certify to special attainments. The College is open to persons of all religious beliefs, and to both sexes.

The Medical and Surgical Sanitarium or Health Institute has a site of twenty acres, with a main building and six cottages. The treatment of patients is dietetic and hydropathic, associated with exercise and recreation, medicines being seldom or never given.

Battle Creek is the center of denominational effort by the Adventists for the United States, and it may be said also for the world. They take their name from their regarding and observing the seventh day of the week as the Sabbath, and from their belief in the early second coming of the Saviour, predicated upon what is regarded as scripture evidences, or the existence and occurrence of facts at the present time that are regarded as fulfilling the prophecies indicating the nearness of the coming, although their belief is so far distinct from the Millerite belief of a few years ago, that they do not pretend to fix any definite time for that event. They claim to have no creed as a test of admission to church fellowship, other than a general belief in the truths of the Bible, and require abstinence from the use of tobacco as a matter of personal cleanliness. Their general practice is, however, entire abstinence from tobacco, pork, and intoxicating liquors. In fact, the flesh of animals is regarded as gross food, and, although not forbidden, is seldom partaken of by them.

There are State conferences, and one General Conference of the United States, the fourteenth annual session of which was held at Battle Creek, August 15, 1875. There are in the United States 339 churches, with an enrolled membership of 8,022, although it is believed that if all the adherents, who are widely scattered, could be enumerated, there would be at least double that number. Ministers, 69; licentiates, 76. Missionary and tract society efforts are maintained by a systematic plan of propagandism, based on the contribution of ten per cent of the income of each member of the denomination. Camp meetings are held during the summer months. Worship is generally maintained in the churches without a preacher or minister. The ministers are usually at work on missionary ground extending the principles of the church.

TELE

VII. MACHINERY AND MANUFACTURES.

HE representation of machinery and manufactured articles from Michigan was quite meagre, owing to the extreme depression at the time existing in general business, and especially among manufacturers. The expense of transportation and superintendence was more than most manufacturers felt that they could afford to incur. This department was specially in charge of Messrs. Mills and Fralick, of the State Centennial Board, who made every possible effort to awaken manufacturers to the importance of the occasion, both by the distribution of circulars, by letters, and by personal appeals. But although these efforts failed to secure as full a representation in this department as was desired, the gentlemen in charge of the department found ample field for work. Mr. Mills, from his residence in Detroit, found himself, by a sort of necessity, called to act, in connection with Governor Bagley, as a voluntary executive committee on very many matters connected with the duties of the Centennial Board. It was largely through their efforts, assisted by Mr. Noble, the secretary, that funds and material were procured for the Michigan Building. Mr. Mills spent about five weeks at Philadelphia during the Exhibition, visiting there at two different times, in June and November, giving his attention to Michigan interests. In connection with others of the Board, he also visited Philadelphia in the fall of 1875, selecting the site for the Michigan Building. Mr. Fralick directed and mailed nearly 5,000 circulars and wrote about 2,000 letters, and visited personally all important points in the western part of the State; and it was due to his efforts that the manufacturing interests of Grand Rapids were so well represented. He also assisted materially in the collection and forwarding of agricultural products, fruit and forestry, from his section of the State. He went to Philadelphia in April, before the opening of the Exhibition, remaining until the latter part of May, and made two other visits there during the summer, giving his personal attention to the Michigan features of the Exhibition, to the erection and finishing of the Michigan Building, and in many other ways devoting his time and practical ability to the work of placing Michigan in the best presentable form before the world. Mr. Fralick spent in all over six months' time in and about the Commission work.

FURNITURE AND WOODEN-WARE.

The wealth of forestry possessed by Michigan, the abundance of water-power, and the facilities for transportation, both by water and railway, give to the State especial advantages for the manufacture of all articles made largely from wood. Grand Rapids, with its great water-power, and its connection with the great hard and soft wood forests of Michigan, by means of the Grand river and its tributaries, very naturally became the site of furniture manufacture by machinery. This business was commenced in 1857 by C. C. Comstock. From that year to 1859, the shipments amounted in value to from $6,000 to $8,000 a year. By increasing machinery the value of products was increased nearly tenfold in 1863. That year Mr. Comstock received James M. and Ezra T. Nelson as partners, and in 1865 sold his interest to Tileston A. Comstock, M. G. Colson and James A. Pugh, and the firm of Nelson, Comstock & Co. was established. This continued till 1870, when Mr. E. Matter bought the interest of Mr. Comstock, and the firm of Nelson, Matter & Co. resulted. In 1872 Mr. S. S. Gay purchased Mr. Colson's interest, without changing the firm name. The value of the furniture shipped by this firm soon increased to $20,000 a month, and extensive buildings have been erected for manufacture and storage. The exhibit of Nelson, Matter & Co. at the Centennial consisted of a costly bedstead, dressing-case and bureau, of elaborately carved Michigan black walnut and French burl, with ebony pillars. The distinguishing feature of the bedstead was the carved niches for statuary, so that when the statue of Washington was placed in the center niche, and other appropriate statuary in the others, the bedstead possessed a historical character which secured for it the name of the "Centennial Bedstead." The price of the bedstead was $6,000, and of the set $10,000. It was the most elaborate and costly set of bedroom furniture exhibited.

In 1859 Mr. Julius Berkey commenced the manufacture of furniture by machinery in the upper part of William A. Berkey's planing mill. The busi ness grew from a very small beginning to large proportions, resulting in the formation of the firm of Berkey Brothers & Gay, and ultimately in the Berkey & Gay Furniture Company, incorporated under the statute, in 1873. In 1874 the new company added a massive five-story building to their other factory buildings, and in 1875 they opened a branch establishment in New York city. The company employ about 350 men, and the furniture finds a market in every state in the Union, in Great Britain, and in Australia. The bedroom set

exhibited by this company consisted of a bedstead, bureau and dressing-stand of Michigan black walnut, with French burl veneer panels.

In 1870 William A. Berkey, formerly senior of the firm of Berkey Brothers & Gay, became president of a new company, entitled the "Phoenix Manufacturing Company," which in 1872 was changed to the "Phoenix Furniture Company," with $300,000 capital. A six-acre lot on the Converse addition to Grand Rapids has been built over for the factory, with railroad tracks at each end of the lot. The principal building is 75×450 feet, and the premises cost over $150,000. The exhibit of this company consisted of one suite made for exhibition, consisting of bedstead, dressing-case, etc., manufactured of Michigan walnut, with French burl panels. The price of this suite is $3,000. It was elaborately carved and highly finished. Another suite was taken from the regular stock of the company, and was similar to the other except in the carved work, which was not so elaborate, the price of this suite being $500. The other articles exhibited consisted of a hall stand, a sideboard, and a table. The officers of the company are: William A. Berkey, president; J. W. Converse, vice-president; B. A. Harlan, secretary; O. L. Howard, treasurer. These, together with Adolph Leitelt, W. L. Graham, W. D. Tolford, Eben Smith, and C. G. Swensberg, are members of the board of directors.

The furniture business is extensively carried on, in its various branches, by other firms and companies in Grand Rapids that did not exhibit at the Centennial, it having become the leading manufacturing interest of that city.

STOVE MANUFACTURE.

The modern stove, as an article of human convenience and comfort-in its variety of construction and adaptation, no less than in the universality of its use is so great an advance upon what was known or conceived of even at the beginning of the present century, that any reference to more primitive methods for heating and cooking would demand a full chapter. The modern air-tight stove is said to have been the invention of Emanuel Swedenborg, at Stockholm, Sweden, who was a scientist of great repute before he became noted as a seer or prophet. The various modifications since are all based on the airtight principle. The common Dutch stove is the simplest in use. It generally consists of a cylindrical case of sheet-iron, within and near the bottom of which is a grating for containing the fuel. There is an ash-pit beneath the grating, and three openings to the interior-one to the ash-pit, one for introducing the fuel above, and one leading to a flue or chimney. When the fuel-door is closed

and the ash-door open, there is then one aperture by which cold air can enter, and another by which the smoke can escape. There is with this stove great economy of fuel and an absence of smoke and dust. In Germany stoves are on the same principle, but more ornamental. The Russians use earthenware and even brick-work, instead of metal, as a means of avoiding the intensity of the iron stove, and of keeping up a reserve of heat even after the fire is extinguished. The Russian stove is built in a massive style, and consists of a series of chambers, of which the lowest serves as a fire-place, and the upper ones as flues, and being entirely composed of brick and porcelain, the outer surface remains at a moderate temperature for a very long period. Dr. Arnot, who published his work in England, in 1838, sought to overcome the most serious objection to iron stoves, which is, the effect of highly heated iron in decomposing the heterogeneous particles always floating in the air, producing a burnt and sulphurous odor, exercising a dry and shriveling effect on objects in the room, and producing headache and giddiness to those exposed to it. His plan was to obtain a considerable extent of surface, heated not much above 200 degrees, as a means of warming apartments. He caused a water stove or tank to be constructed, with a fire-box in the center, and by certain arrangements for regulating admission of air and emission of smoke, he kept the water at the boiling temperature. This being expensive and difficult to manage, he dispensed with the water and surrounded the fire merely with a body of air. He also adjusted the air-valves so as to be self-regulating. This he called a "thermometer stove," which he used in his library during the severe winter of 1836-7. He thus kept the temperature of the room uniformly sixty to sixtythree degrees with six pounds of coal-less than three cents worth—a day. Since 1838 many varieties of stoves have been invented, which were displayed at the Centennial. In this display Michigan took a prominent part, for the manufacture of stoves has of late years become an important feature of Michigan industry.

Previous to 1864 the people of Michigan and of other northwestern states were almost wholly supplied with stoves from Albany and Troy, New York. In that year the Detroit Stove Works Company was organized, with W. H. Tefft as president, Jeremiah Dwyer as superintendent, and H. J. Fisk as secretary. This pioneer company commenced work in small wooden buildings on Mt. Elliott avenue. In 1869 they purchased a five-acre lot fronting on Jefferson avenue and Detroit river, and in 1870 they erected extensive buildings and docks. Beginning with the yearly production of 2,000 stoves, they can now finish over 30,000 stoves a year. Their paid up capital is $300,000. They