The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1879-10-31
From the Centennial CITY.


q a PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 10, 1879.
Judging from the sultliness of the
weather for. the last few days, one
would suppose that .'Old SoP'i must be
retracihg his steps, and was again climb
ing towards vertical position. Many
here think the heat to have been uupar-
alled--for the season of year during
the past week, but it appears from the
thermometrical record, that the early
part of Oct 1861 was fully match for
this weather. Although the autumDal
haze has already gathered in the atmos-
phere, yet the piercing rays of tile sun
pierces through the golden haze, and
the earth reflects back the heated rays.
This atmospheric condition will broba-
bly, be of short duration, but Will be
supplemented by mists and frosts, then
the sere and yellow leaf then the frozen
ground and the carpet of snow. .f'l
The Pennsylvania State Agricultural
Fair was holden this fall in the perma-
nent exhibition building, commencing
Sept. 8 aud closing the goth, making thir-
teen days; and was a complete success
both financially and otherwise. Total
admissions into the great building dur
ing that time $4,000 persons, receipts
about S67 900. There were nearly one
thousand head of stock on exhibition,
including horses, cattle, sheep and hogs.
One horse weighed 2400 pounds, one
.Tauras 1880 pounds, one hog HOO
pounds, and one sheep had five legs.
Gen. Grants two Arabian stations
graced the occasion by their presence
during the last week of the fair. 1t will
be remembered they were presented to
the ex-president by the Sultan of Tur-
key, while he was sojourning OF Con
stantinople,, and were selected from the
Sultan's stud of two hundred horses.
They are not heavy horses, but bcauti-
fully and symmetrically built, and are a
fine dapple grey in color. Leopard is
seven years OF age, weight S25 pounds
Linden Tree five years old, weight 40
pounds. They were sent up from
Washington, each horse attended by a
colored groom, who appeared to have
perfect control of the fiery and bright
eyed steeds, who appeared to o,appreciatc
The attention paid them by the constant
throng of admirers. 54s.
Serious fears are being entertained OF
the untimely death of the veteran aero
naut, Prof. John Wise, of this city. A
few weeks since he went to St. Louis
and on the occasion of the late State
Fair in that city, in company with q st.
Louis journalist made q balloon ascen-
sion, since which time-about ten weeks
nothing has been heard from them
Some have surmised the balloon may
have descended in the vast area of the
Michigan pineries; others that 1t may
have been engulfed and lost in the surg
ing waters of Lake Michigan, Prof
Wise has probably been the most exten-
sive aerial traveller Of any In this coun-
try. l have had the pleasure of hearing
him lecture on ballooning TWO or three
times: it was thrillinglY interesting to
hear him narrate his ethereal explora-
tions, as he assembled toward the upper
skies, sometimes passing through misty
vapors, hail and sleet; at other times
sailing through the clear sunlight ol
heaven, and witnessing far. below him
the moving and angry clouds, the light
nings flash, and heard the believing
thunder "roll its solemn anthem
round" About three years since in q
lecture he announced That during his
life he had made two hundred and forty.
seven ascensions; it is said that he has
made over three hundred ascensions up
to the one, which it is feared has proved
his last and fatal one. The professor
was somewhat advanced in life.
should say he was fully seventy years
ofage. On the 4th day of July 1875,
the Prof, his grandson and his niece
each made an ascension in separate bal
looms, nearly simultaneously, from a
point in East Fairmount Park, near the
east end of Girard Avenue bridge, over
which massive and superb structure
many of your readers passed and re-
passed going to and from the Great Cen
tennial Exhibition.
Barnum's ''greatest show on earth
has been ON exhibition two weeks In th'
southern part of the city. A great rusl
has attended the afternoon and evenin:
performances. r. T. has made brie
harangue or speech to the multitud
each day during his sojourn. 1t re
quires seventy cars to transport hi
huge array of animals and other trap
pertaining TO, the 'sgrcatest show"
We have had sort of second edition
of summer, but have not been able T.
match the markings ofthe thermomete
at Lancaster, N. Y. P,W. G.