The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-02-01
THE WONDERS OF AMERICA.


US TO SEE oURsELs AS IrHERs SEE Us!'
Two Europeans have recently excited the
world OF literature have proved that fact aud magins
tion are ono and The same thing These mon Jules
Verne ana NJ. oncnbach. But whereas Jules Verne
relies upon his imagination for his facts, N. OGenbach
relies upon his facts Tor his Imagination Between his
fact and his imagination there Is an ntrocouvertible
bond AS the boy said 10 his paternal ancestor most
OF his facts above par N. 0nenbachs statements
are like the Pyramids. which. seen aiar OF. appear
misty and smooth If they were pearls, but which.
seen by the hard and stony steps by which
one ascends 10 the practical summit in logical grada
uons. N. Onenoach steps, indeed. from fact to
Imagination, as the hppopotami step from land to
water. us man Frances from the high land OF pedal
security to q recumbent position in the Slough of
q Broadway Despond. We learn with pleasure
that tho trustees of Princeton College. the great
head centre of geographical learning America whose
alumni every year travel from Hackensack 10 Prince
and from Princeton to Railway are now in session.
and voted by majority OF nineteen TO to
make NJ. O1enbach liz d. We hasten to inform II.
Onenbach that the title LII. D. is mucn superior to a
simple L. D. In tho latter title there rule requir-
ing the bearer to wear only one ring In his nose,
whereas where a man gets double H. as few men do,
It necessary for two years apprentice
TO railway brakeman.
b. OuenUucu gives ub many tdCts aOOut ourselves,
but informed by less authority than his own
publisher that he rcserving OF tho best his
observations for his second volume He will therein
Boston, Chicago, San Francisco ana New Orleans,
lying thousands OF miles apart and played upon SIM
ultaneously by one steam engine operated mt WASH
ington, transmitting Its Impulse through tubes
Meeting with the distant cities II would be strange II
NJ Onenbach had not while here become acqua ted
with tho operator, Mr. Jacques G. Blame.
Being n musician. he should have learned that
there is in Lake Michigan a fresh water oyster known
as the clam, though scientifically called the
Henry Clay Dean, from It's aversion TO anything but
fresh water, which, being transpianted to parlor
aquarium will make the sottcst by scrapng It's
wings together. 1t has been known walk over
the keys Of piano, in regular footsteps. with the
points OF its shells, and play OF the 'songs with
out words" Of Mendelssohn. When these play words
without songs they Sail 10 be on the half SHE'LL
1t is startling that N. OGenbach should have failed
to learn about the water supply Of New York; though
he certainly gave much attention TO the beer supply
AS every New Yorker knows, our water IS brought
from Niagara Falls via Harlem Bridge silver buckets
an endless chain, emptying into the reservoirs At
Central Park. In sunny weather these buckets in
visible, and seem to be part of the sunshine. At
present they are part Of the moonshine. One can
hardly blame NJ Offenbach for not caring about water
but his first volume he shows great ignorance our
Sunday customs IN regard to whiskey and beer Any
body get either beverage on Sunday by simply
putting policeman's uniform and going in at
back door.
We sorry that N. Ofenbach forgot to taste tho
native Jersey lobster He Is evidently acquainted
with only the red kind which grows on the trees in
Delmonicos garden under the restaurant. These lob
sters raised very much mushrooms raised
In Boston But We are heartily sorry that NJ. Often
bachs chapcrone not brave enough to take him
into New Jersey to shoot the brilliant native lobster OF
that country To DO sure the Indians OF New Jersey
are savage, especially those called tho Tom Scott's
tribe at Trenton; but further north, ut Hackensack
whore they have been somewhat weaned from their
love of human flesh, they will permit occasional
traveller to shoot few Holsters in their happy hunt
ing grounds These Holsters fly mostly In the night
time, and In hot weather thcr song may be heard for
miles. In the language OF aboriginal New Jersey, they
are called mo-sKeet hoes. NJ. OGenhach should havo
tasted ono of them, or. at least nave allowed OF
them taste OF HIM. While In Now Jersey no might
have visited Passaic Falls, whose banks next tho
frothy spray plastic and sweet that the people
use them for sponge cake; and II his guido
had been posted In climatic conditions he might
have the delicious effects of that most wonderful
Of American phenomena-Jerscy lightning 1t plays
with wonderful power, though 1t has only still small
voice. Many people have been known to carry its
ELECTS for days. The natives, however, have an anti
dote II, composed of the long feathers OF the male
OF the common barnyard fowl, and In the Indian
guage called ''cocktails.'
M OHenbach has not been cheated out of some of
the best facts relating to America he knows about tho
new fire escape used by Congressman in Washington.
II is not used merely escape from fire, but manly
vesigating committee. II Is IN appearance a simple
skull cap of oil silk, the that worn by tn o
Congressman when they sworn In. As a lawyer,
or, what IL of greater Importance In this coun-
try, newspaper man, asks Congressman
question, the latter touches little spring
located In his left hand suspender button, and
tho gas begins to expand the cap AS 1t swells
the Congressman begins to rise to the Importance of
the OCCASION Presently question Is asked which he
cannot answer with pleasure to his feelings-some-
thing perhaps, relating to some contribution made
from his private fortune to the public treasury-and
no puts the gas full force The cap expands and
before the astonished quesoner recover the Con-
gresham has really gone up in balloon. These bal
may be seen at all hours in the air at Washing
ton during a session of Congress. Tho Senatorial
balloons are red, the Congressional green. man may
come down at any moment at his pleasure There
ncver-laing supply OF gas, which is manufactured
IN the Capitol Mr.. Morton being charge of the Sen
gas courteous and Mr. jacques Iarcld beng
in charge OF that belonging to the lower house This
is called the lower house because II Is situated In the
basement and the members do not have to 60 down a
pair stairs to get barroom. The gas is supplied
Free and II NJ. Oncnbach had only obtained some Of
it he might have put it into his book But hope he
will como often back, often, IN fact as tho Amer.
came 1t ON him.
BOOK SALES.
The sale Of the HASTE library was concluded
ha m broupht good