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 w r as 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, was 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 



