The Hawaiian gazette., 1878-10-30
LETTER FROM NEW YORK.
rspse.A sgrrs.pooa.oe. Of n. Gazette,

phone, and the tasineter, and dozen or two
other wonderful instruments and machines,
this prolific inventor has now discovered a
method by which the falls of Niagara may be
made to illuminate the City of New York, and
don't know how many other cities besides
When Edison saw the great river plunging
from Its rocky bed into the abyss beneath, he
was completely overcome-nct by the beauty
and grandeur of the scene-but by the fact
that SO much power is running to waste In
proving upon u machine invented by Wallace,
Edison proposes to turn the power of the fall
ing water into electricity and carry it by
means of copper conductors into the towns,
houses. Sc, and then transform the electricity
into light The minute subdivision of the
electric light has long been the puzzle of
scientists, but Edison says he knows how it
can be done, and will prove it in public before
long. There are many sceptics who laugh at
Edison and his project but Edison laughs at
them; and which has the better reason to
laugh only time can tell. The electric light
is to be much cheaper than gas, which ii
might easily be and still be dear enough.
Our sister city, Brooklyn, boasts in addi-
ton 20 the moral and truth-loving Beecher,
another clerical celebrity, the Rev T. Dewitt
Talmage. 1 do not know whether his fame
has yet been waited to the isles of the Pacific,
bat if it hasn't it is certainly not Talmage's
fault. Talmage is nothing if not sensational,
and no man understands better than he the art
OF self-advertisement. His church is called
The Tabernacle, and his weekly eccentrici-
ties are attractive enough TO render his place
of amusement quite popular. Until lately we
had not been hearing much about him, but
day or two ago the papers contained accounts
of the adventures of the Rev Mr.. Talmage in
various weIl-known bagaios of the city of New
York
Itappears that the reverend gentleman wish
ing to preach to the young men Of his flock
upon the danger of seeing the elephant"
thought he could best prepare himself for the
task by going and interviewing the animal.
Under the protection of Captain of Police he
accordingly went, and what he saw on his
travels will no doubt soon be Numbered forth
in the choicest Talniagese from the pulpit of
the Tabernacle. Whether his young men will
be deferred thereby from becoming hunters of
the elephant themselves is as yet an open
question, at any rate their reverend teacher
has had the qualification of viewing the beast
in his native wilds.
Our rihemen have been busy at the Creed
moor range, and almost every day scores have
been made which not long ago would have
been considered phenomenal We are however
not TO have an International match this year,
as our British cousins over the water seem TO
consider continued defeat monotonous, and the
Canadians will not shoot unless they are al
lowed handicap.
The American Institute Exhibition is at
tracing fair share of public attention, and
every day crowds of people gaze wonderingly
at the extensive display of the results of hu-
man ingenuity. There one sees wood in shapes
varying from bedstesd to toothpick. metals
in all forms, from spipniug-top to a steam
engine, all sorts of material in all kinds of
forms and adapted to almost every conceivable
purpose. An ore crushing machine which
disintegrates mass of rock as quickly as
hungry man can mash hotel potato A mu-
steal treadmill of an organ, where the per-
former (whose only qualifications need be the
ability to use his or her feet) simply sits and
xx-arl-- the paTalz nd h. l. r
itself, continuing as long as the rolls of pre-
pared music are fed TO the machine and the
motive power is supplied. No knowledge of
music being necessary tramp" could play
this instrument IS well as professor, and
would probably hold out longer Then there
is the telephone through which one can hear
distinctly the words of song which is being
sung six miles away. Many other things are
worthy OF notice but space will only allow me
to mention one more; that is, loom which
out of an indescribable mass of cranks, beams
and wheels, strings and bobbins, is evolving
beautifully embroidered ribbons of various
colors, and book-markers ornamented in many
different ways. l noticed one which had on
it the American flag in appropriate colors and
underneath the music of the air ''The Star
Spangled Banner" all worked in by this won
derful machine, in style far superior to any
handwork.
The noise of the street crier is still heard
in the land, and to people of nervous tenn
permanent the owner of that voice is an unmiti-
gated nuisance. 1 presume that the original
object of such an exercise of lung power as
the average hawker usually INDUCES in must
have been to let people know the nature of the
goods offered for sale, but now no connection
can be traced between the vendors commodi-
ties and his vocal accompaniment. For in
stance, on hearing in stentorian tones f'Rippe7
Annie! Rippia Annie s'' who would suppose
that the staIwart hawker is alluding to ripe
bananas7 Or when your ears are saluted with
a yell like the war-whoop of Camanche
which when resolved into its component sounds
is "A-Hes-o-e. jacky-boo T" would you ever
imagine that you were solicited to buy chop
ping-bowls? Some years ago remember that
in Shanghai the constant cries of the Chinese
coolies became so intolerable to the residents
of the Englise settlement that the municipal
police compelled the vociferous Cinnamon to
carry their burdens in silence, and the too ia
miliar "Ay-h0! Ay-hoi" was then heard no
longer. trust that some time this side of the
millennium our too free and independent
American S{raat rallarz will hava m ur1Ir,;t n