The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1876-05-26
From our Regular Correspondent. !
CENTENNIAL LETTER,
Successful Opening OF the ExpositiOn-A Gala
Day in Philadelphia-LOts Of Bunting and
Crowds Of PeOple-The Military DispIaJ and
the CereRanis-
PHILADHPHIA MAY 81 1876

A
| the Ceremonies.
PHILADELPHIA. Nav 81. 1876.
The deed is done. The festal day
has come and the Centennial Exhibi-
ton is opened. The great panorama
which is TO be at once an exposition
of the growth during its first hundred
years of the greatest nation on Earth,
and of the corresponding progress in
art, science and civilization of the
whole world, has begun its evolutions.
The ceremonies and the success of the
occasion were commensurate with the
Importance of the event. 1t was a
gala day for Philadelphia, and a proud
day for the bird of freedom. Probably
such an immense concourse of people
never before thronged the streets of
the city, it being estimated that at
least 25O, 900 were in attendance. the
assembled multitude comprising citi-
zens of nearly every country on the
globe. The display of bunting and
the flag decorations of the streets and
buildings exceeded anything ever wit
messed on any occasion before, lending
an inspiration of beauty, life and gay
ETY. 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 in tor
rents, and the night before was porten-
tious of mud and water for the open
ing. Yet old Probs said it would be
fair, and the people stood round the
hotel lobbys and under awnings pray
ing that he might be right, or at least
be able to effect a compromise with the
clerk of the weather. But the morn
ing dawned unpropitious, and the mil
itary which had been ordered to rem
dezous at half past seven were tardy
in falling into line. An hour later
however the clouds broke away and old
Sol came out in all his splendor Then
the sight was grand and beautiful
The city was all tasseled and festooned
with the flags of every nation, which
shook off the glistening drops; and
the sound of drums and bugles down
dozen streets betokened the marshall
ing of troops. 1t was nine o'clock
when the head of the line reached the
residence of Geo. w. Childs, where the
President and Cabinet took position
Mt the head. The military escort con-
sisted OF Gov. Hartranft, and Gov.
Rice, of Massachusetts, with their re-
spective staffs and about 6, 600 men in
line, some of the most notable organ
izations being the Boston Cadets, the
Boston Lancers and the Pennsylvania
State Fencibles.
From 8 o'clock till nearly the middle
of tie afternoon, every car and every
avenue leading to the Exhibition
Grounds was crowded and thronged
with an eager mass of humanity, bent
upon seeing what there was TO behold.
People rode the entire distance-over
three miles from the Continental Hotel
with one foot resting upon the plat
form OF the street car, and one hand
caught somewhere above, so anxious
were they to reach the grounds. The
hour for opening the gates had been
fixed at9 o'clock, but long before that
time the main entrance was besieged
by an impatient throng, which never
grew less but was constantly augment
ed till late in the day. As went from
one gate to another to witness the eff
forts of the eager multitude to gain
admission, it seemed to me that the
facilities for ingress and egress were en-
tirely inadequate, at least for this oc-
casion.
hC CACiOioto VI "CEc
simple and digni.ied. Athousand men
in uniform, newly organized, studded
the landscape as police Two hundred
and fifty jurors, whose expenses will
be as many thousand dollars, were up
On the grand stand waiting to begin
their labors when the President of the
United States should open the Exhibl-
tion. Nearly three times the number
of States originally asserting to the
sublime insebordination of Independ-
enee were represented by their Com
missioners. The speeches were short
and without indelicate individuality,
and America, at peace with the world,
produced the martial tunes of every
great nation, which were cheered with
out discrimination by her multitudes.
Beauty as well as rank, graced the fes-
tive place. There sat near her husband
the Empress of Brazil and daughter Of
theKing 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 Godl from out whose hand
The centuries fall like grains of sand,
We meet, to-day, united, free,
And loyal to our 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 the
Methodist bishop fitly expressed the
undiscouraged aspirations of the Amer
lea of the second century. May the
new century be better than the past
More radiant with the light of true
philosophy, warmer with the emana-
tions of worldwide sympathy. May
capital, genius, and labor be freed
from all antagonism by the establish
ment and application of justice and
equity" One thousand voices accom-
panied the great organ. In the inter
ludes the military bands doomed over
the wide enclosure where the soldiery
rested on their arms. Then there was
a silent signal and shaken out from
Ininaret and flagstaff along the vast
profiles of the buildings a hundred
banners of all nations blew in the wind.
The Exhibition for 1875 was opened.
Descending from the great stand,
the President walked throuh the two
principal buildings on the arm of the