St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1876-05-19
Opening of the Centennial.
A Great Success.

Philadelphia. WAS Il success. us an
nounced last week. The Exhibition
was not complete. it cannot be so for
weeks to come: but it was more pre-
seutable than the Vienna Exposition
was at its opening on the day originally
set The arrangements for the day
seem to have been carried out with fair
efficiency. There was Il concourSe of IL
hundred and fifty thousand American
sovereigns. with their President and
his Cabinet there was IL live Emperor;
there were the diplomatic representa-
tIves of foreign nations III full court
costumes. There were the Governors
of nine or ten States Senators and
Representatives in large numbers
many distinguished officers of the army
and navy: many notabilitics from
North, South. East and West, on the
great platform. The speeches were not
too long to he endurable AMI were in
fair taste Gen. Hawley made himself
heard 10y ten thousand people. The
President WAS heard 10y hardly any body.
The music WAS Il great feature. 1t WAS
given 10y Il choir of nine hundred sing
crS. and IN orchestra of two hundred
players led 10y Theodore Thomas.
Wagner Inauguration March is called
II noble composition; but foi once
Wagner seems not to have written
noise enough Much of his march. it is
said WIS inaudible to most of the au-
dicncc. Whitticr'> fine hymn WAS SET
to IL simple and beautiful choral mclo-
dN. and seems to have produced IL
genuine effect. Dudley Buck : cantata.
is it is called, though it was really an
anthem of about seventy lines, won the
highest praise. and was admirably exc
cutcd by chorus. orchestra and organ
aud the music closed with the IIallclu-
jah chorus. The grand procession went
the rounds of the two largest EXhihi
ton buildings, led 10y President Grant.
with the Empress of Brazil on his arm,
and the Emperor OF Brazil with Mrs.
Grant on his ann: but there We're FIRE
Inrnt Interruptions of the line of march,
and the procession ut last bccamr Il
chaotic affair. The ceremony ended
with the starting OF the colossal engine
10y the hands of President Grant and
Dom Pedro. ami,i the chcrI> of the muI-
Iiludc. Thus n" great feature of the
day failed. except the procession. which
WAS perhaps the one OF least conSc-
pucncr.
CENTENNIAL NOTES.
/ ON the march To the grounds. the
/ President was seated ON the right OF
/ .oN. llatrautt. in an open barouchc
/ drawn 10y tom gray huI>,>. and I'll,
members OF his Cabinet followed in
open carriages. \ good deal of rnrhu-
>ia>m Was manifested along the line
and chccI> were tIcIurntlN given t"l
G">. Rice and the Boston military. BE
tone tine head of the column reached
the c\hihili"n "I"und> the sun cam,
"Ut in all his glory and pirrrin" heat
which rapidly dIicd up the muddy
streets. the condition OF which Was cN-
cclahl". Dunn" The playing of 'Ilai
t"lumhia. t;cmrrIl Sheridan arrive,
and WIS much .IpplaIdrd. Ou the plat
t"lm At thi~ lIu, were, hundreds ut no
table prisons. The brilliant unilulm,
of the Diplomatic Corps and the GAY
dIr>>r> "t the ladies >pahlrd in ia,
SUI. The crowd increased at rNcrl
moment. attrl 10 o'clock. until a. tal
IL the eye could reach. n"thiu. coul,
hc seen hut Singing crowd. At ten
minutes past ten O'Clock. Gen. llaWlrN
advanced to TIA" main PLATFORM. which
WAS elegantly dIaprd with flags. an,
with Il handkerchief gave Il signal Il
the orchestra. Then upI">c the gallant
Ihcndnrc Thomas, waved his hatur
once. and the inspiring notes "t Wash
In"t"m'> March We're hcaId. The crow,
broke into enthusiastic cheering. hut
speedily stopped aS the music confirm
ed. Next followed the march of TIA,
4, Il
solid and Solemn rctrair> of the Au>
tlian national hymn. The iraham
ucnrmc fnllnWcd ~ - compliment 1,
Belgium. An interesting incident thcI
occurred. ~ the great orchestra wa.
lah"riug at the national lay mn nt BIaIi
there Wa> Il stir III the crowd. then
much cheering and His Majesty Don
Pedro. accompanied 10y the EmpIc>> %
Brazil. made his way up the steps t,
the main platform followed 10y the rnya
suite clahoratclN dressed. The En-
pcr"I wore Il suit of black.
ENTHUSIASTIC EXCEPTION OF rRE>I
DENT GRANT.
just ~ the National airs we've finished
tlIc President of the United States ar
rived and WAS loudly chrcIcd. Gen
Grant came forward at once to the front
OF the platform. having entered from
the south front of the Memorial Hall
IL" WAS seated Ton Il few moments. after
which Secretary Fish arrived and al
once presented the Emperor of BraZi
T." the President. The Emperor, who
not dci%ning to u>c the privilege al
royal pcI>nragr>. had DOTTED his hat
when Gen Grant arrived. entered al
once into conversation.
Gov. Rice and his staff. the Govern
"r> of Maine aud New Hampshire. al
Vermont. and from many of the Middl,
and Western States. were on the plat
form.
THE OPENING ENEECI>E>.
After the arrival of the President TIA,
grand orchestra played the "Ccnttmnia
Inauguration March," composed for tia,
occasion hv Richard Wagner. Will,
the majestic lctIalnS, which here and
there were filled with rrcch"cs from
"IarnhaII>rr." the crowd WAS silent
and seemed much impressed. At {;
little before | | o'clock General IlawlrN
called the thronYS t" attention. cutrcat
III" them t" he patient under the heat
and pressure. and to manifest the ''or-
binary good nature of American
crowds" He then announced the RI
Rev. Bishop Simpson, VIII" delivered {;
PRAYER.
THE SINGING OF WHITTIER HYMN.
Following closely on the PRAYER cam,
the uprising of the chorus ohcdicmt +,
Mr.. Thoma>'> baton. and the rendering
OF John Grccnlcaf Whitticrs hymn t,
the music written 10y Prof Paine al
Harvard. The simple and maicSti,
words and the fine reirainS were salutcd
with loud and long cheering. Til,