Rensselaer Republican, Volume 17, Number 16, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 December 1884 — OPENING THE EXHIBITION. [ARTICLE]

OPENING THE EXHIBITION.

One Electric Touch in the White House Thrills New Orleans with Delight. The President Opens the World’s Fair by Telegraph, and Makes a Fitting Address. * f ■■ - Speeches in the Exposition Building, and Official Welcome—The Ponderous , Wheels in Motion. [New Orleans special] The day for the opening of the World’s Industrial and Cotton Centennial Exposition dawned clear and pleasant, and nothing was left undone to make the opening ceremonies brilliant and imposing. Never before have the streets of the city been crowded with people as Every incoming train is loaded down with visitors, and the bustle* and turmoil as they hurry oft in search of accommodations reminds one of the scenes during the Centennial in Philadelphia. Already the hotels are lull, and great difficulty is experienced in obtaining good qua; ters. The city presents a gala appearance. The buildings along the principal streets are s profusely decorated. Flags, banners, bunting of all colors and decora.ive designs have b en tastefully arranged along the house fronts, while at many of the more prominent street corners triumphal arches have been erected. In the vicinity of the Exposition Buildings the scene this morning was one of groat activity. Men and boys wire hurrying to and fro, while inside the exhibitors or their representatives were busily engaged in superintending the finishing touches for the formal opening. As early as 8 o’clock the military and civic bodies who were to take part in the procession of the day began to form at the armories, and several detachments of the visiting militia paraded the streets headed by their bands, who played stirring airs as they marched to the places wfilch they propose to make their headquarters during their stay. It is estimated by good judges that fully 50,000 strangers are in the city. Shortly after 10 o’clock the procession, composed of the officers of the Exposition, commissioners of foreign countries, the United States Government, and several States, and distinguished visitors and citizens, formed and began the march to the levee, where was moored the magnificent steamer Fred A. Blanks, draped in aU the colors of the rainbow. The procession marched aboard the Blacks, which swung out into the stream and headed for tho lower limits of the corporation so as to traverse the entire lqngth of the city on the trip np the stream, giving those aboard a view of the entire shipping moored along the fifteen miles of river front. Beaching the lower end of the city the Blanks turned and sped np the stream; her course along the route being a signal for salutes from the war ships and ocean vessels and the screaming whistles of the steamboats. Every vessel was tastefully decorated with flags, and the crews on the decks and in the rigging cheered as the Blanks passed. The boat landed at the Exposition wharf at noon, and the party prqceeded to the Milsic Hall, in the main building, where the opening ceremonies were held. When the procession reached the building the 11.000 seats in the hall were almost filled by persons who had started for the park before the procession moved, while thousands congregated in gronps around the vast auditorium, When the Exposition officers and commissioners had taken their places on the platform the orchestra struck nn the “President's March." The reception of Gov. S. L. MoEnery followed, and the orchestra played national airs. The Kev. T. DeWitt Talmage, pf Brooklyn Tabernacle, then offered prayer, at the conclusion of which Governor McEnery began the opening address. The Governor referred to the magnitude of the Exposition and the benefit It would confer on the whole country, especially the South, to whom international expositions had hitherto been unknown, and expressed the belief that the intercourse of people from the different sections of the countw would bring the States closer together, socially and politically, than they had been for a third of a cetatury. The Exposition poem of Mrs. Mary Ashley Townsend (“Xariffa”) was then read, at tjie conclusion of which Mayor J. V. GuHlotte welfomed the visitors to the Crescent City, promising them courteous and fair treatment by her citizens. Director General Major E. A. Burk then presented the Exposition bnildings to President Ed Richardsoii in a brief address. Colonel Richardson in turn presented the buildings to President Arthur by telegraph. A telegraphic response was received and read frqm the President officially announcing the opening of the Exposition. The machinery began to move slowly, followed by the whirr of tw'O miles of shafting. Governor McEnery then received the commissioners and distinguished visitors amid a burst of national airs from the orchestra, and the proceedings came to a close.

While the building is apt entirely completed, and while halt the exhibits are not yet arranged, still as much progress has already been made as at any international exposition on opening day. The management has tised every endeavor to push the work as last as possible, and the delay has been rather the fault of the exhibitors than of officials. Everything was in readiness for the former, and they simply did not take advantage of It. Great delay, however, was caused by a blockada of railroads. Many hundred cars of exhibits have not yet reached the grounds, the jam being especially heavy on the Illinois Central and Louisville and Nashville. These cars will be brought in rapidly, and by the tinag the holidays are over everything will be in complete order. In the main building one third of the space is as yet unoc- , copied, but exhibitors arp putting up their platforms rap! dly. Those displays complete represent every conoeivable article of manufacture, from a needle to the mammoth Harris-Corllss engine. All the displays are tasty, and maDy are elegant and rich. The space for foreign exhibits In this building is almost entirely vacant. This is Caused by the rigid enforcement of customs regulations. Over a thousand tons of foods of the loom are lying in bonded warehouses and aboard ships, although the management used-every endeavor to secure a modification of the customs rules, mad the usual formalities attending the entry of imports, and, although they were seconded by customs officials here, and the Treasury Department at Washington seemed willing to make some concessions, only last night Collector Badger received an order from Secretary McCulloch to allow all articles intended for the exhib t to be sent' to the grounds immediately without being disturbed in any way. Bond swili be required von small articles of great value, which will be given by the Exposition'management. Under the order ail foreign exhibits will be immediately sent to the grouuds in bonded Barges and rapidly arranged in their departments. A large num tier of arrivals from Europe will not reach here until the arrival of the steamer Great Eastern, which sails from London on Friday These latter are expected to be in position early in January. By far the largest.and most interesting of foreign exhibits will be that of Mexico, and their building has just been completed, caused by a delay in the iron work at Pittsburg. In the Government Building there seems to have been unreasonable dehty on the part pf the commissioners and owners. The United States exhibit is a magnificent one, but is not yet oomplete. The Smithsonian Institution and geological department are well adrai£ed, and very little can be added to them. Almost every arrivat of prehistoric times and the p eseut day is seen in the former’s sj ace, from the mammoth that ocennies a l«rge portion dr the gallery to the small: st fish. The l atent Office is represented by thousands of models, some of whieh are novel and interesting. The State Department is const: noting a large glass globe, which will represent the world in miniature, .both from inside and exterior. It will be transparent, and one standing within will have a bird'S-eye view of the entire globe, its commerce, its- population,, etc. The Navy Department has a very creditable exhibit, though nob as yet completed. Here are seen models of every class or vessels and defensive and offensive apnam'-nt. A large portion of this spa -e is fil ed by artioies brought back from, the arctic regions by the Greely relief party. These attracted more attention than any other single exhibit. Ami ng them were the suits worg by the men, sledges, sleeping bags, and canvas cases for provisions, with the sailboat of the party. Some of the State exhibi’s are comidete, some in an embryo sta e, and others not begun. In the second class is Illinois. Her display is being rapidly pr Ssed, however, and will be oomplete in lestTthan a wee;. Ohio is building a beautifully constructed skyblue bobbiaet, interspersed with stars, an exceedingly find effect being produced, th« domes being a picture of the beevens is mirrored in a sheet of water. The Spates presenting the fittest displays are Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Virginia, D laware, New Jersey: all ot New Eng t.nd, except Connecticut; Indiana, v ebrasfct, California,and Dakota and Wyoming Territories All of th se present every pi o.luct of their soils, mines, and., waters. Most of the otlmr 6 a tea are fir behind, notably New York an i Pen syiyania. Loot tana and Mississippi, perhaps, show the most surprised the best-inf ormed of ' ..... ■ '-I'Vr. i

The mineral display from the Western and Pacific coast States could not bo finer or moro complete. Every prothtDifOf mines in the shape of ores and metals is shown. The ftne.-tand mo*;, picturesque disp'ay in this building is that of the Chicago, Milwaukee <fc St. I’aul Railroad. In a large Swiss chalet built of sheaves of grain, with o namonts of corn in the ears, is every vegetable raise ! in the vast section of country through which the road passes. The art gallery Was hot completed in sufficient time to, admit' of the hanging of pictures, which, however, are at the grounds and will be put up in a week. The art collection is said to be exceedingly fine, containing gems of the best artists, and connoisseurs declare it will equal any ever exhibited. Horticultural Hall is a Garden of Eden. Every flower, seed, and plant of the tropics and temperate zones is seen. -Even In its present - stage nothing can compare with it ever before presented. Altogether, while the Exposition is not yet in as complete, order as its management and its friends desired on opening, day, it will fully repay a trip across the continent. One cannot see ex-hibfts ndw presented in a day, or even in a week. The first day leaves the visitor's mind in a whirl, and he passes over so much space that he really does not know what hi has seen. Booths that would hold the attention for an hour, if standing alone, are. passed unnoticed jn a vain attempt to cover the mammoth buildings at a single visit. It was never expected that a stream of visitors would set in Until after the holidays, and the attendance today was exceedingly gratifying. Fully 20,000 attended the ceremonies in the main building, and many thousand more were scattered about the grounds. Several lines of cars and steamboats conveyed the crowd to and from the grounds, with much less crush than was' anticipated, the waiting at no time becoming tedious. It is generally admitted, however, that the accommodations are not yet sufficient, and by the middle of January a double-track road, with large passenger coaches, will be ready for the public. Visitors to-day showed no disappointment at the incomplete state of the work, but, on the contrary, those who attended the opening of the Centennial expressed surprise at the progress made and the smoothness with which things were conducted. -- -■ ■■ -■ ■ ■ - ■ ——r They say in two weeks the Exposition will be what the management has claimed—the grandest international fair ever held. The greeting of Major Burke, the Director General, by the vast audience, was spontaneous, hearty and long continued. He had to pause ten minutes before the applanse subsided, and it was a fitting tribute to the man who had worked eighteen hours a day for six months to make the affair a success, attending to every detail of work. Sabordinates did nothing that had not his supervision, and to his efforts are due the present advanced condition of affairs.