|6S TiMEHRI. 



Christal Firm at New York for shipment to Georgetown, and it is 

 addressed to Mr. Rodway. There is so much robbery and burglary 

 about Chicago, and on the Eastern route, that I felt it safer to send 

 them off than keep them by me and bring them myself. The Portu- 

 guese needlework I am sending to the Imperial Institute. The duty on 

 them amounted to 60 per cent., and though many of them had been 

 promised, I thought it best, under the circumstances to cancel the 

 bargains, 



Of our miscellaneous odds and ends, we shall sell but little. While 

 the Fair was on, I did not part with things by paying the duties on 

 them because it would have spoiled the appearance and arrangement of 

 our exhibit, and since the Fair has been over there has been nobody to 

 buy. On the ist day of November, the Show was totally dead, and 

 altogether deserted except by those who had work there. The change 

 was absolute and sudden, and since then it has only been changed by 

 the breaking up, packing and transportation. The weather lately 

 has been awful, 34 degrees of frost, a condition unknown for 21 years, 

 and apparently brought about to strike terror into the hearts of the 

 tropic folks. The big buildings are like giant refrigerators and work 

 is terribly delayed, for in a little while one is chilled through, and there 

 are no means of warming oneself. At present I get on pretty well, but 

 it makes me horribly drowsy. 



Just now I can say but 1 ittle as to when I may be able to finish up here 

 and get away. I am afraid it will not be till the middle of December or 

 after. It took more than three weeks to get them through the offices of 

 the Appraisers, the Examiners, the Liquidators and the Main Offices. 

 Separate lists in triplicate had to be furnished of all articles to be ex- 

 ported, of those for the different Universities and Museums and of 

 those for consumption according as they were free or dutiable; and as 

 nothing could be done with the things in the meantime, you may form 

 some idea of the conditions of our work. Foreign representatives wrote 

 and stormed, it made no difference, it was the law laid down for all 

 articles imported into the United States, and now that the Fair was 

 over, it was of no value that we were here by invitation. For the first 

 time I have regretted I ever came up here as Commissioner. It has 

 been a matter of constant delay and annoyance. The Custom house 

 was swamped with work of course, since all wanted to get through at 

 once. The offices are all short of hands for the press of work, and 

 many of the men don't understand the regulations they have to carry 



