Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1893-07-17


in making the parts of gun or III
turning out cartridges, etc. Here may
be seen some of those wonderful
things known as torpedo boats. They
seem almost endowed with human
wisdom. They are made to start out
from the shore, or from boat or yes
sci, strike straight for an enemy's
ship, turn to the right or left, sink or
float. until they drive their beak into
the enemy's ship, and then create
terrible havoc by bursting monster
torpedo, committing suicide as their
last act This is real, strange as 1t may
seem. 1t is done by electrical en-
gines and appliances, within the tor
pedo and boat, and from the place
from which it is sent The boat draws
out wires through which currents OF
electricity propel the machinery of
the boat and guide it's direction. Here
are specimens of shot and shell Of all
kinds, sorts and ages, with various
soldier clothing and equipments. The
navy department has like display,
only smaller. We have not spoken
of miniature forts, Notifications, of
river bridging apparatus, of Jettles
and other things pertaining to the
work and operations of the army ana
navy. One who is interested in these
things might spend days in this de-
partment, getting knowledge that
would be next to actual experience
in the field or on the battle ship.
In the opposite corner of this end
of the building the Post office Depart
ment exhibit is found. Here behind
the railing may be seen the great
post office of the Fair grounds in full
operation. 1t looks as though big
business was being done. Letters are
received by the thousands and all the
work of receiving, cancelling stamps,
distributing, sending out in sacks, the
selling of stamps, orders and notes, is
going on with all the regularity, accu-
racy and dispatch that might be found
in the great city office. The progress
that has been made in the carrying
and distributing of mails in the last
century is shown in this department.
Here is the old pack-saddle courtler,
who rode his horse or mule, blowing
his trumpet along his route, to call
the lucky housewife to the door to
receive her letter or paper; here is
specimen of the old stage and mail
coach that made it's appearance once
or twice a week, bringing the mail of
a whole county at once; here is one
of the old overland California coaches
that was dragged across the prairies
and the mountains in the days when
railroads were unknown beyond the
Missouri. One old coach that is shown
is said to have borne Garfield, Arthur
and other great men, living and dead,
away out into the country beyond the
confines of safety and civilization.
Here are the equipments of the swift
riders who ran their horses from re-
lay to relay, carrying mail bag a
hundred or more miles each ten
hours, until they had made the dis
tance from the Pacific to the Missouri
River or back. Here also is shown
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out each day a greater amount of
mail matter, probably, than the whole
mail of the country in Washlngton's
time, and sweeps across the country
at the rate of thirty to forty miles an
hour. Some such comparisons go to
show that we are literally living in a
fast age. Here is case that shows
specimens of all the stamps that gov
ernment has made since it began do
ing business. If the stamp gathering
crank could get free access to that
case he would go crazy.
There is a machine rattling out the
other way and we will go and see
what it is doing. Making money;
not exactly. 1t is, however, a ma
chine from the Mint, che veritable
machine that coins when at home five
dollar gold pieces. But now it is at
work on brass, turning out brass coins
at the rate of about two a second, with
all the perfection of the real gold
nieces. The minter just slips the
pieces of round cut brass into q tube
and they drop into the machine and
are carried forward under the die,
when the upper part of the die, con-
trolled by a toggle-joint attachment,
comes down upon them with such
force as to form the perfect coin. The
machine is a simple affair to look at,
but IL is mighty in power and perfect
in it's operations.
We passed by, while in the Army
Department, something that is Of
peculiar interest, to all who see it; an
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