Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1885-04-04
NEW ORLEANS LETTER
Special Correspondence.

Special COTFeSGOI3dGllce.
New Orleans, La, April LIST, 1884.
This exposition would furnish a great
opportunity to the collector of antiquit-
les and curiOsities, provided that he had
the money TO pay for them, when In
short time he could have enough to stock
a museum. Every exhibit has some
thing In it of curious interest, natural,
artificial, historical or ancient, and I'M
less the visitor is on the lookout for
such objects, many Of them will escape
attention. After seeing, as he supposed
every object of interest in the Texas eX-
hibit. Mr.. Bracket, the efficient Super
intendent OF the Iowa Horticultural De-
partment, called your correspondents
attention to a most remarkable lusus
natura, shown by that state, a Veritable
case, as he expressed it, where an oak
tree had literally swallowed q pine lOp-
Some time in the dim past an acorn
must have sprOuted under the fallen
pine, and in growing, the oak entirely
encompassed the log, its two eXtremi-
ties extending outward, and it looks for
all the world as if it had been really
swallowed. A similar freak is on eXhi-
bitiOn in the Idaho space, except in the
latter case it was a great mountain
buck, or sheep that was swallowed by
a pine tree, from which the horns Of the
animal pOrtrude, as if an effort were
being made by the poor animal to es-
cape the grasp Of the enemy.
In the North Carolina exhibit is
rare and precious gem called ''Hidden-
tie, of a rich deep green color, and has
never been found out Of that state, and
rarely in it, it rivals many diamonds in
beauty and brilliancy. New York dis
Al "A Irr1 ia
mond, named in honor of our new pres
dent-''the Cleveland Gen." 1t was
found IN South Africa, about eight years
ago. taken to London, and last year
bought and brought over to America,
and was cut in New York city; IN its
rough state it weighed IS Karats, and
now A -: it has 120 facets; without
flaw or blemish and is next in size to
ssShah Of Persia - q stone valued at
100000. IL is claimed to be the finest
finished diamond in the world and
sparkles with great brilliancy. In the
Idaho exhibit is a small gold brick
worth many thousands.
In historical antiquities and relics,
the exposition is exceedingly rich.
Among the display of New MeXico Is
large collection Of ancient Greclan and
Roman silver coins, some Of them dated
900 years before the Christian era, and
on some is shown minting as artistic as
any of the present age. The govern
ment shows a large collection OF pottery:
so old that neither history nor tradition
throws any light upon its makers; Mex
leo also has a most interesting exhibit
of prehistoric relics, Astec gods, stone
and other utensils made by her ancient
people. In American historical relics
there are several collections OF great IN
terest, nearly every state showing
something that has come down from
the earliest period Of either state or ma
tional origin. Tennessee delights IN the
old desk, or office chair used by the
Sainted Washington, and in large
collection Of General Jackson relics,
swords, canes, bibles, books, ETC.,
once the property of the hero Of New
Orleans, and shows also the ''gOOse"
used bv Andrew johnson when q prac-
ticing tailor, and some garments made
by him. In the Massachusetts space Is
a large collection Of old Revolutionary
relics, cam kettles, shells, swords etc.
The exhibit OF Maryland is made eX-
ceedingly attractive by American anti
Duties Of her early history. There IS a
small church bell, the Oldest IN the
country, cast in 1852, brought over by
ssVesper Bsl'i st St. MsrYs City, the
first capitol of the Colony, founded in
1854, but now extinct, no house mark
ing its former site. Like the Old Liber-
ty Bell, this smaller one is silent, and
tuneless, q mute msmsntO of the dead
past. In the same exhibit IS the famous
old piano, imported from England In
17S9 by Charles Carroll, who was the
last surviving signer of the Declaration
of Independence. This instrument IS,
as its inscriptions tell US, a 90 Braid
wood Patent, No. 955-LOndine- made
I789''-TWO banks Of keys at the broad
end the frame narrowing backward to
less than is inches vide at the ends the
treadles OF. pedals are nearly two feet
apart, and; altogether, 1t is g quaint
and now entirely tuneless. instrument.
Maryland also exhibits models of first
coaches used on the Baltimore & Ohio