The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1876-05-13
OPENING THE CENTENNIAL.

tennial show at Philadelphia, and the corc-
monial seems to have passed of with tremen-
dous eclat Congress had adjourned that lis
members might be present on the momcn.
tous occasion, the supreme court had done
likewise, and the President and cabinet, with
most of the foreign representatives, at Wash
ington, IN like manner forsook their posts 10
adorn with their presence the grand pageant
in Fairmouni Park.
The week opened inauspciously. Mon
day had been drizzly, chilly, disagreeabe;
Tuesday it had rained copiously, ana the
thousands Of invited guests, as they arrived
at night, looked dismal and bedraggled but
Wednesday morning 1.-THE cleaning rays OF
| Napoleons sun of Austerlitz were not more
suspicious than the bright welcoming smile
of heaven that greeted fair Llberty's lnaugur'
alton of her Centennial anniversary; Use
quote from the Bohemian of the Chicago
Timcs-far be it from our own pen to indtte
such grandioquenceD
| The hour for opening the gates had been
fixed at Q o'clock, but even before o'clock
every avense leading to the grounds was
| filled with the on pressing masses The city
meantime WAS waving mist of tiags-there
was not house, not peanut stand, not q We
hicle ,-scarcely window in the entire city,
that did not display its bunting-the red,
white and blue predomnating, but flags of
all nations plentifully interspersed every
where. This flag mania found emphatic eS-
preston also inside the grounds. The in
conceivable expsnsc of the main building,
enriched throughout all its acres of length
and breadth with the most brilliant decora-
tons, WAS rendered doubly magnificent by
the addition of myrads of flags of all colors,
shapes, sizes, and nations, and from every
inch of available space fioated red white.and-
blue streamers. The national and inter-na-
tional insignias over the entrance were al.
most covered with the grouped banners o!
every nation, ana even the golden motto,
Virtue, Liberty and Independence, seemed
to have grown brighter since the dawn of the
| 10th Of May
The opening ceremonies took place from
the grand stand erected in front of Memorial
| Hall, upon which seats had been prepared
Tor the President of the L. S. the Emperor
and Empress Of Brazil, the diplomatic corps,
Supreme Court Judges, Governors of Ststes,
members of the L. >. Senate aud House
officers of army and navy, and large num-
Der of gentlemen notable in science and lit
erature, with musicians, attendants, &c.
| Many of the guests we're also attended by their
wives and daughters, 50 that the gathering on
the platform, numbering eight or ten thou
sand, was marked by large lumber Of beau
tiful women. All the avenues in front and
around the platform, within hearing or see
Ing distance, were filled with 100000 spects
. tors-common people-who stood still in the
hot SUI or wadeu about in the mud as in
clnation prompted,
Among al. the guests Of course the most
conspicuous object, whom all eyes sought
out first, was the Emperor of Brazil As his
arrival and that of the Empress was an.
nounced the orchestra played the Brazilian
national hymn. The emperor was dressed ia
plain suit of black, aud was without decor.
atoms of any kind The dress OF the empress
was a rich lavendar silk, en train, white satin
bonnet and delicate lace shawl.
The music, the most entertaining if not
important feature of the programme, was IN.
der the direction OF Theodore Thomas, and
consisted of an immense orchestra and acho-
rus male and female voices.
Exactly AT Ii O'Clock Gen Hawley, presi.
dent OF the Centennial Board, gave signal
for the opening ceremonies to begin, when
the grand orchestra performed with fine eff
feet Wagner's long awaited Centennial IN.
auguration march, We have no space to
copy the rapturous language in which the
Times Bohemian whom we are following
gushrs over this music. 1t is sufficient to
say that the Congrcgated masses stood mo-
tionless as statues, their emotions being
psychcal, not physical-thelr souls tremb
ling while their bodies were forgotten"
Then Bishop Simpson invoked the divine
blessing, in zone Of the most eloquent pray.
ers ever addressed To an admiring audience"
Upon the conclusion of the prayer the grand
chorus of 600 voices joined in singing Whit
tiers Centennial LYNN,
our fathers God, from whose hand
The centuries fall like grains OF sand
We meet to-day, united, free
And loyal 10 our land and Thee
10 thank Thee for the era done
And trust Thee for the opening one.
The Mayor of Philadelphia then made
short address, Introducing ex-Gov. Hawley, |
who, in another short address, formally pre-
sen,cd the exhibition TO President Grant as
the representative of the nation. The Presi-
dents reply was even shorter Than Hawley's !
address, and was read in a tone so inaudble |
as to be heard only by those who stood near
hin. on the platform. It's purport however, |
is sufficiently indicated by the closing words, |
wLich were, 81 declare the international cx-
hibition now open
The people seem to have been admitted
= 81 :.,.s,..l