-
lures were created. There are some
scarcely larger than a pea. which
change from an emerald green to an
azure as the light strikes them on
either side others as large as hazel
nuts, which blaze red /; and Others
speckled and veined like pebbles with
neutral tints. The insects lie in little
trays among butterflies of enormous
size and brilliant hues, whose wings
are often grotesquely fgured-one
specimen particularly having an odd
likeness to an OWLS head. Besides
these there are brooches and earrings
formed Of humming birds, fans, etc.,
beautifully and wonderfully made.
Although Brazil makes no speciality
of silk manufacture, the Imperial Ag-
ricuItural Institute at Rio Janeiro has
for severrl years, with the assistance
of the government, endeavored to give
an impulse to silk culture, and the re-
suits of their labors are admirably dis
played in the Brazilian Department in
Machinery Hall. Various specimens
of the silk-worm which are worthy of
cultivation are found in abundance
throughout the Empire The moth is
about an inch long, Of a pale yellow
color. The females are inactive, and
die few hours after depositing their
eggs. These are abont the size of
mustard seeds, IF the weather is
warm and dry, the young will emerge