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day, and while it fills the bill, as Capt. Collins has just 
remarked, it does not fill the building. 
In the first place, there is a collection of split-hamboo 
rods which I believe is the finest collection in the world. 
And they are practical rods, running in price from $25 to 
$75, although there are some which, by the addition of 
gold and silver, will run up possibly to $400 or $500. I 
desire to specially call your attention to two rods made by 
the inventor of the split-bamboo rod. Of course, every 
gentleman here understands the nature of split-bamboo 
rods. This rod was invented by an old trout fisherman of 
eastern Pennsylvania, an old gunsmith, who used to fish 
every Saturday of his life, after he was old enough, and 
who was a very excellent and fine workman. He used to 
spend his hours in the evening in his shop making his 
fishing rods, Uncle Sam Phillipi, and I have two or three 
of his rods. His first rods were rather rude as compared 
with rods as now made, but in his day were examples of 
fine rod making. 
Then we have, as I said before, rods running in price | 
from $25 to $75, although you find in the tackle stores 
rods as low in price as $1.50, but those you understand are 
made from the cullings of the cane. In the manufacture 
of split-bamboo rods there are only a few canes in a hun- 
dred fit to go into rods of first quality, and it all takes 
time to sort the canes, and it costs money. 
We also have a collection of steel rods which have been 
brought to a very high state of perfection. There is also 
a fine collection of bethabara rods. There is also a fine 
display of reels. We have the finest reels made in this 
country, and America excels the world in the manufacture 
of fine goods in this line. We have Kentucky reels of 
modern make, and we have a collection of old Kentucky 
reels which are from fifty to seventy-five years old. There 
you can see the evolution from the first reel made by the 
old man Snyder down to the present reel. 
