INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION OF 1854. 157 



was quite surprised to see that in all these places, many 

 dishes containing bread, cheese, pickles, and other articles of 

 food were placed on the counter. 



I saw the people freely partaking of them without any 

 payment asked. I inquired how it was, and the reply was 

 that it was the general custom to do so, and that it was a lure 

 to excite customers to drink. Nevertheless many had the 

 habit to have a good lunch at a cost of a few pence, for the 

 glass of beer or whiskey in which they indulged at the 

 time, and I thought that it was not such a bad thing for 

 the poor. 



In 1854, there was a Great International Exhibition in 

 New York. If I remember well, the Exhibition took place in 

 a fine Crystal Palace somewhere, where now stands CENTRAL 

 PARK. I have still in my possession a water colour of 

 the Palace. Many times I went there. The price was 

 fifty cents. Being the first International Exhibition that 

 I saw, I was much delighted with the innumerable good 

 works of arts and industry which I saw there. The machines, 

 which were also very numerous, attracted my attention. 

 Many new ones were exhibited. One of them, a miniature 

 electric boat, exhibited by a Frenchman, Mr. Verges, w r as one 

 of the greatest attractions. It was exhibited in the middle of 

 a small artificial lake, and every day the inventor worked his 

 model round the lake as long as he wished. It was con 

 sidered a great success, and I believe that a Company was 

 formed for the building of a real ship, which was done in 

 due time ; but the results were not quite satisfactory, and it 

 was abandoned. However, the idea has not been lost, and 

 electricity is now used as a motor for steamers and for many 

 other purposes. The same inventor also established some 

 electric baths as a remedy to nervous diseases, but it also 

 turned out a failure. 



I visited also the Barnum Museum. At that time it was 

 not what it has been afterwards ; but, nevertheless, it was 

 very interesting. It contained a large menagerie, collections 

 of natural history, Mammals, Birds, Reptiles, Insects, and the 

 like ; also a fine collection of Chinese curiosities. The price 

 of entrance was one shilling. Attached to the Museum was a 

 theatre, for which an extra fee had to be paid. 



From that time to his death, Barnum, of celebrated 

 memory, augmented his Museum and Menagerie in a re 

 markable manner, and made a large fortune. Several times 

 the Museum was burned ; but shortly after a new and larger 



