Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1876-05-18
CENTENNIAL LETTER.
Successful Opening of the Exposition-A
Gala Day i'm Philadelphia-Lot of Blunt
ing and Crowds of People.
From our regular Correspondent

Ing and Crowds of People.
From our regular Correspondent
PHILADELPHIA, May II, 1876.
The deed is done. The festal day has
come and the Centennial Exhibition is
opened. This great panorama which
is to be at once an exposition of the
growth during it's first hundred years
of the greatest nation on earth, ard of
the corresponding progress in art,
science and civilization of the whole
world, has begun its evolutions. The
ceremonies and the success of the Oc-
caSion were commensurate with the i'm
portance of the event. 1t was a gala
day for Philadelphia, and proud day
for the bird of freedom. Probably such
an immense concourse of people never
thronged the streets of the city before,
it being estimated that at least 100000
were in attendance, the assembled null
titude comprising citizens of nearly
every country on the globe. The dis
play of bunting and the flag decora-
lions of the streets and buildings ex-
ceeded anything ever witnessed on any
occasion before, lending an inspiration
of beauty, life and gayety to the scene.
The day was ushered in by the ring
ing of bells, and the firing of cannon,
and seemed like our national holiday
the 4th of July. For nearly two days
previous, rain had poured down III tor
rents, and the night before was porten-
tous of mud and water for the opening.
Yet old Prob said it would be fair, and
people stood round the hotel Hobbies and
under awnings praying that he. might
be right.
The exercises of the opening were
simple and dignified. A thousand men
in uniform, freshly organized, studded
the landscape as police. Two hundred
and fifty jurors, whose expenses will be
as many thousand dollars, were upon
the grand stand waiting to begin their
labors when the President of the Unit
ed states should open the exhibition.
Nearly three times the number of
States originally asserting to the sub
lime insubordination of Independence
were represented by their Commission
ers- The speeches were short and with
out indicate individuality; and Amer
lea, at peace with the world, produced
the martial tunes of every great nation
which were cheered without. discrimin-
alton by her multitudes. Beauty as
well as rank, graced the festive place.
There sat, near her husband, the En-
press of Brazil and daughter of the
King of the Sicilies. The Presidents
wife was a neighbor of the beautiful
lady of the Spanish Minister. A Qua
ker poet wrote the hymn of pious graf
ulation:
Our fathers God from outtwhose hand
| Theeenturies fall like grains Of sand
| We meet, to-day, united, fee,
And loyal To land and Thee.
The grand basso voice of Mr.. Whit
ney, of Boston, rose above the thou
sands of heads, producing an encore,
while the tones of prayer from Meth
odist bishop fifty expressed the undis-
couraged aspirations. of the America of
the second century. May the new
century be better than the past. More
radiant with the light of true philoso-
ply, warmer with the emanations of a
worldwide sympathy. May capital,
genius, and labor be freed from all an
tagonism by the establishment and ap-
plication of principles of justice and
equity" One thousand voices accom-
panied the great organ. In the interludes
the military bands doomed over the
wide enclosure where the soldiery res
ted on their arms. Then there wa.
silent signal, and shaken cut from the
minaret and flagstaff along the vast
profiles of the buildings, a hundred ban
ners of all nations blew in the wind.
The Exhibition of 1876 was opened
Descending from the great stand, the
President walked through the two prin-
cipal buildings on the arm of the Di-
rector General, accompanied by his
guest of Brazil and his family. and fol-
lowed by the Chief Justice, the Presi-
dent of the Senate and many others.
At the centre of Machinery Hall
stood the giant engine, grim and silent,
its doubled levers yoked to the mighty
wheel which was TO move all those
miles of shafts and betting and start to
life hundreds of machines of all des-
criptions, and thousands of spools,
shuttles and spindles. The President
having taken hold of the valve-lever of
one engine and the Emperor of that of
the other, both gave the turn simulta-
neously. In an instant the great wheel
started into motion, and the obed ent
looms began their round of six months
like an ark of machinery set afioat for
voyage to preserve.the creations of
man.
And now that the preliminaries are
disposed of can in future letters give
detailed descriptions of what there is on
exhibition. The display exceeds most
peoples anticipations. A hurried tour
through the Art Hall-of itself Joy
forever-Horticultural Hall, Agricul-
tural and Machinery Halls, the differ
ent departments of the main building
and the various foreign and state pa
vilions is only just enough to sharpen
ones curiosity and give an idea of the
immensely of the Exposition.
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