articles on exhibition is such as to have done us great credit-seven-eights of all the articles having drawn prizes, as noticed in the August number. But hitherto we have published no full account of the Exhibition. This is the object of the proposed series of papers of which this POSITION AND EXTENT OF THE U. 8. Court. In the Exhibition Building-a general description of which was given in one of our hurried London letters-the U. S. Department alloted being some hundred feet in length by occupied the southeast corner; the space thus sixty in breadth-the machinery in operation being, however, over a quarter of a mile distant in another part of the building. But it should not be supposed that this little space was all that was required by American Exhibitors: it was all that the Commissioners had to give When the World's Fair for 1862 was first talked of in America, some two years previous to the opening, it became at once the purpose of the friends of Industry, and of the enter-present one is the first. prising men of the country generally, to make it an occasion for the signal triumph of American Genius. The Exhibition from the United States at the first great Fair in 1851-though it was, at first, despised and ridiculed by the English Press, and even made the occasion of great mortification to numerous unappreciative American citizens then in London-demonstrated the superiority of the American Mechanic Arts in some of the most important departments, and it would not answer to allow that reputation to be lost or even impaired. So universal was this feeling throughout the country, that but for subsequent and still continued national calamities, there would, undoubtedly, have been made such an exhibition at London the present year, as would have surprised the other nations and won for our industry unequal and unfading laurels. The large number of articles entered at the office of the Executive Committee of the American Board of Commissioners is evidence of this. But the War came, and the subsequent history of the Exhibition, so far as this country is concerned, is doubtless familiar to all who have been interested observers of the progress of events. That the number of articles from the United States was small has already been stated. But it has also been stated that the character of owing to Mr. Seward's withdrawal of the U. S.-after having assigned the entire available space to other nations. Many articles were obliged to lie in their cases unpacked for want of room to display them, and not a few articles and machines of great value were properly excluded entirely, because of a want of compliance with the regulations on the part of the proprietors. These blunders ought not to be repeated, though, judging by the past it is probable they will be, since the Yankee—ahead in everything else—has thus far, at these great exhibitions, been behind nearly all his national competitors in getting his "traps" in place for inspection. MINERAL PRODUCTS. Proceeding in the order of classification, we have in the department of "Mining, Quarrying, Metallurgy, and Mineral Products:" 1. 1000 specimens of American Minerals. absurd accounts of the exhaustless stores of These are exhibited by J. W. Feuchtwanger, this wonderful product of the earth-one sharp of New York. They embrace a large variety Yankee, with characteristic oriental eloquence of some of the more interesting economic min-making the gaping multitude believe that in erals, together with some that were attractive the "vast empire of Ohio and Pennsylvania” simply to the geologist or mineralogist. The there were "numerous perennial streams of collection was highly spoken of by the Press this oil, each larger than the Thames!" of London, and Mr. F. deserves much credit for his worthy effort to represent the mineral wealth of the country. 2. T. Meads, Esq., exhibits a small cabinet of minerals from Lake Superior; prominent among which are several good, though rather small, specimens of copper. It is a pity that an effort was not made by some party or parties to get out an extensive display of the magnificent products of these new mines. Next time it must be done. 3. The New Jersey Zinc Co., of Newark, N. J., display several interesting specimens of zinc ores, with their products. The mines thus represented are quite extensive, and the multiplicity of uses to which this metal is being applied gives to them an increasing value. The New Jersey Co. also exhibit specimens of pig and bar iron and excellent steel. 4. Mr. J. Mosheimer, of Nevada, has on exhibition a fine case of mineralogical specimens, consisting of gold, silver, quicksilver, copper ores, native sulphur and borax. And Dr. C. Precht, of San Francisco, shows sundry fine specimens of crystalized gold and California marble. These products of our Pacific coast attracted much attention, and inclined not a few foreigners to seek for additional information concerning the varied capabilities of that rich and beautiful land. In the Pharmaceutical branch of this class, the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy shows a respectable collection of native roots and drugs-not in sufficient quantity to nauseate all Europe, or to adequately purge America of the Rebellion, but, as Mr. Parish would say, "sufficient to show." SUBSTANCES USED AS FOOD, &C. The display in this class embraced samples of cereals, clover and timothy seed by O. Howland, of Utica, N. Y.,-deficient in quantity and not extraordinary in variety and quality— samples of flour by Hicker Bros., New York City, and by Stebbins & Co., Rochester-the latter of very superior quality; samples of salt by the Onondaga Salt Co.; Indian corn in the ear-a few ears only and not superior at that, by J. Waddell, of Springfield, Ohio; and samples of excellent starch by the Glencove Starch Co., New York City. WAGONS AND CARRIAGES. The American phaeton and wagons exhibited by Brewster & Co., New York City, and the buggy and wagon spokes shown by Blanchard & Brown, Dayton, Ohio, were creditable in style and excellent in quality. They strikingly illustrate the marked characteristics of John Bull and Brother Jonathan-the English vehicles being generally very heavy and clumsy, while those of American manufacture are just Under the circumstances of anticipated fail-heavy enough to be strong, without any waste ure, the exhibition in this class may be set of material. down as creditable, though it was certainly very far from being a fair representation of the vast mineral wealth of this country. CHEMICAL SUBSTANCES AND PRODUCTS. The show of articles in this class was very meagre; consisting of Crystal Carbon Oil for lamps, essences, &c. The petroleum products attracted much attention, and we heard bystanders giving each other most fabulous and SEWING MACHINES, &0., Of various patterns, occupy an important place in the U. S. Department of the Great Exhibition. At every hour of the day their musical click is heard and hundreds of curious spectators are crowding about them to witness their wonderful work. And well may they wonder and admire, for no invention of modern times-at least since the great application of steam-power-has done so much to lighten reaper, combined reaper and mower and grassthe toil of the better portion of mankind. It is mowing machine;" Russel & Tremain's "reaphardly necessary to say that the American ma-ing machine-a new mechanical device, (Faychines are the best and have borne off the etteville, N. Y.); Kirby & Osborne's " reaper prizes. Everywhere in Europe they rank first, and mower;" Redstone Bros. & Co.'s "mowing and in most of the large cities where we have and reaping machine," (Indianapolis); and the traveled there are well established, thriving well-known McCormick Reaper. agencies for their sale. Wheeler & Wilson appear to have been particularly enterprising in this respect. Medals were awarded to Wheeler & Wilson for their "Circular Ssewing Machine," and to the Howe Machine for "best collection." I. M. Singer receiving Honorable Mention for his collection, (not so extensive,) and Wilcox & Gibbs, New York, for improvements in construction. The above relates to machines for general use in sewing cloth and the thinner leather. But there are other and special sewing machines which deserve notice. SHOES MADE IN TWENTY MINUTES. Wood's machine was set up in good shape, well shown and attracted considerable attention-a good harvester. in good repute in New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio. Kirby & Osborne, though one of the best machines with which we are acquainted, received comparatively little attention, owing to its not being put together. So far as advertising itself to the general public is concerned, it might just as well have been left at home. It nevertheless received Honorable Mention." The machines exhibited by Russel & Tremain, and by Redstone, Bros. & Co., are well made and appear to be well adapted to the proposed objects. We have never seen them operate in the field. But, in the estimation of the visiting public, the McCormick Machine evidently ranks first. It was got up in splendid style, without refer One of these is a machine for sewing leather, soles of boots and shoes, &c., with a despatch never before dreamed of. We watched its operation several times, and cannot see why it must not work quite a revolution in boot and shoe manufacture. C. R. Goodwin, Boston, pro-ence to expense, and attracted crowds of peoprietor. Skillfully operated, it is capable of sewing together, all ready to the finisher's hand a pair of shoes in about twenty minutes! which is certainly ahead of the old-fashioned method, requiring several hours. There seems to be nothing wanting now, in this behalf, but another genuine Yankee who can invent a pro-and seems to have nobly sustained the Americess for making the requisite hides without either expense or numerical limit. Who doubts that he will turn up" one of these days? It may also be mentioned in this place that W. D. Richards, of Boston, has on exhibition an ingenious machine for sole-cutting and heel-trimming of boots. AGRICULTURAL MACHINERY AND IMPLEMENTS. In this branch of the American Department, also, the number of articles is few. Many of them are of great value, however, and all are of a creditable character. ple day after day. It has the prestige of name and European success, and so will continue to rank No. 1, even after better machines shall have been offered to the farmers of the old world. Since our leaving London it has been put to the test in the neighborhood of that city can credit, as will appear from the following extract taken from the Mark Lane Express: Mr. McCormick, of Chicago, Illinois, has laid the world sible to the economic benefits which have been conferred under new obligations. No one can pretend to be insenupon the farmers of this country by the introduction of the reaping machine, which was the wonder of the exhibition of 1851. Entrusted to the prudent and energetic agency of Messrs. Burgess and Key, it has played an important part in the salvation of our harvests, when otherwise they must have suffered to a considerable extent on account of the westward movement of our rural population. It was, in fact, the first machine in England which settled the question, in the farmer's eyes, between when we say that from the Brentwood Works so many the mechanical and the manual process of corn cutting. of the United Kingdom, and capable of cutting down as 3,000 reapers have already been supplied to the farmers from 12 to 15 acres a day, that hundreds of men are laying low the golden harvests, and conserving the fruit of Of Reapers and Mowers there are five pat-man's toil in the fields of France, Russia, Spain, Germany, Italy and Belgium, and that, further, the inventor within terns, to-wit: W. A. Wood's "self-raking the last 20 years has supplied-but without the screw platform, which is not required in that country-40,000 tion, they must be very unreliable if not machines to secure the grain crops of the world's corn field of America, some slight idea will be gained of the benefits which may be conferred upon his fellow men by one persevering thinker. We are not much in the habit, it is true, of considering ourselves under any obligatfon to those who are supposed to have made "a good thing" of their inventions. But inasmuch as inventors have been known to be actuated by high spirit and a desire to promote their country's progress, it may be that we shall come to look at these matters in a different light, and regard some of them as highly as those who, by virtue of large gifts, obtain exclusive possession of the cognomen "philanthropic." If his idea, because in its vast influence upon the world it is not possible to estimate its value, and that we can only remunerate him for his labor in perfecting the machine, and superintending the work of others in the reproduction of it, it is pretty clear that the world is laid under it is true that we can never remunerate an inventor for an obligation to the extent of the value of the idea, whatwe become masters of the circumstances in which we are placed, as we become superior to the elements around us. The machine of 1851 has enabled us to look the arduousness of the harvest in the face with comparative nonchalance; but the machine to which we are about to revert, and which occupies a place in the present International Exhibition, promises yet further to simplify the work of ever that may be. We rise in the scale of civilization as the harvest-field. Very good for surly, self-conceited, John Bull. But the encomiums with which Mr. utterly worthless for practical use in the field. They are beginning to be introduced, however, among the more liberal, sensible farmers of England, and are likely in the course of a few years to be in very considerable demand. The Douglass Axe Co., Mass., make a fair display of American cutlery, axes, &c., some of which it would be especially well for the Old World manufacturer to imitate. Among the other implements and machines for agricultural purposes may be named a model of corn and bean planter by D. R. Prindle, of East Bethany, N. Y.; a churn and mop, by R. Price, Albany, N. Y.; an earth and hay elevator, by Levi A. Beardsley, N. Y.; an automatic farm gate, and windmill water elevator, by Wentworth & Jarvis, Burlington, Iowa; and a cotton planter, by Blanchard & Brown, Dayton, O. THE MILKING MACHINE McCormick and his harvester have been favored, are not confined to this leading agricultural journal: the London Times-that miserable, unscrupulous, lying, anti-American sheet -is equally warm in its praise, and, for a wonder, fairly owns, that, in this particular thing of "shearing corn," Brother Jonathan | more attention than any one simple thing of is a little ahead! FARMING IMPLEMENTS. American harrows, too, are there-Mr. Orman Coe, of Port Washington, Wis., having, with commendable enterprise, sent over good specimens of his rotating harrow which has several times taken prizes at our State Fairs in the West. Messrs. J. F. Daw & Co., Springfield, Ohio, are there with some excellent steel plows, though it is questionable whether the Old World will continue to acknowledge the superiority of the New in respect to this important implement. They were handsomely beaten over there by American plows in 1851, and it would hardly be fair to crowd them to the wall so soon again. Our superior, and it would seem, inimitable hoes, forks, and rakes are also there, surprising and provoking multitudes of old fogy farmers, who are wont to insist that although admirable implements to hang up in an exhibi Shown by Messrs. Kershaw & Colvin, of Mass., arrived rather late in the progress of the Exhibition, but easily made up in novelty what it lacked in time, and probably received practical utility in the Exhibition. "Where's that Yankee Milking Machine?" became a stereotyped question at the U. S. Office. Mr. Kershaw was there in person to exhibit it, and we never saw him without a crowd of curious auditors. To prove the practicality of the machine, he rented a stable on Cromwell Road, just opposite the Exhibition Palace, and at 11 o'clock of each day, (Sundays, perhaps, excepted,) may be seen, skillfully occupying himself with the pleasurable pastime of pumping the milk from either the regular bossy of the establishment, or from any other bovine milk-maker that may be produced. The machine consists, in brief, of a tin bucket closely covered-one half of the cover being movable upon hinges-four pliant, india-rubber sockets into which the teats are placed, and then certain tubes and valves operated by a couple of convenient lever handles, projecting themselves perpendicularly towards the milker. In the process of milking, the operator ERICSSON'S HOT AIR ENGINES. sits down in the customary posture with the machine between his knees, puts the several teats in their places, and then by an easy lateral movement of the handles, in the same manner as a fire bellows is worked, extracts the milk. The cow appears to suffer less than when the teat is irregularly pressed by the bo-viction of the mechanical world, however, that ny fingers, as in the old manner, the milker does the work with much less effort, and the milk is kept free from the dirt which by the ordinary method is certain to find its way into the bucket. John Bull thinks it an extravagantly funny Yankee consarn and "don't know but it may be a very good invention." It will thus be seen that in the department of agricultural mechanics we have nothing to be ashamed of-or rather that we have much to be proud of. With the science and thorough system for which England and Belgium are noted, our agriculture may easily become the best in the world. OTHER MACHINERY. Though not shown in operation, drew crowds of curious spectators, whose interest in it seemed to be increased not a little by the wonderful success of the inventor's famous ship "Monitor." It seems to be the general con the hot-air engine, as at present constructed, A STEAM FIRE ENGINE Of remarkable compactness of construction, lightness, and facility of use, shown by Messrs. Lee & Larned, of New York, was the finest thing, of its kind, on exhibition, and received the award of a medal for “ingenuity of design and good workmanship." The credit of first offering to the world the steam fire engine belongs to the United States, and it is but natural that we should be expected to continue to furnish the best models. THE NEWSPAPER ADRESSING MACHINE Under this general head reference should be made to the valuable flax and fibre dressing machinery exhibited by Sandford & Mallory, of New York city; an ingenious spacing and boring machine by P. H. Wemple, Albany, N. Y.; a self-registering dynamometer, by C. Near, New York City; a duplex steam pump, by R. H. Worthington, New York City; a stationary engine and governors, by C. T. Porter, N. Y. City; a centrifugal pump and oscillating engines, of good design, by W. D. Andrews; a stone breaking machine, by Blake Bros., New Haven. Conn.; a rope and cord machine, a gasing arrangement itself, that entitled it to rank regulator, and an "iron refrigerator," by G. H. Sanborn, Boston, Mass. ; a belt-shifter, by J. C. Gove, Jamaica Plains, Mass.; pumps of ingenious design and splendid workmanship, by Mr. Hansbrow, of California; a pumping engine, by H. Steele, Jersey City; together with sundry models and machines that require more extended notice. J. Ross' conical burr-stone mills attracted considerable attention, and won a medal for "good arrangement and practical success." Of S. Sweet, New York, to which a medal was awarded, is also deserving of special notice. There is, perhaps, nothing in the print before other machines of the same class, but that part of it by means of which the type are made is highly interesting, and so far as we know quite new. The type used are of wood, each little block having the address stamped upon it by steel dies conveniently arranged and easily brought to bear by a simple contrivance operated by the foot of the type-maker. When printed, the letters are white in black, as seen on the New York Tribune, and some other papers. |