The Argus at KellyGang 23/8/1866
THE OVENS AND MURRAY EXHIBITION
FROM THE OVENS CONSTITUTION, AUG 20)
The attendance of the visitors at the Ovens and Murray Exhibition on both Friday and "-Saturday was very good. The amount received on the first two days, Thursday and Friday, was £108 11ls. 6d; but, as the estimated expenses amount to about £200, the money taken at the door will need to be considerable in order to clear the cost of the undertaking. Once in every two or three evenings there will be the additional attraction within the hall of some popular entertainment. The Beechworth band has been engaged for two or three nights, an amateur concert has been almost decided upon, and a dramatic entertainment, some readings, and a lecture are spoken of. We understand that probably this evening a galvanic battery will be in operation, and some, interesting experiments will be made with it.
By the permission of the Chief Secretary, the electric telegraph has been attached to the building, and messages can now be sent to Chiltern, Yackandandah, &c, from St.George's-hall. Among the additions to the exhibits is a large cube, representing in size the total quantity of gold forwarded to Melbourne from the Ovens district. The cube is 5ft. 7¾in. in every direction. The total quantity of gold has been 3,141,181oz., of the value of £12,564,524. We now resume, for the benefit of our country readers, the list of exhibits.
Outside the building is a large tent, under which several handsome vehicles of various descriptions - buggies, phaetons, &c.are placed. They are the work of Mr M'Lean, of Beechworth.
Glancing now at the articles on the central tables, but facing the side passages, we come first on some capital pigskin saddles, manufactured by Messrs Collier and Lawrence, whose skill in their particular trade is so highly thought of by squatters and bush travellers generally, that they frequently receive orders for places a hundred or two hundred miles off. Just beyond the saddlery some fine navel oranges, nearly ripe, are shown. They are grown by Mr Hodge, of Everton, about nix miles from Beechworth, end clearly prove the suitability, even of the higher ground of the Ovens district, for the growth of the handsomest of all fruits. The same remark will apply to the fine exhibits of oranges and lemons grown by Dr Mackay, of Tarrawingee. Among these are some of the mandarin oranges, hitherto scarcely known as a local product. Further on, upon the same table, are some ingenious inventions of various kinds - a multiple screw by Robert Clark, of Beechworth; an expanding horseshoe, by Samuel Taylor, the well known farrier of the same district; this horseshoe is designed especially to avoid the strain on the feet by any violent exertion, such as jumping, &c. A vine-pruner is exhibited by Mr Falcke ; a new lift for quartz batteries by Mr A Ladson ; and a crosscutting machine, invented by the same gentleman. Then follow a blast fan by Mr E. Walter, of Beechworth, and a model working still, made entirely by hand from four different metals -iron, copper, brass, and tin; the manufacturer is Mr P Martin, of Beechworth. Some chemicals sent by Mr Witt occupy the further end of this table.
At the further end of the other is a large case of most formidable looking snakes, reptiles, and other animals collected by Mr E H Dunn. The native porcupine and platypus, both from the neighbourhood of Beechworth, also make their appearance. This case is surmounted by an enormous Murray cod, weighing probably sixty or seventy pounds. The show of native birds is continued in the next case, which belongs to the Burke Museum at Beechworth. In the next case Mr Eustace, a local artist, exhibits some pretty oil paintings, representing Australian life, a bush hotel, a cattle station, &c. A case of eggs of native birds, exhibited by Mr H Morres, follows. We are happy to find that before the exhibition closes the names will probably be attached to this splendid and unique collection. In an adjoining class is a model of a ship at sea, and behind it the facsimile of the death warrant of Charles the First, with signatures attesting the well-known names of J Bradshaw, Ireton, Fleetwood, Ludlow, Oliver Cromwell, and other parliamentary generals.
Beyond this is a piece of flower painting, apparently on rice paper, succeeded by some lyre bird feathers, a native dog, and some more birds. At the nearest part of this table is a large photograph of the moon by De La Rue, snowing the position of the volcanoes, &c. The Rutherglen people contribute a fine pelican, shot at Lake Moodemere, and on the other side are some neat photographs from the same place, with the municipal statistics accompanying them. The execution of the bordering of this exhibit is by Mr M'Longhlin, a local school-master, and very well done. Some first-rate carriage harness, by Collier and Lawrence, follows, and above it, over the entrance to the refreshment room, is a trophy of aboriginal arms, waddles, spears, shields, and boomerangs, surmounted by lyre birds' feathers. Coming round again, towards the entrance of the hall, are the Beechworth municipal statistics, with some very fair photographs, and some very questionable literary composition. Beyond this again, and just by the door, is the electric telegraph apparatus.
We propose to resume our list of exhibits at the other part of the building in our next issue; the splendid collection of auriferous quartz and local gems particularly claiming our attention. Since last Friday, two or three articles have come in, among which we may mention some cop- per grating by Mr Hosking, of New Town, Beechworth ; and some very fair slate from the Ovens District, the name of the precise locality not being attached.
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