Rensselaer Union, Volume 8, Number 46, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 August 1876 — CENTENNIALITIES. [ARTICLE]

CENTENNIALITIES.

—The gold and silver embroidery frOm Circassia in the Russian exhibit is greatly admired. —American leather has attracted great attention from foreign, visitors, and the exhibit is said to equal any display made by foreign exhibitors. —ln the Switzerland exhibit there is a carved chess table,, with American heroes for one set of men and European figures of priests and kings for the other. —A bell in the German section weighing 500 pounds strikes ever hour. It is operated by clock-work enclosed in a glass case, which is open to the inspection of visitors. —The Centennial has been a great hastener of marriages. People have rushed into matrimony so as to go to the Centennial and On their wedding tour at the same time. —-Col. Clay, Chief of the Centennial Police, says that SI,OOO will cover the value of the goods thus far stolen. More than this amount was stolen the first day at the Vienna Exposition. —Quite as remarkable as the fact that the Krupp gun in Machinery Hall points directly at the French section, is that the eyes of the statue of Commodore Barry on the Total Abstinence fountain are riveted upon the immense Union Jack floating over the British Government building. —Philadelphia Timet. —Since the Centennial Fourth passed away with an odor of burnt fire crackers and an epidemic of calico flags, the demand for old men has visibly declined, and a revolutionary party aetat one hundred and fourteen years, who was quoted at twenty-five cents a peep three weeks ago, has now resumed his occupation as a wood-sawyer in Burlington, and attracts no more attention than the alien who only floated over day before yesterday. — Burlington Hawk-Eye. —Nobody seemed curious to know why that half-grown, countrified-looking boy in plain clothes, and not very stylish clothes, either, shopld be allowed within the indenture, attended by a fine-look-ing United States army officer, who was explaining to him the working of the different machines. A hundred more young ladies will never know how indifferent they passed by the heir of the crown of Sweden, Prince Oscar.— Philadelphia Letter in San Frnncitco Bulletin. —There was a celebration of the Centennial Fourth at a town called V irgil in New York, which was remarkable for the fact that the same orator, the same reader of the Declaration, the same Deacon who offered prayer, and the same Marshal officiated who had conducted the ceremonies of the celebration of the same day fifty years before. In this respect, the celebration at Virgil had probably no counterpart in the Union, and it is not likely that it will ever be repeated. Meanwhile that location can scarcely fail to recommend itself as a desirable residence for those who hope for a long life—On the 22d of August the annual regatta of the National Rowing Association will commence.' The professional races will be rowed in heats of three miles, one and a half mile and return. All races will be subject to the laws of boat racing, adopted by the National Association. There will be three boats in each heat, the winners ,of the heats rowing off in threes until the victory is won. The course is on the Schuylkill, from Falls bridge down to Rockland. The amateur races will be rowed in heats one and a half miles straight away. There will be four races—fours, pairs, double sculls and single sculls —lasting three days. The amateur oarsmen will contend for challenge prizes, consisting of silver-plate, punch-bowls, goblets, etc., elegantly decorated. These challenge prizes are subject to capture each summer. Ou the 25th of August a whale will be harpooned in! the Bchuyl. kill, and a half-dozen whaling crews will

be here from the coast of New En; gland to participate in the coateet. •n the following day these visiting whalers will race in whale-boats, two oars on one side and three on the other, for med als offered by the Centennial commission. On the 28ttta)f August the grand International Rowing regatta will commence, lasting two weeks. This race will be open to all regularly organized boat clubs throughout the world. The prizes will he a niece of plate each, for fours, pain, double sculls, and single sculls, ana centennial medals will be presented to each man rowing in the race, of gold for the winding crew, of silver for the second crcWj and bronze for the remainder of the fleet. The re will be an international college race for four-oared shells for a piece of plate and gold . medals to the winning crew, open only to under-graduates, ana an international graduates’ race, fouroared sheila, open only to graduates of colleges or universities, for a piece of plate and gold medals to the lucky crew,Professional races will also be held, open to all professional oarsmen throughout tbe world, for four-oared, pair-oarea and sin-gle-skull shells, for large purses.