The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1880-07-22
SEEING CINCINNATI,

which is an extensive but dingy, smoky
and dirty city, some eight or ten miles
long and two to five miles wide, situated
in a little basin on the right bank of the
Ohio River, and surrounded by high
hills, particularly so on the Northern
and Western sides. In this city there are
very many manufactures, which are
propelled by steam produced by the con-
sumption of coal, the dust from which
seems to have an oily or greasy quality,
which makes it stick to everything it
touches and soak in. so as to permanent
ly remain, rendering it very troublesome
to even get it off of the human skin. 1t
is, therefore, not uncommon to pass men
upon the streets with unmistakable ap-
pearances Of smut and smoke upon their
faces. The greatest inconvenience We
experienced, however, was from the
water, which is limestone in its char
acter, and taken without lettering from
the Ohio River, which is very muddy
stream. The water from Rocky or
Savannah River would have been de-
lightful as compared to it, and yet the
citizens of the great city of Cincinnati
get no other water supply. They coax it
down with quantities of ice when they
drink, but lager beer is the natural bev-
erage Of Cincinnati, and we have no
doubt that hundreds CT persons may be
found who rarely, if ever, take drink
of water, and although we do not believe
in the use of any spirituous or malt
liquors, yet after seeing the water these
people would have to drink, we cannot
help entertaining very charitable feel
ing for the tendency to drink lager beer
in Cincinnati. After spending the morn
ing of Tuesday in the Convention, we
took dinner, and went in the afternoon
to the
BIOLOGICAL GARDENS,
where there is the largest collection of
animals and fowls in the United States.
The trip from the city to these gardens is
one of very great interest, beginning
with the incline plane railroad, which,
by system of cogs and pullies carries
large car or platform upon which street
car, horses and passengers are contained
up hill some two hundred feet high,
from which is presented most beautiful
view of the city stretched out in the
plains below. Then the ride through the
Walnut Hills presents the view of many
beautiful lawns and handsome resi-
dences. The whole drive from the in
cline plane to the Gardens is like beau
tiful park built up with handsome
houses, the lawns being sodded with blue
grass, growing to perfection, and inter-
spersed with roses and the rarest and
most lovely exotics. At the Garden an
admission of twenty-five cents each was
paid, and our party of six began the
work Of "sccing the animals in sys.
tematic way. The Garden is finely sit
uated on au undulating tract of land,
with numerous handsome shade trees
and thorough sod of blue grass. 1t ls,
indeed, very beautiful, but the natural
attractions of the Garden are very small
compared with the interest which at
taches to its inhabitants. To describe all
of the uncommon animals which have
been collected here would be task be-
yond our limit. It was notable feature
that the greater portion of these animals
appeared healthy and possessed OF very
great energy and spirit, which is not
usually found in them when in a state of
captivity. This is due to the great skill
and attention given to adapting their
accommodations to their natural wants,
and hence the white Polar bears, with
their large pool of water kept cool by ice
in the hottest weather, gave no indication
of suffering from heat, but were contin-
ually swimming and playing about in
quite cheerful manner, affording great
pleasure to the visitors; and the Walrus,
usually inactive and slothful i'll captivity,
was swimming and lashing the water in
his pool with all of the life which he
would possess in his native creeks and
bayous. So, too, the ostrich was march
ing up and down his enclosure as appa-
rently contented and proud as he could
have been upon the plains of Arabia.
Swans, ducks, geese and various other
water fowls were swimming upon the
lakes, and in large cages birds of numer-
Gus and rare kinds were perching or
playing in apparent glee. The monkeys,
too, had full representation, having a
house to themselves, i'll which some fif-
teen or twenty species were gathered in
different apartments, and wore contin-
ually performing their antics. After
watching the conduct and appearance Of
tho inmates of this house, one is strongly
impressed with the plausibility, at least,
of Darwin's theory, that they are the
origin of man. The collection of hy enas,
lions, leopards and kindred animals was
likewise very fine. The cost of this Gar
den has been about three hundred thou
sand dollars, but it really represents n
great deal more, for many of the most
valuable animals and fowls have been
presented to the Association, so that it's
value is probably not less than half a
million dollars. 1t is great resort, and
would afford a pleasant pastimc as
often rs one may visit it.
On Wednesday morning Mr.. J. T.
Blackburne, as tho representative of the
Cincinnati Southern Railroad, came by
appointment for the members of the AS
sociation with ten carriages, drawn by
handsome white horses, to give us