Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1904-07-16

but is one of the most improved mail
cars, in which men attached to the
United States railway mail service are
actively engaged In Throwing" the
mails. Here you will see the postal
clerks at work, just as they work while
speeding along railroad track.
AGuriOus collection or old time rel
les from the pOstOtfice museum ut
Washington illustrates as no verbal
description can do the crude begin
nings of the postal system. One Of
these relics Is an old fashioned stage
coach that once carried United States
mails through portion Of the LOuisi-
ana purchase territory. President
Roosevelt, who once inspected 1t. ex-
amined with rough riders interest
the bullet holes which stage robbers
and mountain brigands shot through
its stiff leathern curtains. Generals
Sherman and Sheridan and President
Garfield rode in this old coach during
the strenuous days Of frontier life.
Among the collection of documents
showing the primitive postal methods
in vogue In the early days is to be
seen the old book Of accounts kept by
the first postmaster general Benjamin
Franklin, all written by hand. There
Is a rare collection Of stamps. includ-
ing ancient Filipino, Porto tican and
Cuban stamps. The postOffice depart
ment's exhibit occupies 12,469 square
feet.
Across the aisle. at the right. is the
exhibit Of the new Department of
Commerce and Labor, occupying 1866
square feet. This exhibit shows what
the new executive department stands
for and what 1t is accomplishing. Mr..
Carroll d. Wright. United States Com
missioner Of Labor, had charge Of the
preparation of the exhibit. Charts ar
ranged by him, showing the rapid
growth of the nation in agriculture,
arts, manufacture, population. ETC., are
Of special interest to sOciologists and
all students of the labor problem. The
Census Bureau exhibit Is made in this
section. 1t shows the tabulating ma
chimes used in compiling the census re-
ports. The Lighthouse Board, also op-
Grating under this department, shows
the great revolving lenses in light
houses, with other interesting appli.
ances.
The space In the projecting north.
west corner Of the building is devoted
to the Library of Congress. The edi-
fee which houses this library at Wash
ington is held by many architects to
be the most beautiful building in the
world. Its interior decorations, BY e.
mer Ellsworth Garnsey, furnish one
Of the chief delights Of a visit to the
national capital. A large model Of this
splendid building is a feature Of the
exhibit. The decorative features of
the interior are reproduced in their
original colors.
The next exhibit on the right hand
side Of the central aisle is that Of the
Interior Department. occupying 11.792
square feet. In this large space the
visitor finds 30 many things Of com.
pelling interest that he is loath to
leave. The Patent Office exhibit be-
longs to this section. There are mod
els Of many machines that have borne
an important part in the development
Of the nations industries. The earliest
form Of every device Of human inven-
ton, so far as possible, is shown here.
For instance, you may see the actual
sewing machine that was the first con-
trivance Of its kind every constructed;
It was patented in 1916 by Elias Howe.
The first typewriter. patented by G.
Thurber in 1912; the model Of the first
cast iron plow, patented by Charles
Newbold in 1897; the first screw pro-
peller, invented by Robert Hook in
1880: and many other first things
are to be seen. The model Of. Abraham