Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1876-05-12
orr cgNTrxxIlL 1ETrFR.

E11Reo E1a8Hg-ORcAo SnDas0 Cemtens
4 nAAI Birthday ERreaIkfast-PrOEram
nae ofthe OPenIng Rxercises-ILet the
kagie OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES for Ihe
colnfors Of visitors.
Tempns fugit. Nobody knows better
than Centennial Commissioned or Exhibi-
tor how much too sttempis does fnget for
the successful maturingo of human plans
and purposes. Even stealing from the hours
of sleep and turning night into day, won't
always snfice to overtake the flying mo-
ments and keep pace with the rising and
sitting sun. So, with all their herculean
1 sforts, these Centennial people scratch their
heads and wish they had, like the man
about to be hung, a respite-a little more
time. But the day Is almost here. Next
Wednesday morning Uncle Sam viii take
his Centennial birthday breakfast and pick
his teeth with a rusty old '76 bayOnet. At
noon the American Eagle viii perch him,
self upon the top-most peak Of the Rocky
| Mountains, and with the tips Of his wings
dipped IN the two Oceans-not forgetting
to drop tgiI-feather or two in the Gulf of
Mexico and Lake Michigsa-take re-
Prospective survey of his own greatness, We
all sympathize with the proud old Eagle,
even when, on state occasions, he takes on
the character of turkey-gohbler; and at
! this period, however apt it might be, prob
ably nobody VIII think of quoting Saxe's
tlines:
Because you flourish in world affairs,
Don't be naughty and put on airs;
With insolent pride Of station
10, Don't be proud and turn up yopr nose
At poorer people in palmer Clothes
But learn for the sake of your souls repose
That all proud flesh whenever 1t grows
Is subject to irritation !"
The programme according to Invitations
have been issued to the President, Cabinet
officers, Supreme Court judges, Diplomatic
Corps, Congressman, Centennial Board,
Foreign Commissioners, Governors ofStates
and Territories and their staffs, the PEN
nsylvania Legislature, city authorities of
Philadelphia chief officers of the army and
navy, Women's National Centennial Com
mittee, Centennial Board of Finance, and
others in official positions and officially con-
nected with the Exhibition. The Centen-
NAL grounds and buildings will be opened
to the public at a. N. Memorial Hall, the
Main Building. and Machinery Hall will
be reserved for invited guests until about
noon. The exercise will take place in the
open air, on the south side of Memorial
Hall The ,,,,,s;a oo1sist;no of a., och os-
ira Of $50 pieces and chorus of 800 voices,
will be given under the direction of Theo-
dore Thomas, assisted by Dudley Buck.
The President will be escorted to the
grounds by Governor Hartranft and a divi-
sion Of troops. The following is the pro-
gramme:
First.-Uentennial Inauguration March,
by Wagner. Second-Prayer by Bishop
Simpson. Third-Hymn by John G.
Whittier; music by John K Paine, of Mas
sachusetts; orchestraland organ accom-
paniment. .Fourth--Cantata; words by
Haney Lanier, Of Georgia; music by Dud-
ley Buck; orchestral and organ aocompani-
ment.i Fifth-P Presentation of the Exhi-
bition by the President Of the Centennial
Commission. Sixth-Address bY the Presi-
dent of the United States. The declaration
that the Exhibition is open will be followed
by the customary firing of salutes, raising
of flags, ringing of the chimes and Handles
'.Hsllelujah Chorus" with organ and or
chestral accompaniment. The Foreign
Commissioners viii be placed opposite their
respective sections inithe main building
The President and invited guests will march
through the main building and the Foreign
Commissioners, apon being passed by the
President, will join the procession, when
the whole body will cross to Machinery
Hall There President Grant will set in
motion the great engine and machinery
connected Herewith. A brief reception by
the President in the Judges Pavilion will
close the formal observanees of the day.
Congress has accepted the invitation to
be present in a body. Some people pretend
to think this was mistake, as it might lead
to ''edorous comparisons" of the national
solons Of these times with those of one
hundred years ago. What a ridiculous
ideal To a man.up a tree il would seem
that at this time we could make due allow
aneefor the shortcomings of our forefathers.
No doubt the members of the Continental
Congress did the best they could with their
dnIted advantages and experience, but
Everybody will admit that the Congreesmen
q the present day could give them ten
p9ints and discount them, in some things
Ia game Of draw poker for instance. There
is only one thing for which your correspon-
dent could never forgive the authors of the
Declaration of Independence, and that is
the inhumanity Of locating the Fourth Of
July in the midle of the summer. How
ever, we are not discussing that point now.
Arrangements for the convenience and
comfort Of visitors to the Exhibition are
very complete and extensive. Nothing
that ingenuity could suggest has been omit
ted; yet, with all this, people cannot ex-
pect to escape the diseomforts which are
insepaFable from large gatherings. It is
human nature to ''go with the crowd, " and
the larger the attendance promises to be,
the more anxious people will be to go
though the majority of them win never
cease TO complain Of being jostled and in
lconvenienced in the general scramble. The
department Of public comfort has com
snodious Office at the main entrance which
includes free reading room, facilities for
writing and correspondence, together with
iaHatories and closets, and boot-blacking
and clcthes-brushing room. This depart
nept will undertake the care of umbrellas,
clOaks, shawls, &C., for which checks are
given, and when the visitor is ready to
leave his traps" win be found at station
in any part Ofthe ground he may desig-
nate. The Centennial Rolling Chair Com
paIGy have provided 300 chairs elevated on