Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1878-10-03
The Mechanics Exhibition.
Boston, Mass, October LIST, 1873

Boston, Mass, October lst, 1910
ED. JoURSAL;-A mechanics exhibition IN
| the capital Of Yankeedom certainly ought to De
an interesting affair. Where could more oil Tue
| fruits of inventive genius be looked Tor Inc
present exhibition is generally considered to sur
pass any OF its predecessors in extent and con-
4 veniepce of arrangement 1t suffers however this
inevitable disadv that it is dwarled in the
minds of most visitors, by the remembrance OF
the Centennial Exposition. OF course il makes no
prsteuse to rival even single department of the
great National display. Taking IT for what II
claims to be, il is q file success. A few notes
upon some points in the exhibition may be oil IN
efesi to your readers. II Is impossible to make
any detailed survey IN the OrleI space Al
fotded by your columns 1t will be enough TO
make mention of some of the more novel and not
able things. There is of necessity certain IKE
ness in ali such displays. There Is the usual acre
of sewing machines, each one better thsn all the
rest and another acre OF pianos and cabinet or
gaus the makers of which have all taken the
first prizes in all the exhibitions since the
world began. There ale the cases OF soaps and
perrin merry, Of cloths and drugs, which take up
much space while adding little Of interest. But
we pass BY all these common things which we can
see a. well any day in the shop windows. and
limit attention 10 farer objects.
The ELECTRIC LIGHT.
The visitor approaching the building IN the
evening finds his eyes dazzled by the intense
light streaming from point over the main en-
trance. Within more OF the same luminous
points whrch even through the globes almost
blind the spectator. machine with whitllng
wheels and bristing with dancing sparks OF H.
tense light generates the electricity which Is con
vey ed by wires to all parts of the building and
gives forth the illumination. The light Is pure
white in which all colors appear as IN sunlight
BY the side of it the gas jets burn with pale
sickly yellow 1t is claimed that In any place
where much light is required, as IN large iscto-
ries OF in towns aud cities, IL can be furnished
from electricity more abundantly and chespiy
than from any other source. 1t seems probable
that we are on the eve OF o revolution In the
IN ethods Of lighting cities Perhaps we shall also
have some general source OF heat, and be de-
ivered from all the annoyances OF stoves and fur
naces. What will our postery do for occa-
SONS to grumble when there are no furnaces to
get out OF order and no gas that burns so low and
costs so high
PRINTING PRESSES.
An unusual amount of space is taken up with
printing presses of the smaller sort. They are
such rs are de signed to make every msn his own
printer" but although they appear very ingenious
and convenient, there is no immediate danger that
public printers will have to close their doors.
THE TYPE WRITER.
Another invention ought TO kave special men
ton in this connection. At q certain place in the
as large As u sewing machine, having little key
board with the letters OF the alphabet and the
numbers each marked on a separate key. As we
look at it the lady in charge touches rapidly the
KEYS and Immediately hands us strip OF paper
with one OF two lines clearly printed. 1t Is won
derul invention one Of special interest TO literary
men, and to any who have much correspondence
to perform. Ii was introduced to the punlic sew
eral years ago, but has recently been so much I'M
proved that it Is almost new thing. 1t is SAID
and the statement seems altogether prObable)
that with 1t a person may very soon write with
twice the speed Of the pen, and with one-half the
labor 1t is time that with all the world sprogress
we should have some relief from the drudgery OF
the pen. Here we 20 on, scratching paper IN the
same primitive way as did the Egyptians three
thousand years ago. No advance IN the art Of
writing has been made except that the materials
have been slightly improved. But here is step
out of the old track. What the sewing machine
is to the simple needle, that the typewriter may
be to the slow moving pen. What happy relief II
viii bring when it comes into general use) IRON
the scrawls OF bad penmen whose ink marks
answer well TO the description OF Greeley S
writing, "a grid-iron struck by lightning. With
thi, machine the most careless and rapid writer
must produce what is clear as print, for 1t Is
print. The famous scale manufacturers, the Fair
banks Of Vermont. have taken into their hands
this machine, and will push it into worldwide no.
tice.
The ART GALLERY.
The collection. of pictures and s,stuary at thi.
exhibition is unusually fine. Pottery also holds a