Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1882-02-17

an vi thO OppOi1uhipJ vi ilSpStIliS
the new Museum building and its contents,
and thinking it probable that some account
of my visit there and of fine concert | was
fortunate enough to be present at would
afford some entertainment to your readers
and at the same time have the effect to per-
petnate the agreeable impression in our own
memory lam prompted TO submit the follow
ing observations.
The United States Museum building is
located on the reservation lying between
7th and 9Th streets, south of Pennsylvania
Avenue, and is more conveniently reached
by proceeding down 9TH street till q gravel
ed path is reached by which one is lead to
the Museum door, The grand and elaborate
style and proportions of the building are of
the more modern character and not excelled
by the exquisite adaptability and appoint
ment of the interior for the purposes of
public Museum. A very limited description
is all that can be expected in q correspon-
dence of this nature, and hence | shall only
mention one or two of the more prominent
objects of interest, hoping those may excite
the desire to visit the Museum and inspect
the building and its wonderful contents in
detail. To our own mind the most interest
ing object in the Museum is a aohdLe-bOdt, one
that has been in active service in the world
ihiiiSN "hhlO hhh NhiSlii ihSo DClOlt
you fully equipped and ready for the most
dangerous and at the same time the most
exhilarating Of all labor in the world, is
certainly calculated to excite the sensibili-
ties of the romantic and contemplative tenn
permanent. There lay the long l6 feet oars,
the harpoons, lances, coils of rope, coal tubs,
&c, all the implements for attacking and
following to the death the huge "Levithan"
or monarch of the deep. The boat is wealth
erbeaten and shows the scars Of war, The
oars show the marks of the intrepid hands
that bent them in the conflict; even the lit
tie hickory pins used to run through the
stem-post to keep the harpoon line from
jumping from the sheave as it plays out with
seeming lightning speed when the harpoon
to which it is attached has reached its aim
are there sticking in little leather loops
These things lying so quietly before us and
yet so far from the scenes of their Legitimate
action are surely curiosities.
An object Of great interest to us is the en-
larged, working model OF the vessel-steam-
er-used by the Fish Propagating Bureau.
This shows besides its exquisite workman
ship a sectional view of the vessel, exhibit
ing the apparently complicated machinery
and apparatus for the important business of
protecting the embryo fish from their vora-
SlSuo CltiillCS ny UdlCullS lnGul llTSJ anu
placing them in their native element in some
limited measure prepared to escape from
their foes, besides enabling the government
to introduce generally throughout the coun-
try valuable food fish that have been here
totore confined to certain waters. | was
presented by the friend who accompanied
me to Mr.. John w. Hendly, one of the en-
ployes of the Musuem, We found him in his
studio surrounded by the most wonderful
and extraordinary manifestations of his ar
tlstlc skill and genius that it is possible to
imagine His business is to duplicate or
render perfect copy of any specimen that
it may be deemed desirable to preserve, but
particularly perishabe specimens such as
| fish, fowls, reptiles, flowers, fruits, &c, or
any specimen of mineral, metal, vegetable
or animal nature For instance, if the EN-
peror of Russia were to place before Mr..
Hendly the most valuable and curious of
the crown jewels and leave it for few DAYS,
Mr., ii. would produce copy of the Jewel,
which, placed side by side, it were impossi-
bic to discover the identity of the jewel, ex-
cept by handling or close observation, so
that at the distance the visitor is from the
case the object is identical. And so with
flower, cherry, plum or any other object
The basis of MIR. HendlY's manipuations is
| BiboNCi VI pairs, DuL MS OlDtr lnEItultntS
seem as varied as the vocabulary of the stars.
We saw bread and cake and grapes that we
longed to break our teeth upon. And n
| black bass and striped bass living upon A
board that would have made the blood rush
| to the head of your most composed amateur
fishermen. There We're two round loaves
of bread on II table and noticing that they
were not perfectly alike we inquired which
of them was the original or real bread. sun.
| posing that the copy was still awaiting some
| finishing touches. We were informed that
both were copies of bread loayes. but moi
| finished, and upon closer investigation the
fact was revealed.
The National Museum is not vet finished
| but is still an object of great interest 10 the
visitor.
| At 8 o'clock, p. NJ, February 9TH. we
| We're seated in the auditorium of the Con.
gregational Church, corner of 10Th and g
sts., n w. We were geeatly impressed
with the size and magnificence of the organ,
1t is about thirty.fye feet in heisbt and
nearly the same in width. fortv.two stons
| three rows of KEYS. thirty-two mines he
largest about twelve inches in diameter and
twenty-five feet long. and the smaller civ
| inches in diameter and eight feet long The
organ is located at the same end of the
church that the preachers platform Is in IN.
posite the enhance Thus the floor of the
church is like theatre and the audience
faces the organ. In addition to the organ
there was grand Steinway piano on The
platform, and all the church furniture re-
moved therefrom The organ was played
| by the regular oreanist. DR. i w RischoF
He is perfectly blind. vet his execntion
brought out tile utmost CAPABILITIES of the
instrument, and we consider the overture
and the strong association with the blind
poet, Milton, as awakened by the pure coun.
tenance and closed eyes of DIR. Bischoff as
constituting one of the most impressive en-.
tertainments it has ever been our fortune to
meet with. The programme was quite long