Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1877-04-06

The oars can play only upon the inside.
should call 1t an aquatic, merry-go-round
II is novel and very amusing for children
Live swan, ducks, geese, pelican and stork'
are seen about the ponds. In another por
tion Of the grounds Is a large menagerie
containing many cages, in which may bt
seen lions, tigers, bears, leOpardS, zebra'
and monkeys innumerable. There is 9
large bear pit in which are five of the mos
hungry, ugly looking black bears evei
saw. There are several specimens OF the
"ships of the desert" and a baby camel, q
kangaroo, camelopard, buffalo, and many
others, the names of which 1 cannot think
OF at this moment. There are two small
carriages each drawn by span OF goats,
each with boy driver in livery, which
take children round the grounds. one dime
passenger. There are two kicking dom
keys which sport-loving visitors are allow
ed TO hire boys TO try to ride. 1t takes a
very courageous, persistent boy 10 stay
aboard Of either donkey over two minutes.
They generally get fired or within that
time. The sport consists in watching the
counlenances of the boys as tboy get bounc-
ed up and down, and especially their ex-
preston about the time they strike the
| ground. Upon the summit of an abrupt
rocky eminence at one corner of The gar
dens is a largo building, or series of build
ings, containing restaurants, a concert hall,
and an ampitheatre. The latter is used for
variety performances, dances, aud for a
roller skating rink. Our youth never have
the pleasure of skating on ice in this part
of the country. A fine view OF the city is
had from the observatory which surmounts
the whole. Around these buildings again
are numerous cages in which may be seen
a large collection of rare and beautiful liv-
ing birds, varying in size from the canary
10 the ostrich. A good orchestra plays dali
ly in the concert hall and two afternoons in
each week some interesting performance
can be witnessed in the ampitheatre. 1
have omitted to mention two salt water
ponds containing seal. In one of them
a large sea lion has been one of the greatest
attractions of the place. Large crowds al
ways gathered round 10 see him fed. He
would spring upon a high rock and
catch the fish thrown at him with the dex-
terity of well trained dog. You may be
sure this place is we'll patronized. 1t should
be owned by the city. The ground is so
valuable fear it will ere long be cut up
into streets and building lots. Since liv-
ed in New York learn that many curiosi-
Ties have been added in Central Park TO
their museum, collection of animals, birds,
etc. Still 1 think it very probable that
Wood wards Gardens could contribute
many novelties yet lacking in Central
Park.
As this epistle is lengthening out into the
proportions of a pamphlet think had
better close with few remarks about The
we ather, subject most people commence
with. This climate is difficult TO explain
to one who is a perfect stranger TO il. One
must experience its different seasons, and
the phases of each season, in order to un-
derstaud il. We have all sorts of weather
within certain limits, never extreme heat. I.
and never extreme cold; an average of
co. above zero, generally colder in the sum-
mer than in the winter. 1 am speaking of
this city and vicinity. There seems to be
belt of coast, perhaps hundred miles in
length, San Francisco being in the centre,
over which the Pacific trade winds have
free play in spring and summer. These
winds are decidedly chilly, but they only
blow six or eight hours out OF the twenty
four. The summer evenings and the sum-
mer mornings are generally lovely. In
the early fall the winds die away and we
have an Indian summer until the rainy
season sets in, which is sometimes in De-
10. ~
January. Last winter was very rainy
sea son. This winter has been a very mild
and genial ore, with just enough rain to
make things green and pleasant. The lem
perature in the middle of The day is seven
iy-iive degrees above zero, moro than three
days out OF four. The rains are always
warm rains. Once or twice during the
year white frost is seen upon fences and
boards in the early morning, not enough to
injure vegetation. A few times in the
course of twenty-five years ice TO the thick
ness of half dollar has been formed upon
some still, shallow mud hole. But water
and gas pipes, both of wrought iron are
strung about on the top of the ground and
up the outsides and on the fiat roofs of
houses and yet our plumbers get no jobs
and make no money in consequence of the
injurious expansion occasioned by congel-
alton. An occasional ice cart may be seen
in our streets but saloons and hotels are
about their only customers. Furs, over
coats, aud heavy gloves ere exposed for
sale at all times, aud those who can afford
ii, invest in them, yet unless about to take
a ride out towards the ocean, one hardly
ventures to take them along. 1 rather
opine that the styles go out of fashion be-
fore these goods get rusty with wear. Ifa
stranger happens to visit us during very
windy month ia summer or very rainy
month in winter, he goes away with bad
impression Of the climate, and says, it is
good deal more semi than tropical. Right
here, is, 1 suppose the most peculiar eli
mate upon the face of the globe. We some
times have six, even eight months without
drop of rain. The winds raise an annoy
ing quantity of dust, in the dry season, but
they blow away disease-laden air, and give
us fresh; and they keep down the heat
which would otherwise be intense. This
peculiar climate extends upon this belt of
coast only for about fifty miles inland, but
affects the country more or less to the ST.
ezra foot hills beyond that the extreme
heats of New York summers and the SHOWS
of northern winters prevail. But the dry
season extends for thousand miles inland.
Again, over Oregon rain is so abundant
and frequent at all times that we call 1t the
Web Foot State. Excellent raisins, figs,
almonds, oranges, lemons, pomegranates,
apricols, &C., are perfected in sheltered val
leys TO the north of us, as we'll as further
south. Market gardeners calculate to get
four crops of vegetables per year, two with
and two without artificial irrigation, Many |