THE CHRISTCHURCH INDUSTRIAL EXHIBITION.

Evening Star, Issue 6479, 21 December 1883, Page 4

THE CHRISTCHURCH INDUSTRIAL EXHIBITION.

[Fbom Ouu Special Reporter,] No. ir. The Exhibition so far promises to he a financial success, it having up to this (Wednesday) evening been visited by fully 10,000 persons. During the daytime things are pretty quiet in the building, almost the only visitors being people from the country, who make a day of it and return home at night; but in the evenings the towns people flock there in crowds, there being nothing on in the way of counterattractions, and the annexes making a capital promenade, well lit as they are by hundreds of little electric lamps. There is also plenty of music, Mr Landergan performing on the organ in the large art gallery In between the selections by the brass or string baud in the rotunda. The promoters have »o far been favored with very fine weather, which is still another inducement for people to spend a couple of hours In strolling round the show. An interesting feature is the machinery in motion, and especially that by which the electric light is produced, The engine by which the dynamos are driven ia by Messrs Scott Bros,, of Christchurch. It la on tho horizontal highpres'ure condensing principle, has an llin cylinder and 20in stroke, and is Invariably surrounded by spectators anxious to gain an idea as to how the brilliant light is produced. A power-loom in full work, turning out tartan shawls, is exhibited by the Kaiapoi Woollen Company, and this invariably has its crowd of Interested observers ; as also has a hand carpet loom, contributed by Mr N. Mitchell, of Woolstou, Several other machines will shortly be sot in motion, but at present these are all. Coming to the general exhibits, I find that of c .triages and kindred v;-hides thereis a splendid array, extending right alonj one of the long annexe? 1 , Messrs W. Muor and Co., of Christchurch, exhibit half-a-dozen varieties of vehicle, the most prominent being a magnificent roomy brougham of very substantial budd. They have a'so a handsome Oxford-cart, something after tho stylo of a do?-cart; a waggonette on the English principle; and some well-constructed Victorian and Abbott buggies. Their work appears good throughout, and b<*ars a high finish. Messrs Elmsley and Curlett, of Christchurch, show a neat dog-cart fitted with patent sliding seat, a well-built double-seated buggy, and a very pretty pony cart in olivo-green and gold, Messrs Boon and Stevens, of Christchurch, have but one exhibit -a nice dogcart ; but Messrs Steel Bros,, of Addington, have three. These arc a dimisutive pony phaeton of seemingly extra strong build, and two light but serviceable-looking buggies. Mr A. C, Howland, of Christchurch, ia a large exhibitor, contributing half a dozen vehicles of superior workmanship Perhaps the handsomest among them are a waggonette on the Howland principle in black and red, and a dogcirt in similar colors. There is also a neat little phaeton which is greatly admired by visitors, It will be seen that the local carriage-builders have laid themselves out to make as good a show as possible, while, as stated by mo yesterday, there la but one Dunedin firm opposed to them. Under the same heading as tho last come agricultural implements, ia which Messrs Andrews and Beaven, of Christchurch, show some of their patent chisff-cutters, corncrushers, and horse-gearc, the clever improvements in which have been so prominently brought before the public at recent agricultural shows. It is a noteworthy feature of this firm’s exhibits that they are not furbished up In an elaborate manner specially for show purposes, but are in the same condition as when delivered to a purchaser; and they therefore stand on their own intrinsic) merits as machines. _ Much the same may be said of the goods displayed by Messrs Booth, M Donald, and Co., of Christchurch, which, though showing fine workmanship and finish, are not polished up till they reflect objects like mirrors, but are in plain, serviceable condition. Among them are single, double, and treble-furrow ploughs; a double cheeso-presa, seed sower, disc-harrow, and retipur, Messrs P. and D, Duncan, of Christchurch, contribute one single-furrow and three double-furrow ploughs, one of tho latter having a bean-plant or and another a potato-planter attached, which principle must save a great amount of time and labor. This firm’s articles are resplendent with polish and artistic

painting, but there can bo no gainsaying the serviceable quality of tholr machines, however prfctttly these Exhibition rumples are made up. Tho only other exhibitors in the class wifi bn Messrs Herd and Gctf, ff Dunedin, whoso goods ato', as J have stated, not yet in hand. leUha open quadrangle Messrs Andrews and Craven dh6# norm of their larger exhibits, while sopm very fine idim-drnys are displayed by Messrs P, ftnd D, Duncan. Messrs Booth. Macdonald, and 09. also have a number of good drays here, and & high iron windmill In addition. Mr John Anderson, of Christchurch, contributes two largo boilers on the Oornxsn principle With Gslloway tubes; and Mr J. Orrimpton, of Christchurch, several ranges in Addition to S .pfimber which he hasmeidfl the building. A fine HoOk of, Port Chalmers bluestone, fully 15ft in Idhgth ftbu jSin thick"-'!* perfect young monolith—is shown by Mr William Stocks, of Christchurch, as a sampo hf the best Otago building atone. Mr W. Price, tu Christchurch, shows the working of his ingenious hydraulic force-pump, which, though but a small affair, throws a good jet of water about 40ft high. It is a cheap pump, and is so fitted to a sort of barrow as to be easily portable,

Tfie class for iron, brass, and other castings has filled badly so far as brass-work Is concerned, but in iron-casilngs, stovfea !sud ranges there ore a very large number of exhibits, tbotigh Dunedin is hero again conspicuous by its absence. Messrs Scott Bros., of Christchurch, have marly !00ft frontage filled with excellent work in this department, including some beautifully-finished cooking ranges of various s’zes, the more expensive being tot off with handsome tiles at the hack and with plated fronts. In castings for verandahs and balustrade? they have executed some very tasteful work, and also in the cast backs and arms of their garden seats, of which there is much variety, Fountains of various sizes and neat patterns are also shown by this firm, Mr Crompton has here his principal display of stoves and ranges, many of which are elaborately fitted up. Mr R. Buchanan, of Christchurch, exhibits a variety of ornamental castings of elegant design, and Mr T. Atkinson, of Christchurch, several neat ranges fitted into mantelpieces. The best arranged exhibits in this department are, however, those of Mr T. J. Watters, of Christchurch, who has built bis ranges Into brick so as to show their exact appearance when fixed in a house, attaching baths to the hot water apparatus also, and thus furnishing aperfect idaaof their principle, These ranges are exceedingly handsome, and thegoneral effect of tho arrangement of Mr Watters’s recess is very striking. Messrs J. and T. Danks, of Christchurch, contribute a quantity of wellfinished brasswork in tho way of engineers’ sundries; also a variety of pumps and goods in the gasfitting and plumbing linos. Mr J. T. Harrow, of Christchurch, sends r.ome braes bedsteads and gas-burners and regulators; while Me*srs Taylor and Oakley, of Christchurch,_&ie represented by a good assortment of galvanised .ironwork, bright and japanned tinware, and the like. Plumbers’ and gasfitters’ work Is shown by Messrs Hement Bros., of Christchurch, who have adopted a principle of burnt joints in their lead work with considerable advantage. Mr J. Venables, of Christchurch, exhibits a esse of his patent lead-headed wiro nails specially suitable for iron roof and wall work ; and Mr R. Billons, of Christchurch, shows a miscellaneous collection of travelling lamps, said to be proof against any weather, plated caps and nuts, and other articles. The Christchurch Barbed Wire Company furnish specimens of their particular ware, and a few other exhibits that are catalogued have yet to come to hand. There is already, however, plenty in the ciass with which I have just been dealing to make it one of tho strongest points of the Exhibition. The terracotta and pottery department is another that has filled especially well, though all the exhibits, except a few from tbo Milton Pottery Works, are produced in Canterbury. Messrs Ford and Ogdon surmount their stand of goods with the following lines _ from Deuteronomy:—“ For tho Lord God bringeth thee into a good land, aland of brooks of water, of fountain# and depths that spring out of valley s and hills; a land of wheat, and barley, and vines, and fig trees, and pomegranates ; a land of olive aud honey; a land wherein thou shalfc cat bread without scarceness —thou shalt not lack anything in it—a land whose stones Are iron, and out of whose hills thou mayest dig brass,” The language is very pretty, but tbo quotation seems scarcely applicable to the pottery business,, while tho part referring to the eating of bread without scarceness reads rather like a cruel satire on the present condition of the working community of Christchurch, several hundreds of whom have been unable to earn a shilling for some_ time past. However, the firm in question evidently employ & number of hands, from the quantity aud variety of their exhibits, which are set off to groat advantage by tho manner in which they are arranged. Their larger wares are glased water-pipes, ranging up to 2ft in diameter, aud chimney-pots of various designs ; but they also turn out fire-bricks, tiles of all descriptions, flower-pots, jars, basins, and other articles of domestic uso. These are all made at ttelr Malvern works, Austin, Kirk, and Co have also a fine display in this line, a special department of their business being apparently i tho turning out of earthenware vases of all sizes up to 3ft or 4ft high. Butter and preserve jars appoat to be another strong point with this Company, who add a good deal to the attractions of tha Exhibition by having two or three of their hands at work in tho building turning out wares by the aid of a potter’s wheel. Tho Springfield Coal Company have an interesting display of terra cotta, fire-clay, and glazed wares; aaf Mr W. Smith, of Sydenham, an assortment of terra cotta goods.