The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1884-12-25


them. New York has no Jolly Post"
or Independence hall In New York the
old has given away to The new, IL Phlls-
delphla the new rejoices in the old. The
New Yorker boasts OF the greatness OF
his city; the PhiladelphIan proudly
points to the old landmarks. New York
ers talk much OF their modern finances;
PhIladel phians are justly proud of their
old philosophers and statesmen. The
footprints of Penn Franklin, Morris and
Rush are yet T. be seen in the stiid old
Quaker city.
Then, as above inlimated, Philadel-
phIa has good deal oi ground, ard will
never be under the necessity of building
as Rear to the clouds a. New York. The
great buildings OF PnIladelphia are
broader, mere of them ON the
ground, which gives them sort
of stand-forever appearance. The close
ly built towering structures Of New
York made me think of the possibilities
of overlooking Manhattan Island. Phila-
delphia has No extravagaut palaces like
those o: A T. Stewart, Vanderbilt and
Jay Gould; but New York has no sub.
urban residences surrounded With beau
tiful, grassy lawns, trees and shrubbery
as those OF Philadelphia Ia one case
you admire the greatness of the BULL
ings; IN the other the beauty of the
homes
Of course, l visited Independence
hall; but every American knows that
by heart and it needs no description
here. l also visited the Rush library,
Academy of Natural Sciences, Geological
gardens and the new City Hail." but
time aud space forbid an at
tempted description of all. |
spent two hours IN the Academy
of natural science, but needed as many
days to see halt of the wOnders which
are in store there for lovers of nature. l
gave one hour To skulls aud skeletons.
There are hundreds of human skulls,
which represent every nation and every
class of mankind, from the embryo babe
to the oldest man; from the idiot to the
philosopher; from the thieving william
TO the man of mistaken honor from the
blacklist negro TO the whitest Caucasian /;
from the most delicate woms an 10 the
burliest man. There were skulls from
all the monkey world, aud skulls from
all the animal, bird and fish Kingdoms
from the mouse to the elephant; from
the humming bird to the ostrich ;
froCl the minnow TO the whale.
And there were skeletons of all kinds
of creatures in almost every stage
of life, from all over this earthly ball,
and out Of the rivers, lakes and oceans.
Those skulls and skeletons represented
a whole world of bones and death. l
felt strangely, inexpressibly so, as I
walked among them, looked at and com
pared them. A great manv curious
questions rushed up and demanded 6
hearing. Where are the former dwellers
of these temples of bones? What did
they do? What did they enjoy or en-
dure? Where are the thoughts that
once busted the brains of these now
empty skulls? A student would want to
stay here for weeks with library and q
number of instruments at his command
devoted one hour, how short to fos
sils, a more obscure and harder dead
world than the ether. l saw fossil
tracks, Impressions, skeletons, shells
fishes, reptiles and woods; fossils from
all parts of the world, representing every
age known; but there was not a track,
impression or fragment of any kind tC
show the lord OF this world had bein G
when any of these fossils lived and
crawled, or walked, and devoured each
other. They came before and prepared
| the way for man. l know enough o.
geology to make me blessedly miserable
IN the presence of such a collection
Nevertheless, am not sorry that spen
an hour among these hard representa-
tives of the dim, dead ages of the Ions
ago.
In company with Bishop MallaIieu
did New City Hall, the largest building
l ever saw. We took the the elevator
and rode to the top of the main buildin,
and walked over the acres of Toofnl
which cover the great structure. W.
stood beside the tower which
is 10 be the highest one in the world
and looked up at the men placing SOM
immense blocks of Massachusetts gran
lite on the dizzy heights above us. Onl,
a few days before poor fellow had los
| L. bal fol - he
below. He was borne away to hi
wife and children a crushed. shspeles
mass. He is the eleventh man, We wer
told, that has been sacrificed to this en-
terprIse. After we had gone oyer tn
the top aud taken q view of country a
we'll as the city, we descended to on
floor after another and passed from
apartment to apartment until our guId
was tired OF Us and our questions. w
examined the immense statuarY which
to sdorn the wallis. S)me pieces hav
airs ady been placed in their inches w
looked st and Admired the fine carve
marble which beauties the halls an,
many of the rooms. So far as ar
capable of judging there is some yer.
fine stone carving on the walls and pil
lars. There is also some fine worl
wrought IN iron. But one of the creates
pieces of architectural aud meohanics
skill l eyer saw is to be seen in tn
polished granite hanging stairway.
is built up in one of the largest tower:
and so constructed that il supports itse
like an arch, and actually hangs i
various angles q seemingly unsuI porte
mass of granite blocks. One involun
tarilY trembles as he stands beneath an
looks up at this suspended, anglin
series of stone steps rising hundreds {
feet above him.
There are many other points of int
est about this immense building, but
must use the rest of my space with
few figures: Dimen.ion from north
south, 4S6 feet, six inches; from east
west, 40 feet; area Of building, A
acres; height of man tower, 5S7 fee
, four inches; width of tower AZ has
ninety feet; center If clock face abo,
! pavement, 36i ieot; diane er of CLOG
face, twenty feet; height of upper ba
, cony, 296 feet; totsl amount Of no,
, room. l4lz acres; heigh; of each cent?
} pavilion. 292 feet 1913 inch,s; ORR,
!. lower, l6I le+i; crownipg statue, Pen
thtItY SIX let. statues un center do
msTs. v Dteen feet, six inches; figur
on corner CORNERS, twelve feet, ten II
Is ches. Two r-et4 pass az right abgl
Y through the building. Will you let q
a say Its big thing" and quit.
= C. X r.