Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1876-06-23
CENTENNIAL LETTER.

Australian Departmental n Per-
ndiOus Sea Captain was FOiIed-A
Few Words About Victoria and Her
| Exhibita-The Belgian Department
and what Can ne Seen There
Thieves At the ExpositiOn-Death of
the Oldest Inhabitant-A Conflict
OF Authority, ETC., Etc.
PHILADELPHIA, June IS, 1870.
The exhibits from Australia which, by the
merest chance, failed 10 make the acquaint-
ance Of mermaids and sea-nymphs, have ar
rived, and make q credtable appearance.
They were shipped on board the Skerrynore
and the Captain had some grounds for be-
lieving the ship was unseaworthy and ought
to be lost, lie scuttled her, they say. Anys
way she took in great deal of water, and
there was an immediate prospect Of her GO
ing TO Davy Jones' locker. But there were
people ON board who didn't relish the idea OF
drowning like rats, so they set TO work at
the pumps and, by dint Of almost superhu-
man exertions, they pumped so grandly that
! the ship was saved and came into port The
Captain, who contrived all this mischief, left
the ship as she was tied at the wharf,
but was arrested and, in due season,
will be tried for his crimes, and there is an
excellent likelihood that he will be placed In
| some Institution where he will be able TO do
the State some service. Most of the Austria
lian goods were under water for a consideras
BILE period, and some Of them were utterly
ruined and had TO be thrown away. Some
were badly injured and are not exhibited,
while others do not seem to have suffered
| materially from their involuntary acqualDt-
ance with salt water. Luckily there were
enough undamaged to make very creditable
display, and show what an English penal
| nnln haQ nd NaV lfnn In
guess whet she can do.
Among the articles left over was quantity
Of wines, which, being In glass did not suffer
much from the involuntary wetting. There
is fine display Of these blbulous products.
The wine business In that portion Of the an
upodes Is not out of its experimental stage
yet, but, Judging frUm the samples sum will
be. Last year Victoria produced about G00,-
600 gallons. Considering its youth and its
area $4,000 square miles) the product is a
very creditable one. The colonists have made
some attempts at the distillation Of brandy,
but the results have not yet been extensive.
Wool is the great export staple OF Victoria.
Australia altogether exports about 800, ,000,-
600 worth every year, and of this total Victo-
ria furnishes about 1886, 100000 The larger
portion OF this is exported to England and
the United States, and the latter country
would receive larger moety than it does
had the Australians a free market for their
wools-thatis If the tariff were removed. The
| AubLTullan WOOL Is ClulInGu Oy importers 10 be
the finest in the world, and TO be just what is
needed TO mix with American wool TO make
our cloths perfect Very fine specimens are
exhibited, which 20 far toward substantiating
this claim. They also exhibit excellent
cloths, which would pass muster anywhere.
There are also excellent specimens of Aus
tralian wheat and oats, rye and barley on
exhibition. Indian corn, or maize, does nc
; seem to thrive SO well, the product in Vic
toria being only about 40, 900 bushels. There
is many township in Illinois, Iowa or Indi-
ana, that could make larger return. Pota-
, toes do excellently well, acquire goodly
size, and the specimens exhibited are rich
and mealy. These esculents are planted in
the fall, about the time we get through har-
vesting them in this country. The Austral.
ian Department is most interesting one, and
visitors will miss rare treat If they fail tC
see it.
The Belgian Department is also well worth
S a visit. A table of mosaic on exhibitor
looks as if made Of white marble with the
design stained into it by some peculiar
process. Belgian cloths are shown in grea
F; variety, beautiful plate glass, elegant clocks
lead ore, fire arms from Liege, leather hang
; ings, linens, cannon balls and chemicals from
Ghent A feature OF this department is al
| exquisite collection OF laces in all shapes
) handkerchefs worth from $50 to $500, shawl.
}, worth $4,000, with wells, dresses, ETC., to cor
q, respond. The work on these high toned
: fabrics is very fine, and is said to look lust a.
/; delicate through magnifying glass as to tn,
, naked eye--which statement may be taker
; cum grdno sails In this department there il
a little instrument invented by Capt. Ii
= Boulenge, of the Belgian military service
;, called the telemeter, for determining on The
: battlefield the distance of the enemy's artil
b. lery. 1t is a brass tube with two long slat
=; opposite each other, and inside there Is
: glass tube with scale graduated on ont
2 side The tube is filled with some white anC
Interchangeable liquid-benzine is what thu
Z; Captain prefers-and small bubble of air |:
= left at one end. A piece of ivory, like
; double-headed shirt-stud, is placed inside o
the tube, and it is Just u trihe smaller thar
), the inner base of the tube. The action of tn,
!; instrument is based on the laws concerning
: the movement of light and sound.
!, Mrs. Margaret Donaldson Boggs died her
last evening, aged 100 years five months ant
, two days. She was born and had Away
!; lived in Philadelphia. She was a cousin o
= Andrew Jackson's wife, and was the last sur
viying descendant of Mrs. Betsy Ross, wht
made the first American flag OF the presen
= pattern. On the 10th OF last January Mrs
Boggs celebrated her Tooth birthday, and re
ceived many visitors Of prominence and dis
: tinction. Her faculties remained clear an,
; her memory strong almost to the time Of he
; death.
With such great crowds in the variou
4; halls daily ii is almost surprising that ther
= is not more pilfering done. There are thieve
| lTOLu dll parts Ol ln6 country SLTO0
!; force, and many Of them are known to III
= police and carefully watched. II one OF ther
goes through the turnstile it is usual
i; known, and he is tracked until he leav tn
: inclosure. A few days ago a pickpocke
standing near the watch works In Machiner
4; Hall succeeded in getting In iy's gold watcl
; unloosened from the cham and into mis- hand
and at that moment policeman seized him
S Hewas tried subsequently,, sentenced for thre
q years, and is already trying his new berth
c The grounds outside and inside are wei
e guarded, and before the Exhibition opene
J. the Mayor added several hundred to tn
II downtown police force. Hence the depreda
:. tions, considering the great influx O
5 strangers, are very few.
d There has been a conflict OF authority be
= tween the Commissioners and the FiDanc
/ Board. The dispute turns principally on tn
:: point as to whether the Commission can CON
j. pei the Board Of Finance TO pay salaries
n the President and other officers of the forme
r. body, and whether the Commission has tn
l. power to appoint the necessary police force
or to fix It's compensation. The Board c
e Finance contend that, as they are intruste
r, with the money, and their President an
, Treasurer are under heavy bonds for th
I; proper expenditure Of it, the Board shoul
[. have absolute control Of the funds, The col
e flict has been intensified within short tim
II by some actions and demands of the Con
I, mission, and the Board of Finance have n
IS Gently sought the opinion of eminent lawyer
These opinions are unanimous in sustainin
], the Board of Finance in its refusal TO pay sa
aries to the President and other officers
IS the Commission, and asserting the right
ID the Board to appoint the needed police fore
y 1t is hoped that tht publication of the opi
"a ions will end the dispute, but should 1t |
A. otherwise, an appeal to the courts will
d made by the Board of Finance.
% Then and Now.