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CENTENNIAL CORRESPOND
ENCE.
Eoomcrany—Vapors from the Commission-
.tnr-The Polar Regions—Miscellany,
From our Specif.! Coireipondent. .
Philadelphia, May 23, 1S76.—Speaking
of the practical reminds me of the
boomerang. For more than twenty years
have I searched for this extraordinary weap
on. In my different trips to the old world,
I sought it, but, not bearing of it, nor seeing
it, concluded it was a myth, and was used as
an'illustration by politicians. Such an one
was using a boom-rang—as we would say,
“ hoisting one on his own petard.” It is said
of this formidable weapon, that when hurled
at an object bv a native it moves along just
above the ground with great rapidity, and
after reaching its objective point, leaps as it
were into mid air, and thus poised for the
moment takes a retrogressive movement in
an air line for the point from which it was
cast, thus making it as dangerous to the
thrower if inexperienced, as a heavily
charged blunderbuss. It has been as great a
puzzle to the savans and scientists as the
calculating machine of Babbage. Four of
these curious specimens of savage genius are
to be seen in the department of Australia.
There are seventy-two block and slab speci
mens of timber from Sydney. They also ex
hibit saddles, wools, tweeds tyid shawls,
none of which will compare with the Ameri
can section, and coni seems twelve feet thick,
are shown as specimens from Hunter river
district northern coal fields of New South
Wales. There are sixty-six collieries. They
also exhibit preserved meats, candies, bis
cuits. condiments, ores of antimony and otb
er minerals.
VAPORS FROM THE COMMISSIONERS.
The Hon. Daniel J. Morrell thinks the des
tiny of the exhibition is to open on Sunday,
how or when 5 s one of the inscrutabilities.
Gen. Hawley had an ovation at a meeting of
the bible soeietv, they rising and remaining
standing while the intioduction was going
on. The ex-governor is sound on the Sun
day question, hence, the enthusiasm of the
societv. Hon. J. T. Barnard is emphatic in
his arguments for the pro. of the matter, and
says the doom should be thrown open on
Sunday in spite of those who favor th'e eon.,
in which he is backed by the emphatic Don
aldson, who is a live, progressive commission
er from Idaho. Goldsmith, of Vermont, says
the maionty of the commissioners are in la-
vor of Sunday openings. The enthusiastic
commissioner from Maine is stirring the pool
of temperance, and stands aghast at the dis
sipation of the times, and sees in each res
taurant the spirit of Banquo. The boys will
have swi lager, and its useless to ile-nye
them. McCormick, of Arizona, is in favor of
passing two persons for a dollar, rather than
the cramping rule of forcing each visitor to
present that act-tion fifty cents. Professor,
of Tennessee, wants a committee appointed
to consider the propriety of reducing the en
trance fee.
MISCELLANEOUS*—THE POLAR REGIONS,
In a glass show case fourteen feet square,
are shown on one side, the prismatic com
pass, transit, sextant and other instruments
used by that intrepid navigator near the
frigid wilds of Western Greenland; draw
ings and paint*ngs of Arctic scenery and an
imal life, executed by himself, and the flag
of the Advance, the ship in which he made
his second voyage; the three other sides of
the case contain relic? of tie expeditions of
Haves, Hall and Eradford; the flag that
Wilkes took on his Antarctic expedition in
the ship Peacock, the same flag being taken
by Knhe, Hayes and Hall, also, on their Arc
tic voyages; relics of Sir John Franklin’s
expedition, including portions of his vessel
secured by captain Hall in his second expe
dition and brought back by him then, to
gether with relics of Parry’s voyage; the
journals kept by Hall in his Polaris expedi
tion, and fac-simile of the sledge made for
captain Hall by “ Esquimaux Joe.”
Brazil has $3,000,000 in diamonds to dis
play, but the United States, requiring a per
sonal bond in amount double the invoice
from tke commissioner, he declined, hence
we will not see the brilliants. The Bullock
printing press prints thirty-two thousand
copies per holir. The Portuguese have a
handsome building one story nigh within,
and two without. In the British section
there are eighty-five exhibitors of chemicals,
and fourteen exhibitors of watches and chro
nometers. The latter timepieces were In-
vented by John Arnold one hundred years
ago. The Georama of Paris is about twenty-
five feet square, is exposed to the weather,
and unless taken out of the wet, will be as
the “ baseless fabric of a vision.” The navy
department of the United States in the gov
ernment building, is arranged under nine
heads; ordnance, torpedoes, equipment,
navigation, construction, pards and docks,
medicines and surgery, provisions and cloth
ing, steam engineering and naval observato
ry and arctic relics. Japan exhibits two
vases, six feet high and thirty inches in di
ameter, price $2,000 gold, small vases ten
inches high, $30 in gold, white and blue chi
na goods tar below the English standard at
fabulous prices, $30 in gold for a table worth
about ten or fifteen dollars. I thought these
figures of a bonanza character, but when I
saw a suit of buckskin, coat, vest and pants,
trimmed with a few yards of silver lace from
Mexico, price $1,000 in gold, I threw up the
sponge. 8hades of the Astecs and of Monte
zuma, where art ye. The bijouterie of Japan,
their lacquered ware, and straw goods are
_ . goods are
superior and many articles are low enough,
but, in their valuable articles they are in tbe
clouds. The prices they ask would impover*
eth the tycoon did he become a purchaser.
In the Egyptian department $2,000 gold is
asked for silver, antique set. worth possibly
a few hundred dollars; a few pieces ot san
dal wood $9 gold. If the Americans can
stand these extortions, they are specimens
of endurance to be wondered at what do
the readers of this letter think of a back
gammon board inlaid, $600 gold ? The Egyp
tians have a sacred crocodile with them to
palliate their excesses. I am happy to state
he is stuffed. One watch factory American,
shows two thousand two hundred watches
representing six'days of ten hours each of
till) employees. A tact factory exhibits two
thousand varieties ef tacks. A working
model of a draw-bridge, Raritan pivot bridge,
largest of tbe kind in the world, four hun
dred anil seventy two feet. New York will
be represented by five hundred varieties of
winter apples and six hundred varieties of
potatoes. Strawberries will be displayed
June 7th, raspberries July 3rd. Peaches,
grapes, nuts, cereals, heney and wax, melons,
horses, cattle and poultry will follow at dif
ferent dates. In addition to Gilmore’s con
certs, other musical bands will perform in
different parts of the main building. The
French steamer brought the French, Belgiau
and Russian judges of centennial awards,
and four hundred tons of French exhibits.
There will be five thousand free seats dis
tributed throughout the grounds. Tropical
fruits from Bermuda were shown on the 18th
inst. Michigan and New York are in the
front rank of apple growers. The committee
»n concessions have determined to enforce
contracts with restaurants, the leading fea-
ture of which was fair prices. Oregon ex
hibits wheat reaped in ninety days after sow
ing in ground neirhei p oughed nor harrowed.
It Is said Qnten Vi-i .ria will “put in an ap
pearance ” at the exhibition. But few chil
dren rs yet are seen on the exhibition
grounds. The Netherlands show carpets
from the royal factory, would fit a room
eighteen feei square, $280. Harlem shows
a magnet eighty eight pounds, carries a
weight of five hundred pounds, price $110.
Rotterdam displays an ext- nsive assortment
of fishing tackle. Amsterdam pipes of the
quaintest Dutch style, Georamas of canals,
maps, and a swing double-crane bridge and
a georama of the surface of the Zuyderzee.
Bermuda has a piece of a Xanthoxylon.
It was taken from a stump by a British sol
dier of H. M. 53d. It is of yellow wood per-
fectlv sound and dates back 1612, also form
the Island black mangrove, rubber, olive,
fiddle and other woods. Arrow root is a
long, yellow-looking root like the horse rad
ish. The centennial stamped envelope is
good anywhere in the United States. A sil
ver brick has arrived from Nevada one hun
dred and seventeen pounds in weight, value
in gold $1,623.65. Its something to be a
“ brick.” The reduction of the admission
fee is in debate. As Horace Greeley would
have said, “If you are going to reduce, why
don’t you reduce?” The receipts on Mon
day, 15th, $10,894. The middle states peo
ple are farming and can’t come; It is too
early for the west and south, wait until July
and then see the jam. Grand competition
between the chief military bands of America
in the centennial grounds July 5tb. Details
will soon be arranged and published. The
Bartholda fountain will be finished in two
weeks. It takes a general manager, one
captain and aid, chief clerk, a chief inspector,
twelve inspectors, 102 gate keepers, two spe
cial gate keepers, one chief ana sixteen wag
on gate keepers to pass the masses in. An
iron bank vault is on exhibition, price $25,-
000; ten by sixteen feet, fourteen feet high,
weighs thirty-five tons, four doors and twen
ty bolts to each, lining steel, plate two and a
half inenes, two feet of filing, fire proof. The
same makers put one np in Baltimore twen
ty-five by thirty-five, weight two hundred
tons. Farrel A Co., show a magnificent cir
cular safe. A beautiful display of orna
ments are exhibited from Florida. The
American bible society, Resolved, “ We en
dorse the action of the centennial commis
sioners in refusing to open the exhibition on
Sunday.” The valuable collection of trees
and shrubR sent to the centennial by Veitch
A Sons, ol London, have been presented to
the Fairmount park commissioners. First
special display of agriculture 17th inst.
The lowering weather is interfering with
the hope of visitors who anticipate pleasant
wnlks in sylvan shades in the beantiinl snots
of the grounds. There is too much mud,
and of a mucilaginous character. If yon
confine yourself to the buildings it is even
more comfortable than pleasant weather, as
yon are not crowded. Bartholdi and Roch-
ambean have arrived, the former a famous
French architect, the latter the descendant
of a stock whose sympathies were with the
colonies in their struggle for independence.
In spite of the reports to the contrary, if you
can come to the exhibition yon will’find no
difficulty in securing comfortable quarters
and at low rates. If yon wish rooms un-suite
on first floor, and call for pate de fois gras,
with Chambertin and Lafitte, you will find
the bill as large as if in Paris at the Mille
Colon, or Vie Vefour or Troisfreres. The
latter is branched here. Come along and
take your correspondent’s word for it, you
will never regret it. Receipts Tuesday 16tli
inst., $7,054. The New York press associa
tion will visit the centennial latter part of
August. The Massachusetts 1st of June.
Joseph Baeeiere.
BILtTARD-PLAYINQ EX
TRAORDINARY.
The Unprecedented Pun of Two Hundred
and Fifty-One Hade by Sexton in Hit
Game with Rudo'phe.
Philadelphia Press, May 18.
Before a fine audience, in the evening,
Sexton, in his encounter with Rudolpbe,
made the most brilliant run ever recorded
in the history of American billiards-
two hundred and fifty one were the fig
ures. The first game had been between
Gamier and Cyrille Dion, the latter
winning with an average of 15 5-19. It
was supposed that Rudolphe and Sexton
would furnish good sport, but no one
for a moment dreamed of such a result as
that announced above. Rudolphe, win
ning the lead, made a run of 3, followed
by Sexton with double that number.
In the fourth inning Rudolphe made a
neat 25, and in the next Sexton had the
misfortune to foul on his own ball while
looking at the shot, leaving the ivories
in an easy position for his opponent, who
immediately started and scored seventeen.
He froze, but recovered himself on the
balls being spotted, and added seven more.
Thus far luck was decidedly against
Sexton. His plays were well judged and
well executed, but despite his best efforts
he was unable to make any headway, the
balls persisting in remaining as far apart
as the limits of the table would permit,
and the cue-ball generally being in just
such a position as to make counting al
most impossible. In the tenth inning
Rudolphe succeeded in scoring thirty-
seven, and then “froze” and missed. In
this inning Sexton’s ill-luck seemed to
vanish as if by magic, and he commenced
the great run we have alluded to. He
first drove the balls into the right-hand
lower corner and then, by a series of beau
tiful plays, succeeded in nursing them
along the cushion to the upper-corner of
the table, where, by care, he kept them
until he had made one hundred and fif
teen points. At this point the balls be
came separated, and the next dozen or
so of plays were all over the table. On
scoring one hundred and thirty-two the
balls came into a straight line, but by a
beautiful follow kiss, which was uproari
ously applauded, he got them under con
trol again, and continued to play until
he reached two hundred and thirteen.
This, being one more than the largest run
on record (throe-ball game), was ap
plauded as no other in this tournament
has been. The excitement was so great
for a time that Sexton was compelled to
cease playing. As soon as quiet was re
stored, he continued, still nursing the
balls along the cushions until he made
the unprecedented run of two hundred
and fifty-one. Rudolphe then commenced
the next inning, but after making a run
of eleven, shoving the balls in the corner,
Sexton claimed a “push,” and the ref
eree agreeing with him, Rudolphe stepped
down and out, leaving the balls well set
for hiB opponent. Sexton immediately
took in tbe situation, and with cool pre
cision proceeded to run the came ont.
that no one would suppose that under
his lofty bearing he hid a disregard of
orthography that startled a spelling bee
out of all propriety. He told us once,
referring to this defect in his early edu
cation, that he had tried to correct the
difficulty, and to this end had purcashed
Webster’s Unabridged. “But it’s no
good,” he cried. “ I spent half a day
looking for the word physician—it isn’t
thar.” We organized ourselves into a
court «f inquiry, and found that the
senator had been hunting down the un
offending word under the cold scent of
the three letters, “fiz.”
HON. JXO. C. GUILD.
From his recent lecture, “Fashions,
and Kindred Subjects,” we cut the fol
lowing, giving his opinion on woman:
One difference between animal and
human is, God has given the latter do
minion over earth. The gift was made
to woman, not so much to man.
[Laughter.] And she should wear the
breeches; if she did, afiairs would be
better conducted than they are. Her
influence over men is immense, and
always has been. Adam couldn’t resist
his wife. The blandishments of old
mother Eve induced him to eat of tl- e
forbidden fruit. I don’t blame him
much; had I been in Adam’s place, I
should have done it too. [Laughter.]
Men will take apples when offered by
the ladies, and I couldn’t like the man
that wouldn’t [Laughter.] Yes, wo
man has the control, and I am in favor
of her dominion. From the tiger down,
the female has the mastery. It is her
benevolence that has given her the reins
of government. [Laughter.] We are
all under God. When an animal dies,
annihilation follows. Woman has an
immortal soul,if man hasn’t. [Laughter.]
But if he is ever saved it is through the
intervention of woman. Our hearts,
like muffled drums, are constantly beat
ing a funeral march to the grave, and
when there, our bodies are consigned to
the dust, and if woman has made inter
cession for us, our souls take their flight
to God. ^ I have thought sometimes that
I could make a pretty fair preacher.
[Laughter.] I like the Methodists, the
pioneers in religion. My mother was a
Methodist, though I am a Presbyterian—
you see my wife controls me. [Laughter.]
These cane-brake women always manage
their husbands. It is best to yield to
them for the sake of harmony; for when
they are crossed and aroused, there’s
lightning about there certain. [Applause
and laughter.] A man to be kept
straight should marry a woman of that
kind. [Laughter.]
DEATH OF Ml18. GEN. JOHN A. WHAR
TON.
A CASE IN POINT.
..A Boston girl can’t see why the
government can’t make silver pieces
with a looking-glass fastened into one
side.
Dob Platt la the Washington Capital.
The fall of Fitzbugb was melancholy
in some respects, extremely ludicrous in
others, and very comforting in the moral
it affords. That a doorkeeper to the
house of representatives should be a man
of high culture—at least of grammatical
attainments—is not positively necessary.
We suppose his duties pertain rather to
opening a door than to spelling the word,
and he might spell it as he pronounced
it, “ doah,” and yet remain a first-class
official of that sort. We knew a senator
once who spelled “ Jesus” with a little
“ g,” and when he got on the atmos
pheric condition of the hour, gave a friend'
of his a very bad spell of weather bv
writing it “ weaghther ” He was a good
sort of senator for all that, carrying as
much dignity as senator Conkling,
The Galveston News says; Mrs. Pene
lope Wharton, relict of Gen. John A*
Wharton, of Texas, died recently at her
residence, Eagle Island, Brazoria county.
She was a daughter of Gov. David John
son, of South Carolina, and the adopted
daughter ot the Hon. Wm. C. and Mrs.
Penelope Preston. Since her marriage,
twenty-five years ago, she had lived in
Texas, beloved and honored, both for her
amiable disposition and brilliant mind.
Her husband was killed, just after the
surrender, by a subordinate officer he
had offended in camp, and her only
daughter died a few years after. She
herself, stripped of patrimony and
afflicted with total blindness, bore her
afflictions with Christian resignation.
With her perished the honored name of
Wharton in Texas.
.. Another prominent candidate for
governor of North Carolina announces
himself: “ I will beaie anounce my self
as candidate for the guvenent election
Nex foil & I will give Equelright to all
yours respectfully Rev. James Anderson
colored.”