The Portland daily press., 1874-06-10
THE INDUSTRIAL EXHIBITION
The Work of the Artisan and the
Manufacturer.
z GRAND OPENING AT CITY HALL.
Speeches by Hon. w. w. Thomas, Jr G
p. KimbaII, Esq, and Gov. DingIey.

KimbaII, Esq, and Gov. DingIey.
The compiler of gazetteers does not place
Portland in the rank of manufacturing cities,
nor indeed do our citizens generally. We
have, and justly, prided ourselves upon our
commercial enterprise and reputation, looking
upon great manufactures as not for us. But,
while we have been fostering our railroad sys-
TEN, and taking measures to increase oui
wharfage facilities and tenderly nursing the
: reviving industry of ship-building, our manu-
features have grown apace With no bare OF
trumpets, with no special encouragement,
almost without notice, they have steadily gone
on in prosperous ways, and are now manifest
ing themselves in an increasing population, in
increasing taxable property, in an increasing
demand for rents, and in steady and profita
BILE trade in time of general commercial and
industrial stagnation. The rebuilding of the
city after the fire of 1866 brought to us many
skilled artisans These men settled with us,
and after the fever of building was over cast
about them for means to earn an honest liveli-
hood and to acquire competency for them
selves and their families. The result is seen
in City Hall to-day.
1t is we'll to bear in mind that these manu-
features, of which we are just beginning to be
proud, are not merely of local repute. Port
land carriages roll over the pavements of every
city in the Union. Portland canned goods
carry to every winter dining table in the
North the choicest products of the August
kitchen garden. Portland surgical instru-
ments are in use at the operating stands of the
great hospitals of New York and Philadelphia
Woolen and cotton cloths from mills built and
carried on by Portland capital are spread on
the counters of the merchant princes of the
Middle States and the West Portland sugars
are quoted in all the markets, and Portland
matches kindle fires alike in the mansions of
the wealthy and the huts of the laborer.
throughout New England. Nor is it alone of
objects of utility we boast, for the magnificent
marines of Portland artist are to be seen
upon the walls of the academy, or holding
places of honor in the libraries and drawing
rooms of men of culture and artistic taste.
An exhibition of our varied industrial pro-
ducts could not be otherwise than entertaining
and instructive. 1t is surprising that the plan
did not come to birth sooner. To the Board of
Manufactures the credit for its projection, and
successful carrying out as Swallowed forth in
the grand opening last evening, is due. A
glance at the halls will convince our readers
shat the undertaking was encompassed with
difficulties, and that it necessitated vas
amount of work. More than two hundred ent
tries have been made, and the result is one
upon which Portland has reason to congratu-
late itself The products of industry and in
ventive skill on every hand deserve more than
passing notice. That careful attention and
detailed description which their merits require
cannot be given in the compass of one or two
newspaper articles. For these reasons it has
been thought advisable to divide up theI halls
into sections, and to take up these sections day
by day, giving full descriptions of the useful
% and interesting objects encountered in a stroll
through the exhibition rooms. This morning
we content ourselves with an account of the
opening exercises last evening
Our business men have freely res ponded to
the call, and the City Building is filled with
the fabrics turned out from our manufactures
and workshops. On every hand are to be seen
evidences of industries, the existence of which
has been until now scarcely known On enter
ing the building at the foot of the great stair
case, the heavy articles too cumbrous to climb
stairs without being wnded, are placed. At
the head of the stairway huge casks, fitted to
contain liquor enough to satisfy the thirst OF
Gargantua greet the eye. In addition to these
the upper corridor is filled with those agricul-
tural implements which Portland sends out for
the use of the hardy and industrious farmers of
the State, and with some splendid specimens of
Portland taste in mantel-peces. Reception
Hall is devoted to the display of the carpet
weaving machine, to certain roofing prepare
lions and to the exhibition of the fine arts.
On entering the main hall the visitor finds
refrigerator guarding one side of the entrance
and steam radiator the other. He hesitates
wondering if he is expected to pay his money
and take his choice of the poles or the tropics
The same curious medley greets the eye OF
every hand. A fine array of clothing ranging
from the fantastic habiliments of the knights
Templar to the plain garments of the ordinary
citizen, occupies place near that last carmen
called with CHASTITY humor, the wooden over
coat" Near this. with unconscious sarcasm
the assigning committee has placed box O
medicines. Something daunted by this practi
cal illustration of the eternal fitness of things
the visitor hastens to goodly array of bottles
pleasantly suggestive of the vineyards of Bur
gundy and the Rhine, but to his horror finds
them filled with pickles. To counterfeit SO
many quart jars of acidity he repairs to tables
where barrels of sugar and cruets of syrup and
heaps of candy may sweeten his Imagination.
On the left Of the hall he finds carriages,
sleighs, some specimens of machinery and a
coil of solder. which he is assured is over q
mile in length.-if he don't believe it he can
measure it, At the very rear of the hall are
the pottery works in full operation turning Out
vases of fantastic forms which he may, if he
be of cinerary turn of mind, imagine to be
semblances of the funeral vases of old Rome
The centre of the room is filled with multi
tude of Objects which it would take column
to even enumerate. Upon the wide platform
built out from the galleries are displays of fur
niture and other articles The sights are in
teresting and instructive, and almost endless in
variety. Only visit can give a satisfactory
idea The noticeable and pleasing feature il
the absence of pretension. Nearly all the
goods on exhibition are in their every day
clothes, are the usual products of the work
shops and the mill, and are not extra products
turned out for special occasion.
The formal opening took place last evening
The hall, primarily llgLCeu 1or tHe OCCASION
was crowded with spectators, there being many
strangers present.
At few minutes past eight the members Of
of the Board of Manufactures, accompanied by
members of the City Government, appeared on
the platform with the invited guests Governor
Dingey, ex-Gov. Perham, DR.. Corliss of New
York the Maine Medical Society and many
prominent citizens At the moment of theil
appearance the Portland Band, stationed in
the gallery at the rear of the hall, struck up a
march.
Hon. w. W. Thomas, Jr. with the following
remarks introduced Charles p. Kimball, Esq,
as the speaker of the evening:
Ladies' and Gentlemen This is the first
Industrial Exhibition ever attempted in Port
land-and this grand hall-the acropois of our
clty-crowded with the varied and beautiful
products of our workshops and manufactures,
and your presence here to- night in such ooodly
numbers make the first Industrial Exhibition
success and demonstrate the Importance Of
Portland as a manufacturing centre
This enterprise was originated, organized and
perfected by the Portland Board of Manufac.
lures. whose efforts have been actively and
warmly seconded by our mechanics and manu-.