Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1876-05-15
From Correspondence Of the New York Times.
INCIDENTS Or THE CENTENNIAl
OPENING
ArEAruRE NOTICED by FOREIGNERS.

AFEATURE NOTICED BY FOREIGNERS.
Those who are least acquainted with American
ways and American character were particularly
impressed with the marked respectablli'y OF the
crowd that came together yesterday. Standing in
the diplomatic section of the grand saud, and
looking out upon the vast sea oil welldressed men
and women who listened with rapt attention, and
what was better, with evident enjoyment and ap
probation, to the performance OF the Thomas Or
chestra and the grand chorus, = member OF the
German Commission, who has only been few
weeks in America, said 10 me, in Amusement,
"But in my life have never seen so many OF the
better classes assembled at one time. We have
very mistaken notions of you Americans. Then
after . moments pause he continued; lone
thing wonder at, however. You talk SO much
about your hberality to all classes, why have you
to-day excluded all the poor people In this
crowd see nothing but the rich Ind very well
dressed" l assured him-as was the fact-that
men and women from all classes were well repre-
se nted in the throng. This was, indeed the II nth
The multitude was made up of all kinds Of people.
| Rich men there were i'll plenty. but there were
also workmen and working women; carpenters,
shoe makers and blacksmiths, clerks and statesmen,
lawyers and doctors and ministers, bIIcklay eIs
and lager beer saloon keepers, farmers and man
utacturers, were all mingled together in the good
| American fashion. When this became clear to
my German acquaintance he was almost beside
himself with sstonlshment. "What," he said
"those well dressed women not all rich ladies' !;
| anu among those men all with cloth coats there
are ,oany farmers, stone-masons and cobblers Z
But, Xein herr, where are your common people,
your peasants 7" 1--WE are all common people,
l replied, land we have no peasants" Again the
gentleman looked at that American crowd, and
continued to do so, shaking his head in amaze
ment and muttering at intervals, "Der letter Him.
mel, what country A hundred thousand people
in crowd and not one peasant
THE STARTING OF THE ENGINE.
A. 4.
ceremonies of the day were held, the greatest
point of interest was the Machinery Building, and
the rush of visitors ANXIOUS to see President Grant
setting the great Corliss engine in motion was
simply irresistible. The scene shortly after the
President arrived was indeed an impressive one
and calculated to excite the interest of lntelli-
gent people. 1t was known that the giant ma
chine had been erected at a cost OF 500, 900 and
that fourteen acres OF machinery and thousands Of
miles Of betting and shaftiDg were to he driven by
it, and il was known also that successful trial
of its capacity to do the work had already been
made. But had nothing happened since theB,
and were the great boiler, the wheels and valves
still in running order: were the thoughts of the
crowd aucibly expressed. Each individual see med
to take deep person al interest in the success of
the national undertaking, and the greatest anxiety
prevailed. Amid an almost GREATNESS silence Mr.
George H. Z Miss, the builuer Of the engine, a
thoughtful man, tall, thin and gray haired and
very pale, but calm and self possessed, conducted
President Grant and the Emperor Of Brazil to the
two levers by which the now breathless nonster
was TO be made thing Of life. Th,n by slight
exertion oethese rulers of two nations the giant
arms began 10 move, slowly at first, add then with
velocity that was tremeud ous in its force and
majesty. One great sigh came from the huge
iron chest, the belts aud shafts moved in all d.
rectioDs, thousands of machines became active
The great engine was grand success, and the n
such 4 shout went out from the hearts of the PEG.
pie as Is seldom heard in human life time. The
American multitude rejoced at lis own success in
the triumph Of the great American inventor
Machinery Hall will continue to be for many per-
sons the most interesting part of the exhibition.
1t Is an honor to the naion and IN il no native of
the United States need blush for his country. Re-
garding the opening Yesterday, Sir Edward Thorn
| ton, the English Minister. very appropriately
said: ut was grand success; II was a majestic
triumph"